Is windows 8's privacy the same as 7's?

No ones guaranteeing anything...
My point is I would rather trust an OS that says "sure here's all my code your free to look, poke and hell even change it to your hearts desire" rather than an OS that is closed, developed behind shut doors and has had the Nefarious Security Agency "helping" out behind the scenes.http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9141105/NSA_helped_with_Windows_7_development

Take SELinux, its code has been audited many times after it's links to the NSA.
True subtle bugs can easily be hidden, but there's no binary blobs to wonder about.
To me there is no choice....

 

This and what others have said on this forum and the recent leaks and MS compliance without questioning has tipped me over to abandon anything google or Microsoft. I dont disillusion myself that i can achieve 100% privacy but at least its a start. And I think if enough people switch it will put a dent in their pockets. I have switched to Linux and im not looking back.

 

So, it's only Google and Microsoft you need to fight as the privacy villains. And escaping from them both will fix all the privacy issues which have occurred and will occur. And praising Linux without really considering their real potential, and think that privacy is the only motivation one could have to switch to Linux...

You need to get an alarm clock to wake you up. And you forgot that there's me. I'm more evil than Google and Microsoft could ever be, my son.

 

No need to be sarcastic. If you re-read my post then maybe you can answer your own questions.

 

What are you talking about? I wasn't questioning anything in my previous post. I just said that you're getting irrational by your M$ hating campaign.

 

I dont hate windows. I used windows for 16 years and its not a campaign against windows. I have the same exact attitude towards google, apple, yahoo. And based on Snowden's leaks it is irrational not to be concerned about privacy. Im only giving OP my own view on windows. He will make his own decision. By no means im forcing you to use linux or dump gmail or your iphone.

 

Matt, it's not only about what you have posted in this thread. If I misunderstood what you said, then I apologize. But to me, it sounds like you're only concerned about Google and Microsoft and thinking that not using their services/products will save you from all privacy problems. True enough, I'm not concerned at all about privacy. I'm tired of hoping and now I realize that I'm basically doing worse things than Google/Microsoft. Ain't deserve to judge them as guilty my friend.

Remember what I said in Fly's thread back there? Yeah, my examples were too paranoid but I think everyone got my point already. If you do want to fight for your right, then quit focusing on a few villains and the internet only. I don't think you will win though. But hey, surprise me if you can!

 

I think its about more than simply changing hardware or software. You really have to focus on changing your computer habits. I've made it a practice to generate as much disinformation when posting information online, as everything else I post. I go to equal lengths to encrypt and send the data to contacts. The people that know me, know my system and have no problems getting my messages. If you can't beat them, then make it a goal to waste their time. That's presuming your inclined to do so. Not everyone's cup of tea.

 

Till when you will keep escaping then? And what about those people who will ask for your personally identifiable information and you need to provide it to them no matter what? Don't tell me that they're too good to misusing your data.

 

I like the idea. Better yet put up random TC encrypted files on the notorious cloud services.

 

Stick this to em....

http://flagger.io/

 

It wouldn't last long. Six months at most.

 

Certainly there is some information we surrender publicly, but a lot of it isn't information that we need to worry about protecting. Most businesses want my name and address. Very few require accurate information, unless your actually registering for a service where you will be making purchases. And I have the right to refuse surrendering my social security number. Very few companies are entitled to request that information. I agree that companies are notorious for collecting and selling data. They are known for mishandling the information you give them. But in this context, changing certain browsing habits can be effective. I don't do online banking and I rarely shop online. I register for mailing clubs with disposable e-mail address and forged information. Not that surrendering my name, address or home phone is that big a deal. People can find this information without my cooperation if they search for it. But there is information we compose that should be protected including: correspondences, tax information, etc. You are in a position to encrypt this data, decide how it is to be transmitted, and where it can be stored. So it's not like users are being asked to do a whole hell of a lot. For more proactive individuals, taking steps such as storing mock TC containers that store little more than FUD is an acceptable practice. Memory is so cheap now, especially around black friday sales. I've got 5 external drives at this time in addition to the drive where I backup my personal information. All of them hold the same amount of content. I've put a lot of work into make that mock content look authentic. Hence why I said, this kind of work is not for everyone. Also, we probably have very different opinions on what needs to be kept private. So I am in now way discrediting that this type of work might not work for your particular situation. I do mention it because some folks are legitimately concerned about privacy and want something beyond encryption. Also not all of my friends are willing to play ball completely. Some will meet me part way and avoid using my name and other identifiable details including: photo attachments, etc. in e-mails, discussions, etc. However, I do have friends that are just as worried as I am. So we do send multiple correspondences and have system for concealing what we want to say. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I do make an honest effort.