Did you know: Your computer BY DEFAULT is spying on you and sending everything you do to MS... It's true OPEN the following (following applies to win7)
Start Menu
Accessories
System Tools
Task Scheduler
On the left you'll see "Task Scheduler Library" seems innocent enough right... Expand it the expand microsoft then expand Windows. As you go through the list some are innocent enough but there are several that are sending your use info to "who knows who" at MS. Just a few that I've disabled are "application experience" "customer experience improvement program" "location" "WPD"
Start Menu
Accessories
System Tools
Task Scheduler
On the left you'll see "Task Scheduler Library" seems innocent enough right... Expand it the expand microsoft then expand Windows. As you go through the list some are innocent enough but there are several that are sending your use info to "who knows who" at MS. Just a few that I've disabled are "application experience" "customer experience improvement program" "location" "WPD"
Microsoft and who else???? Just about everybody. Read the user agreement in from your email provider. This is cut and pasted from mine:
"Yahoo's automated systems scan and analyze all email, IM and other communications content.........We may customize some ads based on information sent to us by your computer and cookies."
Gathered from my computer at work:
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
IP Address: 10.199.00.00 (edited)
OS: WinXP
Browser: IE 8.0
Screen Resolution: 1280x1024
Color Depth: 32
Age Range: 56 - 65
Gender: Male
"Yahoo's automated systems scan and analyze all email, IM and other communications content.........We may customize some ads based on information sent to us by your computer and cookies."
Gathered from my computer at work:
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
IP Address: 10.199.00.00 (edited)
OS: WinXP
Browser: IE 8.0
Screen Resolution: 1280x1024
Color Depth: 32
Age Range: 56 - 65
Gender: Male
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This is why I am awaiting ReactOS. But the development is so sloooowwww.
Development of a binary compatible XP clone is unlikely to speed up at this stage of the game. A couple simple things that preserve some privacy are the SRWare Iron browser and Ghostery plug in. Some sites sell you a dozen times plus. Many resources are available for those wnating to go the extra mile: Threat Wire
I work full time as an RF engineer by day, and blow up tubes in my free time. I have a 1TB hard drive nearly full of info downloaded as a result of Google searches. If they are watching they could learn all about some very old technology, and the state of the art in RF communications systems.
Despite the current MS VS Google commercials running on TV, Bing is totally useless for finding technical information, at least on my choice of topics. Google is my first choice, followed my Digikey and Mouser!
I no longer worry about it, and just try to take reasonable precautions not to leak absolutely everything about me.. OTOH who the hell is going to care about me except where crass commercial gain (or the potential for it) is involved.
I've found Bing to be generally inferior to Google on just about any topic I care to search about. Useless for tech stuff as George pointed out.
I use Ubuntu linux, XP, Win 7 and Android (Jelly Bean) and these OS collect some information on user experience, not to mention statistics, logs and application data when crashes occur.. What happens to that data is usually up to the user.
Browsers are a different can of worms. Anything you do on an ISP's network is noted. No surprise here.
I've found Bing to be generally inferior to Google on just about any topic I care to search about. Useless for tech stuff as George pointed out.
I use Ubuntu linux, XP, Win 7 and Android (Jelly Bean) and these OS collect some information on user experience, not to mention statistics, logs and application data when crashes occur.. What happens to that data is usually up to the user.
Browsers are a different can of worms. Anything you do on an ISP's network is noted. No surprise here.
I know people who claim that Norton Internet Security can and will delete files that could have been used for possible illegal activity by classifying them as virus.
About 8 to 10 years ago there was a public domain 8051 dissasembler, and some other tools that could be used to find and change a certain "branch if equal" instruction to a "branch always" instruction. This activity was rendered obsolete by a firmware change at least 8 years ago. These tools (DOS and Linux executables) sat unused on peoples archive drives for years until an update to Norton classified them as "trojan" and deleted them all.
as long they're not deleting my files , I don't give a damn
I think this is probably the prevelant view of most people. I can understand it, as i think in the most likely scenario, nothing will ever come of it. In reality, this is a dangerous train of thought. It assumes that the person takinf the info or doing the spying is benevolent, or more specifically trying to sell something or provide "security", with that info. IMO, to understand why it is a problem, yuo have to consider what happens if the harvester of info decides benevolence is not necessary. Too many examples in history of abuse began with powers tracking and trying to control behavior. Mr President was recently scolded by a German official, over recent NSA revelations. Once again, appearing as an over reaction. Consider, though, what Germany came out of. I dont say this to you, necesasarily, as I am sure I have no concept of your history, but in general, spying or harvesting data is not good.
All this assumes that you are not willing to take the simple solution and step away from the internet connection and using credit cards. All of the sudden you begin to dissapear from the grid, as now all life is based on the elcetronic world and our connection in one way or the other, to the net.
I do enjoy this forum though.
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i don't have any nasties i Need to hide but i'm sure not going to bend over for them.
I use a paid VPN service.
This is a good site for info and it's free https://www.ixquick.com
I use a paid VPN service.
This is a good site for info and it's free https://www.ixquick.com
I hate being spied on, is like walking into a bathroom with no doors and no roof.
No matter what operating system you use, everyone wants to spy on you, it can be easily checked by installing a good firewall, suddenly all your programs ask permission to go online...
It is also unreasonable to think that my laser printer needs an internet connection to connect to my pc, is not that far, until you find a java virtual machine...
Reading the news, it seems I'm not the only one.
No matter what operating system you use, everyone wants to spy on you, it can be easily checked by installing a good firewall, suddenly all your programs ask permission to go online...
It is also unreasonable to think that my laser printer needs an internet connection to connect to my pc, is not that far, until you find a java virtual machine...
Reading the news, it seems I'm not the only one.
Speaking of targeted advertising, have you checked your Google ad profile based on your surfing: Ads Settings
(only works for cookie keepers).
Among a lot of things Google listed that:
I'm a male (god to know)
I'm between 35-45 (on the verge but correct)
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