5 ms·

You are right, but I bag to differ. Giving out your personal emails or your private life to advertisers is one thing. But an operating system is the lowest domi

by frik 10y ago

You are right, but I bag to differ. Giving out your personal emails or your private life to advertisers is one thing. But an operating system is the lowest dominator and the PC platform is where most data is stored and real work in being done. So Microsoft's 180 degree turn by the CEO from being a trustworthy company to a turning their customers to products is unheard of and very very concerning - especially given they still have a quasi PC monopoly (ca 90% market share). There is a long legacy history , some run up to 30 years old software on Windows and now are concerned with little option to move forward.

ocdtrekkie 10y ago
I agree the OS is the lowest denominator. But given that mobile is predominantly the most common way people do a LOT of things these days, of which Android is also an OS, I think it's noteworthy that Google still manages to escape the level of criticism Microsoft often still gets. My hope is that France can get Microsoft to just enable Telemetry 0 for all licenses, and that maybe they let us here in the US do it too.
- frik 10y ago
  Is this a calculated derailment technique? Why MS? Because MS is the subject of the article. Feel free to submit articles about others. As mentioned above, you simply cannot compare a smartphone operating system where one handles, emails (in the cloud anyway) some personal apps and a browser to a full desktop operating system where among many other things serious work is done as well as private and enterprise data is stored. Many people don't want to trade access to that data and act as a product - it's as simple as that. Sadly there isn't an Windows 10 edition free of the tracking stuff. Let's hope France gets Microsoft to stop that or offer a new edition without that stuff.
  - lotso 10y ago
    >As mentioned above, you simply cannot compare a smartphone operating system where one handles, emails (in the cloud anyway) some personal apps and a browser to a full desktop operating system where among many other things serious work is done as well as private and enterprise data is stored. You definitely can, Feel free to disagree, but many would argue the comparison is fair, especially considering a smart phone has replaced a desktop or a laptop for many people. But to say in such absolute terms the comparison is not appropriate is naive.
  - serge2k 10y ago
    > Is this a calculated derailment technique? Why MS? Because MS is the subject of the article Looks to me like it's calling out people for their hypocrisy.
  - ocdtrekkie 10y ago
    If you were to read the comment two parents up, you'd see it's a response to a clear discussion comparing criticism of Google (and Facebook) and criticism of Microsoft. And suggesting that Microsoft is worse because they make an operating system is silly, because Google also makes an operating system. With similar concerns.
FussyZeus 10y ago
I'd also add to your statement that the "I'm giving away personal info to use this" implied contract applies easily to free apps and software on a low consequence device as you discuss, but people pay for Windows. Microsoft shouldn't be able to make money by selling the software AND selling the information of the people who use it.
Taek 10y ago
Is that much different from Android? Google is known for being incredibly pervasive, and also invasive. I'd argue that my phone is almost a lower common denominator than my computer. My phone knows my geographic location at virtually all times, has logged into most of my web accounts, handles all of my social contacts (definitely more than Facebook. But even people who primarily use Facebook likely use it mostly from their phone and not their computer). If we want to care about this stuff, things need to change in very dramatic ways.
- tunap 10y ago
  "If we want to care about this stuff, things need to change in very dramatic ways." Absolutely & unequivocally. Hard part is, the technological means is baked into every modern SoC & NIC, huge amounts of money are being made from the 'big Data' industry created & the psychopaths are driving the bus. We survived just fine back in the Stone Age(pre-smartphone) and we can hold out for change($=vote). Principals often require certain sacrifices.

by frik 10y ago

ocdtrekkie 10y ago

I agree the OS is the lowest denominator. But given that mobile is predominantly the most common way people do a LOT of things these days, of which Android is also an OS, I think it's noteworthy that Google still manages to escape the level of criticism Microsoft often still gets. My hope is that France can get Microsoft to just enable Telemetry 0 for all licenses, and that maybe they let us here in the US do it too.

frik 10y ago
Is this a calculated derailment technique? Why MS? Because MS is the subject of the article. Feel free to submit articles about others. As mentioned above, you simply cannot compare a smartphone operating system where one handles, emails (in the cloud anyway) some personal apps and a browser to a full desktop operating system where among many other things serious work is done as well as private and enterprise data is stored. Many people don't want to trade access to that data and act as a product - it's as simple as that. Sadly there isn't an Windows 10 edition free of the tracking stuff. Let's hope France gets Microsoft to stop that or offer a new edition without that stuff.
- lotso 10y ago
  >As mentioned above, you simply cannot compare a smartphone operating system where one handles, emails (in the cloud anyway) some personal apps and a browser to a full desktop operating system where among many other things serious work is done as well as private and enterprise data is stored. You definitely can, Feel free to disagree, but many would argue the comparison is fair, especially considering a smart phone has replaced a desktop or a laptop for many people. But to say in such absolute terms the comparison is not appropriate is naive.
- serge2k 10y ago
  > Is this a calculated derailment technique? Why MS? Because MS is the subject of the article Looks to me like it's calling out people for their hypocrisy.
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  If you were to read the comment two parents up, you'd see it's a response to a clear discussion comparing criticism of Google (and Facebook) and criticism of Microsoft. And suggesting that Microsoft is worse because they make an operating system is silly, because Google also makes an operating system. With similar concerns.

FussyZeus 10y ago

I'd also add to your statement that the "I'm giving away personal info to use this" implied contract applies easily to free apps and software on a low consequence device as you discuss, but people pay for Windows. Microsoft shouldn't be able to make money by selling the software AND selling the information of the people who use it.

Taek 10y ago

Is that much different from Android? Google is known for being incredibly pervasive, and also invasive. I'd argue that my phone is almost a lower common denominator than my computer. My phone knows my geographic location at virtually all times, has logged into most of my web accounts, handles all of my social contacts (definitely more than Facebook. But even people who primarily use Facebook likely use it mostly from their phone and not their computer). If we want to care about this stuff, things need to change in very dramatic ways.

tunap 10y ago
"If we want to care about this stuff, things need to change in very dramatic ways." Absolutely & unequivocally. Hard part is, the technological means is baked into every modern SoC & NIC, huge amounts of money are being made from the 'big Data' industry created & the psychopaths are driving the bus. We survived just fine back in the Stone Age(pre-smartphone) and we can hold out for change($=vote). Principals often require certain sacrifices.