"Genuine Advantage" phones home

[mobrien_12]

Found this at slashdot.

Yahoo News Article

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. acknowledged Wednesday that it needs to better inform users that its tool for determining whether a computer is running a pirated copy of Windows also quietly checks in daily with the software maker.

Hmm... does this make "Genuine Advantage" spyware?

[GenuineAdvantage]

Nahhhhhhhh......

when has Microsuckt ever strayed from being a beacon of ethical sense? When??
 I'd really like to know!

[emuelle1]

Funny how you never hear about linux, BSD, or even MacOS returning huge volumes of information back to headquarters.

[worker201]

I wonder what exactly they get from this?  I fantasize that they are passing all the data they collect on to the NSA, who uses it to spy on the innocent, and that one of these days a couple men in black will batter down my apartment door, looking for the pr0n stash.  But it's probably just user habits and other such bullshit - marketing data.

[emuelle1]

Sometimes I'm more afraid of the marketers than I am the government spying, but in either case it's still abuse.

I remember near the end of 01 reading about XP and how much "big brother" it was going to be. We sure get desensitized easily.

[7031]

Probably sends your credit card number, papal account, ebay transactions, address and much more for free!

[Jack2000]

i aint installing that shit if it is the last os on earth!
then i might get into girls and studying stuff ...

[jtpenrod]

Lazar said the company added the safety measure because the piracy check, despite widespread distribution, is still a pilot program. He said the company was worried that it might have an unforeseen emergency that would require the program to terminate quickly.

Always thinking of you. How considerate of them.

But he acknowledged that Microsoft should have given users more information about the daily interactions.

Yes, perhaps before they get caught red-handed with yet another phone home "daemon". That's been a problem for a very long time.

Slackware certainly doesn't do anything like that.

[mobrien_12]

Real good discussion about this on Groklaw (http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20060608002958907)  This thing is getting ALOT of information from computers and contacting the mothership every single time the PC boots into windows.  This information includes

 * Windows product key
* PC manufacturer
* Operating System version
* PID/SID
* BIOS information (make, version, date)
* BIOS MD5 Checksum
* User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
* System locale (language version of the operating system)
* Office product key (if validating Office)
* Hard drive serial number

Yeah, they need ALL THIS to make sure you are getting the GENUINE ADVANTAGE of running genuine windows.  Riiiight.

Here's what Microsoft says about it being spyware

"Broadly speaking, spyware is deceptive software that is installed on a user

[GenuineAdvantage]

I think you are all paranoid. You have nothing to worry about if you're not pirating. Let Microsoft download the identity of your PC, what's so wrong with a big powerful corporation protecting you by downloading that stuff? It's not like they're not going to be fair or something. Is there any reason not to trust them? Mega corporations know what's best for everyone because they're wise, how do you think they got so big? Just calm down and let MS identify your PC. And hey, if they make a little something something on the side with marketing data from your software and internet behaviors, it's not like they don't deserve it. You paid for their OS and they get to use you, it's fair business.

[piratePenguin]

I think you are all paranoid. You have nothing to worry about if you're not pirating. Let Microsoft download the identity of your PC, what's so wrong with a big powerful corporation protecting you by downloading that stuff? It's not like they're not going to be fair or something. Is there any reason not to trust them? Mega corporations know what's best for everyone because they're wise, how do you think they got so big? Just calm down and let MS identify your PC. And hey, if they make a little something something on the side with marketing data from your software and internet behaviors, it's not like they don't deserve it. You paid for their OS and they get to use you, it's fair business.

Microsoft totally mis-represents Genuine Advantage when presenting it to the user, and that's a big deal. If they told the users the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, even the typical Windows user with their single braincell will KNOW that the "Advantage" is for The Microsoft, not the user.

[mobrien_12]

More stuff from slashdot.

It comes with no uninstall, it fails to disclose many pieces of information it provides to Microsoft, and it misrepresents itself as a 'critical update' when it does not address any security vulnerability, although it remains to be seen if it can create one. ZDNet has a series of screenshots so that you can see exactly how badly it misrepresents itself. Oh, and it also checks for updates, so Microsoft can presumably execute arbitrary code on any machine with it installed, merely by making that code part of a WGA update."

[Refalm]

I think you are all paranoid. You have nothing to worry about if you're not pirating. Let Microsoft download the identity of your PC, what's so wrong with a big powerful corporation protecting you by downloading that stuff? It's not like they're not going to be fair or something. Is there any reason not to trust them? Mega corporations know what's best for everyone because they're wise, how do you think they got so big? Just calm down and let MS identify your PC. And hey, if they make a little something something on the side with marketing data from your software and internet behaviors, it's not like they don't deserve it. You paid for their OS and they get to use you, it's fair business.

I hope you're sarcastic. The main goal of a mega corperation is mainly to get as much money from you as possible.

You should always distrust a corperation from the beginning. If you don't, they'll try to screw you over good.
Because it seems you're mega corperation's wet dream. They wish everyone was like you.

[GenuineAdvantage]

Of course I was sarcastic.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

I hope you're sarcastic. The main goal of a mega corperation is mainly to get as much money from you as possible.

You should always distrust a corperation from the beginning. If you don't, they'll try to screw you over good.
Because it seems you're mega corperation's wet dream. They wish everyone was like you.

Absolutely ... I agree