🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <4092i1$mpl@data.interserv.net>, billman@centcon.com (William
Rini) wrote:

> But the reality of the situation is that any program that makes an
> outside connection can be accused of the same thing, the only
> difference is there is no evidence that any other company has ever
> tried it.....ooooppps I forgot, there isn't even any evidence that MS
> has ever tried it either.  But because some people are sooooooo
> paranoid that MS might collect some information about them, they go
> off on wild joyrides with the truth and completely ignore facts (the
> facts of course are that several publications have verified that the
> only info being sent is the info the RW asks if it can send).


The reason people are paranoid (and maybe rightly so) is that here we have
every component (OS, Networking software AND network) coming out of one
place - Microsoft.

I may have this wrong, but it seems to me that MSN is going to have a
single server architecture (terrorists of the world take note: this site
can be ransomed for LOTS of money). Every time you use MSN, Microsoft has
a chance to peek at your machine. I suppose the same thing is true for
CompuServ, eWorld or AOL (I don't know, just guessing). At least the
Internet is harder to spy on because of its distributed nature.

Note that they could just as easily write a MSN client for the Mac and
sneak a look at my Mac.

The thing that worries me about MSN is that it is a competition killer
(surprise, surprise!). Every PC user who upgrades gets access to MSN, so
why shell out money for an account with a different information provider?
Are Microsoft going to allow Wordperfect or Claris to publish upgrades and
sales material there? Hmmmmmm.....

BTW Take this thread where it belongs (wherever that is)

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Julian Russell                  julian_r@postoffice.utas.edu.au
Computer Science                http://www.cs.utas.edu.au/
University of Tasmania
(002) 202963
 'Information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, wisdom is not
  truth, truth is not beauty, beauty is not love, love is not music.
  Music is the best.'
         - Frank Zappa 1979
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