JorgeA

Not quite OT, actually fairly well related to the topics in this thread from a number of different angles: I got there while researching changes in the latest FF update that disabled my Adobe Acrobat "Create PDF" plugin. (I did find the way to re-enable it, but unless Adobe gets around to signing the plugin's code for my version of Acrobat, I'll be staying on FF 43, or switching to Pale Moon.) The Firefox people can prattle all they want about how this is protecting me, but in effect what they have done is acting like malware by depriving me of established functionality. So it's either facing some theoretical, indefinitely small chance of being affected by whatever vulnerability they're patching -- or a 100% probability of losing the ability to convert a Web page to PDF. --JorgeA

Sorry, Sir, I mistakenly thought I had a right to my own preferences and to act on them. Now I know better than to question Mother Microsoft. --JorgeA

From InfoWorld's editor-in-chief: Why I'm holding off on Windows 10 --JorgeA

General observation: Anymore, trying to customize one's desktop has become a convoluted, arcane PITA. And the rules seem to change from build to build. "Thanks," Microsoft. --JorgeA

Now that is really cool. Every time I set up FF or PM on a new PC, I spend so much time trying to make it look like IE. Now I don't have to! Thanks TELVM and JodyT. --JorgeA

Congratulations on your successful transition... even if it did come at the expense of another Vista setup. If I may ask, what's that FoxE9 add-on, what does it do? --JorgeA

I'm sorry for your customer, but if it happens 150 million, 500 million more times as new innocent people get dragged into Windows 10, the roar of complaints will become deafening, the Internet will be flooded with shaking fists, and Microsoft's offices will be overwhelmed with servers (of lawsuits, not of data). Perhaps the Asperger cases who run the company will then finally get a clue that the whole Windows 10 rollout is a Really, Really Bad Idea. --JorgeA

That's pretty funny! I especially like the first line: [emphasis added!] The whole thing is very clever. --JorgeA

^^ I left that one out because it distracted needlessly from the rest of them. Note that the criteria state that "software that exhibits lack of choice" may, not "must," do the bulleted items. Therefore if it does any of the listed things, it fulfills the criteria. --JorgeA EDIT: typo

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha This is really rich: Among the "evaluation criteria" for "unwanted software": And the explanation of "unwanted behavior" includes the following: So... ...can we submit Windows 10 to the Microsoft Malware Protection Center as unwanted software, and will they evaluate it according to their own announced criteria? --JorgeA

It looks like the Windows team at Microsoft could learn something from the Avast folks. One of my computers received an update from Avast that requires a reboot; here are the rebooting options it offered (see under "Avast needs to restart your computer"): --JorgeA

Woody Lenohard strikes again: Enough already: Microsoft pushes Windows nagware patch KB 3035583 for sixth time --JorgeA

^ A fitting epitaph for Windows. Yup. --JorgeA

No , you got it wrong.It's not about protecting the privacy of the people, it is about protecting the data, the good Chinese Government guys are simply against the idea that the same data they already have falls in the hands of MS. Oww, come on, this is absurd , IF this was the case, how come the Abomination has been allowed by Washington and by NSA?No, wait ... jaclaz Good points!!! --JorgeA

Not really a welcome development, no. It seeks to propagate the myth that the "standard way" of blocking malware is to allow the user to do everything then at the last minute try to thwart an attack by asking Big Mother for permission. Better to locally blacklist some 30,000ish malware-hosting sites - which I do by compiling lists from various sources - and never ever let your system even get near those malware sites. Then also disallow the automatic running of software - which Microsoft configures into IE as enabled by default. No, that Microsoft wants you to send EVERYTHING you request online to them first for approval is exactly wrong. Microsoft has no business speaking on the subject of security. They can only see s***, because their heads are inserted firmly up their own asses. -Noel So, among the privacy settings you also turn off the SmartScreen Filter? --JorgeA

'Get Windows 10' prompt adopts malware-like tactics to lure you into upgrading Microsoft takes the gloves off, pushes Windows 10 upgrades even harder Which leads us to the next link, a highly informative discussion of dirty cybertricks: Dark Patterns: inside the interfaces designed to trick you --JorgeA

The linked article says: Somehow I doubt that the Chinese government, of all things, would be concerned about protecting the privacy of the people it rules. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the way MSFT cozied up to Beijing was by pledging to forward to the government everything that it learns about individual Chinese users of Windows 10. --JorgeA

^^ While the above is a welcome development, it seems to me that the danger is highly exaggerated. Modern AV suites have evolved to identify and stop these sorts of attacks by their behavior, instead of relying merely on long lists of malware definitions. There is also independent "anti-exploit" software like EMET, HitmanPro.Alert, and MBAE that will run on top of your AV. --JorgeA

I see that your file says it's "SoftMaker Office Standard 2012," and mine says "SoftMaker FreeOffice." It must have been a different type of promotion It does make sense that yours which is "Standard" would have more features than mine which is "Free." Interesting. Ahh well, maybe they don't want to give TOO much away TOO often... --JorgeA

Hmmm... So, they're giving away the software AND they're donating to charity for each download -- and you're complaining?! --JorgeA P.S. FWIW, here's what the installer .exe says for the product version:

Considering Microsoft's overall behavior, "Microsoviet" is s an apt description for them. Maybe you can trademark that label! --JorgeA

I haven't installed this download, but if this report is accurate, then it's the most recent (current) version. --JorgeA

Speaking of helping them cross over, see the following headline: Red Hat Stock Sets 15-Year Highs On Software Sales Wonder if any part of this might have to do with companies on XP, Vista or 7 declining to move to Windows 8 or 10 as a result of the various issues these OSes raise. --JorgeA EDIT: Forgot the URL for the article. Added it.

Well put, NoelC. One weapon at our disposal (indeed, probably the only one they'll respect) is to deny them revenue from sales of their software products -- er, I mean, of their "software-as-a-service" subscriptions. So for anybody considering getting Office 365, may I suggest taking advantage of SoftMaker's annual offer to donate to charity for every download of their FreeOffice suite. It's not a time-limited trial (though the donation offer is), but if you like it, you can always buy the commercial version and send your hard-earned money to these folks instead of Microsoft. For those who care, it even works on Windows 10. --JorgeA

The folks at SoftMaker are renewing their yearly offer of a charitable donation for every download of the free version of their MS Office-compatible software suite. In its Windows version, the word-proceessing module, TextMaker, is in IMX the most highly Word-compatible program out there. SotfMaker FreeOffice is now available for Windows, Linux, and Android tablets and smartphones. Offer good until December 24. --JorgeA