"Windows.... is a warzone" - OT

[Andrew & Rebeca Anderson]

Install ZoneAlarm and don't authorize the windows agents to call home, 
they'll be blocked.

At 02:06 PM 8/31/2004 -0500, you wrote:
>Joe, et all
>
>I agree to a certain extent, however, I get hundreds of emails from my 
>user group about MS's underhanded dealings though on the top surface is 
>supposed to be innocent. Example, that I mentioned several months ago, if 
>you watch a DVD movie from Win XP, it calls home to MS and tells them what 
>you just watched. Invasion of privacy - you bet but how are we going to 
>stop it.
>
>Did you know that every so often, you can set it but not turn it off, 
>Windows Media Player checks the website for updates. Again, regularly 
>invading your privacy. AND, who knows what else they are looking at.
>
>Now, think about this, the download version of the upgrade of service pack 
>2, MS has to know - exactly - what is on your PC in order to download and 
>install the right stuff. SO, they know what kind of PC you have, how much 
>memory you have, how much disk space you have, what packages, legal or 
>pirated, you have - do you follow the train of thought. Now if you order 
>the CD, which I have not done in a long time but I would bet the CD does 
>all of that without reporting it back to MS.
>
>Bottom line, MS is going to invade your privacy in some fashion whether 
>you like it or not.
>
>Food for more thought,
>Duaine
>
>Joe Garrett wrote:
>
>>The Heckler said: "These days, every Windows computer is a war zone of 
>>viruses, Trojans,
>>spyware, and other malicious code trying to exploit security holes in
>>Internet Explorer."
>>Heckler,
>>A few months ago, I would have agreed with you, but I've since solved the 
>>problem! I rebooted my 'puter, added Mozilla Firfox and Benign, (thanks 
>>to RicB!). And, I upgraded my Express. Benign "washes" all of my stuff, 
>>sometimes too efficiently, I might add. Still haven't figured out how to 
>>get some attachments through. (working on it!) I really like Firefox. It 
>>saves steps and has it's own firewall. I'm not about to give up on MS, 
>>just yet. Just because Bill Gates has extreme amounts of money, y'all 
>>tend to give him a bad rap. I've met the man. You'd like him. He gives 
>>back tons of dollars to the arts and humanity. Yes, he's successful, but 
>>that's no reason to malign him every chance you get. (Jealous are we?)<G>
>>When I first wanted to get into computers, the only game in, (our), town 
>>was Apple. The attitude that the Apple people had, reallllly turned me 
>>off! Then Bill came up with something that was workable. Rather than 
>>malign MS, every chance you get, how about taking some positive steps to 
>>put the little Bastards that send viri, etc., in jail for a verrrrry long 
>>time. Talk to people in power and get them to go after them with the same 
>>tenacity, that they go after pot smokers, etc. (Misplaced priorities, IMO.)
>>Regards,
>>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
>>Captain, Tool Police
>>Squares R I
>
>
>--
>Duaine Hechler
>Piano, Player Piano, Organ, Pump Organ
>Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding
>Associate Member of the Piano Technicians Guild
>Reed Organ Society Member
>St. Louis, MO 63034
>(314) 838-5587
>dahechler@charter.net
>
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