Re: [SLUG] OT: M$ deals the final blow

From: Chad Perrin (perrin@apotheon.com)
Date: Sat Sep 11 2004 - 12:46:36 EDT


Eben King wrote:
> On Sat, 11 Sep 2004, Steve Szmidt wrote:
>
>
>>On Friday 10 September 2004 08:09 pm, chris lee wrote:
>>
>>>if you read the articles youll notice that it says they can.
>>>
>>>"Beginning on Tuesday 12 April 2005 AU (Automatic Update) and WU
>>>(Windows Update) will deliver SP2 regardless of the presence of the
>>>blocking mechanism."
>>>
>>>so no matter if you have automatic updates turned off you will still
>>>get SP2 on 12 april.
>>>
>>>all they have to do is log on via NT/Authority system remotely and install
>>>it.
>>>
>>>which just because im paranoid makes me think what else can they install.
>>
>>If you read the EULA it says that you agree on letting them look into your
>>system and install s/w on your computer. (Using clevely chosen words.)
>>
>>As far as turning it on... yup, they can do this remotely and you cannot turn
>>it off. Or rather you can turn off some things but you cannot stop them from
>>over riding it. It "calls home" to check what it needs to do.
>
>
> Wait... are you saying that they can turn autoupdate on, or that they can
> turn your computer on? In many cases (pun intended) the latter's not
> true.
>

I'm not entirely certain what was being said, but I know that Microsoft
has the technical capacity, in many instances, of exerting control
remotely over systems that are already running. This would allow them
to turn the automatic updating feature on, but I'm sure they have some
means of simply installing patches such as SP2 directly without using
the local AU feature. They have also, for a few years now, claimed
legal right to access your system for purposes of auditing and making
operational changes without the "owner's" permission.

I put "owner" in quote because, of course, it's difficult to say you own
something when you do not have exclusive rights to it.
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