Spying Windows 10 - How much truth is into this..


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12 hours ago, Jared- said:

If only you were all this passionate about your washing machines... 

Now that is a hole new can of worms, perhaps washing machines send our data to Dolphin colonies?

On ‎16‎/‎01‎/‎2016 at 3:27 PM, jjkusaf said:

If "spying" is analytics, diagnostic data, etc., then sure 10 is spying on you.  However, Microsoft isn't interested in spying on you but instead, collectively, how 10 is being used and how to improve on it.  For example, if x driver failed to install on 10% of Windows 10 computers then Microsoft could work with the manufacture for a fix.  Also, if only 5% of the users used a particular feature then they could either scrap the feature or rework it.  If opening x application causes y feature to break, then they can work on a fix.  Without receiving analytics and diagnostic data ... they would have no way of knowing how W10 is being used, what issues are occurring (for example driver/program crashes), etc.  I mean when Microsoft releases patches...do you think they uncovered the issue 100% of the time or do you think they (through diagnostic data) discovered that x was causing y.  They are very open to what data they are collecting and it is really no different than Apple.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement/

http://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy/

 

Earlier this month Microsoft released a blog article on Windows 10.  In this article was an example of how data collected from 10 was being used.

So with this data Microsoft was able to learn that 82 billion photos were viewed in the Photo app.  Wow, major spying going on.

 

Now there are a lot of sites claiming that Microsoft is spying ... but until someone can prove otherwise ... Microsoft is collecting "a limited amount of information to help us provide a secure and reliable experience. This includes data like an anonymous device ID, device type, and application crash data which Microsoft and our developer partners use to continuously improve application reliability. This doesn’t include any of your content or files, and we take several steps to avoid collecting any information that directly identifies you, such as your name, email address or account ID. "

 

It is no secret to anyone on these forums that I have issues with Windows 10 and the method Microsoft is aggressively pushing it ... but I'm also a realist and folks need to take off the tin foil hat.  Microsoft doesn't care what you are personally doing...but instead they want to know how their operating system is performing, how their apps are being used and what issues are occurring throughout their ecosystem.

 

Additionally, these numbers in Microsofts blog post are estimations based on a limited set of users that agreed with sharing this data.

On ‎18‎/‎01‎/‎2016 at 11:06 AM, simplezz said:

The point is it's not a free upgrade (some might argue it's actually a downgrade). The price is your privacy and data.

And that, fellow, is a very idiotic point of view. So if you go to the store and buy a Windows 10 license, what than?

 

You're completely wrong about this not being a free upgrade, in fact. You already paid for it back with your Windows 7 and 8.1 license and this is actually the first time Microsoft has ever used the Mainstream Support period for what it is actually supposed to be used: add new functionality to the OS. In this case, that new functionality tags a whole new version along. Not to mention that this isn't about users data or privacy, this is about Microsoft limiting the costs these older users are making to them: less users on Windows 7 and 8.1 means less support needed and that's a huge black hole for Microsofts money suddenly disappearing. It also means  that Microsoft in the future will have less versions of Windows left to support, and that's the ultimate goal: ending with just Windows 10: just one version to support.

28 minutes ago, Jared- said:

I love my washing machine - super quiet, and has an awesome spin cycle.

 

Everyone is jealous of how white my t-shirts are. Yep, I've learnt mother's secret on super white clothes. Chicks dig it. 

I love my Bosch too, i mean who wouldn't love a direct drive 1800rpm spin cycle, 8kg single load and led display. It doesn't play Crysis though, it just spins out :p my Bosch coffee bean grinder on the other hand, choppy!

 

As Jared has said, you cannea whack superwhite!

On 1/17/2016 at 11:37 PM, Jared- said:

This thread is stupid. 

It did not start out that way. :/

5 minutes ago, Jared- said:

1800!! Noo wayy, and I thought 1400 was good!

 

http://www.thegoodguys.com.au/fisher-and-paykel-75kg-front-load-washer-wh7560p2

 

 

oooh nice! I like the retro silver/white thing going on. 

 

check this bad ass, 10kg! and in black! ooooh yer 

http://ao.com/product/rpd10457jkk-hotpoint-ultima-sline-washing-machine-black-37979-1.aspx?&WT.z_PT=MDA&WT.z_AT=washing%20machine&WT.z_MT=Search&WT.z_RTM=PLA&WT.z_MAT=Hotpoint&WT.z_DT=c&WT.z_FT=Free%20Standing&WT.z_PC=RPD10457JKK_BK&WT.srch=1&wt.z_ag=type%20generic&wt.z_kw=b&wt.z_cn=MDA%20-%20Washing%20Machines%20-%20Gen&gclid=CjwKEAiAoIK1BRCRiMqphvnlwlwSJAAOebPMcbQUEEWVI7ke5wBXC1u89NtBjBC4YIsnMTmbzz698BoCClHw_wcB

 

back on topic(ish) Im not worried about what they are gleaming form a games n web browsing only pc, probs no more than previously, or from any other vendor, Google, Apple etc all do this kinda thing anyways yet im fine with them. 

4 minutes ago, Jared- said:

Double like!!

 

Windows 10 is fine btw. I just put together a task sequence and some GPOs for it today in SCCM. She'll deploy fine, and customers will probably like it. 

im doing same in q3 this year for site, gotta get thru my mcsa in it first.

 

lol checking out the hotpoint i saw a listing connection options, im a geek when i thought oooh maybe wireless....lol it meant connection aka 3 pin mains plug :p  LOL! 

 

It does list "Fuzzy Logic" as a feature lol love that :)

Good luck! 

 

I got my Enterprise voice for Skype, and Azure exams coming up. Work sprung the Azure stuff on me start of the week, meh they're paying for MS to come on site and train so why not. Oh and pizza provided, niiiiice. 

On 1/17/2016 at 11:07 PM, simplezz said:

A lot of people are under the impression that Windows 10 is free; It's not, you are the product. Giving up your data and your privacy is the price you pay. If you're happy with that arrangement, welcome to the future of Windows.

Windows 10 isn't free. You have to have purcahsed a license for Windows 7 and/or Windows 8.1 to recieve Windows for free (if you do by the end of July 2016). By upgrading from Windows 7 the Store is a new revenue source for Microsoft. People that buy new pc's and wanting to upgrade older OS's have to purchase Windows 10.

 

2 hours ago, Studio384 said:

Additionally, these numbers in Microsofts blog post are estimations based on a limited set of users that agreed with sharing this data.

Well Microsoft did a public records request at my work. They wanted to know how many Surfaces we have and how we are using them. No need to go through a records request if they can get the information on their own.

1 hour ago, JakeB said:

Well Microsoft did a public records request at my work. They wanted to know how many Surfaces we have and how we are using them. No need to go through a records request if they can get the information on their own.

That was an audit. 

15 hours ago, The_Decryptor said:

Sure it's possible, but why would they do it? It'd be a huge amount of data and offer them exactly nothing (Apart from huge legal files). People have been worried about this stuff since the 9x era, it's never been substantiated and has never progressed past the conspiracy theory stage.

 

I remember people getting freaked out over Microsoft's cloud plans, because they thought Windows would upload the contents of your hard drive to Microsoft's servers and store all data there. That idea is so stupid that I'm not entirely sure why anybody ever gave it consideration.

Why? Why does any company data mine? Money. The only reason there are "conspiracy theories" is Microsoft won't tell us what is being collected, most of them are completely crazy but the fact remains until Microsoft they show us what is being collected even their supports are in the dark.

 

15 hours ago, Eric said:

Of course it's possible. They might be archiving everything on your computer, but so might every other OS in existence. Unless you have an old TV it's probably spying on you, too.

Then why are people acting like it's completely bat#### crazy to suspect they might be doing something wrong?

 

6 hours ago, Dot Matrix said:

Honestly, I worry more about the government spying on me, than Microsoft spying on me. 

Didn't Microsoft collaborate with the US Government, and allow them to bypass Microsoft's encryption to help the government spy on it's own Outlook customers?  Article from The Guardian.

They were also involved in Prism, if I recall correctly, were they not? Guardian article on Prism.

 

With Microsoft (and a lot of other companies) help, I worry about the government using Windows 10 to spy on whom ever uses it. The funny thing is, we don't know who the other "third parties" are Microsoft shares the information they gather with, now do we? It doesn't necessarily have to be Microsoft themselves but a 3rd party vendor that has access to the data they are collection that might/could share it with the US Government or any other government for that matter. For me , that is where it gets really scary, we don't know what is being collected, who it's being shared with, and who the third parties are sharing it with.

41 minutes ago, DavidM said:

The only reason there are "conspiracy theories" is Microsoft won't tell us what is being collected, most of them are completely crazy but the fact remains until Microsoft they show us what is being collected even their supports are in the dark.

Microsoft has told people what they are collecting, but the conspiracy theorists don't believe them.

I have yet to see anyone who has discovered something going out from our PCs that isn't exactly what Microsoft has said it is. If someone did, don't you think someone like the EU might take pause and investigate even further?

 

That being said I do block their telemetry and ad data at my firewall, which by the way is exactly what they say they are collecting.

 

As most of us know, Microsoft has relented and is now  offering enterprise customers a way to completely opt out of any telemetry due to privacy concerns of said decision makers. It's simply user-hostile to not  extend the same courtesy to their regular users. If they really wanted to, they could shut this whole discussion down fairly quickly. Change the user defaults and give users the option to opt out completely. 

I use a program that deletes cookies. Under Windows 7, at the most, I would have up to 15 tracking cookies cleaned from my PC daily.  Since I upgraded to Windows 10, I average in the 80s. Now I'm not saying its spying, but why the extra tracking cookies and where have they come from and I pretty much go to the same sites. When I think about what I do different, The Shop and apps.

1 hour ago, DavidM said:

Why? Why does any company data mine? Money. The only reason there are "conspiracy theories" is Microsoft won't tell us what is being collected, most of them are completely crazy but the fact remains until Microsoft they show us what is being collected even their supports are in the dark.

 

Then why are people acting like it's completely bat#### crazy to suspect they might be doing something wrong?

 

They do tell you what's collected, and I have no idea why people act like that. Paranoia, I guess?

2 hours ago, Eric said:

 

They do tell you what's collected, and I have no idea why people act like that. Paranoia, I guess?

I guess that's the rub, they tell you we only collect this, but only they know what is actually being collected. I don't understand that, if they are only collecting this for product improvement, why are they buying and trading this information with third parties? What can a third party tell Microsoft about their products and services that they themselves don't know.

 

"We also obtain data from third parties (including other companies). For example, we supplement the data we collect by purchasing demographic data from other companies. We also use services from other companies to help us determine a location based on your IP address in order to customize certain services to your location.

 

The data we collect depends on the services and features you use, and includes the following.

Name and contact data. We collect your first and last name, email address, postal address, phone number, and other similar contact data.

Credentials. We collect passwords, password hints, and similar security information used for authentication and account access.

Demographic data. We collect data about you such as your age, gender, country and preferred language." Microsoft Privacy Statement

 

How does my age or gender make my computer work differently or help improve it? Can anyone explain how knowing these things make my computer better?

 

On 1/17/2016 at 11:07 PM, simplezz said:

A lot of people are under the impression that Windows 10 is free; It's not, you are the product. Giving up your data and your privacy is the price you pay. If you're happy with that arrangement, welcome to the future of Windows.

Thanks for the laugh..

24 minutes ago, DavidM said:

How does my age or gender make my computer work differently or help improve it? Can anyone explain how knowing these things make my computer better?

 

Just as an example... if only 20 - 25 year old males like Cortana what do they need to improve to make it acceptable to other demographics? Additional voices? Different visual appeal? Etc.

They can use the info for all sorts of purposes to make a product better.

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