Re: [Off Topic] Windows Genuine Advantage

["Patricia M. Godfrey" priscamg@xxxxxxxx]

Michael Norman wrote:
> > I'm curious whether others are simply ignoring the
> issue, downloading
> the two WGA components (required if you want to use
> WinAutoUpdates)
> and just keeping to their work.

I should point out that my own practice is probably
extremely risky. But I prefer to take my chances with
crackers than with Microsludge, who (presumably) knows
a lot more about the inner workings of its systems.

First of all, except for the one box at the office,
which I only use back it up, I don't use XP. But if I
did, I should probably follow my usual practice on
other Windows boxes: I don't update or patch beyond the
initial install. When I install Windows, I install all
service packs available (except that lacking a
broadband connection, I haven't gotten the latest ones,
which would take days over dialup). And that's it. I do
NOT patch afterwards. I've heard too many horror
stories of M$'s patches breaking half a dozen things
that were working fine to fix one vulnerability.

Except for one work-related chore (on a dedicated box),
I never use IE online. Never touch Outtaluck Express.
Have ZoneAlarm on, and only allow FireFox, Thunderbird,
Juno, and Acrobat Reader to access the Net. NOTHING can
act as a server. Don't allow ActiveX. Don't download
plug-ins (not even from the Vatican site). Don't
respond to phishing schemes (even the extremely
plausible one I just got, purporting to come from
CompUSA, where I do have a rebate pending. I may call
the phone number on my sales slip). Don't open
attachments unless I'm darn sure what's in them.

And so far, so good. If push comes to shove, I'd rather
wipe my drive and reinstall everything than let BBBG
get his claws into my system. If this be paranoia, make
the most of it.

Jordan Fox wrote:
>>Personally, I have not run into WGA myself (at
>>Windows Update, etc.), apparently because I have the
>>corporate editions of W2K and XP.
Doesn't THAT just tell you what it's all about? Make
unpaid--heck we have to pay for the dubious
privilege--beta testers of all the J. Random Users, but
they know better that to try and inflict that on the
corporate fatcats. (Apologies to all four-footed felines.)

>>I keep hearing good things about UBUNTU
>>Linux, equipped with WINE to run a lot of the Win
>>app.s . . .
Xandros also comes with CrossOver Office (a commercial
release of Wine), and SuSe has both that and DOSBox.
Both are partly commercial, but I gather SuSe (now
owned by Novell) is mostly open source. The paid
version gives you a few extras and some docs, and I
think that's well worth paying for. I don't object on
principle to people's making money. I do object to
lousy products and unconscionable business practices,
and the name of that is Microsoft.
Sorry, didn't mean to get off on a rant, but BBBG does
that to me.
--
Patricia M. Godfrey
PriscaMG@xxxxxxxx