I doubt there are enough people who care. Google has already proved that seemingly benevolent spying is a highly profitable business model. Most people aren't bothered, or even know, that they are being "Scroogled". Microsoft is just following suite. Sadly it seems to be a sign of things to come.

The potential big difference here is that it affects people's work computers, where they do things for organizations that have a strong interest in keeping information from leaking out. Such companies probably were never happy with corporate data passing through Android smartphones, and might have forbidden it. Now they know they can't trust Windows workstations either.

Win10 enterprise has the no telemetry option for a reason.

Because every small business uses Win10 enterprise?

Most enterprises that care probably is. And it is possible for small businesses to get, just costs a bit more (including Software Assurance renewal) and it also gets you access to things like LTSB.

Maybe some small businesses don't care, but the people whose data they are handling might not agree with that stance.

And don't some of the same companies store all their company documents, email etc. on Google Apps? Or on Dropbox?

Many do, but many don't. For those that don't, suddenly having the dominant desktop OS turn on them is going to be a big deal.

> And don't some of the same companies store all their company documents, email etc. on Google Apps? Or on Dropbox?

Storing company confidential information on services not controlled by the company is explicitly forbidden at many large corporations. They run their own email servers (not Google Apps), and often ban & block things like Dropbox outright.

1) Internet web sites have always been "lit up with speculation".

2) Microsoft's "spying" has been going on since Windows Vista was released, and speculation has gone along with it.

3) Since the 1990's, next year has always been "the year of desktop Linux."

People keep saying that there was spying going on from XP or Vista, but "spying" isn't a binary state. The amount of intended data-slurping has increased incomparably.

You can choose between telemetry levels in Win10 though.

I think Navarr is fully aware of the Linux desktop meme. It's clearly tongue-in-cheek

Yes, thank you. Though honestly the people who really do care about this will see the coming year as year of the Linux desktop.

And to me it seems like a lot of HNers care that Windows is sending all this telemetry. (Aren't we the same group that is obsessed with A/B tests and recording analytics on everything a user does on our website?)

Agree. There seem to be hundreds of analytics services. Use of those is totally correct, obviously. The more specific the merrier.

I'm inclined to agree, albeit begrudgingly. I am more-or-less happy with the usability of Win 8.1, but I'm not willing to have my machine turned into a permanent outpost of the NSA.

First, the website is down. Second there is always overblown paranoia that runs with every release of Windows. I wish if EFF or atleast ArsTechnica would cover so atleast it will be a proving point for these independent blogs. For all I know is that these updates could be for someone who has already signed up for "Sent diagnostics to Microsoft for product improvement" on their existing Windows. Else it has to be the dumbest spyware that comes with a release note, description and a self describing name.

>2016 is the year of desktop linux.

I don't care if it is Linux, Apple or Windows. As long as someone can guarantee a certain degree of usability and a common sense of privacy, I wouldn't mind switching. However at this point where even open source is taking a nose dive (eg: "Ubuntu and Amazon Search", "Chrome and proprietary blobs", "Firefox with Hello and Pocket"), I am not sure anymore. If it keeps up this rate, in the future people might look back and see privacy as a silly idea /sad.

It's since 2006 that every year is gonna be the year of linux on the desktop. Except it never happens.

I guess you haven't witnessed Corel Linux, Wordperfect for Linux or Loki Entertainment. It's been predicted way longer than 2006.

Ps. Sorry for the accidental downvote :(.

Can attest. Used Linux as primary OS for last 2-3 years in college, then got a job doing development on Linux, then worked for a Linux startup in early 2000's (we hired a couple ex Loki employees). Linux on the desktop has been a roller-coaster movement since not long after it's inception, likely around the time KDE and Gnome were released with some level of maturity. There was always the ported desktop managers but I don't think it's had much viability for dominance until OpenOffice came along.

Oh! Someone that remember Corel OS. I have one disc yet somewhere...

Yeah :). I was mostly using Slackware Linux at the time, but my brother bought a Corel Linux box at the time. If I remember correctly, it came with an inflatable Tux.

I also had a separate copy of WordPerfect for Linux for a long time. It still worked fine until I sold it on eBay, thanks to libc5 compatibility in most distributions. Even though I stopped using it at some point, I continued to use the Type 1 fonts that came on the CD.