Windows 10: Microsoft: Our continuing commitment to your privacy with Windows 10

Booting W10 there many automatic connections to MicroSoft IP´s, and I can not follow why and what for. Maybe my concept of Privacy is something very different from MS concept. Any way, I feel as an Intrusion in my Privat Property any connection to MS Servers for any reason. I feel this statement about "Privacy" has other background principles as I understand of "Privacy". Seems that "we" are talking , under the same word, about different things.

 

I don't know why Microsoft doesn't just make it easy. By default everything is turned off and you have two options. First, enable Cortana, which sends user data to Microsoft for targeted ads as well as improving voice recognition and Cortana's AI. Hopefully turning Cortana into something more in the future than just a lazy man's search engine and calendar reader. Option two puts you into the Insider program. This turns on all telemetry. If you are not in the insider program you send zero telemetry.

All something they could easily roll out in about 6 months because they are very close to actually being there as it is. Then everyone is happy. People don't feel like Microsoft is spying on them by default, the Cortana fans have their features, and the Insider fans can send Microsoft all their user metadata and data.

I'm not sure why it's so hard for Microsoft to grasp this concept.

 

They don't give a s***.
Once you have installed W10 (presumably after paying for it) MS' position is, "What have you done for us lately?"

 

It already is much more. Being now used to it I wouldn't even dream running Windows 10 without it, the reason why I can't (yet) use Windows mainly in my native languages Finnish or Swedish; Cortana is not yet available in these languages.

I am not feeling nor have I ever felt that Microsoft is spying me. I also know I am not alone: majority of Windows 10 users of course know that this about Microsoft spying on users is just BS. People believing so seem surprisingly often also believe that NSA or any other agency is listening their calls, that their letters are opened and so on (this is not a fact, just a feeling I have myself knowing several members of tinfoil hat brigade, all of them having other paranoid theories in addition to Microsoft spying).

What the hell is wrong if your browsing habits and data about how you use computer is collected to improve your experience, to make things smoother? I sometimes wonder what are you guys doing with your computers when you are so afraid of some Microsoft server knowing which site you visited?

It's like when a boy meets a girl, or a boy meets a boy or a girl meets a girl or a don't know yet meets a don't know yet (to honour Microsoft's excellent and positive gesture to release a new emoji today, see screenshot after this paragraph): both must learn to know each other better to be able to work and live together. This mutual learning will last forever; if not, it ends in divorce.

The promised screenshot, from Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 15007 for PC and Mobile - Windows Experience BlogWindows Experience Blog



For me this means that when clean installing Windows I always select Custom settings instead of Express settings and check that everything is turned on. It means that when first time on desktop after installation I set Windows, Cortana, Bing (and yes, Google, too) to remember my choices, to help me in my computer usage, everything.

I am not worried about Microsoft finding out that I called my ex-wife "Blöde Kuh" (she's German, she hadn't understood "Stupid Cow") in an email or told my forums friend Cliff in Skype that I drove 30 mph over speedlimit, or that in a text message I sent from Cortana I mentioned I hate most of the authorities, especially the bureaucracy in my adopted home country.

Do you guys really think Microsoft will pick that information, inform my ex about my ugly words, local police about me speeding, authorities about my hatred? No way. There really is nothing true in rumors about Microsoft collecting embarrassing pictures from various user's OneDrive to circulate them in campus cafeteria in Redmond.

I am important to Microsoft as a Windows user. My private life is profoundly, completely unimportant to them. They are not and will not spy on me. They are helping me to make my Windows experience better.

You really mean that Microsoft should do Windows for the paranoid minority?

 

Some people don't mind sharing and some people do. I myself just want to control what I do and don't share. As for Cortana, I use it to search and that's all I ever plan to use it for. I don't even have a microphone hooked to my computer.

 

Have you never seen ads asking you to buy Microsoft products, Office, OneDrive, their Music, videos, etc.? And my main complaint is that old versions of windows when you did a search for system information, lets say 'restore' it would search relevant items only within the confines of the help menus in the OS. But not Windows 10, Cortana is the same thing as doing a web search using Edge, IE or Chrome, just not at all helpful.

Windows 10 is all about pushing MS content, and vendors content. Even if you make a local account, it is tracked. Their policy should be to opt in for their wares if you desire, not trying to figure out how to turn it off.

If you reread the OP post, it talks all about safe guarding your information. They shouldn't collect it to begin with, they have turned Windows into a super web browser, with some functionality. IMO

In all the years I have had a computer, the only account I have ever had hacked, was my Microsoft account, not hotmail, or Outlook, but my actuall MS account.

 

I think the question, at the End, is about a modern way of Personalized Advertisement Strategy. In former times, peoples Postbox were flooded with Paper Advertisements and even some Governments were forced to Stop that way of unwanted Advertisement.
Now, Companies found a better, cheaper, efficient and more personalized way to put in front of your eyes their Products.
I am totally against that kind of things, it is just disturbing, irritating me. And about Cortana I have disabled it.
That is why I am Blocking any and every "Data Collection".

 

Disturbing, Irritating......do get a grip.

Definitions.
Disturbing.....living in a war zone.
Irritating.....a bad case of acne.

 

When it comes down to it, Everyone agrees to the Windows EULA when they install the software, If you do not like the terms of the licence you are agreeing to you will have to find another Operating system to use, or design and build your own

 

@Kari,
It isn't about what I browse. We Americans are a funny lot, we like our privacy. Personally, for me, it's bandwidth and stability. Like was mentioned either in this thread or another by another user, I turned off all telemetry in the Pro version via group policy. My machine is now rock solid and event viewer is much quieter.

As to performance, on my tower it makes no difference. When I shut it down on my little 2n1 11 inch Lenovo I did see a performance boost. So taking cycles on some hardware for telemetry, Cortana etc. can impact your experience in a negative way.

What is ill conceived by Microsoft is turning all this stuff on by default. Some people love it. Be that as it may, what I said earlier still stands. There isn't a need to remove anything, just simplify how things are turned on and off and leave features turned off by default, and during setup the user can turn on what they want, or later via the settings panel. Everyone wins.

 

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