"Windows.... is a warzone" - OT

[Richard Brekne]

Hechler Family wrote:

> Joe, et all
>
> I agree to a certain extent, however, I get hundreds of emails from my 
> user group about MS's underhanded dealings though on the top surface 
> is supposed to be innocent. Example, that I mentioned several months 
> ago, if you watch a DVD movie from Win XP, it calls home to MS and 
> tells them what you just watched. Invasion of privacy - you bet but 
> how are we going to stop it.
>
Turn off the service... or use ZoneLabs to deny MSMedia Player that 
option... there are ways of dealing with this kind of thing to be sure.

> Did you know that every so often, you can set it but not turn it off, 
> Windows Media Player checks the website for updates. Again, regularly 
> invading your privacy. AND, who knows what else they are looking at.


You can defeat that too.   But I understand fully your point... you 
shouldnt have to in the first place.... and the OS has to have hacker 
holes to accomplish all these services in the first place... And none of 
these have (strictkly speaking) anything to do with the mission of an 
Operating System.

>
> Now, think about this, the download version of the upgrade of service 
> pack 2, MS has to know - exactly - what is on your PC in order to 
> download and install the right stuff. SO, they know what kind of PC 
> you have, how much memory you have, how much disk space you have, what 
> packages, legal or pirated, you have - do you follow the train of 
> thought. Now if you order the CD, which I have not done in a long time 
> but I would bet the CD does all of that without reporting it back to MS.
>
> Bottom line, MS is going to invade your privacy in some fashion 
> whether you like it or not.
>
> Food for more thought,
> Duaine