Windows 8 kill code

[Fallen Kell]

Please cite an example where Apple has not just used, but abused their kill switch. Then we can talk. Until then, you are dealing with hypotheticals not grounded in reality that are easily swayed by sensationalism.

Not Apple, but Amazon:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20...emoving-more-ebooks-you-bought-archives.shtml

 

[Nothinman]

Not Apple, but Amazon:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20...emoving-more-ebooks-you-bought-archives.shtml

And even without that specific example, we shouldn't be so willing to give away the rights to our devices on the hopes that a company won't abuse those rights. Because inevitably they will, whether it's intentional or not.

 

[rasczak]

If the app store is the culprit, then disable the service? Just seems logical to me.

 

[Nothinman]

If the app store is the culprit, then disable the service? Just seems logical to me.

That doesn't work if you want to use apps from the store, which will be the case more and more as MS pushes things to Metro.

 

[Brovane]

And even without that specific example, we shouldn't be so willing to give away the rights to our devices on the hopes that a company won't abuse those rights. Because inevitably they will, whether it's intentional or not.

Don't buy the product. Google and Apple are already doing the same thing in the tablet space. Are you suprised that MS moving into the same space is going to do the same thing?

 

[Nothinman]

Don't buy the product. Google and Apple are already doing the same thing in the tablet space. Are you suprised that MS moving into the same space is going to do the same thing?

Of course I'm not surprised, but Google and Apple are much more niche right now which is why most people don't care or haven't noticed. If MS can actually pull this off you know they'll want to apply it to the desktop side eventually too and that will be one huge step towards never owning your PC again.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm shocked at the number of people who think it's acceptable to have a company take liberties with their computers. What if the USA re-instituted black slavery, but said we're not actually going to do it? You could look at the last hundred or so years, and say "Yea, maybe they won't", but if I were black, I'd be very uncomfortable, and likely GingTFO of Dodge as soon as possible.

 

[ViRGE]

I'm shocked at the number of people who think it's acceptable to have a company take liberties with their computers. What if the USA re-instituted black slavery, but said we're not actually going to do it? You could look at the last hundred or so years, and say "Yea, maybe they won't", but if I were black, I'd be very uncomfortable, and likely GingTFO of Dodge as soon as possible.

That's a terrible analogy. Slavery is never good; app killswitches are usually good.

 

[Nothinman]

That's a terrible analogy. Slavery is never good; app killswitches are usually good.

While I'm not a fan of the analogy either, I would never consider an app kill switch operated by a large corporation a good thing either.

 

[lxskllr]

That's a terrible analogy. Slavery is never good; app killswitches are usually good.

Then you got wrong point. The point is when there's a contract that says one thing, history, and verbal statements are worthless. It doesn't matter what Apple, Amazon, MS, or you say, when there's a piece of paper that defines what you can do.

On the specific point of kill switches, they aren't good. Maybe I actually like that particular piece of malware. Bonzai buddy had a huge following, even from people that knew it's true nature. A less drastic case is RealPlayer. I liked that bit of software, and after some tweaking, I eliminated its most egregious behavior. The final decision should always be with the person that owns the hardware.

 

[Scooby Doo]

LOL there should be a kill code for Metro.

 

[VirtualLarry]

That's a terrible analogy. Slavery is never good; app killswitches are usually good.

Only if your a communist or fascist.

 

[VirtualLarry]

On the specific point of kill switches, they aren't good. Maybe I actually like that particular piece of malware. Bonzai buddy had a huge following, even from people that knew it's true nature.

This is true. I knew a lady that installed Bonzai Buddy, and Comet Cursor, intentionally, because she liked them. WeatherBug too.

 

[Chiropteran]

app killswitches are usually good.

Citation needed.

 

[Global688]

You guys realize that newer processors are going to have a kill switch as well? I'd wager about a week after release someone will come out with a "patch" to disable the MS kill code and remove it from the computer. Same thing with a BIOS update to disable the kill switch on the processor.

 

[ViRGE]

Citation needed.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/06/google-flips-android-kill-switch-destroys-a-batch-of-malicious/

 

[KillerBee]

I'm not quite up to RMS, but I'm getting there. .

I hope not ..RMS is insane as far as being a developer ... here is a recent interview with him.
http://www.jupiterbroadcasting.com/17822/richard-stallman-gnulas-s20e10/

 

[lxskllr]

I hope not ..RMS is insane as far as being a developer ... here is a recent interview with him.
http://www.jupiterbroadcasting.com/17822/richard-stallman-gnulas-s20e10/

I saw that show, as well as a couple others to get a feel for what they're about. Never again. It's a terrible show, and they're terrible interviewers. RMS is a Buddha, and a guidepost to the enlightened path. Those 2 clowns would be lucky to accomplish in 20 lifetimes what RMS has accomplished in this one.

 

[KillerBee]

I thought it was very fair show. All his views didn't seem so insane till the end when he started saying:

If you make a living as paid programmer to support your kids
then you need to get another job

The thing to do is - do not have kids in the first place.

If you are making "non-free" software - it is unethical
basically it's the same as being an Enron executive ripping off shareholders.

and then look at the distros which he is against
http://www.gnu.org/distros/common-distros.html

 

[lxskllr]

I thought it was very fair show. All his views didn't seem so insane till the end when he started saying:

If you make a living as paid programmer to support your kids
then you need to get another job

The thing to do is - do not have kids in the first place.

If you are making "non-free" software - it is unethical
basically it's the same as being an Enron executive ripping off shareholders.

Those are no surprises. He's held those positions his whole life. Proprietary software is bad, period. To RMS there is no way to make an honest living, and live an ethical life by making proprietary software. There aren't any degrees, where some level of proprietary software is ok.

In general, I think he's right. I don't follow as stringent a path, but I consider that more a failing on my part than of his.

Edit:
With the distros, it's because they allow non-free software. Again, it's more stringent than my views, but it makes sense, even on a practical level. By saying "fsck it, Flash works ok, and it doesn't hurt much" it leads to apathy, and complacency where people start accepting more and more proprietary software as ok. You see that with 100% proprietary software users as shown in this thread. 15 years ago no one would have accepted the egregious DRM, and remote kill switches many seem to accept today. If you let your rights go a little bit at a time, one day you find you have no rights at all.

 

[KillerBee]

I just don't want programmers even flipping my burgers - but I do have faith they will make some good s/w - and if they need to feed their kids along the way - I don't diss them for it

 

[Nothinman]

I just don't want programmers even flipping my burgers - but I do have faith they will make some good s/w - and if they need to feed their kids along the way - I don't diss them for it

I don't have a problem with them getting paid, but they can do that with free software too. Like lxskllr, I'm not as outwardly extreme about it as RMS. But I'm always going to choose free software for myself whenever possible because I don't want to get locked into some corporation's proprietary data formats and the like.

 

[yugpatel]

In my opinion, it is better to have kill switch but let end user make a call whether to delete the app or not. Like most of the phone and tablet users, being not-so-technical, would not even know if any malicious app is pilfering their personal info. Let user have control over the final action like spell checker, let me know and I will decide what to do the next.