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Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

theregister.com

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Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#311

Post by com2kid »

Nextgrid wrote: post #268
soraminazuki wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Everytime my BT headphones connect, Apple Music opens up. You make it sound like there's code to show you ads when you connect a BT headphone. I can't confirm this despite using it daily. This doesn't happen with AirPods. Nor does it happen with a Sony headphone. So it's not behavior baked into the OS. I'm also sure you meant Music.app, not Apple Music. When I open Music.app on a Mac, it shows me the local songs. I…

I wouldn't be surprised if some shitty Bluetooth headphones send a "play" command on connection, which then opens the default music player if no others are running, and by default the Music app has some Apple Music stuff (though as you say it can be disabled). While there should ideally be a toggle in the OS to be able to ignore play commands completely from bluetooth devices (to deal with such defective ones), but I…

> I wouldn't be surprised if some shitty Bluetooth headphones send a "play" command on connection,

Bose's highest end headphones.

> While there should ideally be a toggle in the OS to be able to ignore play commands completely from bluetooth devices (to deal with such defective ones), but I don't see it as outright malicious unlike putting spam in the start menul

Windows does the "proper" thing here and starts playing whatever media was last being played, which while annoying, at least is an attempt to follow the standard. (And Windows really goes the extra mile to remember what was last playing, sometimes resuming sound in a browser tab I haven't looked at in several days!)

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#312

Post by omoikane »

dang wrote: post #161

Related: Microsoft is slowly rolling out ads in the Windows 11 start menu - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35545566 - April 2023 (201 comments) Windows 11 KB5023778 update adds promotions to the Start menu - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35346137 - March 2023 (251 comments) Microsoft is turning Windows 11's Start Menu into an ad delivery system - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33694202 - Nov 2022 (…

Also: Windows 11 KB5023778 update adds promotions to the Start menu - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35346137

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#313

Post by diveandfight »

JohnFen wrote: post #253
handity wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Users should learn to say "no" to companies. The surveillance advertising economy is not some hapless mistake that companies will suddenly wake up to one day and realize the error of their ways. Whatever Microsoft "should" do is just wishful thinking. Change will come from users or regulation, and regulation seems unlikely.

In my comments here over the years, I have occasionally mentioned how I don't do business with certain companies or use certain sorts of products because I find the companies objectionable. What I find interesting/hilarious is how often someone will reply to me saying that my life would be so much easier if I just gave in and used them anyway, or (worse) how I'm being wrong in some way by being selective about who I…

> That borg-like "you will be assimilated" sort of commentary is fascinating, disturbing, and goes far to illustrate how there are ordinary people who absolutely don't want you to exert your economic authority.

I've learned not to underestimate the extents to which people will go to rationalize their cognitive dissonance. In person, my tactic has just been to self-censor more - I guess I'm tired/lazy and don't want to be bothered unnecessarily.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#314

Post by hef19898 »

eimrine wrote: post #191
bigger_inside wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never used linux. After a hundred frustrations with my new laptop that runs Win11, I'm now looking to install ubuntu. Windows pushed me there.

Debian-based distribs are very beginner-friendly and Ubuntu's forum is full of helpful users.

Ubuntu was my pick, main reasom being that it is the distro Lenovo is offering and thus guaranteed to work with my Lenovo laptop. Agree on the usefull forums and information.

No idea how it compares to other distros, I never tried any. It is a breath of fresh air compared to Windows 10 so!

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#315

Post by dahwolf »

whywhywhywhy wrote: post #51

Please please MS just put someone in charge with taste who can veto this trashy rubbish. Whatever gains you're perceiving from this on your profit chart isn't worth the compounding deterioration of your products experience.

The depressing part is that their design department (or possibly an agency they hire) make these really fancy UI vision videos. But then you use actual Windows and its UI trash.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#316

Post by JohnFen »

not_a_shill wrote: post #273
JohnFen wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Again, in order to be manipulative, I would have had to been intending to alter what someone else does. I had no such intent. What I did was express my opinion. You seem to be arguing that expressing an opinion is a bad thing. I'm not sure what I've said that made you so angry. The opinion I expressed was "unethical behavior is unethical regardless of who does it", which I would not have expected to be controversial.

You don't need active intent to be emotionally manipulative. Being manipulative is about control. Your actions attempt to exert control over other people by making them acquiesce to your ethical demands, lest they want to be considered "bad guys" too. Hence the guy editing his post from his original point of empathy to something lesser. >You seem to be arguing that expressing an opinion is a bad thing. My main point…

Ahh, I understand better now. Thank you.

> Your actions attempt to exert control over other people by making them acquiesce to your ethical demands

I think that you might be reading a bit too much into this. That was absolutely not my intent.

> individual bad or unethical actions don't make a person "good" or "bad".

I agree. I was speaking casually, using slang that I assumed would be understood (that's why I capitalized "Bad Guy" -- to indicate that I'm not literally talking about the person being fundamentally bad).

The irony is that the reason I speak rather formally in my comments on HN is to try to minimize exactly what happened here -- having my statements misunderstood in a way that I didn't anticipate. English makes misunderstanding all too easy.

That one just slipped past my rhetorical guard.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#317

Post by rolph »

bigger_inside wrote: post #85
JohnFen wrote: post #54

> As Microsoft puts it: “We are continuing the exploration of badging on the Start menu with several new treatments for users logging in with local user accounts to highlight the benefits of signing in with a Microsoft account (MSA).” What is Microsoft really thinking here? You have to go out of your way (and probably do a web search) in order to figure out how to install Win 11 without using a Microsoft Account. So…

I've never used linux. After a hundred frustrations with my new laptop that runs Win11, I'm now looking to install ubuntu. Windows pushed me there.

there are a number of linux flavours to choose from. its also pretty easy to convert from one to another.

e.g. [https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Infos/News/Which-Linux-op...]

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#318

Post by belter »

justsomehnguy wrote: post #194
belter wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Desktop Experience on Linux is years ahead of Windows. Only users who have to use apps non available on Mac or Linux use Windows.

> The Desktop Experience on Linux is years ahead of Windows [citation needed] And is also relevant: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35325280

Better than citation, it's beautiful: https://youtu.be/7JJmCAJs9pM

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#319

Post by AnotherGoodName »

kayodelycaon wrote: post #186
com2kid wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everytime my BT headphones connect, Apple Music opens up. Own and iPhone and you are reminded quite often of the benefits of an iCloud subscription. Try setting up an iPhone w/o an apple account for that matter, or using an Android phone (that hasn't been de-googled) without a Google account. Not to mention, users expect their files to be with them everywhere. IMHO Microsoft should make OneDrive free with some obscen…

> Every time my BT headphones connect, Apple Music opens up. Sounds like your headphones are issuing a play command during the connection process. My car does this. It’s very annoying.

The MG3 will turn on the radio turn the volume up to at least 50% and auto play via Bluetooth whenever the ignition starts.

So you might not want music. You turn down the radio and turn it off. Next ignition you find your paired phone starts up Spotify on command from the car and starts playing.

It means you have to never pair your phone. Worse than annoying. Who wants that? At the very least keep volume at 0% if that's what I set it last ignition.

Re: Microsoft plugging more ads into Windows 11 Start Menu

#320

Post by Rimintil »

andrewstuart wrote: post #293

It’s sad that Microsoft does understand that the best windows is minimal, without bloat, trahware and ads.

> bloat

What _is_ bloat to people? Is it because it has Candy Crush pre-installed? The Settings menu? The install is bigger than Windows 3.11 so it's bloated?

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