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Microsoft may force software updates by default
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 06:18:32 -0400
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 22:00:31 -0700 (PDT) From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com> Subject: Microsoft may force software updates by default To: dave () farber net Dave, In November of last year, I wrote a commentary for Wired News expressing concern over the possibility of Microsoft forcing users to install operating system and other updates: http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56490,00.html My commentary was based on a story by a Wired News reporter who had attended an MS briefing regarding their "Trustworthy Computing initiative." As many of us know, MS patches and updates all too frequently destabilize working systems or may even render them unbootable. In some cases, security can even be *reduced* after their installation due to bugs in the patches/updates themselves. No wonder so many people are extremely reluctant to install them unless absolutely necessary and under tightly controlled conditions after rigorous testing. Now comes word from the Washington Post that MS is indeed considering making the acceptance of security patches and/or updates a default condition, at least for what they believe (however accurately or *inaccurately*) to be "home users" of their software. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11579-2003Aug18.html I believe that all of the arguments I made in my original commentary still stand as appropriate today -- perhaps even more so. All users of Microsoft products should be concerned about this issue. --Lauren-- Lauren Weinstein lauren () pfir org or lauren () vortex com or lauren () privacyforum org http://www.pfir.org/lauren Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org Co-Founder, Fact Squad - http://www.factsquad.org Co-Founder, URIICA - Union for Representative International Internet Cooperation and Analysis - http://www.uriica.org Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
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- Microsoft may force software updates by default Dave Farber (Aug 19)