Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft to Focus on Security
Anonymous Minion writes: "The Associated Press is reporting that Bill Gates announced to employees Wednesday a major strategy shift across all its products to emphasize security and privacy over new capabilities. In e-mail to employees, Gates referred to the new philosophy as "Trustworthy Computing" and called it the "highest priority". Gates said the new emphasis was "more important than any other part of our work."" People criticized Microsoft for treating security breaches as a public relations problem, so Bill Gates sent this email out to the Associated Press to prove them wrong. (rimshot!) Meanwhile, Richard Smith notes that the Globally Unique Identifier in every installation of Windows Media Player allows websites to universally track users, and Microsoft does not consider it a security problem.
Why does Microsoft saying they're going to focus on security remind me of the US government talking about campaign finance reform?
If using Linux is about choice, how come people complain when I choose to use Windows?
HAHAHAHAHAhahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahaheeheehe e.
I guess those stories suggesting that software companies might become liable for damages arising from security holes put the fear of God into him.
so now all of the pr0n sites will know exactly what TYPE of pr0n to feature on the front page whenever I *happen* to stop by...
well, atleast maybe I'll get more targeted advertising... ya know, nothing against transvestites, but the pr0n of them in an advertisement just does NOT make me want to subscribe!
Thanks, Eric! And in other news, Microsoft announced that they are to rename Windows 98 "Windows Diana". They expect that it too will be superficially attractive, consume lots of resources and crash horribly. (from http://members.ozemail.com.au/~lbrash/msjokes/)
If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
I almost lost my Mountain Dew when I read that headline!
"Adequacy.org: Where congenital stupidity is not an option, but a requirement."
Hmmm, I think I'll go read slashdot today...
It looks like you're trying to reach the internet, this is a potential security risk. Find out more about how your internet experience is made more secure with Microsoft by clicking "Find out more." If you wish to continue, click "Ok."
Arrgh, *click ok* (stupid microsoft)
Your computer has begun downloading information, this is a potential security risk. Find out more about how your internet experience is made more secure with Microsoft by clicking "Find out more." If you wish to continue, click "Ok."
And so on!
My Karma was at 49, then they switched to words. All that work for nothing!
Is this in the same vein as the day Bill Gates ordered everyone at MS to stop what they were working on and concentrate on how the Internet would affect their products?
Of course, by that I mean Microsoft finally understanding something several years after the rest of the world "gets it?"
{
char username[8];
char pass[8];
fprintf(stdout,"enter username (8 char max please, otherwise you might corrupt the stack): ");
fscanf(stdin,"%s ",username);
if (strncmp(username,pass) != 3) return 1;
}
Oh my God, if Billy actually means what he says, what are we going to do now? We've always had a major advantage in security and stability with Linux. Our arguments have always been based on the fact that M$ windoze is a bloated hacker haven.
Linux and the open source movemnet will most certainly never die, but I would really like to see a day where mom, pop and granny all used Linux, most games and popular software ran natively on it, and windows was a weird "fringe" thing like Macs.
I honestly believed we could pull it off in 5 years, 10 tops. But with the full resources of a gigantic monopoly turned to focus on what has always been our strong point, dear lord, what are we going to do now???
Worse than that, what if ole Billy also decides to make it a lot faster? What if the deepest pockets in the world turn to actually making windows a decent OS?
Yes, it's all about timing. The rest of the email outlined thier other goals:
1. To workout more
2. To eat better
3. To be nicer to the people we love
4. To not drink so much
The email closed with a lamentation about how these beginning of the year resolutions never seem to work, followed by a humorous panel from the comic strip "Cathy".
- Dan I.
A)bort R)etry I)gnore
=tad=
Negra Modelo. Because Guiness sucks.
Now THAT's a flaimbait if I've ever seen one! :)
I suppose that Microsoft will have to re-think things like ".exe" at the end of a filename meaning "run me" to the OS.
Until then, I for one will keep laughing.
Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
Translation: [serious] Users should be made to think that our ideas of how their data should be used are also their ideas.
-or-
[humorous] Microsoft should be in control of how its users are used.
Seriously, though, all those who fit Microsoft's definition of user already think they are in control of their data. They believe that Microsoft provides them freedom to do what they want. Look at those Windows XP flying commercials. People actually believe that stuff. Just a thought.
A solution to the problem with music today
And as everyone knows, if you put 5900 randomly chosen (American, normally distributed) women in a room, you have to wait roughly 18 days for one of them to have a kid. You actually need 2.5 million to get a kid in an hour, and not even MS employs that many programmers. Though to hear some tell, the Open Source Movement might. Of course, they're predominantly male geeks, so you'd probably have to wait several years before 5900 open source programmers produced offspring, and even then it might just be a replicant.
Quantum mechanics: the dreams that stuff is made of.
Of course. I hear they're going to make their software "unbreakabale."
I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm buying this video when it comes out.
-- The world is watching America, and America is watching TV.
Some disgruntled guy will assasinate Bill Gates and the world will celebrate....
/. peeps...
Will be replaced by someone who has Linux roots....
Orders complete recoding of Windows, ease of use of Windows, Stability/Security of Linux...
Years later, Windows LX is released, with praises coming from
World enters a Golden age...
*Me waking up* OH FUCK!
GNU tools have user-friendly UIs. They take some time to get to know, but they're not shallow personalities which are all about lip gloss and initial appearance. Once you get to know them, they'll be your firend for life...
Stand in a parking lot with a clipboard and write down the license plate numbers of everybody that enters. ;-)
For immediate release:
Due to the current flurry of negative (and obviously biased) reports about XP's security of late, Microsoft PR 3.0 has created the following new security certification: BS1.
Achieving this rating marks a milestone in the development of the Windows eXPerience. The most recent press release lambasting the "evil, commie, terrorist bastards" who dare to release exploit code challenging the "Security is Job 3.0" corporate mantra in Microsoft has successfully pushed XP into the BS1 certification category.
BS1 is marked by the following:
* 3+ Metric tons of press releases denying any and all problems.
* 1GB+ downloadable "patches" and "enhancements" required for all new installations.
* 100,000th "grass roots" letter of support delivered to Congress
We would like to thank all of the people in Marketing and the good folks over at W&E for helping us reach this milestone in the Windows eXPerience.
--- I wish I could hear the soundtrack to my life. That way I'd know when to duck.
Wrong day guys. This is NOT April 1st... Look at the date before you post the stories please?
Marnex Products
how many versions of windows were released before they managed to build one that didn't suck
;)
Is there some new totally different version of Windows (beyond XP) that I haven't heard about?
The day MS makes something that doesn't suck, it'll be a vacuum cleaner.
"that's not encryption - it's a new perl script that I'm working on..." - from some Matrix parody
blah blah blah Trustworthy Computing, blah blah, Trustworthy Computing, blah blah blah blah, Trustworthy Computing...
"Chiswick! Fresh horses!"
So when will I be able to to visit any of the Microsoft websites with IE browser security set to High?