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Windows Telemetry Rolls Out
ihtoit writes: Last week came the warning, now comes the roll out. One of the most most controversial aspects of Windows 10 is coming to Windows 7 and 8. Microsoft has released upgrades which enable the company to track what a user is doing. The updates – KB3075249, KB3080149 and KB3068708 – all add "customer experience and diagnostic telemetry" to the older versions. gHacks points out that the updates will ignore any previous user preferences reporting: "These four updates ignore existing user preferences stored in Windows 7 and Windows 8 (including any edits made to the Hosts file) and immediately starts exchanging user data with vortex-win.data.microsoft.com and settings-win.data.microsoft.com."
No, Microsoft Fucks you!
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I have a notebook that is used mainly for web browsing and email. Linux Mint was installed on that notebook (replacing Windows 7) over this past weekend.
It's been a couple of years since I had looked into Linux Mint, and I was very surprised at how far it has come. While I foresee the need to do a few more tweaks with Linux Mint in order to make it more comfortable, I see no need to revert to Windows on this notebook.
What really pissed me off about the data harvesting that Microsoft is doing with these updates is how Microsoft callously has ignored any wishes I had previously stated regarding my preferences for not harvesting data from my computers.
There will be new "updates" from Microsoft, so, no, unless you go examine every update thoroughly in a VM or something before installing, or stay at your current patch level forever, you're not safe.
My question is how much of this is Microsoft's own idea and how much is being pushed by NSA. Windows 10 consumer versions not having the ability to turn off automatic updates, for example, seems like it's tailor made for the three letter agencies to use to install "special" updates on targeted computers - quite possibly those that show specific files or keywords in "telemetry" searches.
Backing away from Microsoft seems sensible, but it's not going to solve the problem of a police state with panopticon wet dreams.
7 was good. 8 was crap. they skipped 9. the 'good' version we should have had and went right to 10. which is crap.
the pattern still holds and will not be fooled by the numbers.
so now we have to wait for 11. but there won't be an 11. just forever updates to 10 sticking that windows store deeper into your ass.
So much for the (bogus) argument that Linux is harder to install and maintain; that Linux requires too much command line work to get it working.
Microsoft used to just hate Mac and Linux users. Good to see they're expanding that to Windows users too, they where beginning to feel left out.
Because the wall around the garden prevents me from doing what I want to do with a computer. That is worse then reporting what I'm doing any day.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
The real issue isn't so much the telemetry, it's: "Why is there a 'Get Office' app in my OS anyways?"
Let's call it what it is: when it was "Get Bonzi Buddy" or "Install The Ask Jeeves Toolbar!" it was malware. The "Get Office" app is also malware, and the people who designed it, developed it, and ordered its incorporation into the OS should all be shunned.
The fact that someone, somewhere, sucks worse is not a defense. Also, no other company is:
1- As far reaching.
2- Trusted with as many DESKTOP (read, vastly more important than "some webapp" or "some phone") hardwarez.
Microsoft doing this is vastly worse than when other companies do it. Especially because almost everyone bitching about this actually uses Windows to at least some degree, and often doesn't use the other things, or carefully monitors their exposure to them. No safe computing will save you from a malicious OS.