Anyone who doesn't know that Microsoft is abusive should read this article
that I wrote about Windows XP problems: Windows XP shows the
Direction Microsoft is Going. Click Reload if you have visited the article before, because it has recently been re-written with added material.
I stopped going to Safeway, since they use discount cards rather than just giving customers the price at which they want to sell without expecting to track them.
(Discount cards do NOT provide discounts. The grocery store always sells at the price they want to sell. They merely increase the price so that people will get cards, and can then be tracked, especially if they ever use a credit or debit card in connection with a purchase.)
I've started shopping at WinCo Foods instead. They have much lower prices, and they don't do sneaky things. WinCo Foods stores are located in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada.
Did Safeway think that there would be no cost for them in tracking the customer?
I've noticed that abusive companies eventually disappear, or almost disappear. At one time IBM had 90% of the PC market, but they tried to trap customers with a proprietary bus system. At one time Novell had 85% of the PC network market, but they didn't care that their software had a lot of quirks. At one time PC Magazine was a large bi-weekly magazine, but they seemed to favor some companies in their test results. If you believe these examples are representative, then you may begin to think that eventually Microsoft will be a small software company.
To see an explanation of why Passport is not needed, see the fourth paragraph
of the section "What is your name and address?" means "Can we invade your
privacy?" in the article that I wrote about Windows XP problems: Windows XP shows the
Direction Microsoft is Going.
The article complains about a "vigilante", but the woman, Karen Hoffmann,
seems very reasonable: Karen Hoffman's website.
She says fighting spam is her hobby.
I made the change you suggested. You can see the new paragraphs at Windows XP Shows the Direction Microsoft is Going. under the section "What is your name and address?" means "Can we invade your privacy?".
Thanks: Unenforceable, not illegal
on
More MS EULA Fun
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Thanks for the clarification. I was sloppy when I wrote the parent comment.
I agree with the point you made about federal judges. Those who want a corrupt government can get it by limiting the amount of money paid to judges.
What are the necessary elements of a binding contract?
Competent Parties - For a contract to be valid, each side must have
the capacity to enter into it. Most people and companies have sufficient
legal competency. A drugged or mentally-impaired person has impaired capacity
and chances are a court may not hold that person to the contract. Minors
(e.g., usually those under eighteen) cannot, generally, enter into a binding
contract without parental consent, unless it is for the necessities of life,
such as food, clothing, or for student loan contracts.
Consideration - If the other side is to be held to the contract, you
must give up something in exchange. This is called consideration. No side
can have a free way out or the ability to obtain something of value without
providing something in exchange. Money is the most common form of compensation,
but it can also be property, giving up a right or valid claim, making a promise
to do or not to do something, or anything of value. Agreeing to perform an
illegal or illicit act is not consideration and the contract is void.
Mutual Assent or Meeting of the Minds - This means that each side
must be clear as to the essential details, rights, and obligations of the
contract. Putting the deal down on paper prior to signing it goes A LONG
way to avoid future misunderstandings and disputes. Meeting of the minds
sometimes can be expressed by words spoken or gestures made or can be inferred
from the surrounding circumstances. There is no meeting of the minds if:
(1) one side is obviously joking or bragging, (2) there is no actual agreement
(i.e., the farmer who is selling a gelding and the buyer thinks the horse
is a brood mare), or (3) both sides have made a material mistake as to the
terms or details of the contract.
They are allowing themselves to print my comments out of context. I don't agree with that. Also, I don't like the sneaky way they changed the contract. Most people think "the fine print" is everything.
I've lost my info on how to do this. Could you provide a link, or instructions? Does SP3 unpack into component files that can be copied over the original files?
I'm really busy now, but I can make some quick replies:
You are really right about Linux lacking a central configuration database.
Windows XP configuration is easier, even though the access is poorly designed.
I've been hoping that Jonathan Abbey of Ganymede will extend his project
to include program configuration.
Nothing is being sold. It is not an infomercial. Yes, I wrote the article. No
one ever questioned that before. In the future, I will make it clear that I
wrote the article.
There is no -D switch in Windows XP Start.exe
I thought your comments were excessively negative, as though someone is trying
to sell you some lies.
You are confusing system preparation with backups. This is a common mistake,
I've found. Perhaps the article could be more clear. The facts were verified
by Microsoft employees.
Here is an example. Suppose it is four years from now. You have a
backup that was made a week before. When you do the restore, you quite likely
will not do it to a machine that is identical, because you won't be able to
buy identical parts. That's where one of the problems lies. The new machine
won't work with the old system drivers or hard drive drivers, almost
certainly. Sometimes this problem can be solved, sometimes it can't. Microsoft
says that it can't, and they don't support it.
In Microsoft XP, the registry is several files, scattered around the hard
drive. Corruption in any of those files can cause your machine to be useless.
However, most of the problem occurs with one big file SOFTWARE, which is 25.69
megabytes on the machine I am using to post this. Here are the files names for
that machine. As you can see, more files has made the problem worse, not
better:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\h ivelist] "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\HARDWARE"="" "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SECURITY"="\\Device\\Harddis kVolume1\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\config\\SECURITY" "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SOFTWARE"="\\Device\\Harddis kVolume1\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\config\\SOFTWARE" "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SYSTEM"="\\Device\\HarddiskV olume1\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\config\\SYSTEM" "\\REGISTRY\\USER\\.DEFAULT"="\\Device\\HarddiskVo lume1\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\config\\DEFAULT" "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SAM"="\\Device\\HarddiskVolu me1\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\config\\SAM" "\\REGISTRY\\USER\\S-1-5-20"="\\Device\\HarddiskVo lume1\\Documents and
Settings\\NetworkService\\ntuser.dat" "\\REGISTRY\\USER\\S-1-5-29_Classes"="\\Device\\Ha rddiskVolume1\\Documents and
Settings\\NetworkService\\Local Settings\\Application
Data\\Microsoft\\Windows\\UsrClass.dat" "\\REGISTRY\\USER\\S-1-5-12"="\\Device\\HarddiskVo lume1\\Documents and
Settings\\LocalService\\ntuser.dat" "\\REGISTRY\\USER\\S-1-5-13_Classes"="\\Device\\Ha rddiskVolume1\\Documents and
Settings\\LocalService\\Local Settings\\Application
Data\\Microsoft\\Windows\\UsrClass.dat" "\\REGISTRY\\USER\\S-1-5-20-1177998915-706699826-1 060284298-1003"="\\Device\\HarddiskVolume1\\Docume nts
and Settings\\JohnJ\\NTUSER.DAT" "\\REGISTRY\\USER\\S-1-5-20-1177998915-706699826-1 060284298-1003_Classes"="\\Device\\HarddiskVolume1 \\Documents
and Settings\\JohnJ\\Local Settings\\Application
Data\\Microsoft\\Windows\\UsrClass.dat"
I was hoping for a more thoughtful response.
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More MS EULA Fun
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"You allow OSDN to use it in a reasonable manner."
The contract says nothing about "reasonable". There are many possibilities that are not reasonable, that are allowed by the contract. See the comment, The OSDN provisions are too broad.
"If you don't agree then post elsewhere or sue me:@]."
I was hoping for a more thoughtful response.
I don't understand your sentences that begin with "It would also..." and "Especially..." and "Admittedly,...".
See "The OSDN provisions are too broad."
on
More MS EULA Fun
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Slashdot Mirror
I forgot to say earlier that if you have found an error in the article about Microsoft, referenced above, I will fix it.
Every point in the article has been verified by Microsoft employees or has been backed up with links to news sites.
P.S.:
Anyone who doesn't know that Microsoft is abusive should read this article that I wrote about Windows XP problems: Windows XP shows the Direction Microsoft is Going. Click Reload if you have visited the article before, because it has recently been re-written with added material.
"... and grocery store discount card records."
I stopped going to Safeway, since they use discount cards rather than just giving customers the price at which they want to sell without expecting to track them.
(Discount cards do NOT provide discounts. The grocery store always sells at the price they want to sell. They merely increase the price so that people will get cards, and can then be tracked, especially if they ever use a credit or debit card in connection with a purchase.)
I've started shopping at WinCo Foods instead. They have much lower prices, and they don't do sneaky things. WinCo Foods stores are located in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada.
Did Safeway think that there would be no cost for them in tracking the customer?
I've noticed that abusive companies eventually disappear, or almost disappear. At one time IBM had 90% of the PC market, but they tried to trap customers with a proprietary bus system. At one time Novell had 85% of the PC network market, but they didn't care that their software had a lot of quirks. At one time PC Magazine was a large bi-weekly magazine, but they seemed to favor some companies in their test results. If you believe these examples are representative, then you may begin to think that eventually Microsoft will be a small software company.
"today's issue of nature"
should be: "today's issue of Nature". Nature is a science magazine.
(This is another example that shows us that dropping out of high school is a terrible thing.)
If you have read the above article before, please remember to choose Reload in your browser. The article has been recently updated.
To see an explanation of why Passport is not needed, see the fourth paragraph of the section "What is your name and address?" means "Can we invade your privacy?" in the article that I wrote about Windows XP problems: Windows XP shows the Direction Microsoft is Going.
For older articles about Passport, see:
Stealing MS Passport's Wallet (Passport has been cracked in the past.)
MS and Its Terms of Embarrassment (Maybe this license was Microsoft's true intention.)
Firewire works in a beautiful way. USB sometimes still hangs machines.
Thanks, but I eliminated that sentence. Everything is much stronger now.
I suggest you press "Reload" on your browser. You are apparently reading an old version in your browser cache.
The spam articles are from the Associated Press and were published in the Houston Chronicle:
SPAMMED! PART I: A costly war of attrition
SPAMMED! Part II: Despite vigilantes, spammers keep e-mail flowing
SPAMMED! Part III: Anti-spam tools more aggressive but frustrated by e-mail's 'dumb' nature
Europe outlaws spam, but it keeps coming
The article complains about a "vigilante", but the woman, Karen Hoffmann, seems very reasonable: Karen Hoffman's website. She says fighting spam is her hobby.
I made the change you suggested. You can see the new paragraphs at Windows XP Shows the Direction Microsoft is Going. under the section "What is your name and address?" means "Can we invade your privacy?".
Thanks for the thanks, and thanks for the suggestion. I will make the change.
But, if you use Linux, you will miss out on all the abuse!
Here's some information I put together, and updated yesterday: Windows XP Shows the Direction Microsoft is Going.
Thanks for the clarification. I was sloppy when I wrote the parent comment.
I agree with the point you made about federal judges. Those who want a corrupt government can get it by limiting the amount of money paid to judges.
What are the necessary elements of a binding contract?
Competent Parties - For a contract to be valid, each side must have the capacity to enter into it. Most people and companies have sufficient legal competency. A drugged or mentally-impaired person has impaired capacity and chances are a court may not hold that person to the contract. Minors (e.g., usually those under eighteen) cannot, generally, enter into a binding contract without parental consent, unless it is for the necessities of life, such as food, clothing, or for student loan contracts.
Consideration - If the other side is to be held to the contract, you must give up something in exchange. This is called consideration. No side can have a free way out or the ability to obtain something of value without providing something in exchange. Money is the most common form of compensation, but it can also be property, giving up a right or valid claim, making a promise to do or not to do something, or anything of value. Agreeing to perform an illegal or illicit act is not consideration and the contract is void.
Mutual Assent or Meeting of the Minds - This means that each side must be clear as to the essential details, rights, and obligations of the contract. Putting the deal down on paper prior to signing it goes A LONG way to avoid future misunderstandings and disputes. Meeting of the minds sometimes can be expressed by words spoken or gestures made or can be inferred from the surrounding circumstances. There is no meeting of the minds if: (1) one side is obviously joking or bragging, (2) there is no actual agreement (i.e., the farmer who is selling a gelding and the buyer thinks the horse is a brood mare), or (3) both sides have made a material mistake as to the terms or details of the contract.
(Copied from Free Advice: What are the key elements of a binding contract?)
The method in the article seems like a lot of trouble.
This software provides you a new administrator password: Locksmith.
+1 Funny, NOT off topic! It's funny, laugh.
They are allowing themselves to print my comments out of context. I don't agree with that. Also, I don't like the sneaky way they changed the contract. Most people think "the fine print" is everything.
Funny.
Go Mozilla, you're great!
Go Proxomitron, you edit the Internet.
I've lost my info on how to do this. Could you provide a link, or instructions? Does SP3 unpack into component files that can be copied over the original files?
He's right. Mandrake, for example, asks maybe 3 easy questions (Do you have a wheel mouse?) and takes care of the rest.
I'm really busy now, but I can make some quick replies:
You are really right about Linux lacking a central configuration database. Windows XP configuration is easier, even though the access is poorly designed. I've been hoping that Jonathan Abbey of Ganymede will extend his project to include program configuration.
Nothing is being sold. It is not an infomercial. Yes, I wrote the article. No one ever questioned that before. In the future, I will make it clear that I wrote the article.
There is no -D switch in Windows XP Start.exe
I thought your comments were excessively negative, as though someone is trying to sell you some lies.
You are confusing system preparation with backups. This is a common mistake, I've found. Perhaps the article could be more clear. The facts were verified by Microsoft employees.
Here is an example. Suppose it is four years from now. You have a backup that was made a week before. When you do the restore, you quite likely will not do it to a machine that is identical, because you won't be able to buy identical parts. That's where one of the problems lies. The new machine won't work with the old system drivers or hard drive drivers, almost certainly. Sometimes this problem can be solved, sometimes it can't. Microsoft says that it can't, and they don't support it.
In Microsoft XP, the registry is several files, scattered around the hard drive. Corruption in any of those files can cause your machine to be useless. However, most of the problem occurs with one big file SOFTWARE, which is 25.69 megabytes on the machine I am using to post this. Here are the files names for that machine. As you can see, more files has made the problem worse, not better:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\
"\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\HARDWARE"=""
"\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SECURITY"="\\Device\\Harddi
"\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SOFTWARE"="\\Device\\Harddi
"\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SYSTEM"="\\Device\\Harddisk
"\\REGISTRY\\USER\\.DEFAULT"="\\Device\\HarddiskV
"\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SAM"="\\Device\\HarddiskVol
"\\REGISTRY\\USER\\S-1-5-20"="\\Device\\HarddiskV
"\\REGISTRY\\USER\\S-1-5-29_Classes"="\\Device\\H
"\\REGISTRY\\USER\\S-1-5-12"="\\Device\\HarddiskV
"\\REGISTRY\\USER\\S-1-5-13_Classes"="\\Device\\H
"\\REGISTRY\\USER\\S-1-5-20-1177998915-706699826-
"\\REGISTRY\\USER\\S-1-5-20-1177998915-706699826-
"You allow OSDN to use it in a reasonable manner."
The contract says nothing about "reasonable". There are many possibilities that are not reasonable, that are allowed by the contract. See the comment, The OSDN provisions are too broad.
"If you don't agree then post elsewhere or sue me
I was hoping for a more thoughtful response.
I don't understand your sentences that begin with "It would also..." and "Especially..." and "Admittedly,
See my comment, The OSDN provisions are too broad.
I should say at this point that I agree to Slashdot's The Fine Print, but I do not agree to OSDN's unfair contract.
Interesting comment.
See Windows XP Shows the Direction Microsoft is Going for more information on the unacceptability of Microsoft's policies.