Earlier quoted context omitted.
When a canary dies in a coal mine, it's not the canary the miners worry about. The fact that the OS ships with a subscription-based freemium app with ads [EDIT: that used to be free] is, for many people, that canary.
This is absolutely fear mongering. The solitaire that used to ship with every version of windows is still absolutely 100% free in Windows 10. Some extra social based features are the only things that are unlocked by paying the subscription fee. Nothing about the core solitaire experience has changed, and it isn't a canary dying.
Fix Windows 10
111–120 of 201 posts
Re: Fix Windows 10
#112Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Mac Which sends search queries via “Spotlight Suggestions” and “Bing Web Searches” by default? >Or Ubuntu Which sends all your search queries to Canonical by default (via the shopping lens)?
I've been using a Mac for over a year now and I can count on one hand the number of times I've used Spotlight. (And when I did use it, it was useless at solving my problems.) However, on Windows the start menu search is actually useful to me, and I use it regularly.
Re: Fix Windows 10
#113I can't help but feel like some of this is fear mongering. There are some good features in there that are being disabled for the sake of "privacy" like sharing of Windows updates with other computers to speed up downloads. And how do we expect things like Windows Defender or Microsoft's handwriting and voice recognition to improve if we refuse to share back any anonymized information with Microsoft?
"And how do we expect things like Windows Defender or Microsoft's handwriting and voice recognition to improve if we refuse to share back any anonymized information with Microsoft?" Exactly by not sharing any information with MS. If they didn't assume that people wanted to share their private information (they don't), they'd create software with proper architecture that doesn't need to connect to the could to do simp…
I honestly can't tell if you actually believe what you are saying, or are just making a really badly told joke.
Re: Fix Windows 10
#114Earlier quoted context omitted.
Frankly your "grandmother" is better off not doing this anyway. She needs the anti-phishing filter, the anti-malicious app & URL filter, and will want useful features like Cortana, predictive search, page compatibility modes, allowing websites/apps to ask for her location (e.g. Google Maps), and her files to be backed up when her computer fails. You can argue if certain things help your "grandmother" (e.g. telemetry,…
>will want useful features like Cortana, predictive search, page compatibility modes, allowing websites/apps to ask for her location (e.g. Google Maps), and her files to be backed up when her computer fails. Have you ever had a grandma? My grandma literally plays solitaire and checks her email, that's it. She wants nothing to do with cortana. I set my grandma up with Ubuntu and set the homepage of firefox to her emai…
To be frank, she would likely be better off with a Chromebook. But unfortunately she has a few games she plays which are Windows binaries (e.g. those $5 CDs containing "2500 card games").
Cortana is no more or no less accessible than Siri.
Re: Fix Windows 10
#115Why? Well, mainly because we do not have the time and cannot afford the risk of dealing with and navigating through a security and privacy gauntlet.
We need an operating system, not Facebook, running our systems. Before anyone suggests it's no big deal please consider the idea that, when it comes to an OS used in a business/professional context privacy must be a non-negotiable default.
If Windows 10 had a single "Private Mode" switch that turned off all data leaks and monitoring it would be fantastic.
Some might suggest it isn't a big deal because it is annonymized data. The fact that a question exists means we have a problem. It's that simple. And, yes, some of it is FUD.
Suggesting a change to another OS simply isn't reasonable. For one thing, in our case we have a number of engineering applications that will only run on Windows, and that is the case for many professional users.
Re: Fix Windows 10
#116This would be better as a Windows app (with a single step, and an undo) rather than a blog post.
No undo function, but you can choose between disabling or permanently removing tracking features.
It only removes the most "controversial" features of the OS (the "keylogger" part), but it may be of interest for those who still want some features, like everything related to security and/or the cloud.
Maybe it can serve as a basis for a more advanced software which will offer more cleaning options. Or maybe such a software already exists (I didn't search much).
Re: Fix Windows 10
#117> 7. To disable telemetry (...) Why should I disable that? What does it do? My understanding is that it's only statistics on data usage, which I find useful?
Nearly all of the windows privacy issues come from useful features. If cortana wants to automatically recommend appointments from emails? Guess what? She has to read your emails. If you want to be blocked from downloading malware? Guess what? You have to check with a central db first. etc Apple, Google devices etc have had this stuff on for ages.
"She"
Re: Fix Windows 10
#118In my opinion, if those privacy issues bother you, the first step should be an overview of non-Microsoft operating systems.
I hope they start with Android and Google Maps on iOS where Google tracks which stores you visit when you have your phone with you. http://9to5google.com/2013/11/11/google-tracking-your-store-... If you disable it, Google Now stops working. Or with Chromebooks, where everything is forced to be stored in Google's cloud with very paltry storage like 32GB and 64GB even in high end Pixels. I somehow don't see the outrage…
Yes, your Chrome OS settings are backed up to Google's cloud, but you can always set an encryption passphrase separate from your Google password so that Google can't decrypt your settings.
[1]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/file-system-for-sm...
Re: Fix Windows 10
#119Re: Fix Windows 10
#120I wish the steps were this straightforward for my android phone.
They are: 1. Install an AOSP ROM without the proprietary Google Apps or Google Play Services. 2. Install the F-Droid market to download whatever programs you like. 3. Enjoy using an Android phone without the anti-privacy Google tracking.