Microsoft's WGA Sued As 'Spyware'

Just downloaded and installed the latest M$ XP updates and WGA is back.
Set Zone Alarm to "deny" it future access. Hope this works.
Obviously M$ reloaded WGA access with the latest batch of updates.

The link below probably has to be re-run every time you update XP. Bazza

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Hey, it's obligatory! Whadayaexpect?
abri

 

Upgrade to pro or vista. Well, ... how do you do THAT?
<bats eyelashes> I mean, I knew hackers could crack things, but upgrade them to a completely different version? That's a good trick!
abri

 

<considers the recesses of TimW's mind>
hehe
abri

 

D***, my comebacks ran out! They're gonna probably plague me all night!
<runs off to perform cleaning rituals, study the strange yellow sky and listen to the swallows scream>

 

Even if you select custom for WGA and ask to not install it, it will "warn" and annoy the hell out of you regularly by saying that you have chosen to not install a critical update.

Since when has that been a critical update?


As far as the EULA is concerned, if it's such a binding legal document, then you should be able to return the software if you don't agree to it.

However, most stores will tell you that you can't because it's opened (which is illegal, you can legally return it).

How else are you supposed to read the EULA?

 

Sorry I did not intend for it to become a personal attack, until I felt that everything I said was being personally attacked. As I stated before I thought this was an open exchange of ideas and information.
And all I tried to do was to show a different side of the information that is available at that point in time. I did not hold it up as fact, and I thought refrenced the information I had very well. Now if asking someone f they are my ex-wife is a personal attack then all I can say is that you must know my ex-wife to consider it a personal attack
The only other point I was trying to make is that while I do not condone piracy, and do not advise anyone to try it, I really think that we owe it to ourseleves to protect what little bit of privacy we have left. I disagree that M$ should have access to my computer and they wont, if they want to go in and look around when I do my automatic updates then fine, they will see the same thing they saw the time before, but to this day I can not understand why it is that Windows explorer and notpad need internet access through Zone Alarm. If M$ is really interested in controling their product better then they know how to do it, Anyone that downloaded Vista Beta 2 knows how that works, you have to go to M$ to get the product key, and without activation Vista will not work, and since it is a beta it gets updates all the time and is now a version behind. My point on this is simple go anywhere and get the software, but when you need the produvt key then you have to go to the owner/company and if that key turnes up on more then the EULA allows cancel all the keys not allowing any further support or updates, or as they do with the WGA give you the warning that your copy is not a valid copy. Now I don't mean to rock the boat, all I am doing is expressing a different point of view. I am not saying I am right, and I am not saying anyone else is right, but I am not saying that anyone including me is wrong! I just think there are better ways to insure the real product for the company, and for us.

 

MS isn't the only company who uses activation--and monitors it.

Adobe throws in a nice system service that does that for Photoshop, maybe other products too. They say they don't phone home--but do you believe it?

Also, keep in mind in the end, you still don't own the software--you own a license to use it, and its within MS'es right to make sure you are following the letter of the law with said software.

I don't agree with it, but if you guys don't either--accept it and move on, or find another OS that doesn't offend your sensibilites. Those really are your only choices. Those who keep buying MS products only fuel the fire and deepen the pockets of MS.

 

You know what the real scream to all this is, every day you can find where M$ is being sued, or hauled into court by someone, some country whatever, it's like when Bill Gates had to go to court for the whole IE?Netscape thing, you really have to wonder how much of the paperwork that was used in those settings, courts and congress, was generated on M$ OS systems, using office, etc. Kinda like getting killed with your own sword, and I see where they just lost in Korea and that they can no longer sell Windows with Outlook Express or Media player. P.S. I do use other OS's that don't offend anyone, ever hear of Linux?? The point is and this gets good the creators of Major Geeks don't agree with the concept either as they provide a nice little program titled WGA remover. I think we are all in agreement that there is nothing wrong with allowing M$ to check for a valid product key, but the need to check everytime you boot up is too much, even at what M$ is saying that they will scale it back to every two weeks is to much. Some agree with this, some don't, what makes this country great we don't all have to agree.

 

Halo, just downloaded the latest MS XP updates.
WGA is back again, as you said.
Zapped it again. until next time. Bazza

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This window is too wide. Since today. hmmmm ...
Is that a Firefox characteristic? The gray message posting window sticks out the side of the rest of the olive green part. But anyway ...
I just wanted to say, that I'm not sure why software is not being sold? I think somewhere behind this question is my general mistrust of Microsoft and its politics. When I buy my complex stereo music equipment for a lot of money, it doesn't come with any agreement I have to sign, that if I add a component or if I take it apart or if I whatever, that I'm going to receive the 30-day bolt of lightning from heaven which is going to destroy it. Why is software different? Why can't I play with it and do what I want to with it? Improving on things is part of human nature. Look how long silk was kept a secret before it finally became a product which could be used worldwide by everyone. There is a power factor in this particular Microsoft politics which has nothing to do with what is good for people, but simply, what is good for Microsoft. At which point does the "secret" keeper quit dictating politics? I agree that competition is the step that will take us forward. So why isn't there competition? Why doesn't Linux have a kind of default "start here" place for people who don't know much? What has prevented the competition in the first place?
abri

 

Hi Tim!
Not at all mistaken. I'm just wondering why the product was never sold, but rather licensed? It's the philosophy of the marketing and more specifically, the politics behind this philosophy, which interests me. Is the license agreement forever? I mean, even copyrights have a public domain aspect to them. Are patents forever? I can't remember. And certainly if patenting were involved here, the patenting would go all the way back to pre-Microsoft days.
abri

 

I don't know the numbers, but copyright lasts considerably longer. This has been the subject of much discussion with the Commodore community, who has thier own OS and would like to use it. The numbers I've heard (and it is hearsay) approach 50 years, which would make sense since the idea is make sure the author of a book gets good recompense.

Interesting story behind C64 OS, Microsoft wrote it, failed to meet some contractual requirements, and the code became property of Commodore (and now the company that owns the rights to Commodore 64's). You might say it was the one that got away, and could even have something to do with M$ current policies.

While I might not like it, you have to admit they way they locked down operating systems is nothing short of genius. IBM thought they owned MS DOS in the early days, but were quickly disabused of the notion. We're just lucky that IBM didn't try to lock down the hardware patents in a manner similar to Apple, anyone remember the ACE and Franklin computers?

 

Yesterday I visited the M$ update site and elected to run the Express update, not the Custom (select) update link. All that was downloaded was WGA again.

I'll know next time to select "custom" instead of "express".

Ironic thing is I had to remove the WGA with the removeWGA download after having wasted time downloading it, again.

It's gone now, and I'll be more selective in future. Bazza

 

Yep. LOL

I'm usually on MG at 4am OZ time, every day, for a couple of hours.
Really dangerous time, that, really, as I mightn't be at my best at that time. Bazza

PS: Memo to self, must change my avatar back to Lurch. Baz

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Where did the expression "OZ" come from? Wizard of Oz, as in the land of OZ? Just trying to understand the reference.

 

OZ (slang) is short for Australia. It is similar to the way that the first 3 letters of Australia are pronounced. The 3 letters are clipped shorter than how OZ is pronounced. Bazza

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Thing is i'm not sure removing WGA once you've had it installed stops them trying to gain access to your computer. I remove windows entirley from comp last week, deleted all partitions reformatted drive for linux and am now running ubuntu o.s
Firewall I have for linux actually gives name of ip address trying to gain access to my system and a lot of them are microsoft ds. Not sure if this is a generic name or if ms are still trying to get in even with windows long gone

 

I don't mind M$ checking on my XP installation when I go there for updates.
My objection is that WGA continues to annoy me at odd times thereafter.
I don't like phone home types of software, unless I am made aware of it at the time. Usually when installing or updating, should be the only times that a program "phones home", IMHO. Bazza

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Thank you for using short sentences and small words. I understand now.

 

You're welcome, mate. Bazza

PS:
Try http://www.google.com.au/search?as_q=strine&num=20&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=lang_en&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&as_rights=&safe=images

for Australian slang (or 'strine"), if you are interested. Baz

PPS: Check out "emmachisit". How much is it? Baz

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