Fix Windows 10 • Hacker News Board

Re: Fix Windows 10

#151

Post by unstatusthequo » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 6:21 PM UTC

rebootthesystem wrote: post #115

I had been looking forward to deploying Windows 10 as well as using the opportunity to update all of our hardware. Instead I find myself disappointed and, frankly, confused. Why? 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 bi…

What I really want are all these annoying fixes rolled up into a tool or PowerShell script so each time a family/friend tells me how wonderful/shitty Win10 is, I can at least quickly deploy this for them.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#152

Post by fredgrott » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 6:22 PM UTC

ksk wrote: post #61

I think Microsoft messed up the messaging and wording of their features, bigtime. Many products these days are integrating analytics to see how their users use their products. Personally, I prefer to disable such tracking, but I don't view it as malicious. MS should have realized by now that people don't quite trust them with this stuff, and they should have make it clear at the outset that they are never going to us…

its only one uninvited partner people world-wide are worried about, the US government..that is why China and Russia moved towards no MS software on government computers.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#153

Post by anonbanker » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 6:24 PM UTC

thescrewdriver wrote: post #120

dublinben wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Unfortunately 90% of useful apps aren't on F-Droid.

my android phone has one play store app (Timely). The rest is software from F-Droid. my phone is my business lifeline.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#154

Post by frik » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 6:27 PM UTC

microtonal wrote: post #142

ksk wrote: post #61

I think Microsoft messed up the messaging and wording of their features, bigtime. Many products these days are integrating analytics to see how their users use their products. Personally, I prefer to disable such tracking, but I don't view it as malicious. MS should have realized by now that people don't quite trust them with this stuff, and they should have make it clear at the outset that they are never going to us…

The thing is that a lot of things here are genuinely useful for most users, e.g.: - Blocking malicious sites. - Page prediction. - Improving typing prediction. - Finding open hotspots and automatic sharing of network credentials with contacts. - Cortana. - Search suggestions. Multiple of these are also already done by Google and Apple, but the riots are much smaller. So, it's probably a mixture of: bad wording, sprea…

You are right. Another annoyance:

- non-optional forced auto updates (except on Enterprise "long term servicing branch" edition)

Give the user the choice. Compare it to iOS, Android, OSX, Linux everywhere the user has the choice to stop the auto-update, often for important reasons no one thought before.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#155

Post by stan_rogers » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 6:30 PM UTC

Retr0spectrum wrote: post #83

mtgx wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Features" that never existed on previous Windows versions anyway, so they could care less.

http://i.stack.imgur.com/3vP2z.png

"[X] could care less" is idiomatic English, not a mistake. It may have been an identifiable Yiddishism at one time, but it's a naturalized citizen at this point, and has been for decades. If you are looking for a living language in natural, everyday use to conform to some sort of formal logic, you have a lifetime of disappointment ahead of you.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#156

Post by billyhoffman » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 6:34 PM UTC

frik wrote: post #154

microtonal wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing is that a lot of things here are genuinely useful for most users, e.g.: - Blocking malicious sites. - Page prediction. - Improving typing prediction. - Finding open hotspots and automatic sharing of network credentials with contacts. - Cortana. - Search suggestions. Multiple of these are also already done by Google and Apple, but the riots are much smaller. So, it's probably a mixture of: bad wording, sprea…

You are right. Another annoyance: - non-optional forced auto updates (except on Enterprise "long term servicing branch" edition) Give the user the choice. Compare it to iOS, Android, OSX, Linux everywhere the user has the choice to stop the auto-update, often for important reasons no one thought before.

We used to say the same thing about application software. However Chrome's auto-update feature has been a tremendous benefit. I would argue this is a reasonable direction for consumer OSes to go

Re: Fix Windows 10

#157

Post by wldcordeiro » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 6:37 PM UTC

drdaeman wrote: post #125

slg wrote: post #31

I 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? By opt-in approach and full transparency on what data's sent. Seriously, ask me "hey, can you help us?", provide an option to let me see what data exactly was, being and will be sent (NOT some multi-page legalese with notice that everythi…

You often hear the phrase "It's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission" especially hear on Hacker News and around start-ups. Microsoft is taking the same approach. I agree that opt-in and full transparency would be the best in an ideal world. But the reality is that people don't care enough and most people wouldn't opt-in willingly or wouldn't realize what they could opt-in to.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#158

Post by throwawayaway » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 6:37 PM UTC

McGlockenshire wrote: post #92

ksk wrote: post #61

I think Microsoft messed up the messaging and wording of their features, bigtime. Many products these days are integrating analytics to see how their users use their products. Personally, I prefer to disable such tracking, but I don't view it as malicious. MS should have realized by now that people don't quite trust them with this stuff, and they should have make it clear at the outset that they are never going to us…

> They used legal language that allows them much more latitude than what they require. It's the same trap that people fall in to when site terms of use ask for worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable license to content that you post. Yeah, that sounds like it's a horrible nastyness, but from a legal point of view that wording is a safety net for the company, not an attempt to claim actual rights over contributed content…

I think in both the examples you give, what starts out as 'innocuous' and 'well meaning' will inevitably be subverted for something far more nefarious.

Not everyone with a different opinion to you is incapable of forming their own conclusions, or susceptible to groupthink.

Is Bruce Schneier also a victim of this 'nonsense'?

Re: Fix Windows 10

#159

Post by marcosdumay » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 6:39 PM UTC

sliverstorm wrote: post #140

frik wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a PR disaster for Microsoft, they tried hard to give little specific information and their paid commenters made it worse. It's time to change for the Microsoft CEO, better release an early 10.1 than burn the Windows brand for generations.

If you believe this is the keystone issue that is going to permanently stain their reputation and pariah Windows around the globe for decades to come... well, you may be in an echo chamber. I'm not saying it isn't important or a big deal. But- as best I can tell, this is a sideshow compared to some of the offenses that have come before, and in the greater public it seems most people don't even know, let alone care.

Honestly, the only action I can think of that would create a greater stain for Windows reputation is to close itself up, and only permit sandboxed software from a market.

MS may reverse things if they act fast, but Windows is mainly a corporation thing (in revenue, if not volume), and corporations care about information security (in a very incompetent way, but they do care). If Windows gets the fame of sending all your data abroad, it will suffer.

Re: Fix Windows 10

#160

Post by nickspacek » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 6:40 PM UTC

billyhoffman wrote: post #156

frik wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are right. Another annoyance: - non-optional forced auto updates (except on Enterprise "long term servicing branch" edition) Give the user the choice. Compare it to iOS, Android, OSX, Linux everywhere the user has the choice to stop the auto-update, often for important reasons no one thought before.

We used to say the same thing about application software. However Chrome's auto-update feature has been a tremendous benefit. I would argue this is a reasonable direction for consumer OSes to go

Chrome's auto-update is barely noticeable and quite polite, in that it doesn't nag you to restart (or forcibly shut down your current work). Doesn't stop you from shutting it down and barely slows down the next time it starts.