Slashdot Mirror
Examining Microsoft Update
eggsovereasy writes "The Inquirer is reporting that a group in Germany has deciphered the information sent to Microsoft during an update using Windows Update and says that information on all software installed on your computer is sent, even that which is not Microsoft's own software." The original article is, unfortunately, pay-per-view. Update: 02/26 18:19 GMT by T : ionyka points to this "related article from ITWorld that deals with Microsoft's transferring of information through Windows Media Player. When you open up Media Player it sends information back to Microsoft like what movies you play, what songs you listen to and where they come from."
Just got this in the mail, you may want to pass along to tell 'em what you think....?
d @Domain.com
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Microsoft wants to tailor its efforts to address the issues that challenge you every day. To do that, we need your input. Our highest priority is to understand your needs better, and that's why we selected you to receive this survey.
The Gartner Group has conducted extensive research on mid-sized companies across the country and published what they believe are the top priorities for the near future. This is valuable, but we need to know if it reflects your plans. Microsoft wants to give you the tools you really need.
Microsoft will be happy to thank you for taking this survey by entering your name in a drawing for one of 25 brand new copies of Office XP Standard Edition.*
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Link is here (update your email in the link): http://reply.mst1.com/link.asp?L=100167&E=email_i
*Limit 1 per customer. Valid only for the original recipient of this email. Response must be received by March 25, 2003.
Enjoy!
"This isn't a study in computer science, its a study in human behavior"
Microsoft needs to collect this information for driver updates and other *useful* updates.
Only last night I tried to install a wirless USB interface onto a laptop and didn't have the drivers so I headed onto windowsupdate.microsoft.com with the USB adapter dangling out the back and bam! there was a driver there ready for me to download. Excellent.
Fast. Easy computing. That's why I pay for my software...
So the service which updates your software needs to know what what software you've got. Big deal. Come back to me when you've *any* evidence that microsoft are abusing this information in any way at all.
Sig is taking a break!
Nice suggestion, so why don't YOU start working on it? Ideas are like assholes... yadda yadda
Get off your ass and write it, instead of offering suggestions like the hundreds of other sheep who do, and never get anything done.
I agree... and the hardware list could actually be a good thing. Microsoft could compile databases of who uses what hardware, so they know the percentages of people who use certain brands. It seems like this information would be extremely useful in knowing what types of machines to test Beta software on in the future.
9 times out of 10 the Windows update driver just screws things up.
Not only is it not that big a deal, privacy-wise, but it is nice that they provide third party driver updates for this hardware over windowsupdate.
Finkployd
People still use modems?
I don't do this for karma, I do it for cash. It's much better.
It's "lazy" admins that are the bane of the 'net; code red, lion, nimda, slammer, etc.
As for lazy users, well, you're the ones partly responsible for crap like melissa and the one worm that mails random documents to random email addresses.
Go, you!