5 ms·

True for Apple, not for Microsoft. Windows 10 is stuffed with tracking and telemetry and puts ads in front of you (screen saver, start menu, etc). They are abso

True for Apple, not for Microsoft. Windows 10 is stuffed with tracking and telemetry and puts ads in front of you (screen saver, start menu, etc). They are absolutely NOT famous for respecting your privacy or wishes.

Delmania 9y ago
You know you can turn those ads off, right?
- jrcii 9y ago
  Why should you have to?
  - ksk 9y ago
    The default exists because not everyone has the same reaction to the telemetry as you. For those who do, they have some means of bypassing that (for now).
  - bocklund 9y ago
    Because Microsoft paid a lot of people to develop and maintain a software they gave away for free to users?
    - selectodude 9y ago
      If Microsoft let me buy Windows without that, I would have paid for it. Alas, If I spend $200 on Windows 10, I get the same tracking landmines than the person who spent 0 a few years ago.
    - jug 9y ago
      That they have given an ad ridden OS away for free is their problem, not something they were forced to.
    - fatbird 9y ago
      A free version with ads and telemetry isn't free, it's just monetized differently. And the vast majority of the cost of developing it is either sunk or defrayed by the paid versions.
- vetinari 9y ago
  But not the telemetry or tracking.
  - hungerstrike 9y ago
    Yes you can. Anyway, how many UWP apps are you running? Do you think every Win32 desktop app is now magically tracking you? Nope. So, let's compare how many UWP apps that you actually want to run (I don't use any of them) and see if they're tracking you as much as all the mobile apps you're running. There's no contest here.
    - vetinari 9y ago
      The problem with Windows tracking is not that apps track you (here the solution would be easy: just don't use the apps), but that the system itself snitches on you. Are you starting an app or search for document, using the windows shell? Your phrase goes to Bing. That's much harder to avoid than just not using an app.
      - hungerstrike 9y ago
        None of that happens if you only use Basic telemetry and if you disable Cortana or the Cortana option to "Search online and include web results". So, the only tracking you're left with is the kind that comes packaged in UWP apps.
        vetinari 9y ago
        I did disable Cortana (it doesn't even work in the language version I want to use), but according to the firewall, it still tries to connects to bing.com. So much for "disabling".
    - muro 9y ago
      They can track network connections or system calls for Win32. Also which DLLs the apps use. Any DLLs provided by MS can be instrumented and track any information that goes through them.
- bobwaycott 9y ago
  That’s the problem—you have to turn them off.
kartickv 9y ago
Does it collect personally-identifiable Information? Suppose, for sake of discussion, they collect something inoocuous, like whether you prefer to maximise windows. Say a single bit of information. True or false. Would you still be opposed to the telemetry? I’m trying to understand if the objection is about specific data being collected, or to the idea at all.
- ksk 9y ago
  The problem is _not_ collecting telemetry on users is a business disadvantage, in todays world. Whether you're a webapp or an OS. I would be willing to send MS that information, but only as an opt-in.
  - endemic 9y ago
    Right, no one would care about telemetry if you could turn it off. MS could have it turned on by default, even. I'm sure the amount of data they would miss would be minuscule in comparison to the amount of negative press they've received about this topic.
  - kartickv 9y ago
    Why do you feel that way? Do you feel tracking whether you prefer to maximise windows is a privacy violation? Or is the objection that your IP address is included when the telemetry is uploaded to Microsoft?
    - ksk 9y ago
      I'm not opposed to it because its MS or because I fear for my privacy. As a purchaser of a product, I don't want to enlist my compute resources to collect information that is of value to the seller - for free. I have already paid my dues, so to speak. Of course, in theory,I could benefit from the telemetry. But that should be my choice, and at the bare minimum, I should have some assurance that any telemetry information I provide, isn't used to simply make me purchase a new product, but to improve the existing product.

Delmania 9y ago

You know you can turn those ads off, right?

jrcii 9y ago
Why should you have to?
- ksk 9y ago
  The default exists because not everyone has the same reaction to the telemetry as you. For those who do, they have some means of bypassing that (for now).
- bocklund 9y ago
  Because Microsoft paid a lot of people to develop and maintain a software they gave away for free to users?
  - selectodude 9y ago
    If Microsoft let me buy Windows without that, I would have paid for it. Alas, If I spend $200 on Windows 10, I get the same tracking landmines than the person who spent 0 a few years ago.
  - jug 9y ago
    That they have given an ad ridden OS away for free is their problem, not something they were forced to.
  - fatbird 9y ago
    A free version with ads and telemetry isn't free, it's just monetized differently. And the vast majority of the cost of developing it is either sunk or defrayed by the paid versions.
vetinari 9y ago
But not the telemetry or tracking.
- hungerstrike 9y ago
  Yes you can. Anyway, how many UWP apps are you running? Do you think every Win32 desktop app is now magically tracking you? Nope. So, let's compare how many UWP apps that you actually want to run (I don't use any of them) and see if they're tracking you as much as all the mobile apps you're running. There's no contest here.
  - vetinari 9y ago
    The problem with Windows tracking is not that apps track you (here the solution would be easy: just don't use the apps), but that the system itself snitches on you. Are you starting an app or search for document, using the windows shell? Your phrase goes to Bing. That's much harder to avoid than just not using an app.
    - hungerstrike 9y ago
      None of that happens if you only use Basic telemetry and if you disable Cortana or the Cortana option to "Search online and include web results". So, the only tracking you're left with is the kind that comes packaged in UWP apps.
      - vetinari 9y ago
        I did disable Cortana (it doesn't even work in the language version I want to use), but according to the firewall, it still tries to connects to bing.com. So much for "disabling".
  - muro 9y ago
    They can track network connections or system calls for Win32. Also which DLLs the apps use. Any DLLs provided by MS can be instrumented and track any information that goes through them.
bobwaycott 9y ago
That’s the problem—you have to turn them off.

kartickv 9y ago

Does it collect personally-identifiable Information? Suppose, for sake of discussion, they collect something inoocuous, like whether you prefer to maximise windows. Say a single bit of information. True or false. Would you still be opposed to the telemetry? I’m trying to understand if the objection is about specific data being collected, or to the idea at all.

ksk 9y ago
The problem is _not_ collecting telemetry on users is a business disadvantage, in todays world. Whether you're a webapp or an OS. I would be willing to send MS that information, but only as an opt-in.
- endemic 9y ago
  Right, no one would care about telemetry if you could turn it off. MS could have it turned on by default, even. I'm sure the amount of data they would miss would be minuscule in comparison to the amount of negative press they've received about this topic.
- kartickv 9y ago
  Why do you feel that way? Do you feel tracking whether you prefer to maximise windows is a privacy violation? Or is the objection that your IP address is included when the telemetry is uploaded to Microsoft?
  - ksk 9y ago
    I'm not opposed to it because its MS or because I fear for my privacy. As a purchaser of a product, I don't want to enlist my compute resources to collect information that is of value to the seller - for free. I have already paid my dues, so to speak. Of course, in theory,I could benefit from the telemetry. But that should be my choice, and at the bare minimum, I should have some assurance that any telemetry information I provide, isn't used to simply make me purchase a new product, but to improve the existing product.