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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Microsoft claims seven out of ten Windows 10 users are happy with Redmond gulping loads of telemetry from their computers – which isn't that astounding when you realize it's a default option.
In other words, 30 per cent of people have found the switch to turn it off, and the rest haven't, don't realize it's there, or are genuinely OK with the data collection.
Ever since Windows 10 was released, folks have been complaining the operating system is far too grabby and that it allows Redmond to collect huge volumes of intelligence on its users. In April the software giant responded by simplifying the collection.
There's basically two levels in Windows 10 from the Creators Update onwards: basic and full – the full setting includes everything in the basic level plus a load more. Full is the default for Win 10 Home and Pro, otherwise there's basic. Windows 10 Enterprise and Education have full and basic, plus an extra level called security, which transmits a little less about your system than basic.
Essentially, if you're on Home or Pro, you can't tell your OS to not phone home. And, sure, this information – from lists of hardware and apps installed to pen gestures – is useful to Microsoft employees debugging code that's running in the field. But we're all adults here, and some folks would like the option to not have any information leaving their systems.
"... and we welcome your feedback in helping us make [Creators] the best Windows ever," [Marissa] Rogers concluded.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday August 11 2017, @02:06AM (19 children)
And this really means MS can piss on the other 3 in 10 freely, right?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Informative) by kaszz on Friday August 11 2017, @02:13AM (9 children)
Reminds me of the Asch conformity experiments [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday August 11 2017, @02:22AM (8 children)
Interestingly, the "conformists" vs "rebels" ratio in this case (30% rebels) is almost reversed in comparison to Asch's experiments (63.2% rebels)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday August 11 2017, @03:08AM
Another experiment along the same subject is the Milgram experiment [wikipedia.org]. Where circa 2/3 of people goes along and deliver a lethal shock because the instructor said so. Most people are simple followers.
If Microsoft says Telemetry is good for you.. well they will follow.
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Friday August 11 2017, @05:42AM (6 children)
We don't know the true "rebels" rate in the Windows case, as in order to even have the decision to rebel, you have to know about the telemetry stuff in order to even decide whether you want to switch it off, and you in addition have to know or at least consider it possible that you actually can switch it off.
So for all we know, it might be that 50% of all users don't even know that Microsoft spies on them (they just bought their computer at WalMart and switched it on; as long as they get to open their browser and connect to their favourite sites, they don't see any reason to learn anything more about their computer). A further 20% might know about the telemetry, but have no idea that you could switch it off; they just shrug it off as unavoidable. The remaining 30% switch it off.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday August 11 2017, @05:59AM (2 children)
Does it mean it can actually be switched off?
TFS led me to believe it can be only lowered dramatically but never actually switched of.
(note: I do use Win10 at the office and I don't care how the IT dept. configured telemetry on this one. Not like I'd be using it for things I want to keep private.
At home, I only use Linux).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 11 2017, @12:34PM
It can be ripped out. They won't have numbers from that.
(Score: 2) by Hyper on Friday August 11 2017, @02:48PM
It probably has your real name on it, unlike your home pc
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 11 2017, @05:32PM (2 children)
You ignored the people who use other versions of Windows, use other operating systems, or don't use computers at all. Maybe they don't want the telemetry, or maybe they have other reasons.
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Friday August 11 2017, @05:44PM (1 child)
Those are obviously not in the sample which the percentage is based on.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 12 2017, @10:22PM
You had written "the Windows case" not "the Windows 10 case."
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Friday August 11 2017, @02:25AM (1 child)
And this really means MS can piss on the other 3 in 10 freely, right?
Technically, yes. Majority rule applies.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Friday August 11 2017, @09:13AM
Nonsense.
The only rule that applies is Microsoft's rule, your only vote is to switch to a different OS. And until people start doing so in significant numbers Microsoft is unlikely care. "Majority preference" is just convenient for their propaganda/marketing campaign.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by edIII on Friday August 11 2017, @02:40AM (3 children)
For how long?
I've been unhappy with Microsoft since Vista. Always chained to the fucker because of my development tools, and keeping compatibility with documents.
That's changed quite a bit. I have a new system finally, and it's Ubuntu. Wasn't able to get FreeBSD, TrueOS, OpenBSD, or basically any BSD to run on it. It's brand new so I imagine it will take awhile. Still, there is zero Microsoft, Apple, or Adobe anywhere in it. Even Oracle is kept at bay somewhat. On the server side? BWAHAHAHAHA! Microsoft hasn't been running my servers for quite some time. They've lost the server game on almost every level at this point.
SystemD and it's bullshit is still SO much better than Windows 10, its telemetry, and piss poor security. I can live with Ubuntu for a year or two while learning how to install and run a BSD type operating system instead, or Devuan maybe. To Ubuntu's credit, they do at least work on the newest hardware. I'm sure everyday SystemD gets just *little* bit better. I mean, it's possible.
My development tools are running excellently, and I'm not looking back. Even if Microsoft guaranteed me telemetry free, it still can't fix the complete total fuckup that is the Windows 10 *experience*. I'm still not over how much Windows 8 sucked. More problematic for Microsoft is people like myself making serious headway into getting away from them, while maintaining some compatibility with them. Office 365 helps me get them away from Windows 10 in a huge way, and WINE is performing beyond expectations for me at the moment. The people I used to help are interested in what I'm doing. Once I can demonstrate to them a stable system with a nice interface, and the core applications they need working in WINE or an alternative, they will switch. Especially since I can support them.
Let's see just how long those 3 in 10 stick around. When Microsoft finally says 100% are okay with it, that isn't going to be a guaranteed good thing. For them at least.
This may be the last post I write in Windows 7. I'm busy transferring data and settings right now to my new system :D
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Friday August 11 2017, @04:06PM (1 child)
Let's see just how long those 3 in 10 stick around.
Don't worry, they'll stick around indefinitely. They'll bitch and complain, but they won't abandon Windows no matter what. This is why MS is right to ignore these whiny malcontents.
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Friday August 11 2017, @08:18PM
I concur. It's sad how much crap people take. Price gouging, bad service, bullying, humiliation, and pollution and health messes to clean up. The public could have brought Big Media to heel decades ago, shut down their terrorism against downloading. But they won't even avoid theaters for raising prices and forbidding outside food.
(Score: 2) by julian on Friday August 11 2017, @06:14PM
I wish this were true. In the medical field, MS has a top to bottom lockdown on the entire industry. The backend server that runs your EMR/Practice Management system is Windows Server. All the workstations need Windows (usually Windows 7 today, but Win10 is creeping in) to run proprietary medical software and Office. Even the medical imaging machines from Zeiss, which you think would use an embedded OS, are running a full version of Windows--and need a network connection.
MS owns the medical industry because they can pay the big bucks to have their software certified as being compliant, and they're a giant corporation that can be held accountable if something goes wrong. Red Hat might be the only alternative in the Linux world but they're not very interested in medical, although they do a lot of business with the DoD which offers similar challenges.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 11 2017, @06:24AM (1 child)
It means we live in the Age of Spying. Your privacy has been destroyed by greedy businesses and stupid consumers.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Friday August 11 2017, @04:07PM
Mostly the latter in this case. If you value your privacy, don't use Windows. But most people would rather bitch and complain then do something that causes them some temporary inconvenience.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Saturday August 12 2017, @10:16PM
Interesting. I'll have to ask Satya about that service.