some facts on MS reg wizard

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 18:09:15 -0700
From: raymondc () microsoft com (Raymond Chen)
Subject: Re: Microsoft plans corporate espionage


"In Short" column, page 88, _Information Week_ magazine, May 22, 1995:
:   Microsoft officials confirm that beta versions of Windows 95 include a
:   small viral routine called Registration Wizard.


The word `viral' here is quite inappropriate.  Moreover, the column makes
it seem as if this information is collected covertly and secretly uploaded.


Here's what happens, or at least, what happens today.  (Things might change
before the final release.)  When you select "Online Registration", the
"Registration Wizard" fires up and asks you the same sorts of questions that
would be asked by a paper registration form: name, address, etc.  It then
does a hardware scan, displays its findings, and asks you, "Do you wish to
include this information with your registration?"  Then it does a software
scan of the local machine (not "every system on a network" as originally
reported), displays its findings, and asks for the same confirmation to
upload.  This is all quite explicit, and users are required to confirm
whether or not to include the information in the registration.  There is no
default response, so an inattentive user cannot just keep hitting Return and
end up uploading the information by mistake.


After the questions are answered, additional prompts and confirmations
appear before the phone is dialed.


Other points for debate/discussion: There is no way to edit the hardware or
software inventory.  So if the hardware or software list is incorrect or
contains information that you'd rather not upload (e.g., beta hardware or
software), your only recourse is to suppress the information entirely.


  [As is customary here, Raymond's extensive disclaimers have been deleted
  by PGN, but are globally implied by the standard RISKS info item.]