4 ms·

Do you think Microsoft will listen to us privacy-aware people and add a permanent kill-switch for all cortana/telemetry related traffic? Serious question, becau

by simfoo 10y ago

Do you think Microsoft will listen to us privacy-aware people and add a permanent kill-switch for all cortana/telemetry related traffic? Serious question, because somehow I doubt they will backpedal on this sweet sweet data source. I won't be installing Windows 10 before this happens, but I also realize that at some point they will stop providing Windows 8 security updates.

raesene9 10y ago
Whilst it's not as easy as it should be, you can disable some/all of that data gathering via Group policy /setup settings. It's a bit of a pain to do but once done should make it quite a lot better...
- wtallis 10y ago
  Don't some of the group policy settings explicitly say that the "everything off" option is only functional on Enterprise editions of Windows?
KirinDave 10y ago
Honestly, it's really unlikely. The simple truth is that the other major platforms absolutely do this and you can prove they do. I honestly think it's really only a vocal and tiny minority that is genuinely concerned about things like core telemetry being handed back over. Microsoft's doubling down on this position with their UWP which makes for binary sharing between mobile, tablet and phone. The expectation on Phones (maybe unstated? I'm always surprised we don't hear a single peep from the privacy people on it) is that your apps are sending home telemetry for everything you do. No vendor prevents this, no vendor even really enforces any restrictions on gross EULAs. And as someone managing multiple mobile apps in the marketplace and doing code commits to one, let me tell you. What users expect is impossible without sufficient telemetry. Our dev tools on mobile are, at best, hacky garbage compared to the great stuff we have on the browser. So all we can do is observe issues in the field. Unless we can convince the market to substantial raise the price point of software back up to the days when it was $60 in 2005 dollars, people are going to have to accept SOME sort of telemetry and subsidization. We cannot build the apps as cheaply as the market expects otherwise. I know this isn't your problem, but maybe it should be?

by simfoo 10y ago

raesene9 10y ago

Whilst it's not as easy as it should be, you can disable some/all of that data gathering via Group policy /setup settings. It's a bit of a pain to do but once done should make it quite a lot better...

wtallis 10y ago
Don't some of the group policy settings explicitly say that the "everything off" option is only functional on Enterprise editions of Windows?

KirinDave 10y ago

Honestly, it's really unlikely. The simple truth is that the other major platforms absolutely do this and you can prove they do. I honestly think it's really only a vocal and tiny minority that is genuinely concerned about things like core telemetry being handed back over. Microsoft's doubling down on this position with their UWP which makes for binary sharing between mobile, tablet and phone. The expectation on Phones (maybe unstated? I'm always surprised we don't hear a single peep from the privacy people on it) is that your apps are sending home telemetry for everything you do. No vendor prevents this, no vendor even really enforces any restrictions on gross EULAs. And as someone managing multiple mobile apps in the marketplace and doing code commits to one, let me tell you. What users expect is impossible without sufficient telemetry. Our dev tools on mobile are, at best, hacky garbage compared to the great stuff we have on the browser. So all we can do is observe issues in the field. Unless we can convince the market to substantial raise the price point of software back up to the days when it was $60 in 2005 dollars, people are going to have to accept SOME sort of telemetry and subsidization. We cannot build the apps as cheaply as the market expects otherwise. I know this isn't your problem, but maybe it should be?