Financial Institutions Balk at MS Licensing 567
mmol_6453 writes "Now, not only are hospitals groaning under the combination of Microsoft and the HIPAA, but banks are having issues relating to federal privacy laws. Favorite line: 'Microsoft has told...that it plans eventually to eliminate users' ability to disable Microsoft's access to their systems.'"
Trojan Horse? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Trojan Horse? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Trojan Horse? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Trojan Horse? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Trojan Horse? (Score:3, Funny)
from the article.. (Score:5, Interesting)
has anyone got any examples of this anywhere? i'd be curious to see some of these macros..
Probably a misquote (Score:5, Insightful)
Most likely he gave a bunch of examples of macro viruses or undocumented APIs and the reporter decided to "condense" things a bit.
Re:Probably a misquote (Score:5, Insightful)
When a reporter was writing an article on my company, we were asked what software packages we use (we mentioned both 3D Studio and Maya).
When we go the first draft of the article passed by us, the reporter had written that we used Maya on a certain major project for a whole slew of reasons, when in reality, we had been working exclusively in 3DStudio for that project.
What we had said was that Maya and 3DStudio were both good programs for all those reasons. We never mentioned what package we were using on that project but the writer had 'condensed' the quotes, to the point where it was false.
Its like condensing this quote from the Bible: "Thou shalt not kill." to this: "Thou shalt
Re:Probably a misquote (Score:4, Insightful)
It is not only the journalist. I was recently asked how long it would take to get a specification agreed as a standard. Since the group had not met I gave a range of 6 months to 2 years but said I expected it to be done within a year. The headline writer wrote 'xxx to take 2 years'.
I don't quite see the point of the story beyond the obligatory pandering to the slashdot editors predjudices. The guy only restated the anti-Microsoft sentiment on this issue that had already been reported on slashdot. This is not really a new story, it is simply a journalist recycling slashblather as a news story.
Extrapolation from legal wording to company policy is a ludicrous exercise. It should be fairly obvious that the Windows update facility modifies the machine and thus requires the permission of the user. The 'auto-update' without intervention requires ongoing permission.
It is not difficult to block windows update using network security measures. Just block access to the update site, same way you would block access to Yahoo or AOL instant messanger - which are also contrary to HIPPA and Financial regulations.
The claim that Microsoft intends to require the ability to modify the machine in the future is pure speculation and contrary to any business logic for Microsoft.
Re:Probably a misquote (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm glad to see
It is funny how my company has not gotten this in writing, though. I also find it funny how Microsoft doesn't put out a press release or change the terms in the EULA to make it more clear. It is obvious a lot of companies are finding this hard to swallow, yet Microsoft does nothing to explain itself.
So, hearing of other companies' experiences in this area helps me know what to expect for my company, and hopefully will provide enough evidence that my higher ups will do something about it.
Easter Eggs? (Score:3, Interesting)
Perhaps he's referring to many of Microsoft's easter eggs in the OS and apps.
Isn't there a web browsing easter egg in some program? Don't recall if that was MS or not.
Re:Easter Eggs? (Score:3, Informative)
Closer than you think.... (Score:5, Interesting)
- pwd...container...host....logon...restart...data source
....you get the idea.If you are looking for specific troublemaking 'poison-pill' macros, I'm sorry, I don't have those handy, but if you want, I can send you a Word document you can fill out to request them
High level of control (Score:4, Funny)
Microsoft: This is our highest level of control on anything we've ever included in windows! You can turn it on AND off!!!! AND you have to agree to install the updates, come on how can you hate us now, we give you so much control!
Re:High level of control (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:High level of control (Score:5, Interesting)
So, tell me again why autoupdate is a good idea.
Re:High level of control (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:what other options would you suggest? (Score:5, Insightful)
Off. Pops up dialog boxes and warnings: "DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DO THIS!?" sort of things. After clicking "yes" a few dozen times, WinXP no longer attempts to auto-update, and doesn't poll for update availability.
Automatic Download. Periodically (timeframe? anyone?) polls an MS server for updates, downloads them in the background, you have to click a little taskbar widget to install them.
Automatic Download and Install. Yep, just what it says: "Please, Microsoft, install arbitrary code on my system without alerting me!"
Of course, I'm currently leading an initiative to have all non-technical people required to set their level to "Automatic Download and Install", so I can only be a certain degree of harsh about what that means.
Jouster
Re:what other options would you suggest? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:what other options would you suggest? (Score:5, Interesting)
If your computers are protected properly, (firewall, virus scanners w/ heuristics etc), you can get away with not patching for a day or 2. Use this time wisely, large corporations do, you should also. That is the fear part.
The resopnsibility comes in when you test the stuff for your clients so the BSOD scenario does not happen. I charge a lot, but thing like this make me worth it to clients.
-Charlie
Re:what other options would you suggest? (Score:3, Interesting)
Hrmm (Score:5, Interesting)
They going to send in the MS strike team to check I've got a legal version of windows?
Re:Hrmm (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Hrmm (Score:4, Interesting)
bizzare. (Score:5, Insightful)
I think most people are just clicking through without thinking about it, or assuming it won't ever matter.
There is a simple solution, though, to the 'illegal not to install, illegal to install' problem. Just stop running windows
If a lot of people go with this option, Microsoft could be hurt. It's really a confusing play on their part, like their more interested in power then money.
Re:bizzare. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:bizzare. (Score:5, Insightful)
Lessee: It happened twice during initial setup of my system, and again for Ethereal, WinPCap, WinZip, OpenSSH for Windows, Cygwin.... Just about the only product I use that didn't have a EULA on first run is the excellent PuTTY [greenend.org.uk].
Jouster
Re:bizzare. (Score:5, Insightful)
If I ever get something to replace the desktop I am set. He doesn't care what is doing the job as long as it gets done. I suspect as I stated then that this is be fantastic to every one else. Microsoft is shooting themselves in the foot in their weakest market (servers) and giving many non-technical people pause with there licensing.
Say whatever you want about Microsoft having the right to put anything they want on the EULA. The more they hurt themselves the happier I am. Just like when the "software police" were going through town last year. Who are you ??? No I don't have site licenses for Microsoft and don't use it......ok.....buh bye...click.
Honestly if you include all this kind of garbage in the Total Cost of Ownership heh...
!!!!GO MICE!!!
Re:bizzare. (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, MS can access my system all they like (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yeah, MS can access my system all they like (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Yeah, MS can access my system all they like (Score:4, Funny)
I'm surprised you've found a use for all of it. Maybe you're building the world's first "Internet Porn Way-Back Machine"
Re:Yeah, MS can access my system all they like (Score:3, Funny)
It's the Google cache of smut.
Wow, you need a girlfriend! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wow, you need a girlfriend! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wow, you need a girlfriend! (Score:5, Funny)
Just because you have a collection of porn of a particular girl does not make her your girlfriend.
Re:Yeah, MS can access my system all they like (Score:5, Funny)
Probably the same thing you do with it.
Trust (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Trust (Score:3, Insightful)
This blows. (Score:4, Interesting)
Ok, this sucks to start with. Why the hell does MS need access to banking systems? Besides to rape accounts that belong to companies that cheat licensing. (sorry, conspiracy theory again) The other thing here the TOTALLY bugs me is that this effects me! I've put alot of effort into removing MS products from my life. But, if banks are running MS, and they have access to those systems, then my efforts seem to be useless. "I'm sure Microsoft wouldn't do anything bad with that kind of power". PFFT.
Here comes another conspiracy theory:
MSFT: Hrm, rmAdmin has $0.34 in his checking account, must be having money problems, lets see, we'll sell his contact info to every 'debt consolidation' service on earth.
Ring ring
rmAdmin: Hello?
StupidTelemarketter: Hello Mr AIDmen...
rmAdmin: ACK!! DIE DIE DIE
click
Ok, maybe not that bad, but who knows...
Some corrections (Score:4, Informative)
This is done through a product key that is sent to Microsoft over the Internet. That means Microsoft must send an authorization back to your system, says Warby, requiring it to have access to your system.
While I'm no Microsoft licensing fan, I would like to dispel some FUD presented here. The product activation has always been a part of XP, and your system sends the product key number to MS, and not MS going to your system first. After it's activated, MS is not contacted, unless your hardware changes significantly, or you use Windows Update (which does not enforce product key restructions, although the product key is being sent). But in any case, MS never initiates contact with any system.
For SP1 upgrade, the authorization merely checks to see if your product key is one of two that have been widely pirated. It doesn't contact any server at all for this step.
Re:Some corrections (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Some corrections (Score:5, Insightful)
If lying to yourself makes you comfortable, well just keep lying to yourself.
Re:Some corrections (Score:3, Insightful)
A Microsoft operating system initiating contact with the Microsoft home base is Microsoft initiating contact with the system. They are just automating the process from the client side of things. Going either way without the end user's explicit consent (click-through/shrink-wrap EULA isn't sufficient) is simply wrong.
Preventing piracy? ha! (Score:4, Insightful)
What a joke -- Microsoft could never stop piracy, as the devilsown copy of XP was out months before the release, and service pack 1 for it, fully cracked, was out in an integrated ISO weeks before the release of SP1.
Microsoft doesn't have a chance at stopping piracy, and it's just another lame excuse for Microsoft to follow the logical course of big business and try to control everything.
If Microsoft turns a deaf ear to angry consumers on the issue of collecting data, the federal government has every right to nail them to the wall for it, especially if it interferes with our health and banking privacy.
Re:Preventing piracy? ha! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Preventing piracy? ha! (Score:5, Insightful)
People who have now found connections to a world of pirated software, right at their fingertips?
No - it's enforcing obsolence (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:No - it's enforcing obsolence (Score:4, Interesting)
You know, we *just* deactivated a computer lab running Windows 3.1 connected to a Novell 3.11 server that was running some special client software that required those OSes. It ran just fine and did its job. Windows 3.1 has been unsupported for ages now. I can imagine the hell we'd have gone through if the decision to upgrade was forced upon us earlier. We also still have numerous Windows 95 clients out there, and a boatload of NT.
So saying XP will be supported for years and years is hardly a comforting fact.
Hard to fathom (Score:5, Insightful)
Arguments against using Macintosh or Linux usually center on retraining issues. However, heavy retraining occurred when migrating between Win3.11, WinNT, Win2000, and - for the chumps - WinXP. So if you have to retrain anyway, then why not go with something easier to both use and maintain like Macintosh OS X or Mandrake/Redhat?
When you consider the bizarre nature of the service pack EULAs, the migration to Macintosh or Linux should be the obvious choice to anyone that can read English.
Re:Hard to fathom (Score:5, Insightful)
its software, software, software
Find a *nix based CAD package that compares to AutoCAD. In terms of 3D, Maya is as usable as 3D Studio, but costs twice as much. And Gimp has absolutely nothing on Photoshop (I use both). Music Editing/Sound Engineering? forget it. Tax and Accounting packages (QuickBooks, TurboTax, etc.) - not there.
Although the training is a big issue (hint, its training end users in new software thats expensive, not the OS training), the big concern is software availability. What good does having the option of 30 different email clients if you cant do the major task that your company pays you to do.
Re:Hard to fathom (Score:3, Insightful)
I figure there is 30mil+ worth of development that the small group I'm in is responsible for, and a port to a new desktop will take 3 years for the 10 of us - 30 man years - 7.5 million bucks, and no new software for 3 years. And that's just our group!
Re:Hard to fathom (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Hard to fathom (Score:3, Insightful)
There are many UNIX-based CAD packages, most of which bury AutoCAD in capability. Their prices are coming down to; e.g., Pro/E's basic package is under 6 or 7 thousand dollars for full-blown feature-based 3D modeling. Also, Pro/E will be available for Linux soon.
And Gimp has absolutely nothing on Photoshop
Photoshop is available for UNIX (at least when I last used it on Solaris).
Music Editing/Sound Engineering? forget it. Tax and Accounting packages (QuickBooks, TurboTax, etc.) - not there.
Soon, but not today. GNUCash is very good for personal accounting, and spreadsheets like Gnumeric are also very useful. There just aren't the drool-covered packages like Quicken available for Linux. For UNIX, however, I'm sure some research would turn up good options.
You spout the current most popular argument against Linux, and that is fine. However, please understand that things are changing. Microsoft is declining slowly (this is a fact--it is a cultural phenomenon), and, probably in five years or so, the applications argument will be bunk.
Re:Hard to fathom (Score:5, Informative)
Our office does a ton of work for medical centers and family practices that use software to manage their patient flow and medical records. These programs will ONLY run on Windows using SQL. Sure, there are 2 or 3 out there that run off SCO but the quality of program is inferior to the Windows versions.
NextGen, Alteer, Practice Partner, and Medical Manager our all Windows only apps. These 4 are the the most widely used systems in family practice offices around our area. They don't run on a *nix platform, and they never will.
It's not a case of having to replace workstations, hell that's the easy part. It's a case of the software only running on a specific platform and the server requires it.
You don't understand. (Score:5, Insightful)
I haven't worked in the medical industry, but I have worked in the banking industry. They are in a very similar situation regarding software. There is no window shopping. You don't get to decide what platform these programs run on. You get what your vendor makes.
These programs must often follow stringent federal guidelines and the vendors often offer 24/7 live support (and I've called my vendor at 11:30pm on Christmas Eve and there was a knowledgable tech there to help me out).
Idealsim is a fine thing, but don't let it get in the way of getting your actual work done.
hmmm....something fishy (Score:4, Insightful)
Of course, if you are willing to pay just a little more, Microsoft will sell you security [slashdot.org]. Coincidence? I think not.
Financial institutions?? (Score:5, Insightful)
How many people have passed on XP because of the licensing crap? I'll bet a LOT of people have.
I have, and it has nothing to do with piracy.
Re:Financial institutions?? (Score:3, Insightful)
An unusual prediction (Score:5, Insightful)
Their strategy at the highest level seems to be two pronged. On one hand they want to gather up all of the power and control of the monopolist, and on the other hand, they try to respond to customers as if they had to compete.
I know that a lot of people are skeptical about the last part of that, but I believe it. They backed off of the passport nightmare to a large extent.
There are lots of smaller things they've backed off on as well -- their first incarnation of their anti-piracy measures would have made it impossible for corporate users to roll out systems using software like ghost, but they backed down on that, and that concession has had a real effect on the ease with which one can pirate their software.
The banks have a real problem, and MS is going to have to address it or lose the business. I think they're going to address it.
The big conceptual problem, I think, is to consider MS to be a monolith. There are people who are pushing for this stuff, and there are others who are talking to the customers who are screaming bloody murder.
In the end, they will have to listen to their customers.
Re:An unusual prediction (Score:5, Insightful)
Lather, rinse, repeat...
breaking the law (Score:5, Informative)
himm... there is something I can't understand here. a contract is void by default if it violates a law, so doesn't this invalidate the appropiate part of the EULA, if the purchaser makes it clear that the software will be used in an environment where privacy is mandated by the law?
i wonder if some sort of equal oppurtunity law would mandate microsoft to provide the software and updates with a licence and a method suitable for banks, hospitals etc.
Re:breaking the law (Score:4, Interesting)
This would obviously be a horrible disaster for MS, because not only would they not make any money but it'd also make the news. ("We're sorry, but we can't process your transaction today, as we had to erase Windows XP from all our computers thanks to a supplementary EULA from Microsoft. Please call back in two to three weeks when we have completed our rollout of Windows 3.1.")
Re:breaking the law (Score:3, Interesting)
a contract is void by default if it violates a law
IANAL, this is more complicated. The problem here is that there are two (possibly) mutually exclusive constraints on the client , so that he may be screwed in any case: if he complies with the law his user agreement his void and microsoft can refuse giving support, or worse, sue.
Of course if the client violates the law he is vulnerable to suits from the government or, much worse, his own clients or third parties damaged by possible exploits.
so this seems like a real concern. If I were a bank's lawyer (which again, IANAL) I'd be scared shitless, I'd recomend just to forget about it all.
Re:breaking the law (Score:4, Interesting)
So the EULA is invalid. Will Windows care? Will Windows behave any different because of that? Can you feel secure because of that?
I don't think so.
It's amazing how many things Windows users are willing to do.
All missing the point! (Score:5, Insightful)
give me a break (Score:5, Interesting)
Commerce in one form or another, from bartering coconuts to brokering used RAM, will find a way to continue, regardless if the transaction is on limestone, paper or bubble-ether crystals. Unified...disparate...co-mingled...far-stepped or translucid....who cares. The point is supply and demand, not demand by MS.
Re:All missing the point! (Score:5, Insightful)
They even have servers [apple.com]. With no license fees!!!
It's kinda funny; when we accuired a well known pizza chain they were using Macs. We "converted" them from those hethen machines. Now, it looks like they might have been right going with the Macintosh. At least from a legal/licensing point-of-view.
Re:All missing the point! (Score:5, Insightful)
A medium sized company can easily have 5000 desktops. The average price of a Mac is I'd guess about £1000, so that's a cool £5,000,000 (about $7,500,000) just to replace hardware that already worked? You might as well pay the fees to Microsoft, that's almost certainly cheaper. And don't forget that most businesses have at least 1 or 2 custom apps.
The obvious solution is Linux - with a decent set of administators Linux is within a year of being just great on the corporate desktop. The final usability problems are being hammered at a truly astonishing rate, and with tricks like CrossOver Office Server you can pay for 1 copy of Office (I guess it'd work with other programs too) but have it serve hundreds of desktops. Wine is so critical in these areas, for custom business apps, and the Mac has no equivalent, probably won't for some time, if ever.
This is a non-issue! (Score:5, Interesting)
Surely someone managing machines in a business critical environment would have the nous to turn off the auto-update? Don't use it. Install patches and hot-fixes manually after fully testing them to make sure they don't kill your system. Do not rely on Microsoft (or any third party vendor for that matter) to automatically update your servers without you knowing exactly what is going on!
The XP-related stuff though, is a bit of a worry. Then again, the solution is pretty straight-forward - DON'T USE XP. If you need Windows, use Windows 2000. If Microsoft bring the same checks in to 2000 via future service packs, then configure your firewall properly and stop it happening.
Re:This is an issue! (Score:3, Informative)
While you may be correct in their intentions, the EULA doesn't specifically state this. Going by just the wording of the EULA, they can do whatever they want, if you have auto-update enabled or not. This is where the problem is. If they specified a clause that would state something to the effect of "unless the user turns off auto-update" or have this EULA addendum pop up when they user enables auto-update with a yes/no box, it would be much, much better. This wording of the EULA in current form of not mentioning any change based on auto-updates being enabled is what is keeping SP3 off of our rdesktop Terminal Server.
Another interesting note is that the EULA for SP3 with the bad text is only there when you install the update, the original Win2k eula.txt is still left unchanged on your hard drive. Makes it kind of confusing, if you ever want to review what you actually agreed to at a later date.
Re:This is a non-issue! (Score:3, Insightful)
Actually the new EULA gives them the right, regardless of some config setting.
My mom. (Score:5, Interesting)
Security must be proactive and not reactive. MS is simplifying reactive security instead of focusing on proactive security. The old vuln ??? patch treadmill is stupid. I think some dists should stop making their default installs wide open aswell. Close all ports and code a nice simple app that makes it easy to open the ones you need to be open.
My Mom's Computer has run flawlessly for 2 years (Score:5, Interesting)
My mom has been running Debian for almost two years, and aside from a few calls early on of the "how do I do X under Linux" type, I haven't had to field any calls at all (none within the last year. None). Indeed, I havent had to fix her computer once since I installed it nearly two years ago.
Not once.
Now that Applix has grown a little staid, I'm probably going to upgrade her to Gentoo 1.4 when it is released, with Open Office.
She works with Microsoft every day at work, and has been agitating her employer to let her use GNU/Linux instead. My mom, who, like yours, is 50+.
However, even if her employer doesn't let her switch, she has no trouble importing and exporting to Microsoft Word and Excel formats using her GNU/Linux box
Most especially, she likes not having to worry about the latest Klez worm or misc. virus, something that is steadilly stressing out all her friends.
My mother, who is computer competent but certainly not computer savvy, has become a stronger propoent of Linux and free software than I have. All the Microsoft-funded astroturfers keep harping about how the consumers wants this or that slick or shiny feature, when in truth all of the computer illiterate and computer competent (but not necessarilly savvy) people I've exposed to GNU/Linux haven't ever wanted to go back. Why?
Because in truth people don't care all that much about shiny feature X or slick feature Y, they care far more about stability, predictability, and the ability to simply get their work done. And that is where GNU/Linux truly excells
What is interesting is how few people realize they have a viable choice, and once they do realize it, how many (of the people I know, at least, of various walks of life) end up dumping Windows like a bad habit.
what happens when M$ decides to go kazaa! boom! (Score:5, Interesting)
that's right, what happens when M$ decides to go kazaa all over your system. there's nothing you can do about it. face it, its just your hardware, the OS (i use the term lightly for windoze) belongs to them, 100%. You're just borrowing it. That's not good enough to pass muster for private information. If M$ wasn't so large, a bill to make them post surety bond for every financial house would be an ideal restraint for the mighty beast
oh well, chances of legislation unsupportive of m$ are about as likely as me giving birth.
Think bigger... (Score:5, Interesting)
"While other banking institutions are suffering from network slowdowns and corrupted databases, MS First Union can provide you with reliable access to your funds around the clock. Bank with MSFU....we keep an eye on your money!"
zzz... huh? whu? ... (Score:3)
M$ America (Score:3, Insightful)
Now Corporate America is eating the fruits of its short vision and its lack of support to venture capitalists, small developers and a little more freedom for people. Soon, we may see that Corporate America is no more. Welcome to M$ America.
One thing to note (Score:5, Interesting)
Yet, so far, the reports of them actually doing something about it and moving away from MS are very thin on the ground.
It would appear that however much MS wishes to shoot itself in the foot, or deny users specific rights, people are still unwilling to move to a different OS.
The fact Linux is free didn't compell them, the fact Linux doesn't "phone home" didn't compell them, the fact Linux is easier to maintain within an organisation didn't compell them, the fact Linux doesn't come with arcane restrictions on what you can and can't do with your PC didn't compell them, the fact Linux doesn't suffer so many virus attacks didn't compell them, the fact Linux is more secure and robust didn't compell them and the fact that Linux applications can read and write Word documents didn't compell them to move.
So the question is, what on earth will compell them to drop Windows on the desktop? Because it's sure as hell not any of the issues we've seen so far.
(and here i'm talking about the masses, not the odd special case)
Re:One thing to note (Score:5, Insightful)
So the question is, what on earth will compell them to drop Windows on the desktop? Because it's sure as hell not any of the issues we've seen so far.
When I can buy LeasePlus, Smart.alx and Great Plains Dynamics as ELF binaries.
Seriously, the reason small-medium businesses buy MS servers and workstations in the first place is because they need to run that one application that runs their business, and it only runs on MS because the vendor doesn't have the resources to devote to multiple platforms. For us, it's a combination of the apps I mentioned (and a couple of other minor ones).
There are hundreds (if not thousands) of small software companies that write, manage and maintain ONE niche-software app to run the businesses in their specific industry. They use MS tools and platforms because they are easy, cheap*** and ubiquitous. There is some competition, but it is limited by huge barriers to entry -- mostly, up-front capital and specific in-depth industry experience (for example: in order to write effective lease management and accounting software, you first have to know the leasing industry inside and out.)
Oh, and did I mention that we hate the software we're using, but so does everyone else. We're stuck with it because the only alternatives are either prohibitively expensive to switch or crummier or both. We're too small to pay someone develop custom software in-house, and our industry is too small to generate enough free-developer interest for a non-propretary/open-source solution to be practical.
There is only one way Linux is going to **REPLACE** the MS servers in our storage/mopcloset/utility/telco room: Our vendors need to start developing for Linux, or at least on an open platform like LAMP or WAMP that allows us to pick one or the other.
Why do you think monkeyboy gets so jacked up about DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! ?
Until then, Linux is going to have to run our web site and our email and be happy with that. There aren't enough open-source developers in equipment leasing.
*** "cheap" in a relative sense. Consider that we're going to send the equivalent of a small automobile to each of our two or three software vendors every year for the priviledge of being able to call them when their shitty, crappy, slow and bug-infested software takes a dump after an update all the while frustrated that we can't get working features we were promised three years ago when we bought the software for the price of a good-sized house.
But, you know what? Our business couldn't function without it.
New Coke (Score:4, Insightful)
New Coke was a means of converting the bottling plants over from powdered supplies (sugar) to liquid supplies (high fructose corn syrup).
The way it worked was to make something that tasted sufficiently bad, compared to the original, that when they "switched back" to the old formula (actually, the old formula, minus sugar, plus corn syrup), they were sufficiently close to the old formula that people didn't complain about the switch (they just got fat off the new stuff).
The best way to get something small and distasteful past someone is to try for something very large and distasteful, and when people complain, back off to the small distasteful thing you wanted in the first place.
To get unimpeded weapons inspections, ask for a "regime change" and an OK to invade. To switch over to cheaper, easier indistrial process supplies, like corn syrup instead of sugar, change everything, and then change "almost all the way back".
If you don't think Microsoft knows about this technique, you are fooling yourself. You should be much more worried about the consequences of whatever they pick as their "backed down" position.
-- Terry
Re:New Coke (Score:4, Informative)
Of course, the minor problem with this theory is that Coke was all corn syrup before the switch.
http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/newcoke.asp
Re:New Coke (Score:4, Informative)
Take everything in reach... (Score:5, Funny)
Windows calls home--often (Score:5, Interesting)
Corporate security officers really should be concerned about this. From a security and privacy point of view, Windows XP is already out of control, and it looks like it's getting worse. Even if all those connections were harmless, it's hard to even identify a real trojan horse with all that junk going on.
Software updates and contacts to other services are much more sensible under Linux: nothing happens unless you explicitly enable it, you have the option of updating via media or mirrors, and all software updates can happen through a single server.
I work at major bank (Score:5, Informative)
Tellers and staff run custom apps, don't have multi-media or ever web browsers on their machines and definitely aren't playing with their machines so M$ latest geegaws are of absolutely no interest.
A usage study has shown that only a small percentage of the features of the Office Suite are actually used and a great deal of the features that M$ wants to reverse engineer into their products (in direct violation of the DMCA they pushed for, which will come back and bite them some day) are already available in other products from vendors with better market focus.
In the second-rate, also-ran, pursuit of Apple's flash and style, M$ has lost focus of their customers, the same boring old desktops that didn't want a computer with a funny name back in 1980.
Firewalls may not help (Score:5, Informative)
Though UPnP works by sending SOAP messages to a small web-server in the router (also used for user configuration), on my router (Alcatel ST510 v4) it bypasses the password protection that you can set for user access to the web server.
Re:Firewalls may not help (Score:3, Interesting)
Fear the day some joker installs an M$-router in something important (like an ISP, or as a gateway to a bank).
Foot bullet (Score:4, Interesting)
The climate that created microsoft was one of ignorance about computers among the various business managers. The cry was "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM." Microsoft built on IBM's reputation.
Going to the much more technically knowledgable business people today and opening them up to vast leagal liabilities for using MS software is going to force these businesses to do something drastic. That something drastic is to find another OS.
Legal liability in this lawsuit crazy era is something that CEO's and management understands because they pay a lot of money to their lawyers to make them understand. And if Jack Lawyer says if you buy MS you could go to jail or be sued out of business for violating the law; Joe CEO is gonna tell the boys and girls to FIND ANOTHER SOLUTION.
The lack of security and MS's complete evasion of responsiblity for the functioning of the updates (or even the OS) is less of a worry, but there are many who look at the security of the data that runs the business who are not going to allow Automatic updates from MS or some unknown "Agent." Businessess have lawyers to help them protect their IP and if that IP is going out the gates of the Automatic Update, then guess what is going to happen.
Most business types are risk averse and a little bit of FUD will get MS out of the important areas. (Sure we can use MS, but then we'll have to let them look at our data. Nope, they don't sign secrecy agreements to protect our data from this process. Oh yeah, we have to let any "agent" that they hire into our computers as well.)
Hospitals and the medical field goes first, then banks.
If there was ever a clear, concise, demonstration that MS is still acting like an unrepentant monopoly, then this is it. No serious business in a competitive market would require its current customers to chose between violating Federal Laws and Regulations or violating a software liscence. The fact that this choice is being forced upon those customers to PROTECT Microsoft's interest in preventing piracy of its software is a crystal clear indication of Microsoft's nature.
Microsoft NEEDS to be busted into a billion little companies. But, I guess that they'll have to do that to themselves.
No, I don't hate Microsoft, I happen to like Office. I just don't like the monopoly: bad service, poor quality, and god only knows how many lost manhours arguing with windows.
Creatively spelled words are copyrighted (2002) May be used without persimmons.
Why doesn't the media talk to lawyers? (Score:5, Insightful)
All these articles from journalists complaining about Windows EULA, and quoting people at hospitals, financial institutions and so forth and asking them if they are afraid. But not once do they ever actually quote a lawyer who can interpret the real legal language.
I work for a Fortune 30 company, we're moving to XP. We're also a financial institution. Our lawyers looked over the licensing and saw nothing to be concerned with.
I've spoken to other people in this industry who are in the same situation.
It almost seems like the media is trying to promote FUD concerning Windows. Of course we all know that
Hrm?!? (Score:3, Insightful)
So, let me get this straight. Easter eggs are now security threats? Whats next, a law to protect us from the evils of hidden credits or secret photos of the programmers?
Posting copies (Score:5, Funny)
"We're going to start posting the body of every single Slashdot *article* as a followup, " proudly claimed HaXorTroLL, " just in case, you know, the main page gets Slashdotted."
Added GoAtTroLL, "We've also been thinking about posting the contents of various other people's posts as responses to other messages. You know, to ensure that if one message gets Slashdotted, the others will be accessable."
These new practices are expected to keep the Internet operating until well into December 2002, when HaXorTroLL proposes the troll community should "start posting dumps of the root DNS server contents to Slashdot...you know, just in case the root DNS servers get overloaded."
Bull$#%@ (Score:2, Insightful)
And yes, most people don't install an *nix distro with the default selections, but most GOOD Windows admins don't install a default version on NT or 200 Server either.
Mod parent down (Score:4, Informative)
With a 2K server on the Internet with Routing/RAS you can configure IP filters, but it is far from easy and the implementation is too simplistic to be useful.
I was pleased to see that Windows XP has a simple firewall setup wizard. However, if MS can get through it then so can someone else.
Re:ms and security (Score:4, Insightful)
And that's exactly what this EULA clause is - authorization for MS to trojan their OS.
Re:ms and security (Score:4, Informative)
I see this all the time in my users, to the point of, "Oh, I need a password on the box with the customer data? Why doesn't your firewall block access to it from outside?" (It does, buddy, but do you know exactly who is "inside"? Even if they're using an inside host as a zombie? No, you don't.)
Jouster
Re:They can fuck themselves... (Score:2)
Banks using... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Let me get this straight (Score:4, Insightful)
She also prefers the fact that the machine stays running.
When she was using windows (2000) she was getting very frustrated with regular crashing, slow reboot time, frequent virus infection, and slowdown caused by the virus checker itself. Not to mention the fact that a pension doesnt stretch very far towards expensive software, the straw that broke the camels back.. was the cost of msoffice when she decided she wanted to write some letters (most of her friends dont have computers atall)
openoffice is vastly overpowered for what she needs infact, she usually uses the old wordperfect 8 (or was it 9?) that was ported to linux.
Re:Let me get this straight (Score:5, Funny)
My Mom is 108 years old. Windows XP one day manifested itself in a swirling cloud of darkness and evil and killed her cat. I installed Debian for her and it cured her arthritis and let her get involved in some kernel hacking. She's never had a problem with her computer, even when she loses power. Bless you Linux!