How should a software firewall be any good if m$ really wanted to infiltrate you system. such firewalls do not even block trojans.
The same could probably be said for the firewall in routers. at the end of the day. Aren't they just software stored on a rom that's run when you power up the router? To use an analogy. You don't buy a product for your house and then expect to see the creators of that product waltzing into your home, unannounced, having a good look round and removing anything they've decided they don't like the look of (if it's on the list we're removing it). I'm sure your foot would be connecting with their rear end as you kicked them out the door. By all means they can knock at the door and ask to come in. Then it's up to me, at my discretion, to either allow entry or not. The same goes for my computer. I decide who gets in and what they do when they're there. NOT some retarded corporate entity with delusions of grandeur. True they may still get in, but if I find them they'll get kicked out. I hope that my firewall, anti-virus/spy-ware software acts like my homes intruder alarm alerting me to any issues and allowing me to deal with them as I see fit.
If you find that microsoft has gotten into ya computer, then just unplug the cable (ie. kick them out) LOL! >.> As simple as that XD I don't know why you are so paranoid about Microsoft though. The government is watching you 24/7, ranging from bank accounts (to check you haven't cheated tax) to cell phone activity. I remember a average "camera" count, and in most major cities, you are captured by at least 100 cameras per day simply from going from home to work. Lol, You should worry more about protecting yourself from the "Hackers" than Microsoft. They are the ones that have a higher chance to steal something "important" eg, your bank details. lol. Its funny though, if i remember correctly, World of Warcraft has a similar clause in their Terms & Condition and User Agreement. LOL, they added it in when they added the Warden Client cheat protection system.
I'm not bothered about my documents etc. nowt of interest really. the original first post with the section 12 quote, in hindsight, is probably misleading. It may be of more interest to businesses who might want to clarify what type of documentation it referes to. what i want to prohibit is connections from and to M$. that's all. which i appear to have acieved to some degree. so job done. i'm a happy (paranoid) bunny lol. thanks for the ref to little snitch tho
You've also got to figure... Microsoft makes lots of money from businesses.... Businesses have lawyers on retainer just to pick apart ELUAs and other such agreements. If Microsoft was going to have a legaleese back door in there to gain access to your files whenever they want -- especially one that the average layperson could spot and understand --, no business would ever accept the agreement and that would hurt Microsoft's profits.
To be honest, until ISPs actively incorporate always-on 128/256-bit/Encryption into their internet connections, you will never be safe on the internet when you connect. Government agencies only monitor certain things they look for. If you think about the massive amounts of information that travels over the internet on a daily basis. I think it's physically impossible to backlog all this information without some sort of high tech filtering system. But all this is technical stuff. Until ISPs offer an encrypted connection to residential customers etc; your information sent over the internet is never safe unless through HTTPS/SSL/etc. And even then those are definitely not safe especially since your ISP and any computers inbetween hotmail.com and you can be what you would call 'man-in-the-middle'. Not going to go into more details than that but information is never safe sent through the internet if there is someone between you and the site you're connecting to. And with the way the internet works there obviously is. There are PGP programs that you can use that has NSA quality encryption or better that you can send messages to friends with as long as they have the key to decode and read it. Now that I just said this I wonder if there is a discussion board system that uses this technology...hmm. Anyways done with my response but you get the big picture now. Oh! One more important item to talk about! Wireless traffic IS NEVER secured. I don't care if you use the latest WPA2 encryption. Always ways to get your key in a minimal amount of time All wireless traffic can be listened to and then dissected. I recommend buying stuff on the internet through a wired internet connection. Regardless, nothing is too secure these days. There's so many things to look out for. As for putting your computer on lock down meh. October 22nd is going to roll around and not a damn thing is going to happen, just like 2012.
I couldnt give a flying fcuk what MS does, even if they could browse through my personal sex pics. Plus how would they go through millions of PCs connected online, even if its just to detect illegal use of their software? Do they have the time for that?
They've got all the time in the world, I'm sure whatever they would do would be automated. I'm also not worried that by saying what "I" think they "could" do could be considered giving them ideas, they have plenty of lawyers who have already thought of it: pull a list of all IP addresses that contacted Windows Update, and used an OEM:SLP key before general availability; then just pick a few at random, subpoena the ISP records, and make examples of the end-user. Likely the publicity from such action would be as good for their image as what the RIAA has done previously.