Author Topic: Microsoft spying on newsgroup posters.  (Read 563 times)

Laukev7

  • VIP
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,834
  • Kudos: 495
Microsoft spying on newsgroup posters.
« on: 21 August 2003, 00:52 »
http://news.com.com/2008-1082_3-5065298.html

I recall seeing a thread about Microsoft visiting the MES forums. I guess it's true.

1984. Big Brother is watching you!

Fett101

  • VIP
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,581
  • Kudos: 85
    • http://fgmma.com
Microsoft spying on newsgroup posters.
« Reply #1 on: 21 August 2003, 01:04 »
I doubt that's a new marketing technique for many places. Some companies even post threads in order to get people to talk about their product. Fox has these M80 teams that give fans prizes for spamming their products on boards

Pissed_Macman

  • VIP
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,499
  • Kudos: 0
    • http://www.macrevolution.tk
Microsoft spying on newsgroup posters.
« Reply #2 on: 21 August 2003, 04:10 »
How is this a surprise? Of course Microsoft, as well as any company in their position, would do this.

Canadian Lover

  • VIP
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 713
  • Kudos: 122
Microsoft spying on newsgroup posters.
« Reply #3 on: 21 August 2003, 04:24 »
That's the problem with microsoft, they have big brother on there side.

Laukev7

  • VIP
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,834
  • Kudos: 495
Microsoft spying on newsgroup posters.
« Reply #4 on: 21 August 2003, 05:29 »
quote:
Originally posted by Laukev 7:


shat up, frad!



Yay, I've been spoofed! I'm famous!

By the way, fuck off.

Pissed_Macman

  • VIP
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,499
  • Kudos: 0
    • http://www.macrevolution.tk
Microsoft spying on newsgroup posters.
« Reply #5 on: 21 August 2003, 06:00 »
It's the internet for crying out loud! They're not hacking into anywhere private, they're accessing info that is free to everyone.

Laukev7

  • VIP
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,834
  • Kudos: 495
Microsoft spying on newsgroup posters.
« Reply #6 on: 21 August 2003, 06:34 »
Well, yeah. The information in itself is freely available. But imagine if they associate that with their databases of private information...

If someone uses M$ Windoze, and dares to speak against His Gateness, they'll know who he is.

Just a thought.

bigsleep

  • Member
  • **
  • Posts: 105
  • Kudos: 0
Microsoft spying on newsgroup posters.
« Reply #7 on: 21 August 2003, 13:47 »
Sounds like bullshit to me. A social scientist that knows little about usenet trying to create a pattern from random human behavior. That's like trying to predict the weather without satellites.
"Leave my messages alone," and we respect that.
Uh-uh, and MS doesn't steal keywords off my website either.
"We accept that and hope we can offer people good prophylactics against loss of privacy. And that may mean keeping multiple IDs and e-mail addresses."
More bull - we're talking about public domain here - why try to candy-coat it?

M51DPS

  • VIP
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 608
  • Kudos: 30
Microsoft spying on newsgroup posters.
« Reply #8 on: 21 August 2003, 21:54 »
Let them see it. It doesn't really matter since it is available to everyone. Oh yeah, buy Coca-Cola