On Mon, 12 Mar 2007, in the Usenet newsgroup alt.computer.security, in article
<45f5ffb7$0$28167$4c368faf@roadrunner.com>, Steve H. wrote:

>"Moe Trin" <ibuprofin@painkiller.example.tld> wrote

>> Steve H. wrote:

>>>Someone on another BBS I'm on declared that Microsoft might secretly
>>>whitelist certain spyware companies. This is total BS, right ? I cannot
>>>imagine Microsoft doing this and the resulting scandal.

>> In case you're not trolling, point your news reader to the news groups
>> "alt.privacy" and "alt.spyware". Or just hit google and find a copy of
>> the microsoft EULA

>The question was serious. Thanks.

Sorry - didn't mean to kick over the ant-hill, but the bottom line is
that you need to read the EULA, and then figure out if that agreement
is what you want. You may be thinking about the stink that was raised
when Sony was caught installing spyware in late 2005 (google for the
key "Sony+spyware" if you've forgotten). The difference in the Sony
case was that there was no notice, and no consent of any kind. Microsoft
is also a major player in the Digital Rights Management arena, and the
difference is that they tell you they are doing this - but few people
bother to read the agreements they are accepting when they install or
update their windoze computers.

Not reading agreements is fairly common. Few people read (let alone
understand) the contracts for such things as the loans used to buy cars
or houses, and even the relatively straight-forward agreement for starting
telephone, electrical or water service at their residence, renting a car,
or shipping a package (or person) across a state line.

Old guy