News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Microsoft apparently removing ‘Offline Accounts’ for inte... by jevgeni on Sunday February 23, 2020 @04:27AM (#22395947)
The fact that you have to actively and deliberately fork over cash for Windows, but not for Android, where it's hidden -- that really seems to trip people up.
Re:Microsoft apparently removing ‘Offline Accounts’ for inte... by enitihas on Sunday February 23, 2020 @04:58AM (#22396017)
And it's not hidden in windows, where you have candy crush pre-installed and ads in the start menu. So in windows, you fork over cash, give your data, and then have to seem some ads.
Re:Microsoft apparently removing ‘Offline Accounts’ for inte... by pjmlp on Sunday February 23, 2020 @05:06AM (#22396048)
Candy crush is not pre-installed, it is just a link to the store, easily removable with right mouse click.

Gee, I never saw people complain this way with Solitaire, Mineswepper, GNOME Games Suit, or the dump of floppies they would get on their Atari/Amiga/PC bundles.

Re:Microsoft apparently removing ‘Offline Accounts’ for inte... by shakna on Sunday February 23, 2020 @05:16AM (#22396088)
> Gee, I never saw people complain this way with Solitaire, Mineswepper, GNOME Games Suit, or the dump of floppies they would get on their Atari/Amiga/PC bundles.

Strange. Especially as those didn't actively run analytics when you run them. Perhaps those two situations aren't completely comparable.

Re:Microsoft apparently removing ‘Offline Accounts’ for inte... by jevgeni on Sunday February 23, 2020 @06:40AM (#22396385)
This is very little to do with privacy matters if you look at the comments here.
Re:Microsoft apparently removing ‘Offline Accounts’ for inte... by ptx on Sunday February 23, 2020 @05:26AM (#22396140)
The difference is that in one case the developer is adding something purely because they think it might benefit the user, and in the other case the developer is being paid by a third party to do something to the user that they wouldn't otherwise have done.
Re:Microsoft apparently removing ‘Offline Accounts’ for inte... by jevgeni on Sunday February 23, 2020 @06:37AM (#22396378)
How is that different from any OEM bundling then?

And also, how would a link to the store track and analyse you?

Re:Microsoft apparently removing ‘Offline Accounts’ for inte... by ptx on Sunday February 23, 2020 @11:28AM (#22397683)
I guess it isn't really any different from OEM bundling, other than that you now have two links in the supply chain (both Microsoft and the OEM) being paid by third parties for adulterating the product.

(I didn't say anything about tracking, but there's plenty of that in Windows already. There are settings, enabled by default, to let Microsoft track every application you launch and every website you visit.)

Re:Microsoft apparently removing ‘Offline Accounts’ for inte... by pjmlp on Sunday February 23, 2020 @06:43AM (#22396397)
Windows stuff is not stored in ROM.
Re:Microsoft apparently removing ‘Offline Accounts’ for inte... by pjc50 on Sunday February 23, 2020 @06:06AM (#22396274)
Not really - the vast majority of Windows installs are just as OEM as Android.
Re:Microsoft apparently removing ‘Offline Accounts’ for inte... by jevgeni on Sunday February 23, 2020 @06:38AM (#22396381)
Which makes the hypocrisy even more blatant.