When giants collide

[joby_toss]

“Google goes through every Gmail that’s sent or received, looking for keywords so they can target Gmail users with paid ads. And there’s no way to opt out of this invasion of your privacy. Outlook.com is different – we don’t go through your email to sell ads,” the updated Scroogled campaign reads.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 7395.shtml

Things like that make me sick. Giants arguing over a mountain of money instead of reaching to each other and finding better solutions for us all (which will benefit them also).
I am now to a point when I don't care anymore. I have nothing to hide. Do you, google, want to see what's in my a'hole? Come right in, google! Same goes for microsoft! But make sure to read my mail first, so you know what toilet paper to recommend afterwards!

[abc]

This is one reason I hate the internet.

[webfork]

Microsoft is going after Google for their privacy policy? Weird.

---

My trick is roughly the same as Joby: don't communicate anything personal over email. Or if you have to, use some type of encryption such as a password-protected ZIP file. Higher security issues might call for something heavier like 7-zip's encryption or GPG.

Also, I've been playing around with the idea of flooding services with a wide variety of randomly-generated emails, etc. that feed it a ton of meaningless information over time. I'd filter it on the client side but the email service wouldn't know the difference. This has two goals:

• Mess up their whole analysis algorithm with what is effectively garbage data
• After sending a certain amount of data, the service will presumably delete my old email since at some point they won't see the point in archiving email that's years old and then dump the old data

[Midas]

I've been playing around with the idea of flooding services with a wide variety of randomly-generated emails, etc. that feed it a ton of meaningless information over time. I'd filter it on the client side but the email service wouldn't know the difference. This has two goals:

• Mess up their whole analysis algorithm with what is effectively garbage data
• After sending a certain amount of data, the service will presumably delete my old email since at some point they won't see the point in archiving email that's years old and then dump the old data

Safety through obscurity: interesting strategy... filed.

[freakazoid]

I actually don't mind if Google provide ads in Gmail. Just use Adblock or some other alternative. Or use IMAP / POP to fetch your mail.

Sure, you could host your own email server and run your email through that, but I prefer the convenience of a "giant" handling all the backend services for free.

However, if the issue is that Google is monitoring your keywords in a Big Brother type of way, then I'm obviously against that!

Now, when is Outlook.com going to support IMAP?

[m^(2)]

Yeah, design of email is broken from the security perspective. Reliance on a single party (that you can pick) + cumbersome encryption. That's why I prefer to avoid it and use f.e. I2P Bote.
Frankly, most of internet is broken in a similar way...there's a need for a ground-up redesign. At least I need it.

[joby_toss]

... and another one ...

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 9582.shtml

[joby_toss]

It fits the topic: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 9611.shtml

While Windows is the number one operating system in China, Microsoft is about to meet its fiercest rival, as the local government has signed a deal with Ubuntu maker Canonical for the creation of a national operating system.

Windows is currently installed on approximately 92 percent of the computers connected to the Internet in China, while Linux barely accounts for 1.2 percent.

Such a decision would obviously be an important hit for Microsoft, especially because the company is struggling to deal with local piracy and force Chinese users to pay for its operating system. Ubuntu is a completely free platform and, given the fact that it’ll be backed by the government, plenty of companies and businesses would have to deploy it regardless of whether they agree with it or not.

Called Ubuntu Kylin, the new operating system will be released next month, so Microsoft should put in place a new strategy for China as soon as possible.

Of course, the local government is also looking to have more control over users’ computers, so Windows could in the end serve as a restriction-free platform.

[Midas]

Blimey!

[joby_toss]

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Linux-Us ... 0451.shtml

According to a report by Reuters, Hispalinux, a 8,000-member Linux community, has filed a complaint against Microsoft, claiming that Windows 8’s UEFI Secure Boot technology makes it very difficult for users to run an Ubuntu distribution.

[Midas]

It's not bad faith, this can actually brick computers:
http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/ ... 93958.html