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WGA & your privacy
A look at where taking things for granted, playing big brother and blatant arrogance can take you...
I was right in thinking that the WGA's phoning home feature was not a good practice and so did so many other people. I raised this question first on one of my groups which is dedicated to fighting badware and I faced some opposition and was called names. I think the person who got upset probably mistook me for a brainless Microsoft Basher who have nothing better to do than vilify Microsoft. But now Microsoft is facing a class action law-suit for illegally collecting user data without proper notification or disclosure.
Yes, I criticise Microsoft, but I do not vilify Microsoft. And I do it for a selfish reason. I am a core Windows guys although I also come across as a open source advocate and a devout Linux fan. But the fact remains that I earn my bread through Windows. So the better Windows becomes, the more ubiquitous it will become and more opportunities for me to ply my trade. So I try to point out Windows' short comings as much as I can in the hope for making it better.
Microsoft should have known better. It was not too long ago when Sony tried the same stunt in the name of reducing or arresting piracy and it installed a rootkit on the computers of people who bought their CDs. Both Microsoft and Sony claim to be working toward to noble cause of eradicating piracy (and maximising their already burgeoning revenues at the same time), but failed to realise that their actions affected their legitimate customers most who had already paid good money to buy their CDs / software. People who are going to pirate will take necessary precautions to by-pass these traps.
The point I am trying to make is that no matter how big or strong a corporation becomes, it should never take for granted that its action will be welcomed or made palatable by force to the user community and someone will hit back and hit back very strongly. At times the hit back may be strong enough to decimate it.
