Re: Windows 95 Espionage ( ?? )

[tws () wh bayer com (tws () wh bayer com)]

What's written by Microsoft really displays the
company's exploitive nature.  (See below for the
full text.)  They say, "it is optional,", "users
have to activate `send' button," and so forth.
In the same breath: "There are lots of benefits
to customers that provide this information."
Great majority of their customers are innocent
and naive folks who don't know how nasty the
company is and and who don't know what's going
on.  Given the bate, of course, they are going
to click on send button.  As a result they are
going to help Microsoft become even more exploi-
tive.
Tenna Sakai
Bayer Research Center
West Haven, CT

According to Alec Saunders, Microsoft Corporation:

} <ASaunders () aol com>
} Wed, 24 May 1995 15:02:16 -0400
}
} cnorloff () tecnet1 jcte jcs mil writes:
}
} " Microsoft officials confirm that beta versions of Windows 95 include a
} small viral routine called Registration Wizard.  ...
}
} Unfortunately Information Week got it wrong.  The registration wizard is
} nothing more than an electronic version of the ordinary reg card that ships
} with every software product today.  Its use is optional, it does not
} interrogate every PC on a network, and the user chooses what information
} will be transmitted.
}
} I have enclosed a copy of a response we wrote on this, which you can get
} from ftp.microsoft.com/peropsys/win_news/regwiz.txt if you wish.
}
} Alec Saunders, Microsoft Corporation, alecs () microsoft com
}
} --
}
} A recent trade publication article contained inaccuracies regarding the
} purpose and operation of the Registration Wizard, the on-line registration
} application in Windows 95.  The purpose of the Registration Wizard is to
} offer an electronic version of the paper-based Registration Card that
} traditionally comes with all Microsoft products.  The Registration Wizard
} asks for similar information to that listed in the paper-based registration
} card, such as your hardware configuration and applications usage.  Just like
} with a traditional registration card, providing this information is
} optional.  A customer using the Registration Wizard receives dialog prompts
} asking them whether they would like to send this information.  They must
} actively click 'send' for any information to be sent.
}
} There are lots of benefits to customers that provide this information - such
} as product update mailings and improved product support because the product
} support engineer can refer to your exact system configuration information
} on-line.  In the end, though, sending this information is optional and a
} conscious decision by the user.
}
} Microsoft traditionally does not make information gathered during the
} registration process available to third-parties.  If the customer chooses to
} send system and software information to Microsoft with the Registration
} Wizard, it is a one-way, one-time occurrence and takes place at the time the
} customer selects 'send.'