3 ms·
"applications they want" is kind of hard to convey though. If you run a game with a rootkit, is that something you "want"? If you open a malicious document and
by rhn_mk1 5y ago
"applications they want" is kind of hard to convey though. If you run a game with a rootkit, is that something you "want"? If you open a malicious document and it ends up encrypting your data, did you "want" it? Do people who install toolbars "want" the spyware or cryptocurrency miners that comes with them?
A modern operating system tries to guess what the users "want", because that's by no means clear.
Of course, it's a matter of judgement, and judgement comes with its own problems.
- scambier 5y agoWe're not talking about rootkits or malware, but about a default browser application, and a default search engine.
- rhn_mk1 5y agoThat's why I mention judgement: we expect OS vendors to make a judgement (that fact is what the top post seems to be missing). And Microsoft makes a bad judgement now.
- catlikesshrimp 5y agoMicrosoft isn't forcing bing as the default search engine because their judgement is poor. They do it out of malice.
- rhn_mk1 5y agoRelying on judgement opens the door to malice IMO. But we agree, and it's only a matter of wording.
- yourusername 5y agoWith edge now actively promoting "buy now pay later" services i'm not sure microsoft still gets to claim they are protecting users from their own poor choices.
- robalni 5y agoA good rule of thumb is: Would the users do it to themselves? It think that's pretty easy to guess. Would the users try to make themselves not run the browser they want to run? No. Would the users try to avoid malware? Yes.
- nousermane 5y agoBy that logic, antivirus on my employer's laptop is malware too? Assuming I don't care for it being installed and sometimes am mildly annoyed when it hogs the CPU every now and then.
- robalni 5y agoThat's not your laptop so you don't decide what should run on it. (When I said user I really meant owner)
- gjsman-1000 5y agoWhat about DRM? Is it malware? Is it needed to run because the game publisher said so?
- rhn_mk1 5y agoThe problem with that is that malware is different things for different people. Location trackers for insurance. A virus under research. A remote access tool. DRM. An outdated but working driver. A non-encrypted messaging tool. A cryptocurrency miner.