YMMV, but MY Linux desktop stinks

On Sat, 2004-01-10 at 14:08, Richard L. Proctor wrote:
> On Thursday 08 January 2004 9:50 pm, Derek Neighbors wrote:
>
> > I will gladly let any law enforcement agency look at my computer. I
> > have nothing to hide. However, I don't feel that any vendor has the
> > right to access my computer without notifying me and certainly I don't
> > think they should have reason to be installing software without
> > notifying me.
> >
> > To be fair, to date Microsoft has not (to my knowledge) used or abused
> > either one of these items, but certainly they put them in their EULA for
> > a reason.
>
> The only way they can access your computer is if you have no firewall, if so,
> then you might consider looking into security. You do give them permission
> to access your computer "if" you are connected to their update services.
>
> Out of curiosity, what makes you think that just because Microsoft has a EULA
> that would abuse it, and how do you know that up2date or yast, or what ever
> other services you may connect to, don't already do this, but just tell you
> about it?
----
I think you are trolling. I doubt that you have ever created a firewall
that could stop them from accessing your computer. My fervent belief is
that the user that does computer administration from point and click
method doesn't have a clue what a firewall is stopping and permitting -
IN or OUT of the network.

I'll tell you what - if you want chills - set up a computer to act like
a firewall and make it the default gateway for your network. Only tell
it to simply log all traffic and do not allow it to connect or forward
information to the Internet at all. Then install or start a new computer
with Windows XP - obviously, you will not be able to activate because
you have no access to the Internet at all. But if all of the traffic is
logged, you will see all of the attempts by this system to connect to
Microsoft and possibly many other manufacturers (hp keyboard ?) (mouse
?) etc. And of course, all of the port 80 traffic pretty much flows
freely through firewalls - even through proxy servers that are trying to
restrict outbound connections. These people aren't dumb and know exactly
what they need to do to 'phone home.'

As for your assertion about giving permission to Microsoft to access
your computer, you give them permission to access your computer merely
by 'activating' - you also give them permission by using Internet
Explorer, Windows Media Player, and any application involved in Digital
Rights Management (which by extension could be just about any
application)...

see quote at bottom of this email from Windows XP EULA on my hard drive

anyway, in answer to your question to why I might think that they would
abuse my trust in conjunction with or in excess to the EULA that they
forced upon me in order to install the software on my computer, you only
need to look at their conviction for excesses in obtaining and abusing
their monopoly. Corporate greed, acts of vengeance and frequent
assertion of their market position towards hardware manufacturers and
software users seem to be pretty good indicators of a corporation not to
be trusted. But hey, I'm a forgiving soul - just not stupid.

Lastly...how do I know about up2date or yast? Yast, I don't know
about...is the source code available? Up2date, the source code is
available. Red Hat, you don't even need to use up2date...you can use yum
(supplied) or apt-get (easily installed and used).

Craig

<c:\windows\system32\eula.txt> # from Windows XP SP1

* Digital Rights Management. Content providers are using the
digital rights management technology contained in this
Software ("DRM") to protect the integrity of their content (
"Secure Content") so that their intellectual property,
including copyright, in such content is not misappropriated.
Portions of this Software and third party applications such as
media players use DRM to play Secure Content ("DRM Software").
If the DRM Software's security has been compromised, owners of
Secure Content ("Secure Content Owners") may request that
Microsoft Licensing, Inc. ("MS"), Microsoft Corporation or
their subsidiaries revoke the DRM Software's right to copy,
display and/or play Secure Content. Revocation does not alter
the DRM Software's ability to play unprotected content. A
list of revoked DRM Software is sent to your computer whenever
you download a license for Secure Content from the Internet.
You therefore agree that MS, Microsoft Corporation or their
subsidiaries may, in conjunction with such license, also
download revocation lists onto your computer on behalf of
Secure Content Owners. MS, Microsoft Corporation or their
subsidiaries will not retrieve any personally identifiable
information, or any other information, from your computer by
downloading such revocation lists. Secure Content Owners may
also require you to upgrade some of the DRM components in this
Software ("DRM Upgrades") before accessing their content.
When you attempt to play such content, Microsoft DRM Software
will notify you that a DRM Upgrade is required and then ask
for your consent before the DRM Upgrade is downloaded. Third
party DRM Software may do the same. If you decline the
upgrade, you will not be able to access content that requires
the DRM Upgrade; however, you will still be able to access
unprotected content and Secure Content that does not require
the upgrade.