Microsoft News Update

Microsoft news of the past few days: Media Player 9 is the subject of a few articles, including one on its integrated digital restrictions and one on changes in its privacy options. Microsoft is releasing certain API's, and is releasing a service pack for Windows XP, under the requirements of its antitrust settlement with the Federal Gov't. On the downside, code to crash any modern Windows machine with NetBIOS enabled is now floating around the net, and there's been more publicity of the vulnerabilities in Microsoft IIS/SSL.

Comments

Thanks slashdot.

[Unknown Poltroon]

SMBdie.zip
Ima' gonn go huntin' winders machines now. BOOM!! BOOM!!
Actually, this looks like fun to do to coworkers.

What's with all the griping

[Rogerborg]

About posting a link to an exploit tool?

How many of you posting or modding this up also support the free exchange of ideas, including how to back up or media shift a DVD, or extract a portion for review?

You think there's a difference? Bullshit. Your argument is "raise the cost of entry to put off casual abusers". How is that different from the argument that (e.g.) librarians or teachers can gain access to knowledge to let them make copies or extracts from a DVD, if they know exactly who to ask and how to ask them?

That's the trouble with the free exchange of ideas. It's easy to pay lip service until you see something that you don't like being made freely available, at which point the prissy voice gets put on and cries of "Well, that's just irresponsible!" get made. One more step down that line, and you'll be exhorting us to think of the children.

One issue, one standard. The issue here is the free and frank and convenient exchange of knowledge, including knowledge that you don't want people to have. Pick a position.