Trade your privacy for free software?
Category: PC, Posted: 12/11/2007 at 05:18PM EST by Frank Ling, Content Contributor
If you aren't paranoid about being spied upon by big companies, you can now officially be spied upon by signing up with Microsoft in a venture named the Windows Feedback Program, which helps Microsoft to improve their products.
What this entails is giving up your privacy to let Microsoft track your computer habits for three months automatically. Of if you are uncomfortable with this, you can also manually send in your feedback. You'll also have to fill out surveys at specified intervals as well.
The payoff? You get your choice of selecting one of the following software programs, free of charge, if you fully participate in the Windows Feedback Program:
- Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (32-bit and 64-bit DVD)
- Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007
- Microsoft Money Plus Premium
- Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2008
- Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008
So, would you allow the Big M to snoop in your computer for three full months for one of the freebies? For more info, go to the official Microsoft site here.
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maby if i wasent so naughty
Yeah, um, hell no.
Open source software is better anyway.
This actually isn't so bad, I suppose. Of course, MS should be doing their own in-house QA, but for the end-user to score a LEGITIMATE copy of Vista/Office/Encarta for free, they're at least offering reasonable compensation for the trouble.
There is nothing wrong with this. Especially since they could snoop anyway if they felt like it. I wouldn't do it for the same reason as BINGO... good deal for peoples who are on the up and up though.
Yeah, there're a fair amount of us with... Less than legal software and somewhat immoral web browsing that we wouldn't exactly want to surrender to a big corporation. But if I get a new computer any time soon, I'd do that with the new one. Basically just for the free Vista. Don't want Vista, but I fear that one day, it'll become necessary for my gaming purposes, and having it in reserve (and for free) wouldn't be half bad.
I'm actually considering this.
Pffffft. US residents of 18 or older.
Hmmmm, free Vista you say??
I wonder if I'd get in trouble if the "illegal" software I use is stuff provided by the companies themselves?
Hmmm, i think i would get reported for the some odd , 9550 songs i have.... all legal of course.
In the back of my mind, I remember the story Billy put up on how the cops nabbed a bunch of crooks by offering them free Xbox 360s in the scam. But of course, the Big M wouldn't do that with this program...er, would they? (looks left, looks right)