Roy said:
What made me think this was what you wrote. Your tone was
condescending: "your continued harping...is beginning to verge on
the paranoid." Your reply showed no awareness of the discussions
on those newsgroups. Certainly, precise descriptions of spy
behavior has been presented there. Rather than acknowledging
those confirmations of my words, you have chosen to simply insult
me instead. What is your motive, Roy? Do I detect the presence of
a troll?
I've long been aware of the
We agree about this. I don't know any way to describe the
installation behavior of Real Player except to say that it rapes
the computer. In effect, the machine is turned into Real Player's
own computer that may be used to run other software, degraded, on
a secondary basis. This may not be a totally accurate
description, but I think that it is a useful, short summary.
You previously said what?
Anyway, it's an interesting angle. I'll be aware of this wrinkle.
you.
They have? By whom? You? Really?
The issue that I've repeated is that Real Alternative may be used
in the transmission of personally-sensitive information without
the user's knowledge, whether or not that transmission is done by
Real Alternative itself or by another program using data stored
by RA. Considering Real's known behavior patterns, I'm not
presenting paranoia, but rather, a "heads-up" based on personal
experience.
The
Thank you. I always appreciate psychoanalysis from newsgroup
participants. Your advice is as useful to me as, let's say,
advice from George W. Bush or Martha Stewart. I always take my
medicine when haughtily reprimanded with such impersonal phrases
as "...have been explained to you."
There are a few reasons why it makes sense to me -- in my own
particular situation -- to continue using MS internet products at
this time, even with their security flaws. As you mentioned
above, I, too, have security tools in place for taming these
problems. Most security tools are primarily compatible with these
same buggy MS products. So, no, not inconsistent.
I'll be the first to allow that Mozilla and Mozilla-based tools
have very attractive advantages, especially with security.
However, people have different reasons for working in ways that
may be out of your own personal loop. Sometimes, community-based
freeware present excellent solutions for a person, and sometimes,
the opposite is true. For example, I will probably re-install
Microsoft Office for professional compatibility rather than to
continue to use the exciting Open Office. You see, I've already
experienced serious incompatibilities and bugs in OO. For those
reasons, I don't think that I can afford to keep using it. For
sure, I'll be trying it out again and again, in the hopes that I
can adopt it. I keep my eye out for non-Microsoft browsers, mail
readers, etc., and if compatibility appears truly workable, then
I'll switch.
Real streaming present a hell of a quandry. Real streaming
technology has become the lingua franca of audio streaming. This
is most unfortunate. Real Networks is the Microsoft of streaming
media: it's a "done deal." I consume many radio broadcasts about
current affairs from different cities and nations via streaming
media, virtually all of it Real. Here in the San Francisco area,
we are more fortunate than most of the rest of the USA in being
able to get alternative news and features from elsewhere
broadcast over-the-air. This doesn't mean that we are superior,
just that most o the rest of the country doesn't have these
resources. If I lived in New York City, I'd have more. But in any
event, I'm enriched by being able to download programs from
Boston, for example, that are no longer broadcast here.
These programs are offered on the internet exclusively as Real
streams: it's the only game in town! In my house, they go onto
cassette tape via an audio breakout box, which I listen to later
at my convenience. This way, I don't have to sit at the computer
for many extra hours. As you probably know, Real streams cannot
be saved on the computer. What appears to be a saved file is just
a link, allowing the listener to be "served" with new
advertising. At least, that's the plan.
You may not be aware that the BBC has ceased broadcasting on
short wave to North America, and has replaced their over-the-air
service with Real streaming. Some BBC programs are carried here
on the radio; most programs are not. I have faced the issue of
whether to live without being informed so well or putting up with
Real's revolting behavior and business practices. Last time
around, I decided, as you did, that I could not live with Real
Player on my computer.
You know, to me, the existence of Real Alternative is actually
refreshing. Media Player Classic is incredibly lighter on its
feet than the "official" Real Player. According to some others,
RA is truly spyware; they've presented facts to back up this
allegation. I think that it is easier to neuter the remaining
nasty behavior of RA than to do the same thing with Real Player.
Ironically, I'm not using MPC/RP right now, but rather, jetAudio.
I've been able to control that mini-monster, too, without much
trouble. It's mostly a matter of preference. Each program has its
own advantages. Meanwhile, newer MPC versions have entered the
scene, and I think I'll try them, too.
Yeah, OK: cheers.
Richard
