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Microsoft Tracking Behavior of Newsgroup Posters

Posted by timothy on from the target-market dept.

theodp writes "Ever get the feeling your Usenet newsgroup list is being watched? By Microsoft? If so, consider yourself right. An interesting but troubling CNET interview with Microsoft's in-house sociologist goes into how the software giant is keeping a close eye on newsgroups and other public e-mail lists, tracking and rating contributors' social habits and determining "people who the system has shown to have value." Those concerned that it's not a good idea for computers to track their belongings and whereabouts are advised that they may ultimately have to fragment their identities, keeping multiple IDs and e-mail addresses."

5 of 543 comments (clear)

  1. to the mods by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    Leave my messages alone

  2. A day in the life of msn nntp by foofoobarbar · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    AOL-user1: yea, LOL, me t00!

    AOL-user3: thatz whut i sedm me too!

    M0nkeyMan-mod: hey fellas; what is this "LOL" you are always talking about? is it a outlook virus? you should know, you may be prosecuted under the patriot act merely for starting a rumor of a virus named "LOL"

    AOL-user1: LOL means we "Likes Our Lapdances"

    monkeyman: me t00, my wife Billie LOL! we take turns on eachother and LOL!

  3. Re:Multiple addresses wont work by Mononoke · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    Bayesian analysis can match writers to messages regardless of the email address.
    LOL!!! U R so RITE!

    ME 2!!!!!

    (I wonder how many AOL users there really are)

    --
    NetInfo connection failed for server 127.0.0.1/local
  4. Re:What's wrong with this? by Havokmon · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    Did you guys really think that Microsoft's not profiling the Slashdot users, or the Linux kernel contributors or anyone they deem as a valuable target?

    I don't spend enough time in one place to have 'Excellent Karma' under a single identity, if I were to use quite a few of them.

    That's exactly why I try not to hide myself. I WANT people to see what I've posted. Find me as 'havokmon' 'rick@usb.com' or 'rick at valeoinc.com' (personal, business, business - replace the yaddayadda). I'll have to update my resume though with my previous business emails so it's easy for me (and my contributions) to be found.

    --
    "I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
  5. Fuck the Draft. by The+Revolutionary · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Fuck Microsoft.

    Fuck John Ashcroft.

    Fuck the RIAA.

    Fuck the MPAA.

    Fuck George W. Bush.

    Fuck the DMCA.

    Say it; wear it; post it; it's your right.

    --

    .sig Realistic fines for copyright in