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Will Microsoft Put The Colonel in the Kernel?
theodp writes "The kernel meets The Colonel in a just-published Microsoft patent application for an Advertising Services Architecture, which delivers targeted advertising as 'part of the OS.' Microsoft, who once teamed with law enforcement to protect consumers from unwanted advertising, goes on to boast that the invention can 'take steps to verify ad consumption,' be used to block ads from competitors, and even sneak a peek at 'user document files, user e-mail files, user music files, downloaded podcasts, computer settings, [and] computer status messages' to deliver more tightly targeted ads."
What? weren't "General Failure" and BSOD enuff?
This seems like something that would be useful to have a free home desktop OS. I bet they patented it just to keep some Linux distro from doing it.
Does this in any way relate to KFC... i nearly ditched linux got vista so that Colonel would get me some fried Chicken!! Then I read the story.... Damn it makes me hungry!
You do not understand the difference between an application and an operating system. Please stop posting.
When I first heard the name "Windows Genuine Advantage," I thought, "hey, great; I've finally got an advantage over those smug Mac OS X and LInux users!" Then, of course, came the awful truth.
When I first heard the name "Trusted Computing," I thought, "hey, great; does this, like, mean I can make clicky-clicky on links in the sketchiest of web pages without gasping in shock at the horrors of pathological proctology?" Then, of course, came the awful truth.
This evening, upon reading the name "Advertising Services Architecture," I thought, "hey, great; is this a cool new enabling technology that will this help me sell more stuff and make more money on eBay?" Then, yet again, came the awful truth, as pointed out in the link to this article.
As far as I know, these are but three of the 100 reasons I'll be speechless for Microsoft Vista. Or saying "Wow!" But: Is there some context in the English language in which "Wow!" means "I've got an axe buried in my head?" (Being speechless does, after all, seem to be an appropriate response to such trauma, and so I was trying to make the connection between the two.) Because after all the all the aforementioned truths, after finding out that this vast infrastructure for which I'm paying has nothing to do whatsoever with that for which I want to use a computer, well, that's kind of what I imagine it feels like.
Those who can, do. Those who can't, write technology blogs.
Don't worry. There will be an open-source version of this available for Ubuntu sometime in the next month, long before the patent is approved. But it'll be a lame version like 0.89 and only show "Hello, I'm a Mac" ads.
John
3 things about computers: they're alive, they're self-aware, and they hate your guts.
And long time slashdotter! Do you impress the chicks with your low user ID? :-)
"THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
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If you're interested in facts I'll tell you what they are and I'll give you sources - Chomsky on The Big Idea
Yeah, I mean, General Failure outranks the Colonel, right?
:)
Funniest thing on Slashdot so far today (even if it is only 01:30), but I would have thought General Protection Fault outranks the Colonel
"What do you despise? By this are you truly known." --Princess Irulan, Manual of Muad'Dib
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I've often wished I could introduce Microsoft executives to Corporal Punishment, but I don't think that counts.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
And once the Navy starts using it, they'll be after your Seamen...
Good God.
...but at least we'll have chicken.
Chris Mattern
We can always hope that implementing this will introduce them to Major Disaster...