Microsoft Tracking Behavior of Newsgroup Posters

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."

Comments

Re:Tracking Slashdot too

[stratjakt]

I think it's more likely that Apple employees are astroturfing, after all, every pathetic mac boosting comment is modded up +5 insightful. Wow! That guy likes his iPod! What insight!

Frankly MS exec probably just say "so a handful of linux zealots dont like us, hand me a billion dollar bill i need to dry my sobbing eyes"

Re:Why is google better?

[jbottero]

How dare you slander the sacred Google? What are you? Some kind of conspiracy nut case? Get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness before the Google Gods de-list your web site and remove any reference to you from the Collective Knowledge Base...

Re:Give it a break

[The Bungi]

Your post would have been halfway insightful if you didn't insist on doing the 'M$' thing so much.