I find it odd how people put their blind faith in a mythical deity who theoretically watches over everyone all the time from his/her ivory tower in the sky, yet laugh at the mere mention of a software company spying on it's patrons.

Not making any accusations about anyone here, just a general observation...

You must be talking about the Microsoft feedback panel I'm on!

If not, then your sadly mistaken.

WWW Link

Feel free to check your network. Yes, those are microsoft products, but they were not always (there's earlier versions around), and there's other products like it.

I always check my network connections for hackers, hijackers.

Now if you wanna say it checks for losers (ie, pirates), then please tell us why you'd be afraid of it sending info about you.

Because if you wanna know the truth, most internet places you go to 'phones home'. I don't consider it spyware, which intercepts everything you do. Esp. if all it does is collect personal data you've entered on THEIR product.

Most spyware I've seen collects everything you do, no matter what.

Only people who fear this are pirates.

Guess what kids? What happens when you do income tax? Your data on that gets collected. What happens when you go to a store, and buy with a CC? Your data gets collected. Why are you so afraid of people finding you out?

Places have a right to collect data on THEIR product if you sign a contract or agree to one/eula. Anything else is spyware.

Somewhere out there, some has been is playing pong on his top end DOS system. People who crap on Vista are just doing the "I'm smart" cliche' thing. Take a look at any open source OS and wonder why they try so hard to look and do what Windows does. Shave those pork chops. Disco is over. Not even a MS fan.

Poorly phrased.

However, People other than pirates do fear data mining.

I do not use Gmail.  End of story....;)

I'm with you Jafo.

As for Vista vs. XP...I have XP. I love it. My PC is setup to run Vista because I want the ability to upgrade. As much as I like XP, I'm getting (and installing) Vista at the beginning of next month......

I be afeared of nuffin, I tell 'e... 'cepts fer p'raps ware a spy might sneak aboard me vessel n' scuttle 'er in tha black o' night....

So when ye says 'spy', I says ware???



Arrrr, a bit o' ard wurk never 'urt nobody! Now, be this 'ere data minin' as profitable as minin' fer gold n' silver???

Well it's still happening: "Egads, one of our code writing pigeons has been snaffled by a cat we brought back from MS...."

Yup, it's happening all too often, and Stardock needs to reconsider its spending priorities. I mean, cosmetic enhancements for WC is all well and good, but me thinks, Stardockians, you need to do something about those damned cats. Putting collars with bells on (perhaps even a brick) would give those poor pigeons a chance... and feeding them properly might just stop 'em eying off the pigeon pie.

Oh, and get the buggers neutered...kittens are not cute!! They grow into coding pigeon eaters and leave the carcasses on your doorstep.

There is nothing "mythical" about God. He exists.

Zellio I don't know what weird world you live in but it has been proven both XP and Vista call home to MS. MS does collect data about all of us.

Starkers you crack me up. Just admit you were a bit off. XP will be around for some time as will XP support.

Keep your assumptions to yourself. There's no proof.


As someone else said...so do CreditCard companies, and the cable company about what shows you watch, etc. It's not a new concept.

It's called faith. The only reason I brought it up is because I found offense in someone saying God is mythical.



I was just pointing out to some non-believers that MS calls home.

I call home when I get lost taking a detour trying to get to the beach.

mythical - Adj. 1. based on or told of in traditional stories; lacking factual basis or historical validity


faith - n. 2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.


Basically looks to be the same thing to me. So I don't really see how anyone could take offense to the other statement.

Talk about splitting hairs...

I'm glad to have been able to tickle yer funny bone/animate yer laughing gear/give yer a giggle/bring a smile t' yer dial.



Aw look, I've been a bit off since birth. My mother reckons I was a difficult child who always missed the bus by "that much". I'm just glad she didn't end up marrying her childhood sweetheart, Billy Smart, and calling me Maxwell.

I suppose the other contributing factor to being a bit off would have been the staple diet of curried cabbage... which I was introduced to at a very young age cos curried cabbage was all we could afford to grow in our 3' x 3' garden plot, we were so poor.



I have no doubt XP will be around on peoples PC's for years to come... and MS will continue to provide security updates/patches and etc. However, the sale of XP OEM's is set to cease as of June 08, according to MS/Steve Ballmer. Personally, I hope XP support is around for a while to come, being that I have 3 XP/Vista dual boots in the house, and 2 XP rigs as well.

How much you want to bet we still see XP OEMs being sold at Newegg or Ebay after June?

Well not according to Steve Ballmer... I suppose we'll just have to wait and see if consumer demand is enough to change MS' stance.

Ans since when do we trust that nut job?

How can MS control what people do with their own copies?

Not include the tin foil hat, I guess.

Well when the acting CEO publicly backs a statement made you generally think... ok, maybe it will be happening.

No edit feature? I wanted to add that im sure we'll see them being sold on newegg until the stock runs out.

Yeah well Ballmer has also said he owns Linux. Then he went on to say all Linux users owe MS money.

Sure he's a wackjob, but he wasn't the only guy from MS to announce this.

Sad but true.

Fine you believe it exists and I do not, just leave it at that, no need to get testy, I wasn't trying arouse your ire... Though I do agree, as you so eloquently put: Steve Ballmer is a nut job. I'm not a linux fan boy, but I thought his comparison of Linux to communism was not only baseless but stupid.