Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Misrepresenting WGA's Functionality?
Legal Ethics writes "According to an article on Groklaw, Microsoft is misrepresenting what the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tool is to pressure people into installing it. It comes with no uninstall, it fails to disclose many pieces of information it provides to Microsoft, and it misrepresents itself as a 'critical update' when it does not address any security vulnerability, although it remains to be seen if it can create one. ZDNet has a series of screenshots so that you can see exactly how badly it misrepresents itself. Oh, and it also checks for updates, so Microsoft can presumably execute arbitrary code on any machine with it installed, merely by making that code part of a WGA update."
And what can us consumers do about it? If we refuse it, we don't get updates. This is punishing us the legit users, while pirates will still be laughing at M$'s latest attempt at stamping them out!
well?... last time some software package was reported doing this it was labelled spyware and the company was prosecuted..
VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
do we really need a play-by-play commentary of some jackass installing an update? 17 pages of ads and shit.
the question is when are the anti-malware community going to step up to the plate and provide protection from this software
the fact its made by Microsoft should be irellavent, just analyse the behaviour of the application and judge it on that
communicates unique information at any time to an American based advertising company (msn anybody?) with you the user having no idea of what data and what the implications are of giving this company that data
can your business really risk an application like this on your systems ? are you prepared for the consequences of letting this program run unchallenged inside your companies infrastructure ?
but they are not allowed to misrepresent its nature or what it does to consumers, that is called fraud.
VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
It's not the fact it's there, it's the fact Microsoft is not properly disclosing everything it does. This has nothing to do w/ the anti piracy isuse.
...and that's all there is to it.
...why they have to install a piece of software to determine whether your copy of Windows is legit or not. Why not just run a check online when you're doing updates? There's GOTTA be more to this...
Earn a % of cash back from Newegg, Tiger Direct, Walmart.com, and more: http://www.mrrebates.com?refid=458505
Unfortunately your sarcastic comments have more truth in them than you suppose. America these days certainly isn't "for the people" but "in protection of big business." Yes, the economy would take a serious hit if Microsoft, ExxonMobil, and other major players were suddenly replaced by free alternatives, but in the long run the economy would be much better off. America needs to INNOVATE and discover brand new ways of doing everything instead of relying on the safe, profitable methods that they're used to.
/rant
If ExxonMobil figured out how to run a combustion engine on water (seperating the Hydrogen and Oxygen obviously) do you really think that they would share it with the world? Of course not! It would ruin their current business model.
What these super-companies can't fully comprehend, however, is that any little startup business with an innovative can change everything. Innovation doesn't come from big business anymore, it comes SOLELY from the little guy. And is slowly becoming less and less American.
Every business is futile to innovation. There is no stopping it, only delaying. It must be embraced.
Sorry,
--
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When I read this, I thought, this has GOT to be a joke:
Oh, and it also checks for updates, so Microsoft can presumably execute arbitrary code on any machine with it installed, merely by making that code part of a WGA update.
Where did WGA come from? Auto Updates. What does Auto Updates do? Downloads executable code and makes it a part of your Windows OS.
"Shocking facts" like those really put Slashdot editors low in my eyes.
I poked around trying to figure out what was wrong.. Didn't see anything. I clicked the "get legal" or whatever it says button at login but nothing ever happened. I eventually remembered that this particular computer had locked up on reboot the week before on a Tuesday and thought perhaps it had something to do with the latest updates from MS. I uninstalled the last few updates I could find. Rebooted, reinstalled them and eventually everything came back to normal and no more complaints about an illegal copy.
I hope this never happens to aunt Tilly. I wonder when XP will really be ready for the desktop.
--- Liberty in our Lifetime
I wish people would quit acting as if anything was unqualifiably better. Life consists of trade-offs but to hear some people talk, life would just be a bowl of cherries if one were to just do this or that... Sheesh... Yes, Linux is better in some ways, but there's that trade-off thing at work there.
You know that http://www.shelleytherepublican.com/ is satire? If not, you should have read the "meaning and purpose" page. It is gone now, but you can still find a lot of references here.
Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. - Ambrose Bierce
Yes. You trade off some functionality and eye candy for freedom. Any takers?
evil is as evil does