Windows 10 is just another operating system!

This is my foolish attempt to dispel the 'Windows 10 privacy' threads that have been appearing on ATS for the last few weeks and months:

WINDOWS 10 IS JUST ANOTHER OPERATING SYSTEM!

The misguided concern here on ATS is quite frustrating, that Windows 10 spies on you in every conceivable capacity, when in actuality it's little more (if any) than previous operating systems.

As many other users have pointed, out the previous releases of Windows (XP, Vista, 7, 8/8.1) have all been significantly monitoring user data, often with similar public outcry at the time of their release.

This in not unique, as APPLE DOES THIS TOO! They are another massive company that profits from knowing the wants of their user base and gather information on them.

And oddly enough, when you click 'agree' to the T&C, YOU ARE AGREEING TO THE T&C!

If you want an OS that is less likely to have such privacy issues, you may have better luck with an open source Linux distro.

HOWEVER...

- Do you surf the web?
Your ISP can (usually) see what you are doing

- Do you look at web pages?
Search engines and individual websites can collect information about you. You agree to this when you use their website.

- Do you use ANY program on your computer?
They all have their individual T&C that you agree to when you install and use. They often report back information to their respective companies. (You probably have sent an error report after a program crashed right?)
This includes anti-virus/malware software.

- Do you use a VPN or some kind of privacy extension or app?
Chances are, they know your browsing habits too and keep logs.

These issues are not new, they exist in pretty much any device that is connected to the web in some way. There are far too many alarmist articles (and threads) that exist, often to profit, either directly or indirectly, from the fear they create. If you are so concerned about your privacy, either reevaluate what you do on the internet or return to snail mail and communicating in-person. (Big companies like Paypal who store your credit card details will be liable if that information gets leaked/hacked from them, so that aspect is often pretty safe, varying company to company of course)

*Disclaimer*
I have been a Windows 'Insider' since about November. This means I did FREE testing of the OS and am NOT on the payroll.

Yah, we know the gubment collects everything…

Data Center

a reply to: BombDefined

This is my foolish attempt to dispel the 'Windows 10 privacy' threads that have been appearing on ATS for the last few weeks and months:

You'll have to do it for the entire web then.

10's of millions of users, techies, companies that won't use it and so on.

You make it sound as if the issues are confined to ATS members and by doing so you are saying that only a site of conspiracy theorists are suspicious of Win 10 without having actual knowledge of OS then and now.

Wrong on all counts, sorry.

Jude

a reply to: BombDefined

want to Clarify your 'insider' status?
I hope it's not just ... " I got an IT job in November with a MS partner and have MSDN subscriber disc access"

and you are right, T&C's nullify any whinning.

a reply to: BombDefined

You are right it is just another operating system but you left out the word bad before operating system.

This thing decimated my older laptop had to kill it before I lost everything.

Bring back xp Microsoft, still upset about that and every failure since.

I have heard that the use of Windows 10 will make your wiener fly off. Is this true?


I have to agree with you though, every thing you use these days collect some form of data on you. Its been this way for a long time now. I have never been negatively affected by any of it.

If folks don't like it, then their best best is to go crawl back into a cave and go back to grunting and banging rocks together.

a reply to: jude11

Don't get me wrong, the final release still has issues, and it's usually a good idea that 'techies and companies' don't just jump on board with new software because it's free. Not only due to bugs, but potential compatibility issues, having to teach non-tech-savvy people how to use a new UI etc. etc.

But from what I've read on ATS, many members only have a surface understanding of computers, with the majority of other comments (that personally seem to be from people more knowledgeable in the area) expressing similar sentiments to mine. People gravitate more easily to emotional responses like those elicited by the alarmist Katharine Alberecht's of the world (although I do like the core concepts of CASPIAN)

My issue is how people think about the privacy aspect, particularly that it is new and unique and clamour on about it.

a reply to: CitizenNum287119327

The Windows Insider Program was open to anyone with a Microsoft account IIRC (which I had for email).

Basically, just about anyone who wants to can be one, with the idea that Microsoft can get direct feedback through an incorporated app and don't have to do the 'focus group' thing so much, with these users doing much of the testing of the OS.

No official affiliations, paycheque involved: a cheap way to get people to do their testing for them.

And don't get me wrong, people are always free to whine, I just find it poorly founded whining. Hence my rant/whine.

a reply to: AnteBellum

Damn, that sucks. I've had similar issues too (it was released too early IMHO)

Just because other sources also spy on us doesn't make W10 suddenly 'right'. I understand [strangely enough] that certain changes and snooping are:

- To make things easier for us [always works]
- For our own good [like telling us when we are naughty]
- Bring the future forward by offering more crazy things we don't need
- Dealing with malware better [maybe, or maybe they just don't want me to go onto websites greedy peeps don't want me on]
- Other unnecessary enhancements that I have lived really well without so far and didn't even know I needed


There is a misguided fad going on at the moment that wants to steer us away from individual private computer access to [I assume futuristic] idea where we can be like in Star Trek and just go and ask computers everywhere what we want to know and they then give us 'personal' results based on my voice. I mean fine, some people like that kind of crap but I don't see the point.

Yet if I want to be 'up to date' with windows and decide on a new shiny interface and download W10, I do not expect the defaults to be DELIBERATELY stuck on 'give me your soul'. Not everyone is savvy enough to wade through all the pages and switch everything off.

On the contrary, I would like to start as an island and if I feel I'd like to join some crap [because I am 16 and click everything that is shiny], then I opt in.

W10 does crap that some people don't want and we have to opt out and still get shafted [because some stuff just can't be switched off permanently].
I also don't want automatic updates but W10 doesn't give you a choice.

See what I am trying to say here?
Many people disagree with certain things in W10. I can't even use it if I wanted to because my laptop goes belly up when something automatically does a reboot.

W10 is making people angry because of its sneakiness, it's draconian default settings, it's urge to grass you up if you do something that it considers naughty, it's blatant disregard towards the end users concerns etc.

If you personally are happy to go along with ANYTHING that is put your way in life without any concerns, congratulations you are a good consumer/citizen, big companies/governments love you, well done.

a reply to: AnteBellum

This thing decimated my older laptop

You basically explained it right there.

a reply to: BombDefined

The bigger question here that some of us non-teckkies complained about way back in the '90 with the advent of "cookies" lodging themselves in our computers unannounced is the simple question of IS IT RIGHT?

Is not this whole business a violation of our rights as individuals as we knew them?
And the answer we get is "Shut up, national security is at stake here and more important than your measly, self-perceived rights."

As some of us have screamed since the '80s, Big Brother is here in multiple ways. Gladly accept his hand into your business or find a nice cave somewhere.

a reply to: BombDefined

S&F for your disbelief in all the bad bad Windows 10 sayers. Even Linux has its flaws and holes.You want a secure computer ? Follow the below steps.
Power it down
Unplug it
Remove any batteries
Remove all cables
Take a screwdriver and jab it in your wireless card
Same with any bluetooth or wired NIC
Smack it with a sledgehammer a few times.
Take whats left to a Swiss Bank and have it put in one of their special vaults
Completely destroy any keys or access to the above
Results: It is a possibility that no one can access it then.(not a surety)

originally posted by: AnteBellum
a reply to: BombDefined

You are right it is just another operating system but you left out the word bad before operating system.

This thing decimated my older laptop had to kill it before I lost everything.

Bring back xp Microsoft, still upset about that and every failure since.

Did you do the compatibility check before you installed it? I have a few clients complaining it "decimated" their computer. If they had called a tech, or did the compatibility check before installing, it would have saved them some heartache. In most cases, it wasn't 10 that caused the issues.

a reply to: Gothmog

So we should all be forced into scrapping perfectly machines just because they are otherwise older?

That says a lot about consumer culture right there. If an older laptop is doing what you need it to and you're happy with it, why should you be expected to buy a new one just because your operating system has decreed that it shall be thus and so?

We ran into the same problem when our comps went south. All we had were the Vista disks and the Win 7 upgrade. Our new MoBo wouldn't recognize the Vista system so that we could get online and upgrade it to install Win 7. Basically, our new machine was broken out of the box because there was no way to get the operating system to talk to the MoBo so we could upgrade the operating system to a version it liked.

a reply to: Hecate666

Yet if I want to be 'up to date' with windows and decide on a new shiny interface and download W10, I do not expect the defaults to be DELIBERATELY stuck on 'give me your soul'. Not everyone is savvy enough to wade through all the pages and switch everything off.

Lol. Love that. I agree with what you're saying here, but two things I would point out.
1. Previous OS'es were also stuck on "give me your soul".
2. If you own a smartphone, it is also stuck on give me your soul, and you can't disable most of it.

Youtube has plenty of videos that will walk you through shutting off most of the spyware, but you will never shut it all off.

a reply to: Hecate666

I do not expect the defaults to be DELIBERATELY stuck on 'give me your soul'. Not everyone is savvy enough to wade through all the pages and switch everything off.

I am in no way saying that it is 'right'.
My original comment could probably be summarised as "Have you been living under a rock?".

Maybe, if you don't know how to tweak privacy settings, you simply shouldn't be doing sensitive things on the internet.

If you personally are happy to go along with ANYTHING that is put your way in life without any concerns, congratulations you are a good consumer/citizen, big companies/governments love you, well done.

I am not here to defend 'poor defenceless multi-billion dollar Microsoft'. I've just approached this from my perspective of somewhat dissonant cognisance; of technophile and technophobe, and think that it's a systemic issue, not one confined to one operating system of one company.

a reply to: BombDefined
OP. I would add one thing to your list. And I'm sure you're already aware of it.

Every time a user installs or uninstalls a program on their computer, it phones home. Some are nice enough to open a web page letting you know they phoned home. Others are not so upfront, and just send the message in the background.

S&F from me.

a reply to: SgtHamsandwich

Speaking of T&C, are cartoon rocket penises in keeping with ATS'? haha

originally posted by: BombDefined
a reply to: SgtHamsandwich

Speaking of T&C, are cartoon rocket penises in keeping with ATS'? haha

I will probably find out soon enough.