This is why I hate Windows 10

Discussion in 'privacy problems' started by Holysmoke, Sep 3, 2016.

  1. ChrisFerro3

    ChrisFerro3 Registered Member

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    I was wondering the same thing what the best option to use to have better privacy.
     
  2. guest

    guest Guest

    1- use a fake and expandable email if you use MS account.
    2- do a full tour of the settings, disable those that you think involve too much in your privacy
    3- use 3rd party privacy tools (O&o shutup10, Spybot anti-beacon, etc...)
    4- use VPNs and other anonymity tools.
    5- throw your smartphone on the trash , because being hyper-anonymous on your computer and using your smartphone is a paradox ^^
     
  3. Reality

    Reality Registered Member

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    Anyone who cares about their privacy should cringe in horror at this prospect. I find that more than creepy. When settings are compromising your privacy by default, that puts the average Joe at a severe disadvantage. Who on earth is going to rake through a plethora of settings they don't understand, or if they do, go back and check to see if MS has taken it on themselves to change a setting back again. That's the type of interference that's unacceptable. Why would anyone trust MS when they do this? Of course the writing has always been on the wall, but things have definitely gone from bad to worse.
     
  4. Reality

    Reality Registered Member

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    Absolutely.
     
  5. Minimalist

    Minimalist Registered Member

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    +1
    I also hate when they change settings back to default, when users has set it their way. We can even speculate what difference those settings really make? Maybe those settings are there just to make us feel good and in reality MS doesn't obey them?
     
  6. deBoetie

    deBoetie Registered Member

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    Which smartphone is this?!

    I do not believe it is now possible to avoid an online public persona, in dealing with institutions and authorities; and as you say, use of mobile phones and worse smartphones, already surrenders you to that fate.

    However, this is not to say that you cannot - and indeed I believe you should - have one or more other personas which are rigorously segregated from the public one in every respect, and which use available privacy and anonymity tools. Apart from operational security and discipline, virtual machines are the most practical way to achieve this.

    That way, the anodyne and necessarily public persona might well be on a segregated vm which is as bland as possible (and can be Windows if you wish) and shows no unusual attempts to evade the many snoopers - but it has zero access to your real file system, and you do not express ANYTHING else on that VM beyond what is necessary to transact with the institutions. Of course, if you want more segregation, a separate physical box might be the way to go, preferably on a different port/VLAN when connecting to the internet. Either way, the point is to avoid standing out from the crowd, give them what they already know, and merge into the masses.
     
  7. ExtremeGamerBR

    ExtremeGamerBR Registered Member

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    I am using Windows 10 AE since its release and I don't see any ad. Why?
     
  8. guest

    guest Guest

    because there is no ads popups, it is speculation based on the hypothesis MS collect datas and sell them to partners... I'm like you, using Win10 since day one and never got ads poping on my screen or on my lockscreen...

    if someone get an ad poping , please take a screenshot and show it to us.
     
  9. guest

    guest Guest

    Ads on the Lockscreen can be seen, if Spotlight is turned on:
     
  10. plat1098

    plat1098 Guest

    No, one shouldn't be getting those kinds of ads, something is off if so. However, those ads thru Microsoft applications gotten via Store-- yuck. Here's an example of a nicely placed loaded ad, the free Microsoft Classic Games app was since deleted. Revenue plus...what else?

    MS app ad.PNG
     
  11. ProTruckDriver

    ProTruckDriver Registered Member

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    I agree. Those poor senior citizens and the computer illiterate people that don't know what's going on. :(
     
  12. plat1098

    plat1098 Guest

    Plus, there's still this diehard notion that Microsoft is this almost sacred corporation that would never stoop to such tactics. If Microsoft (over)uses ads and telemetry, well that's OK then. :cautious: I have no doubt that MS exploits to some extent its previous "don't touch or question me, I'm the greatest" reputation. Lots of people are disillusioned but still wouldn't know or want to know how to alter the Settings for greater privacy anyway. It's Microsoft, don't touch that..
     
  13. Anonfame1

    Anonfame1 Registered Member

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    I agree 100%. Further, and as I've said above, they rely on this complexity to baffle or intimidate the vast majority of users. If they succeed, they get to reap the benefits (profits).
    Again, I was content to leave our conversation as it was. I had made my points, you had made yours, and it had ended on a non-hostile note. Unfortunately, this comment must put us back at odds again.

    It is not a hypothesis that MS collects data. Here is proof straight from Microsoft's spokesmen/legal-team (emphasis mine): https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-10-feedback-diagnostics-and-privacy
    • Configuration data, including the manufacturer of your device, model, number of processors, display size and resolution, date, region and language settings, and other data about the capabilities of the device.
    • The software (including drivers and firmware supplied by device manufacturers), installed on the device.
    • Performance and reliability data, such as which programs are launched on a device, how long they run (!), how quickly they respond to input, how many problems are experienced with an app or device, and how quickly information is sent or received over a network connection.
    • Network and connection data, such as the device's IP address (?!), number of network connections in use, and data about the networks you connect to, such as mobile networks, Bluetooth, and identifiers (BSSID and SSID) (!!), connection requirements and speed of Wi-Fi networks you connect to.
    • Other hardware devices connected to the device.
    This is just the Basic settings. I did note you said "collect datas and sell them to partners.." This is a very nebulous statement in terms of the truth it conveys. By applying "and" to that sentence, you have included the part about Microsoft collecting data as part of the hypothesis. Get a load of this from their Privacy Statement (emphasis mine):
    Im sorry there is so much emphasis, but I mean its all really incredible stuff... right?? I bolded the opt-out part in fairness, but do we even know how long they will allow this? As I said before: inch by inch. First they collect this data and use it but give you an opt-out... outcry... wait... wait... dust settled... take away the opt-out... outcry... wait.. wait...

    They have done this in various ways throughout the life of Windows 10.

    Walmart........ Microsoft is making money off selling Operating System space to Walmart..

    I distinctly remember reading that Microsoft was going to make Spotlight mandatory on the lockscreen, and thus ads were going to be mandatory on the lockscreen. It seems as if one still has the option to avoid ads here though? Even so, again: inch by inch.

    Notice that every time Microsoft has backed down or reverted a privacy/control evading "feature," it has been due to a social collective utilizing social avenues to (potentially) lower public opinion of Microsoft, thereby (potentially) lowering the use of their products. They push right to the limit of where it could cost them social capital, then acquiesce until the dust settles. Then, they push forward a little more.

    Eventually Windows will be a corporate nightmare just like many other places. Enjoy any TV lately? What used to be some commercials and a lot of show is now a flood of advertisements. They do sneaky things as well. For example, you'll notice that TV commercials are usually few during the "hook" of the show. As the show builds towards its climax, more and more commercial interruptions (because they assume you'll stay) ensue. How can Microsoft work such strategies into Windows? Rest assured they are researching that as we speak.

    "Windows 10 will show advertisements when attempting to print a document, if and only if that document has been worked on greater than 15 minutes for the last 24 hours."
    "But I need my research paper to print now so I can get to school and turn it in!! I procrastinated and this is an emergency!"
    "Then either use 1 of your 3 monthly "ad passes" to skip the ad, or enable Cortana level 9 and fill her in to your school schedule more thoroughly. With Cortana level 9 enabled, she will disable the advertisements if she sees you need to be somewhere soon*"
    ...
    "*Disclaimer: if Cortana upon reading the language of a document or the nature of a picture determines that the event on your schedule corresponds, she will disable. Otherwise, the advertisement will continue unabated."

    This is a crazy thought exercise of course, but where does it end? It ends where people demand it to end.
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2016
  14. roger_m

    roger_m Registered Member

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    This is not a big deal for me, as with the exception of very occasionally playing Microsoft Solitaire Collection, I never use any Microsoft apps, not even for viewing photos and videos, or playing music. I've even replaced the Caculator app with the old calculator from Windows 7. I also don't have any third party apps installed.
    This isn't an issue for me, as I don't use Spotlight. I actually had to Google it to find out what it is.
     
  15. plat1098

    plat1098 Guest

    Agree and always have. It is only the truth and probably just the surface of it. But it's Microsoft acting and using Windows 10 as a vehicle to push its agendas and boost its revenue. Worldwide installations of Windows 10 fell massively short of expectations, hurting its revenue, it has to make it up somehow, why not with sleazy ads and other "well you were warned albeit in vague, confusing language" tactics.

    I love the way my machine runs Windows 10 AU, with this deathly quiet and clean efficiency. I love Windows 10 AU. Do I "love" Microsoft? No, no I do not.
     
  16. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    If you love dealthy quiet and clean, then you'd really love linux. It only does what you ask it to do, nothing more, nothing less. I like 10 AU also, but believe me, it's not quiet. Behind the scenes it's doing more than you even want to know about, guaranteed.... It's just quiet on the surface now. Except of course for the ad spamming in the notification area, and so on... lol.
     
  17. plat1098

    plat1098 Guest

    Hmm, Linux. That's for more intrepid souls, though. Task Manager is always open on task bar and almost always shows zeros/low single digit CPU except for Memory. I disabled everything in Settings I could get my hands on. You can do that, with some effectiveness. Do I know what Microsoft/Cortana Background Task Host (?) is doing, no. If you hate Windows 10, it's Microsoft's fault. It's possible W10AU eventually crumbles under the surface from Microsoft's behind-the-scenes actions, so I'm enjoying it just for the present time.
     
  18. Anonfame1

    Anonfame1 Registered Member

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    Linux is easier to use than Windows. No really, I promise. My 59 year old mother has used Linux Mint for 3 years with zero issues.

    Its biggest problem at this point is its proprietary software ecosystem and lack of proprietary drivers. Both of these are due to one fact: Linux lacks marketshare and thus lacks a means of offering profits to commercial software companies. The only way that will change is if people insist on using it, and that wont happen.

    Idealists (like all of us here really) are always a small percentage of the population- everyone else wont do anything on behalf of an ideal until calamity shows them the value of that ideal.
     
  19. Reality

    Reality Registered Member

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    Guys, I've avoided W10 like the plague so what is W10AU?

    @plat1098 fangtastic? well all these mega company elites are into devil stuff anyway, so that figures. I know for a fact I would be very irate if that appeared on my screen.

    @ProTruckDriver, yes, indeed. They are all sitting shots but the thing is with senior citz, you can pretty much deduce they'll never be able to cope with learning all this stuff and of course the MS's Apples Googles FBs etc etc ALL KNOW THIS and take full advantage of this fact. I've always said the internet is a wonderful tool, but it's also a huge trap. In the broad scheme of things with this continual slippery slope there IS a very sinister agenda going on, but people just DO. NOT. WANT. TO. HEAR. THAT. SO, you get names flyin around like "conspiracy theorist" or "paranoia" or something. This isn't either, it's REALITY.

    Even with all the mitigation attempts we can throw at this, and if we succeed, it still leaves INTENT....something people conveniently seem to put aside when it's someone they're dealing with who they don't know personally, or don't deal with them face to face. The internet is largely just that hence people blindly following and falling headlong over the cliff.

    @Anonfame1 thanks for your informative posts. MS's intent is plainly shown in your quotes. At this point people have to come to one of 2 conclusions: you have falsified it, or you haven't. I know what I believe since it basically ties in what I've already seen over and over not to mention other things I know.

    So... IT IS NOT OK for MS to be attempting to do this FORCING PEOPLE TAKE DEFENSIVE ACTION...oh, that is IF they have 1/2 a clue that anything's happening in the first place.

    I despise the OPT out model with a passion. Why - because if you opted out of everything you needed to to stay safe, you'd be doing NOTHING ELSE in life. Seriously, like an unprecedented flood, online and offline everywhere, its opt out of this - opt out of that and then there's no guarantee it will be honored. When I heard there was a time limit, that made me hate it all the more. This in itself is designed to keep you very very busy and thus much less likely to do it. The nuisance factor is off the scale. Conclusion: problem NOT solved. It should be OPT IN BY DEFAULT. That represents true choice, but MS doesn't want you to have that. Folks, when you don't have choice, it is dehumanizing.

    Yea those dirty tactics are a huge turn off but unsurprising. Hellivision is a turn off. Thankfully I ditched it years ago as I saw it as a huge mind shaping tool and I have ABSOLUTELY NO regrets at all.

    I think it's strange for people to come and talk up security and couldn't care less about privacy. The two are separate but intertwined, and you have to ask yourself, secure from what? MS may give you a stable and "secure" OS, but it sure aint secure from THEIR spying.

    You who have nothing to hide, or think this wholesale spying of MS (and others) is OK, wake up. If you think you've got "nothing to hide" then send me your bank account, all your private details and so on so I can rip you off and sell your identity to the highest bidder etc etc etc. Get real.

    As noone_particular so aptly used to call it, this "feature creep" just doesn't stop and with such a high proportion of people blindly falling into the trap it will continue. It doesn't mean you can't fight.

    DIRECTLY ON TOPIC ... I hate windows 10 too. The way they will harvest more and more info in this hideous frenzy to make MORE money when they are already obscenely wealthy, is to set the defaults in their favor so unsuspecting Joe keeps right on feeding info to Redmond.
     
  20. Tarnak

    Tarnak Registered Member

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    I don't hate Windows 10...but, i will not go gently into the night, so to speak. ;) cf. - https://allpoetry.com/Do-Not-Go-Gentle-Into-That-Good-Night
     
  21. plat1098

    plat1098 Guest

    It's Microsoft you should be hating. Windows 10 Anniversary Edition runs beautifully on your machine if it's optimally installed on good hardware. IF. Here's something: you can get addicted to W10AU, that's how good it can be. And this is where I downright despise Microsoft, not just for its appalling lack of transparency with certain issues, but for its conscripting unsuspecting consumers into functioning as developer assistants and bug reporters (ah no wonder Windows 10 was free), its cavalier come-ons, enticing and nagging people with their valued machines. People install it, it runs perfectly for two days or until patch Tuesday, then boom, the machine doesn't boot. Boom, files are missing. Boom, business suffers because the work computer is out.. Then those people are grimly determined, spending hours and days trying to get that wonderful performance back. So many nightmares. This is why I despise Microsoft.
     
  22. guest

    guest Guest

    @Anonfame1 it is fine, you gave valid quotes, so no worries about being at odds between each other. We still have some options to block ads, so we just need to use them; and even if in the future they remove it , we will still have 3rd party tools. after all Windows is MS property , they can do whatever they want , nobody force you to install it if the way they make it displease you. Linux and other OS are available. The day MS will enforce unblockable ads, i will just change to Kubuntu , my favorite distro (hoping that drivers will have a better compatibility with my laptop, actual issue for me).
    MS own Windows but not my computer, at the moment Win10 satisfy me , so i keep it.
     
  23. Anonfame1

    Anonfame1 Registered Member

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    I know what you meant by your response, but to be clear for others- all of my quotes were pulled straight from Microsoft's website. Interpretation is of course subjective, but I think even the Windows 10 supporters here are clear what their intentions are; most discussions of continuing Windows 10 use focuses on ways to defeat their odious privacy policy through tools, fake accounts, etc.

    Please everyone, give the privacy statement and policy pages a look. Its scary stuff :eek:
    Yeah so do I.
    Same. My experience with TV is when Im at a restaurant or someone else's place; I dont even have a cable package- only internet service.
    Security is typically the concept of protecting the OS/applications from being damaged or exploited to do something they arent meant to do. You can have security without privacy, but you cannot have privacy without security of some kind. Some technologies- like encryption- serve both security and privacy goals (encryption makes modifying files in transit to exploit much harder; encryption makes reading confidential messages/data much harder).

    A large point of security is to protect yourself from being exploited by other people- why its suddenly OK for a corporation to exploit its customers just because its part of the plan is beyond me. If the government suddenly made murder legal, would that suddenly mean we'd be ok with it? Of course not!
    Fair enough.
    Unfortunately, there will be tons of users who will have no idea how to go about blocking the ads and by that point, it will be too late for them. I know you mean "you" specifically here, but I wish there was a way we could help all the other poor souls who dont see what's coming and who will be powerless to fight it...
     
  24. plat1098

    plat1098 Guest

    Actually, to all outward appearances, Microsoft appears to have stepped away somewhat from Windows/Windows 10 in order to develop other projects like these:

    http://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-hololens/en-us/why-hololens

    https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com...cebook-to-build-subsea-cable-across-atlantic/

    These are linked to the developers' sites directly so caveat emptor in terms of hype. With the first project, if you are very much concerned about privacy with Windows 10, just wait until this one becomes a tangible "reality." Yikes!

    The tradeoff, as always, is what is the real price you pay for something that improves your computing experience and therefore, your life? Microsoft's price appears exhorbitant.
     
  25. EASTER

    EASTER Registered Member

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    I have a question to ask on windows 10 as i mull over it every day a few hours at a time. My currently (of course) much more productive Windows 8.1 gets top billing of time/use because everything in it is set in stone and does what i need it to do, when i need it without hesitation or hunting. LoL

    I get very impatient with Windows 10 saying "Getting a few things ready" and that jazz after a reboot i assume to install updates. I'm ok with that but also very impatient when it comes to that little dotted circle going around and around continously after the percentage gauge and saying do not turn off your computer.

    I waited long enough and rebooted anyway and of course was met with "windows could not finish updates" blah blah blah. Why in heaven's name after all these many years can they not show some time element to completion?

    This kind of crap bugs me to no end and is why when i did used to allow some updates, i would manually install them myself because you could look at the size of the updates and easily determine an estimated finish time for them without all this same old guessing ordeal when or what.
     
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