Windows Genuine Advantage is spyware?

P

Phil Weldon

'Tom' posted a URL:
_____

Please, no SPAM.

Phil Weldon

|
| http://windowssecrets.com/comp/060615/#story1
|
|
| --
|
| In science, "fact" can only mean "confirmed to such a degree
| that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent."
| I suppose that apples might start to rise tomorrow,
| but the possibility does not merit equal time in physics classrooms.
|
| ...Stephen Jay Gould
 
T

Tom Willett

If you consider it spam, and felt compelled to reply to it, why didn't you
delete the link in the original post so you don't perpetuate the spam?
 
P

Phil Weldon

'Tom Willett' wrote:
| If you consider it spam, and felt compelled to reply to it, why didn't you
| delete the link in the original post so you don't perpetuate the spam?
_____

A. Because there would have been nothing left.
B. Because the intent of the original poster was not to spam, but to
provide information.
C. Because the effect of the original post WAS spam.
D. Because the information content was questionable and commercial content
made up the bulk.
E. Because my post seemed to me the most economical way of making my point.

Why did you feel the need to comment without looking at the content of the
link?

Phil Weldon


| If you consider it spam, and felt compelled to reply to it, why didn't you
| delete the link in the original post so you don't perpetuate the spam?
|
| | > 'Tom' posted a URL:
| > _____
| >
| > Please, no SPAM.
| >
| > Phil Weldon
| >
| > | > |
|
| > |
| > |
| > | --
| > |
| > | In science, "fact" can only mean "confirmed to such a degree
| > | that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent."
| > | I suppose that apples might start to rise tomorrow,
| > | but the possibility does not merit equal time in physics classrooms.
| > |
| > | ...Stephen Jay Gould
| >
| >
|
|
 
T

Tom

Phil Weldon said:
| If you consider it spam, and felt compelled to reply to it, why didn't you
| delete the link in the original post so you don't perpetuate the spam?

B. Because the intent of the original poster was not to spam, but to
provide information.
True

C. Because the effect of the original post WAS spam.
Click to expand...

Not sure I understand...
D. Because the information content was questionable and commercial content
made up the bulk.
Click to expand...

Brian Livingston is a reputable columnist, been around a long time. I
don't understand the reference to commercial content.
 
P

Phil Weldon

'Tom wrote, in part:
| >C. Because the effect of the original post WAS spam.
|
| Not sure I understand...
|
| >D. Because the information content was questionable and commercial
content
| >made up the bulk.
|
| Brian Livingston is a reputable columnist, been around a long time. I
| don't understand the reference to commercial content.
_____

I can only judge an article by content, not by whoever wrote it.
As an example of 'questionable';
["...gathers information such as the computer's manufacturer and the
language and locale it is set for."
This is enough data to easily identify individual PCs.]

* The part in quotes is the author's cite from a Microsoft source; the
conclusion is the author's.

As an example of commercial content; the entire page is a push for 'Windows
Secrets Books'.

Phil Weldon

| >| If you consider it spam, and felt compelled to reply to it, why didn't
you
| >| delete the link in the original post so you don't perpetuate the spam?
| >
| >B. Because the intent of the original poster was not to spam, but to
| >provide information.
|
| True
|
| >C. Because the effect of the original post WAS spam.
|
| Not sure I understand...
|
| >D. Because the information content was questionable and commercial
content
| >made up the bulk.
|
| Brian Livingston is a reputable columnist, been around a long time. I
| don't understand the reference to commercial content.
|
|
| --
|
| The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.
|
| ....Bertrand Russell
 
D

DanS

I can only judge an article by content, not by whoever wrote it.
As an example of 'questionable';
["...gathers information such as the computer's manufacturer and the
language and locale it is set for."
This is enough data to easily identify individual PCs.]

* The part in quotes is the author's cite from a Microsoft source; the
conclusion is the author's.
Click to expand...

And what's your point ? The M$ quote is bulleted and obviously a quote.
His conclusion starts on a a new paragraph. Nothing wrong there.
As an example of commercial content; the entire page is a push for
'Windows Secrets Books'.

Phil Weldon
Click to expand...

I disagree.

Half of the article deals with explaining WGA, the remaining are other
topics that may be of interest to readers. The 'entire' page only
mentions books for sale once or twice, all by the author of the article.

It appears as though this page is part of a newsletter. When does a
newsletter NOT contain some type of advertising ? That's part of why it
is free.
 
P

Phil Weldon

'DanS' wrote:
| And what's your point ? The M$ quote is bulleted and obviously a quote.
| His conclusion starts on a a new paragraph. Nothing wrong there.
_____

The sentence 'This is enough data to easily identify individual PCs.' very
clearly refers to the cite.
The author's conclusion can not be reached from this information.
Computer manufacturer, language, and local are NOT sufficient to identify
individual PCs.

To call the conclusion 'questionable' is being kind.

Phil Weldon

| |
| > I can only judge an article by content, not by whoever wrote it.
| > As an example of 'questionable';
| > ["...gathers information such as the computer's manufacturer and the
| > language and locale it is set for."
| > This is enough data to easily identify individual PCs.]
| >
| > * The part in quotes is the author's cite from a Microsoft source; the
| > conclusion is the author's.
|
| And what's your point ? The M$ quote is bulleted and obviously a quote.
| His conclusion starts on a a new paragraph. Nothing wrong there.
|
| >
| > As an example of commercial content; the entire page is a push for
| > 'Windows Secrets Books'.
| >
| > Phil Weldon
|
| I disagree.
|
| Half of the article deals with explaining WGA, the remaining are other
| topics that may be of interest to readers. The 'entire' page only
| mentions books for sale once or twice, all by the author of the article.
|
| It appears as though this page is part of a newsletter. When does a
| newsletter NOT contain some type of advertising ? That's part of why it
| is free.
|
 
S

Scooby

Phil Weldon said:
'DanS' wrote:
| And what's your point ? The M$ quote is bulleted and obviously a quote.
| His conclusion starts on a a new paragraph. Nothing wrong there.
_____

The sentence 'This is enough data to easily identify individual PCs.' very
clearly refers to the cite.
Click to expand...

No, it doesn't. The new paragraph refers to the previous paragraph.

The author's conclusion can not be reached from this information.
Computer manufacturer, language, and local are NOT sufficient to identify
individual PCs.

To call the conclusion 'questionable' is being kind.
Click to expand...

You should read the entire paragraph instead of focusing solely on the last
sentence (the quotation).

--- start quotation ---

2. Transmits data to a central computer. The WGA Validation Tool contacts a
Microsoft server every time a PC is booted up and every 24 hours after that.
(Some of the earliest alarms about this were sounded by Lauren Weinstein, a
co-founder of People for Internet Responsibility, in postings June 5 through
13.) WGA's "phone home" events, like all Internet packets, contain the IP
address of the affected PC and the date and time, indicating when it booted
up or had run for 24 hours. In addition, Microsoft's WGA director, David
Lazar, told the Associated Press in a June 7 interview that the program
also:

"...gathers information such as the computer's manufacturer and the language
and locale it is set for."

--- end quotation ---
 
T

Tom

DanS said:
I disagree.
Half of the article deals with explaining WGA, the remaining are other
topics that may be of interest to readers. The 'entire' page only
mentions books for sale once or twice, all by the author of the article.
Click to expand...

And the posted URL takes you directly to the WGA topic. You won't see
any ads unless you choose to read the rest of the newsletter.

Incidentally, I assume most readers here are familiar with Brian
Livingston. He's written several books, and has been an editor at
InfoWorld, CNET, Windows Sources, etc.
 
T

Tom

Dunno, but Microsoft's presentation is pretty disgusting. When I click
on Windows Update > Custom, it says:

To use this latest version of Windows Update, you will need to upgrade
some of its components. This version provides you with the following
enhancements to our service: Express and custom installation,
Smarter downloads, Smaller downloads, One version, Less clutter,
Update news.

So I click on Details, only to find that instead of upgrading
components, the only item listed is WGA. Now, you tell me - is
Microsoft trying to pull something over on its customers, or are they
simply stupid?


--

You probably wouldn't worry about what people think of you,
if you could know how seldom they do.

....Olin Miller
 
L

Leythos

So I click on Details, only to find that instead of upgrading
components, the only item listed is WGA. Now, you tell me - is
Microsoft trying to pull something over on its customers, or are they
simply stupid?
Click to expand...

WGA is not WGA Notifications - you can have WGA without WGA
Notifications.
 
M

Mike M.

So I click on Details, only to find that instead of upgrading
components, the only item listed is WGA. Now, you tell me - is
Microsoft trying to pull something over on its customers, or are they
simply stupid?
...Olin Miller
Click to expand...

Not stupid, arrogant.
 

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