Microsoft Changes WGA Following Spyware Allegations

[John John]

I think we should all be on parole. After all, sometimes during our
lifetime we might commit a crime. If all citizens were on parole before
committing crimes we could better keep track on would be criminals.

John

 

[POP]

According to MS...

"Important

You've hidden important updates
You've asked us not to show you one or more
high-priority updates but your computer might be at risk
until they are installed. Restore them now"

...my computer is at risk because I won't let it reinstall
WGA.

Totally agreed.


In this case, I do believe it's the other end.

I could allow WGA to reinstall itself--it's already
downloaded, but I disabled it, and no matter what, my
firewall will not be letting it out--but I'm annoyed, and I
don't see that Microsoft has addressed the overall
intrusiveness issue.
Until it does, no WGA for me, even if it really does mean
buying a Mac or switching to Linux.

rl

Actually, if I could switch to Linux, I'd be there already. I'm
learning disabled due to a concussion several years back, and my
attempts at getting Linux up have failed to date. I can install
it and run it OK, but then collecting all the apps and drivers is
where I run into trouble. They might be available by now, but
drivers were a big problem last time I tried, and there are some
things MS does that Linux just doesn't do, or doesn't do well
yet. If you want more than Open Office with Linux, it's a lot of
work, especially if you aren't used to compiling and coding.
It's not WGA makes me think this way; it's the bugginess in
general of MS over the years, actually, plus the most obvious;
Linux is still free right now. I still keep Knoppix around for
playtime, but time isn't something I seem to have a lot of right
now. Oh well.

Just being rhetorical,
Pop

 

[POP]

Oddly enough it's quite simple to stop the Genuine
advantage from writing to memory at boot time as well as
calling home when it does so. Both I've done without any
negative affects what so ever, and it's simple. Done
through my firewall program. TTFN.

Your firewall isn't stopping it from "writing from memory",
whatever you mean by that. It's only stopping i/o at the port.

 

[POP]

What world you are living in? Business today and
mercantilism are demanding more on-line activity using
computers, credit card transactions, fax transmissions, and
so forth. They should not become the instruments that
induce paranoia or even irrational fears. But all it takes
are devious minds to generate some real concerns of privacy.

A proper amount of paranoia is a must anywhere these days;
otherwise your gullibility will eat you alive.

 

[Rhonda Lea Kirk]

Actually, if I could switch to Linux, I'd be there already. I'm
learning disabled due to a concussion several years back, and my
attempts at getting Linux up have failed to date. I can install
it and run it OK, but then collecting all the apps and drivers is
where I run into trouble.

From all I've read about Linux, I don't think your head injury has
anything to do with the problem you're having.

They might be available by now, but
drivers were a big problem last time I tried, and there are some
things MS does that Linux just doesn't do, or doesn't do well
yet. If you want more than Open Office with Linux, it's a lot of
work, especially if you aren't used to compiling and coding.
It's not WGA makes me think this way; it's the bugginess in
general of MS over the years, actually, plus the most obvious;
Linux is still free right now. I still keep Knoppix around for
playtime, but time isn't something I seem to have a lot of right
now. Oh well.

Linux seems to be geared towards those who are willing to devote much of
their free time to getting it set up and maintaining it. I have that
time right now, but soon I won't. My other issue is that (before this
WGA debacle) I wanted to keep the same platform at home that I will be
using at work.

For me, I'm pretty sure a Mac is going to be the answer (as it was in
the past).

On the other hand--and again, based only on what I've read--Linux users
seem quite eager to convert the masses, so I do think the support is
there for those who want to switch.

--
Rhonda Lea Kirk

Insisting on perfect safety is for people
without the balls to live in the real world.
Mary Shafer Iliff

 

[POP]

.... > ... Microsoft admits

that WGA is a "pilot" program but does not offer an opt
out for those who had "automatically" updated.

....

Most people are missin the word "pilot", I think. They're
establishing a mechanism for anti-piracy and may eventually have
immediate actions added to the mix.
They have the right, by their license, to do anything they
like with their software, which you have only licensed, and
licensing is your only hope for "survival".
"Aha, not legal, eh? OK, block keyboard, block mouse, DEL
*.*, block ports and all other i/o, Quit. Blacklist IP,
blacklist email, blacklist current cookies, blacklist etc etc
etc, initiate monitior for blocked items. They could even damage
the low level format on your disks, which very few can redo any
longer. Remember, the Format.* you have now, with your os, is
not a low level format.

Only point is, they can do whatever they please. Marketing is
the only dept that's going to care until Finance gets upset.

Pop

 

[POP]

And yes, almost forgot to add, that credit card companies,
banks, telephone companies, etc., are regulated in what they
can do with the information that has been collected. WGA and
Microsoft are not, other than a single statement of privacy.
And, also, just who are the "client" computers and what type
of security exists within the "data farm" that holds all of
the activation, validation and WGA data? Whom do you trust?
Want to trust a company that surreptitiously innoculates an
unremovable trojan into your computer?

Or a gvt that gives away your social security number?

 

[Jon]

Actually, if I could switch to Linux, I'd be there already. I'm learning
disabled due to a concussion several years back, and my attempts at
getting Linux up have failed to date. I can install it and run it OK, but
then collecting all the apps and drivers is where I run into trouble.
They might be available by now, but drivers were a big problem last time I
tried, and there are some things MS does that Linux just doesn't do, or
doesn't do well yet. If you want more than Open Office with Linux, it's a
lot of work, especially if you aren't used to compiling and coding.
It's not WGA makes me think this way; it's the bugginess in general of
MS over the years, actually, plus the most obvious; Linux is still free
right now. I still keep Knoppix around for playtime, but time isn't
something I seem to have a lot of right now. Oh well.

Just being rhetorical,
Pop

Installing new software has become alot simpler. You can now, for the most
part, just click on an application you want to install, and all
dependencies etc are downloaded and installed for you. Drivers, eg for
modems, can still be problematic, though.

I've been playing with this one for the last couple of weeks, which is
particularly pleasant and may be worth a try - little fish swimming around
in the taskbar and a pleasant interface - it's also similar to Knoppix, in
that it's also a live cd, that you can boot from and play with before
installing to hard drive. To install new packages, you just go into KPackage
or Synaptic Package Manager and type the names / click on the ones you want.

SimplyMepis [Passwords for the cd are the same as the user name eg 'root'
for root etc]
http://www.mepis.com/


Jon

 

[Ghostrider]

I think we should all be on parole. After all, sometimes during our
lifetime we might commit a crime. If all citizens were on parole before
committing crimes we could better keep track on would be criminals.

John

The way this Republican Administration and Congress are writing
the laws, some pundits already estimate that at least one-third
of the residents in the US will plead guilty to or be convicted
of a crime within the next 10 years. And a recent CBS news report
mentions that Halliburton is building more prisons to house at
least 25 million convicts. Since piracy is a crime and possession
of stolen property is a crime, Microsoft might have many people
whose software has been invalidated by WGA brought up on charges,
should matters go to that extreme. It will be pay Microsoft now
or pay Microsoft (restitution) and the US Government (the fine)
later.

 

[DanS]

How long until someone writes some code to spam their servers with
millions of requests to validate bogus software?

Now that you mentioned it, probably not long !!!!

A new worm perhaps, WGA.Worm.32 !!

 

[Roger Blake]

Actually, if I could switch to Linux, I'd be there already. I'm
learning disabled due to a concussion several years back, and my

For most people the Mac is probably the best alternative. I have
used Linux myself for years, but it is still too rough around the
edges for the average non-technical end user. (I've worked with Unix
and Unix-like systems for nearly 30 years now which gives me a bit
of a leg up.) On the other hand, Apple has done an amazing job in
taming Unix with their Mac OS-X.

 

[Guest]

Anyone claiming there are no updates is full of crap. I ran the WGA once and
once only and then continued to deny accessing to writing to memory at bootup
as well as denying access to the internet. Neither of which stopped me from
getting any updates. I update once a week, usually after Tuesday which seems
to be the time MS releases new updates. I simply go to the windows update
site and then use the custom button. All updates I need\want are available to
me for download. TTFN.

 

[Guest]

Yawn. AS I use Zone Alarm and it has much more than simple firewall
capabilties it does give me a pop-up asking if I want to block WGA from
writing to memory as well as accessing the internet. It's all in the program
control section. I do want and do get the updates without problems. You don't
have to take my word for it, try it yourself. I'm simply saying this is what
I do and Zone Alarm is what I use to do it. TTFN.

 

[Gordon]

There are three types of people in computing, those that can count and
those that can't.

No there's a fourth type - those that won't quote.

PLONK!

 

[Guest]

The thing I find most odd about the majority of these posts is that they
presuppose that Microsoft is a big bad an omnipotent being. They are, in
fact, quite the opposite. I can tell you of dozens of cases where they've
gone out of their way to help. WGA is just a tool, and like any tool can be
misused, in the wrong hands. It's a shame that this sort of fervour wasn't
raised by the devil you have running the US. Bush. If he raised this much
controversy then he wouldn't have gotten voted back in, and the world would
be a better place. The short answer for me is that, if you aren't doing
anything illegal, then what do you have to worry about? TTFN

 

[Guest]

I see you are a MS MVP - presumably a Most Valuable Person.
So,
1) If you are angry or feeling superior for knowing what "replying to
someone in a
crossposted thread" means, the best way to get rid of these feelings
would be
to EXPLAIN what the above "crossposted thread" means and how it is done.

That way people could come to terms and know what you are talking about.

2)If the task in 1) is too mundane for you, may be you can prove your mettle
by
working in the MS fun lab where they produce "security patches updates"
that
have "side effects" like "not being able to access My Documents folder".
They could use some MVP's there.

Meanwhile have fun revelling in your utterly superior knowledge. Isn't it
neat being
completely full of oneself? Totally, dude!

 

[Admiral Q]

: Yawn. AS I use Zone Alarm and it has much more than simple
firewall
: capabilties it does give me a pop-up asking if I want to block WGA
from
: writing to memory as well as accessing the internet. It's all in
the program
: control section. I do want and do get the updates without
problems. You don't
: have to take my word for it, try it yourself. I'm simply saying
this is what
: I do and Zone Alarm is what I use to do it. TTFN.
: --
: There are three types of people in computing, those that can count
and those
: that can't.
:
:

What version is that? Where is the configuration for it located? I
would be very interested in those options for my own PC's.

--


Star Fleet Admiral Q @ your service!

Google is your friend!
http://www.google.com

 

[Steve N.]

From all I've read about Linux, I don't think your head injury has
anything to do with the problem you're having.




Linux seems to be geared towards those who are willing to devote much of
their free time to getting it set up and maintaining it.

Depends on the distro. I recently installed SuSE 9.1 Pro on one of my
boxen with very little fiddling to get everything working, including SMB
(that's Windows file sharing for those unfamiliar with the actual
protocol name). It's fast and everything works. If you do decide to go
with Linux get a decent distro. Fedora Core 4 isn't too bad either,
takes a bit more fiddling though. But considering all the fiddling we
see having to be done here with Windows to get stuff working right,
what's the difference? Concerning drivers issues, modern Linux distros
support most, if not all current hardware specs including a lot better
support of legacy hardware than XP currently does.

I have that
time right now, but soon I won't. My other issue is that (before this
WGA debacle) I wanted to keep the same platform at home that I will be
using at work.

Same here. Having the knowledge and ability to help others who run
Windows is very important to me.

For me, I'm pretty sure a Mac is going to be the answer (as it was in
the past).

Heh. Mac OSX is BSD-Linux with a happy Mac face. Essencially the only
difference to you will be the price of the hardware.

On the other hand--and again, based only on what I've read--Linux users
seem quite eager to convert the masses, so I do think the support is
there for those who want to switch.

As a Linux user for over a decade I can say that most Linux users I know
are quite happy to let the masses do whatever they want. Don't let the
advocacy clowns spamming these groups fool you. Fanatics are a loud
mouths, no matter what they're preaching, so they tend to steal focus
from reality.

Steve N.