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With Windows 10, Microsoft Disregards User Choice and Privacy

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Re: With Windows 10, Microsoft Disregards User Choice and Privacy

#71
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The EULA you agree to during Windows 10 installation prohibits class action lawsuits, but Windows 7 should be fair game...

I support some computers that auto-updated to 10, and everyone with access to them swears they never hit "OK" in the week leading up to that auto-update. Did the EULA just flash up on the screen at 2 AM?

I guess it reboots to Windows 10, but keeps the old installation in "C:\Windows.old". If you then do not agree to the EULA in the Windows 10 setup wizard it rolls back to your old Windows installation. Definitely a dark pattern, because most users may feel that going back is not possible.

Re: With Windows 10, Microsoft Disregards User Choice and Privacy

#72

I upgraded willingly so the deceptive upgrade practices, while deplorable, didn't really affect me. What does affect me is that Microsoft refuses to let me control my computer. - If you turn off Windows Defender Real Time Protection it explicitly tells you "You can turn this off, but if it's off for a while we'll turn it back on". It turns itself on upon next reboot, it seems. - You can't turn off Windows Update. It…

> You can't remove worthless apps like Microsoft Groove and OneDrive integration. You can, it's just not super-easy. I've done both. Groove was pretty easy but OneDrive took a few steps. I almost have file explorer configured in a good way for me -- it actually seems much more flexible than previous versions even if half that flexibility is only available in regedit.

I wish I could remove the useless apps on my iPhone. I have a folder called "iOS Crap" on every iDevice I use.

Re: With Windows 10, Microsoft Disregards User Choice and Privacy

#73
post #2

Some highlights: Microsoft installed an app in users’ system trays advertising the free upgrade to Windows 10. Not satisfied, the company eventually made Windows 10 a recommended update so users receiving critical security updates were now also downloading an entirely new operating system onto their machines without their knowledge. This is essentially equivalent to saying: You've been running whatever version of Win…

So all the talk about the "new" Microsoft has been for nothing.

The "new" Microsoft was a change in business model, not a sudden thawing of the heart.

Windows used to be the product, now Windows users are. This is similar to Google and Facebook's offerings. Very few companies still strictly sell software anymore.

The open sourcing of tools is marketing and a consequence of prioritizing adoption over exclusivity. Like Android, Windows isn't going to be the bare foundation you build on, but the cushy, fully furnished condominium... complete with cameras and microphones.

Re: With Windows 10, Microsoft Disregards User Choice and Privacy

#74
post #8
post #2

Some highlights: Microsoft installed an app in users’ system trays advertising the free upgrade to Windows 10. Not satisfied, the company eventually made Windows 10 a recommended update so users receiving critical security updates were now also downloading an entirely new operating system onto their machines without their knowledge. This is essentially equivalent to saying: You've been running whatever version of Win…

I think this slightly understates just how sleazy Microsoft were about it, if anything. Before the dialog that interpreted closing it with the X in the corner as agreement to install Windows 10, they rolled out a similar-looking dialog where that was the only way to avoid install Windows 10 - clicking on any of the buttons in the dialog would cause it to be installed.

Over the past year I've noticed a lot of things mysteriously getting installed, things moving around, etc. I don't mind automatic updates so long as there's a separation from the new features and bug fixes. There should be a base core of apps that are necessary and a set of opt-in add-on features.

It's time to move to Linux on laptop/desktop/tablet I think. While I love my surface pro 3 and the Windows 10 experience is overall a good one, I don't like them changing undisclosed stuff on me.

Re: With Windows 10, Microsoft Disregards User Choice and Privacy

#75
post #37

Microsoft paid $10k [1] to one single count of this deceiving practice and decided to settle not to pursue further. Me and my young children see Transvaginal Mesh Implants class action lawsuit invitation few times a day for probably a year now on multitude of national TV stations. When will some tech-literate lawyer start gathering evidence to file a class action lawsuit over what MS just did?? [1] http://www.theverg…

The EULA you agree to during Windows 10 installation prohibits class action lawsuits, but Windows 7 should be fair game...

Is this even legal? EULA is not law, you can put whatever the hell you want in there, but it doesn't have to stick in court...

Re: With Windows 10, Microsoft Disregards User Choice and Privacy

#77

By default, Windows 10 sends an unprecedented amount of usage data back to Microsoft... location data, text input, voice input, touch input, webpages you visit, and telemetry data regarding your general usage of your computer, including which programs you run and for how long. Unprecedented for Microsoft or everyone? This is inline with what Google collects on Android. ...the fact remains that many users would much p…

This comment makes you sound like a very biased MS fan. Saying this is ok bwcause some mobile OS providers do similar things is absurd. This is an entirely separate class of device and should be treated as such. Apple absolutely collects nowhere near this much data on their desktop OS, so that is also misleading.

No one says exactly what they gather so your claim is baseless.

Re: With Windows 10, Microsoft Disregards User Choice and Privacy

#78
post #2

Some highlights: Microsoft installed an app in users’ system trays advertising the free upgrade to Windows 10. Not satisfied, the company eventually made Windows 10 a recommended update so users receiving critical security updates were now also downloading an entirely new operating system onto their machines without their knowledge. This is essentially equivalent to saying: You've been running whatever version of Win…

> Specifically, when prompted with a Windows 10 update, if the > user chose to decline it by hitting the ‘X’ in the upper right > hand corner, Microsoft interpreted that as consent to download > Windows 10. So what? I clicked that X multiple times and it didn't _install_. It may have _downloaded_, I'm not sure, but did not install.

> So what?

My 4Gb per month download limit doesn't like secret 10Gb downloads, that's what

Re: With Windows 10, Microsoft Disregards User Choice and Privacy

#80
Let me be clear to you.

If you do not want to put in the "investment and effort to run just so that I can control my computer" required to actually do the job of administering your PC correctly, but still want all the safety features built into consumer Windows turned off for your benefit anyway, STAY OFF THE SAME INTERENET AS ME. You're the electronic equivelent of someone who refuses to vaccinate their kids but still wants them to go to public schools with my kid. You're going to get us all killed. I hope the ideological purity that comes from letting five different branches of the Russian mob have your telemetry data instead of Microsoft is worth it.

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