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Revisionist History From RealNetworks

Posted by jamie on from the i-am-not-a-crook dept.

Quote from a RealNetworks spokesperson, in a CNET article on a RealServer vulnerability yesterday: "We never invaded anyone's privacy.... We never kept track of what music people were listening to or kept track of individuals." Quote from New York Times article last November: "RealNetworks' popular RealJukebox software for playing CD's on computers surreptitiously monitors the listening habits and certain other activities of people who use it and continually reports this information, along with the user's identity, to RealNetworks, said a security expert.... In interviews last week, company officials acknowledged that RealJukebox ... gathers information on what music users are playing and recording." That's all. Just wanted to point that out.

6 comments

  1. Hmm... by dlc · · Score: 2

    Even though the explot was dubbed "realdie.exe", which implies the vulnerability was found on a windows server, Real is offering patches for all versions of their server line. Interesting. I guess it is true that you can write cross-platform bad code.

    Is anyone else scared that they named the executable "rmserver"? Gotta make sure you don't put a space between the "m" and the "s", or bad things might happen. I can see it now:

    $ su -
    # cd /real
    # rm server
    ^C^C^C

    D'Oh!

    darren


    Cthulhu for President!
    --
    (darren)
  2. Re:Wait One Minute! by swordgeek · · Score: 2

    Hey, got an answer for you!

    A few weeks ago (or so) the cyberpatrol thing came out. Pissed me off enough that I wrote to the media. Surprise surprise, the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) interviewed me and Matt Skala, largely as a result of my letter. We were on national TV, here in the great white north.

    Your job, in order to make this relevant, is to carry the story beyon /., beyond salon.com, and into mainstream media. Get their attention, and they'll occasionally listen to you--I found the CBC surprisingly happy to cover Mattel's shite. The thing to do is CARRY THE MESSAGE TO THE MEDIA! BRING THE CRIMES TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PUBLIC!

    That's all.

    --

    "People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
  3. Wait One Minute! by Nater · · Score: 1

    I thought the FBI once said, "If there's going to be a Big Brother in this country, it's going to be us. It's going to be the FBI." Real had better start playing nice or they'll get their Eurasian asses whooped cause between them and the FBI, there's only one that can ask the military for backup.

    Ahem...

    Well, revisionism does rear its ugly head now and then but it doesn't really amount to much when the culprit is caught. What I want to know is how to make a stink about it. No offense, but a "by the way" type article posted in the backwaters of /. isn't exactly a media coup.

    --

    I like to play children's songs in minor keys.
    "We're all sons of bitches now." --J. Robert Oppenheimer

  4. "users" not in {"people", "individuals"} by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1
    We never kept track of what music people were listening to or kept track of individuals.
    [...]
    RealJukebox ... gathers information on what music users are playing and recording

    Isn't it obvious? "users" are neither "people" nor "individuals".

  5. RealTrojan lives up to their name. BIG deal! by swordgeek · · Score: 2

    I mean, come ON folks!

    RealNetworks has been invading your privacy for years. About eight months ago (I'm guessing), they were caught recording your every move, as far as it related to RealWhatthefuckplayer. The day I heard that was the day I removed RealEverything from my computer, and the day that I started laughing at people who should have known better, but didn't.

    They're a sleazy company, they produce a sleazy product, and they track you as well as they can. Can you even PRETEND to be surprised?

    --

    "People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
  6. their spin looks really sick - needs a doctor by DaveHowe · · Score: 3
    Shame on you! you are violating the Offical Rules of PR:
    1. People should not and can not remember what you told them more than three days ago - if they do remember, than someone has reminded them (in breach of your copyright)
    2. If you wanted them to remember, you would remind them yourself in your statement (given that you are charging the offending company by the word, this can only be a good thing)
    3. If you have just gotten the account, and the situation is bad enough that the herd of pee-poll seem to be remembering, blame the previous PR firm for misrepresenting the data
    4. don't paint your client into a corner, or you will BE that previous PR firm. Make sure any admissions you make are weasel-worded so you can respin them later

    --
    --
    -=DaveHowe=-