4 ms·

Microsoft's Software is Malware

16 points by wolfgke 11y ago

adrianlmm 11y ago
Microsoft's Software is to generic. Does that include the MIT licenced software made by MS too, the Apache licensed? Like the extremist they are GNU are using absolutes.
mediaserf 11y ago
Apple page here: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/malware-apple.html https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/malware-apple.html
ocdtrekkie 11y ago
There's some valid points here, definitely. I'm using Windows 10 on most PCs, but not my main PC where I do most things, until Microsoft answers to their telemetry concerns, or I select one of the many telemetry-blocking tools currently out there. But the FSF's usual warlike tone against anything not free software creeps in here heavily, and sours the validity of the article.
maxharris 11y ago
Really? This article comes from a deeply warped perspective, and here's why: I have an elderly relative who just upgraded to Windows 10. As things stand right now, she doesn't have any problems with her computer. She doesn't have any problem with the fact that you have to upgrade periodically to enjoy new features and better usability. The only reason I know about this at all is because she brought it up at dinner, to remark about how easy it was to install and how much better she likes over the last version. (As a perfectly content Mac user, I didn't know what to say, aside from "that's great!") When reading FSF/GNU agitprop, I can't help but imagine the disaster that would follow if someone were to replace Windows with pure GNU software on her computer (or OS X on mine). If malware is software that does you harm, GNU software is malware for everyone that is happy with the non-GNU software they've chosen.
serve_yay 11y ago
No, no.
gizi 11y ago
The most vulnerable users are the ones who do not have a clue about technology. Fortunately, most of them have moved on to phones and tablets, mostly running Android. Windows is way less of an issue nowadays. This trend places the burden squarely on Google, who may find themselves under pressure from governments to carry spyware. It is also a question of more often getting alternatives like cyanogenmod and/or replicant pre-installed on phones and tablets. We also need more work done on reproducable/deterministic build, in order to make sure that the system image is truly an unaltered build from the sources at hand. Of course, there is also a pressing need for source-code level inspection and verification, but that is not new either.

16 points by wolfgke 11y ago

Microsoft's Software is to generic. Does that include the MIT licenced software made by MS too, the Apache licensed? Like the extremist they are GNU are using absolutes.

mediaserf 11y ago

Apple page here: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/malware-apple.html https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/malware-apple.html

ocdtrekkie 11y ago

There's some valid points here, definitely. I'm using Windows 10 on most PCs, but not my main PC where I do most things, until Microsoft answers to their telemetry concerns, or I select one of the many telemetry-blocking tools currently out there. But the FSF's usual warlike tone against anything not free software creeps in here heavily, and sours the validity of the article.

maxharris 11y ago

Really? This article comes from a deeply warped perspective, and here's why: I have an elderly relative who just upgraded to Windows 10. As things stand right now, she doesn't have any problems with her computer. She doesn't have any problem with the fact that you have to upgrade periodically to enjoy new features and better usability. The only reason I know about this at all is because she brought it up at dinner, to remark about how easy it was to install and how much better she likes over the last version. (As a perfectly content Mac user, I didn't know what to say, aside from "that's great!") When reading FSF/GNU agitprop, I can't help but imagine the disaster that would follow if someone were to replace Windows with pure GNU software on her computer (or OS X on mine). If malware is software that does you harm, GNU software is malware for everyone that is happy with the non-GNU software they've chosen.

serve_yay 11y ago

No, no.

gizi 11y ago

The most vulnerable users are the ones who do not have a clue about technology. Fortunately, most of them have moved on to phones and tablets, mostly running Android. Windows is way less of an issue nowadays. This trend places the burden squarely on Google, who may find themselves under pressure from governments to carry spyware. It is also a question of more often getting alternatives like cyanogenmod and/or replicant pre-installed on phones and tablets. We also need more work done on reproducable/deterministic build, in order to make sure that the system image is truly an unaltered build from the sources at hand. Of course, there is also a pressing need for source-code level inspection and verification, but that is not new either.