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Selenia
Gentoo Convert
Premium Member
join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

2 recommendations

Selenia to Mele20

Premium Member

to Mele20

Re: UTM cookies forced here on Fx and IE! HELP!

We got a PICNIC problem here(problem in chair, not in computer). The problem that resides in that chair has lost the very spirit of security and is simply driving herself nuts. The spirit of security is to keep crucial data under lock and key, where it belongs, and to keep good system integrity(good running order and not leaking crucial info), keeping potential cybercriminals of all sort at bay. So, dslr supports itself by letting Google know that you are a very loyal poster and love this site, without identifying you personally? So, there is a proud member by the name of Mele20 here and we know it, so does all knowing Google, so what? I am just trying to understand how you lose sleep over something like this, but endorse use of commercial software that actually does collect personal info, but are not bothered by that. This is pretty easy to block and I endorse control of your info, but you seem to worry about the wrong things. I use hosts files, etc to block intrusive content that ruins my experience and known malware hosts. Not to deprive every site in existence of earning a living and paying the bills in non-intrusive ways, even by noticing my taste in handbags. Worry about exploits, your bank and CC numbers, etc. Not about Google knowing you like computer security. Life is too short and there are far more nefarious things out there that I am researching daily, and even helping with patches for the Linux kernel(collects no personal info, unlike MS).
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

said by Selenia:

I am just trying to understand how you lose sleep over something like this, but endorse use of commercial software that actually does collect personal info, but are not bothered by that. This is pretty easy to block and I endorse control of your info, but you seem to worry about the wrong things. I use hosts files, etc to block intrusive content that ruins my experience and known malware hosts. Not to deprive every site in existence of earning a living and paying the bills in non-intrusive ways, even by noticing my taste in handbags. Worry about exploits, your bank and CC numbers, etc. Not about Google knowing you like computer security. Life is too short and there are far more nefarious things out there that I am researching daily, and even helping with patches for the Linux kernel(collects no personal info, unlike MS).

What commercial software have I endorsed that spies on me?

I use HostsMan but I immediately needed to come to this site right after I set up the computer. (Besides, postlist/all is my home page on all browsers so IE automatically came here as soon as I configured its settings). I had NO programs installed. So, tell me how I could have used HostsMan and my custom hosts file (which blocks all Google tracking) when the file is on my XP computer and this new computer wasn't seeing the XP computer so I could get the file off it right away? (Ironically, the new computer sees a virtual machine running on the host but doesn't see the host machine and the file I needed I had put in the host's shared folder not in the virtual machine's shared folder). To make it more difficult, I only have ONE monitor at the moment and I have to keep unhooking it from the computer I am on and hooking it to the other computer...back and forth...moving furniture to do this which has to be moved back every night so I don't fall over it in the dark.

Selenia
Gentoo Convert
Premium Member
join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

3 recommendations

Selenia

Premium Member

Windows, for one. Microsoft forces you to register to get support with personally identifiable information. It then collects personally identifiable unique info about your PC and sends it to MS update. These cookies you worry about from Google are not personally identifiable to you by name. They track habits of 1 PC user across their partners, at best. You never registered anything with them. Dslr cookies are only personally identifiable to dslr, worst case scenario. What is different about Google, dslr, and MS in your eyes?
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

1 edit

Mele20

Premium Member

I don't use Windows Update. When I was able to get security patches on XP Pro SP 2, I always got them from Microsoft download site, one by one, and I never got any that required WGA or WGA Notification. I have not used used Windows Update since 2004.

I did use it ONE time on the new computer because I didn't know how to see what security updates are not on this computer because of the build date. Then I permanently disabled it and I need to figure out how to stop Win 8 from bugging me about having disabled Windows Update. I will get security updates from now on for the Win 8 computer by reading the monthly Security bulletin that arrives in my email ,and that I can read here also, and then go to the KB article and download the update directly. I would never update drivers, etc. from Windows Update.

The UTM cookies identify me so that Google can attempt to build a file on me. You can't be too careful with Google. I would trust Microsoft over Google as far as tracking me but only slightly more than I trust Google. I use GoogleSharing extension so that all my Google searches are scrambled in with tons of others and I can't be identified. This extension is why I don't search on SeaMonkey (it is not ported there yet) and only rarely on Opera or IE the latter which I don't use on the XP host computer and only a little on Win 8 because I was curious about IE 10.

I am a long time member of Microsoft's Windows Panel. But I CHOSE to accept an invitation to become a Panel member...it was not forced on me like UTM cookies or Google spying or Bing spying. Ironically, Microsoft, a few hours ago, sent a new Windows Panel survey asking about Win 8 and Bing and Google and IE 10 usage/non usage. I told Microsoft I use Google and never Bing and the reason is because I can stay private using Google search because of the Fx extension Google Sharing. That answer generated more dynamic questions about Bing and why I won't use it, and why I don't use IE, etc. I believe strongly in giving good feedback and who knows maybe answers like mine will spur a little thought on Microsoft's part. I expect more surveys soon all on Win 8 reactions/experiences.

edit: I haven't used Belarc Advisor in ages since I have XP Pro SP2 so I never thought till just this moment that I should have installed it on Win 8 right away and let it tell me what security patches were missing on the new computer. Then I could have gotten each one individually from Windows Download site (unless there were a ton of them missing where doing it that would have taken forever).