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from the trying-to-get-the-scoop-on-what-they-scoop-up dept.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has accused Microsoft of disregarding user choice and privacy with Windows 10. In a scathing editorial, EFF employee Amul Kalia calls on Microsoft to "come clean with its user community" over a growing number of Windows 10 privacy concerns. "Windows 10 sends an unprecedented amount of usage data back to Microsoft," explains Kalia, noting that enabling Cortana increases the amount of data passed to Microsoft. Privacy advocates have argued that Windows 10 sends back location, text input, voice input, touch input, websites you visit, and other telemetry data to Microsoft.
"While users can disable some of these settings, it is not a guarantee that your computer will stop talking to Microsoft's servers," says Kalia. "A significant issue is the telemetry data the company receives." Microsoft has previously insisted it anonymizes telemetry data, but the EFF is concerned the company hasn't explained exactly how it does this. "Microsoft also won't say how long this data is retained, instead providing only general timeframes."
While telemetry data is clearly a concern, the EFF focuses on Microsoft's confusing link between this data and security patches. "Microsoft has tried to explain this lack of choice by saying that Windows Update won't function properly on copies of the operating system with telemetry reporting turned to its lowest level," claims Kalia. "Microsoft is claiming that giving ordinary users more privacy by letting them turn telemetry reporting down to its lowest level would risk their security since they would no longer get security updates."
The story then proceeds to blast Microsoft's Windows 10 upgrade tactics, as well.
(Score: 1) by kurenai.tsubasa on Tuesday August 23 2016, @05:41PM
One of the big strengths of LaTeX imho is how snugly it will fit in a version control system (git for me for now until something better comes along). I've never written anything worth publishing, but somewhere in the deep dark bowels of my home directory, there's a stash of half-realized fiction will full revision history including a few branches to nowhere. I've heard success stories about collaborative writing as well.
Those documents I maintain probably would work better in LaTeX, but other people who are deathly afraid of backslashes do occasionally need to use them for read-write purposes, and there's always “what if our wizard gets hit by a bus?” (I'm sure there's a Harry Potter joke there somewhere.) My co-workers are not the sharpest tools in the shed. I have my reasons for staying where I am (probably one of the highest paid non-executive person in the company), but I'm almost wanting to move to fast food or lawn care or something so that my co-workers will be more educated and intelligent. :/