If anyone goes to the XP-AntiSpyware page this is what it says:
"If you like, you can even disable these function manually, by going through the System and checking or unchecking some checkboxes. This will take you approximately half an hour. But why wasting time when a little neat utility can do the same in 1 minute?"
The program doesn't do anything that you can't do manually (and in less than half an hour).
What are the main anti-spyware things that it does?:
1. Disables Time Synchronization (yeah because that is definitely going to be sending personal information somewhere .. I *know* that time.nist.gov wants my c/c info).
2. Disables Automatic Updates - Which Microsoft asks you to enable or disable one of the first times you boot up Windows XP
3. Disables Remote Desktop Support - This feature obviously has its uses, and you have full security control over it, you aren't going to be allowing just anyone to connect to your desktop.
4. Disables Media Player automatic codec downloads, automatic license downloads, and unique identifiers - None of these features are SpyWare, and all of these features can be disabled via the Media Player options (Personally, I feel that automatic codec downloads is a convenience rather than SpyWare
5. Disables Error Reporting - You're not going to be sending any Error Reports to Microsoft unless you click on the "Send Error Report" ... So uhm, not spyware.
6. Disables "Scheduled Updates" in Internet Explorer - This is for offline synching of web pages, not updates like the program makes you believe.
7. Disables "Internet Explorer Automatic Updates" - All this does is goto a web page to see if a newer version of IE has been released, it doesn't send any information to Microsoft
It also does some things that have nothing to do with SpyWare, like clearing your page file at each reboot. Which has no effect on SpyWare.
Unless you're really that paranoid about requesting Time Synchs or sending Error Reports, there's no harm in any of these features. Windows XP does *not* contain any Spyware. The only reason it probably uses 128-bit encryption is for things like Remote Desktop Support, to prevent your keystrokes from being sniffed.
Again, Windows XP lets you know what it is doing, it isn't SpyWare, this isn't WebHancer here.
While its really funny to think that some people really think that Microsoft is pure evil, I believe in truth that Microsoft as a company is out to do one thing ... Make products that people will buy, and make money doing it. Which I'm pretty sure companies like RedHat and the like are out to do too. Notice how they charge money for their tech support, and sell "special" packages of their software? Yeah, thats to make money. To boot, they probably have a very low R&D department since the Open Source Community does almost all of their programming for them! No need to pay employees, just have some kid in his basement code the fixes for you! Its a great idea, and I don't discredit Linux in any way. But some of the Linux supporters need to get off their high horse and realize that Linux is not for everyone, and that just because they like their product, it doesn't make every other product on the market crap.
Microsoft isn't perfect, and I highly doubt that any of these Linux companies are perfect either. But I really don't think MS is trying to use Windows XP to take information from you... Why does MS care about anything you do? All they want is your money ... They don't care about whether you have genital herpes or whatever.
BTW- XP boots faster for me than Windows 2000 did, thats one of the main reasons I use it ... I always used to use Windowblinds 2.0 to skin my computer too, so built in skinning is even nicer (a little bit faster too albeit less features, but I never use the added features).
In any case, silveronsilver will tell you I'm only providing examples that support my arguement and avoiding the points that support his. Yet he can't provide the points that support his arguement. If you read the information on the XP-AntiSpyware page, you will see it is based off of speculation and paranoia. Nowhere does it provide any hard evidence to prove that XP is sending out any sortof information that its not supposed to to Microsoft servers. Once again, it is just pure paranoia.
"If you like, you can even disable these function manually, by going through the System and checking or unchecking some checkboxes. This will take you approximately half an hour. But why wasting time when a little neat utility can do the same in 1 minute?"
The program doesn't do anything that you can't do manually (and in less than half an hour).
What are the main anti-spyware things that it does?:
1. Disables Time Synchronization (yeah because that is definitely going to be sending personal information somewhere .. I *know* that time.nist.gov wants my c/c info).
2. Disables Automatic Updates - Which Microsoft asks you to enable or disable one of the first times you boot up Windows XP
3. Disables Remote Desktop Support - This feature obviously has its uses, and you have full security control over it, you aren't going to be allowing just anyone to connect to your desktop.
4. Disables Media Player automatic codec downloads, automatic license downloads, and unique identifiers - None of these features are SpyWare, and all of these features can be disabled via the Media Player options (Personally, I feel that automatic codec downloads is a convenience rather than SpyWare
5. Disables Error Reporting - You're not going to be sending any Error Reports to Microsoft unless you click on the "Send Error Report" ... So uhm, not spyware.
6. Disables "Scheduled Updates" in Internet Explorer - This is for offline synching of web pages, not updates like the program makes you believe.
7. Disables "Internet Explorer Automatic Updates" - All this does is goto a web page to see if a newer version of IE has been released, it doesn't send any information to Microsoft
It also does some things that have nothing to do with SpyWare, like clearing your page file at each reboot. Which has no effect on SpyWare.
Unless you're really that paranoid about requesting Time Synchs or sending Error Reports, there's no harm in any of these features. Windows XP does *not* contain any Spyware. The only reason it probably uses 128-bit encryption is for things like Remote Desktop Support, to prevent your keystrokes from being sniffed.
Again, Windows XP lets you know what it is doing, it isn't SpyWare, this isn't WebHancer here.
While its really funny to think that some people really think that Microsoft is pure evil, I believe in truth that Microsoft as a company is out to do one thing ... Make products that people will buy, and make money doing it. Which I'm pretty sure companies like RedHat and the like are out to do too. Notice how they charge money for their tech support, and sell "special" packages of their software? Yeah, thats to make money. To boot, they probably have a very low R&D department since the Open Source Community does almost all of their programming for them! No need to pay employees, just have some kid in his basement code the fixes for you! Its a great idea, and I don't discredit Linux in any way. But some of the Linux supporters need to get off their high horse and realize that Linux is not for everyone, and that just because they like their product, it doesn't make every other product on the market crap.
Microsoft isn't perfect, and I highly doubt that any of these Linux companies are perfect either. But I really don't think MS is trying to use Windows XP to take information from you... Why does MS care about anything you do? All they want is your money ... They don't care about whether you have genital herpes or whatever.
BTW- XP boots faster for me than Windows 2000 did, thats one of the main reasons I use it ... I always used to use Windowblinds 2.0 to skin my computer too, so built in skinning is even nicer (a little bit faster too albeit less features, but I never use the added features).
In any case, silveronsilver will tell you I'm only providing examples that support my arguement and avoiding the points that support his. Yet he can't provide the points that support his arguement. If you read the information on the XP-AntiSpyware page, you will see it is based off of speculation and paranoia. Nowhere does it provide any hard evidence to prove that XP is sending out any sortof information that its not supposed to to Microsoft servers. Once again, it is just pure paranoia.
Note the part where Windows XP is communicating with Microsoft servers using 128-bit crypto?
If Microsoft were simply communicating innocuous information, such as a one-way hash for registration, they could have done so over cleartext. Why is Microsoft using crypto? OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE.
If my desire to have privacy means that I must be doing something illegal, Microsoft's desire to have privacy (use of crypto) means that they must be doing something illegal.
Ok They use encrypition so NO ONE else could get the Registration info EXCEPT MS, Yes Xp Talks to MS however YOU CAN DISABLE THIS Read Post above. By Spreading parionia Blather you spread information.
Xp monitors the Reg Keys for various MS products to insure that they are not Pirated! Yet You would have people believe that MS is collecting their CC #'s to Steal from them. You are either really twisted or extremely stupid. Always look at the pay off / loss for a company doing somthing (you know what does the company have to gain by doing something compared to loss if caught) IF MS was collecting YOUR bank and medical history AND it got out then you can bet MS would be Out of bussiness in about 30 seconds. The potential gain is minimal at best!
Go run Linux and leave us alone. I installed XP last weekend and LOVE IT I have rebooted three times since the install and that was due to driver and software installs!
If Microsoft were simply communicating innocuous information, such as a one-way hash for registration, they could have done so over cleartext. Why is Microsoft using crypto? OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE.
If my desire to have privacy means that I must be doing something illegal, Microsoft's desire to have privacy (use of crypto) means that they must be doing something illegal.
Ok They use encrypition so NO ONE else could get the Registration info EXCEPT MS, Yes Xp Talks to MS however YOU CAN DISABLE THIS Read Post above. By Spreading parionia Blather you spread information.
Xp monitors the Reg Keys for various MS products to insure that they are not Pirated! Yet You would have people believe that MS is collecting their CC #'s to Steal from them. You are either really twisted or extremely stupid. Always look at the pay off / loss for a company doing somthing (you know what does the company have to gain by doing something compared to loss if caught) IF MS was collecting YOUR bank and medical history AND it got out then you can bet MS would be Out of bussiness in about 30 seconds. The potential gain is minimal at best!
Go run Linux and leave us alone. I installed XP last weekend and LOVE IT I have rebooted three times since the install and that was due to driver and software installs!
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