Bonum Certa Men Certa

Reader's Post: 3 Stories on Advising Against Using IE

Microsoft BBC



Summary: Criticisms brought forth by several Boycott Novell readers

EARLIER TODAY we wrote about the BBC's poor coverage of Internet Explorer (IE) denouncements, which happened at a national level. Instead of just reporting the news, the BBC added Microsoft spin and some readers of ours saw that clearly. Separately, and completely independently from the previous post, another reader wrote to us some hours ago:

I just read a story this morning on the BBC where France joins Germany in advising against the use of Internet Explorer. It tries to discourage people from switching by saying that other browsers may have other security problems and quotes Microsoft as saying that IE is the "most secure browser":

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8463516.stm

I notice that the above story differs a bit from the original story where it was only Germany giving this advice. This story doesn't contain so much of the Microsoft "hard sell" words such as "most secure browser":

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8465038.stm

I suppose that means that Microsoft is really worried about this latest event. Finally, here is a story in French for comparison. Of the 3 stories, this one by far seems the most straightforward and factual:

http://www.lemonde.fr/technologies...

A summary of the Microsoft sourced content is something like "Microsoft completely rejects the allegations and says that the security problems encountered by Google do not affect ordinary users. The problem can be solved by setting the security level to 'high'." It goes on to say that BSI says that raising the security level makes the attacks more difficult, but does not prevent them completely. The article ends by saying that setting security to 'high' disables ActiveX and Javascript, which may render some Websites completely inaccessible. MS-BBC indeed!



Another reader wrote to us the following two days ago:

This incident shows how easy Microsofters can operate posing as ICT workers.

Everyone 'understands' the idea of practicing medicine and many spotted trouble but no one did anything about it for the longest time:

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.

Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done

Very few understand ICT so if a whole IT department gets replaced by poseurs, there's no one to call them on it. Even if there is, like in the fake doctor case, they'll keep their mouth shut hoping that 'someone' would have prevented any mischief.


Microsoft-oriented administrators are notorious for just rebooting and never actually diagnosing issues, which means that the issues will recur.

Some other interesting input from readers can be found in the IRC channel. Yesterday for example we learned from Eruaran that "Microsoft has discontinued XP Pro, but technically business customers can still use it. They are artificially inflating Windows 7 numbers by forcing people to buy Windows 7. One of our business clients today needed to upgrade from Windows 2000 to XP because of lack of driver support on newer hardware."

"Same trick [are] applied to Vista figures," says FurnaceBoy.

“They are looking forward to MS putting XP under the deprecated OS list.”
      --Oiaohm
Eruaran continues: "According to Microsoft, if they buy Windows 7 Professional they can use one of their Windows XP Profesional license keys to install XP on that system, then call Microsoft to tell them that they bought W7Pro and they are ok with that. Windows 7 never gets installed, Windows XP does, but they have to buy a Windows 7 license. Microsoft is promoting the idea that 'business is embracing Windows 7', but its a complete crock."

Oiaohm writes: "MS forget to tell people that entities like charities got free upgrades for Vista to Windows 7 in there usable licence keys and can install back to windows 2000 under that licence. Yet everyone else is expect to pay for upgrades. [...] No new issued keys. By the roll. Each roll is 10 000 keys. So far they have not got through the first roll. They are looking forward to MS putting XP under the deprecated OS list."

This sure puts Vista 7 in perspective, doesn't it? Never underestimate public relations (PR). You know that they lie when their lips are moving. It's their job to deceive; those who do not deceive will not survive in this job.

Comments

Recent Techrights' Posts

Comparing U.E.F.I. to B.I.O.S. (Bloat and Insecurity to K.I.S.S.)
By Sami Tikkanen
New 'Slides' From Stallman Support (stallmansupport.org) Site
"In celebration of RMS's birthday, we've been playing a bit. We extracted some quotes from the various articles, comments, letters, writings, etc. and put them in the form of a slideshow in the home page."
Thailand: GNU/Linux Up to 6% of Desktops/Laptops, According to statCounter
Desktop Operating System Market Share Thailand
António Campinos is Still 'The Fucking President' (in His Own Words) After a Fake 'Election' in 2022 (He Bribed All the Voters to Keep His Seat)
António Campinos and the Administrative Council, whose delegates he clearly bribed with EPO budget in exchange for votes
Adrian von Bidder, homeworking & Debian unexplained deaths
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Sainsbury’s Epic Downtime Seems to be Microsoft's Fault and Might Even Constitute a Data Breach (Legal Liability)
one of Britain's largest groceries (and beyond) chains
 
People Don't Just Kill Themselves (Same for Other Animals)
And recent reports about Boeing whistleblower John Barnett
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 18, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, March 18, 2024
Suicide Cluster Cover-up tactics & Debian exposed
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 19/03/2024: A Society That Lost Focus and Abandoning Social Control Media
Links for the day
Matthias Kirschner, FSFE: Plagiarism & Child labour in YH4F
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Linux Foundation Boasting About Being Connected to Bill Gates
Examples of boasting about the association
Alexandre Oliva's Article on Monstering Cults
"I'm told an earlier draft version of this post got published elsewhere. Please consider this IMHO improved version instead."
[Meme] 'Russian' Elections in Munich (Bavaria, Germany)
fake elections
Sainsbury's to Techrights: Yes, Our Web Site Broke Down, But We Cannot Say Which Part or Why
Windows TCO?
Plagiarism: Axel Beckert (ETH Zurich) & Debian Developer list hacking
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 18/03/2024: Putin Cements Power
Links for the day
Flashback 2003: Debian has always had a toxic culture
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
[Meme] You Know You're Winning the Argument When...
EPO management starts cursing at everybody (which is what's happening)
Catspaw With Attitude
The posts "they" complain about merely point out the facts about this harassment and doxing
'Clown Computing' Businesses Are Waning and the Same Will Happen to 'G.A.I.' Businesses (the 'Hey Hi' Fame)
decrease in "HEY HI" (AI) hype
Free Software Needs Watchdogs, Too
Gentle lapdogs prevent self-regulation and transparency
Matthias Kirschner, FSFE analogous to identity fraud
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 18/03/2024: LLM Inference and Can We Survive Technology?
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, March 17, 2024
IRC logs for Sunday, March 17, 2024
Links 17/03/2024: Microsoft Windows Shoves Ads Into Third-Party Software, More Countries Explore TikTok Ban
Links for the day
Molly Russell suicide & Debian Frans Pop, Lucy Wayland, social media deaths
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Our Plans for Spring
Later this year we turn 18 and a few months from now our IRC community turns 16
Open Invention Network (OIN) Fails to Explain If Linux is Safe From Microsoft's Software Patent Royalties (Charges)
Keith Bergelt has not replied to queries on this very important matter
RedHat.com, Brought to You by Microsoft Staff
This is totally normal, right?
USPTO Corruption: People Who Don't Use Microsoft Will Be Penalised ~$400 for Each Patent Filing
Not joking!
The Hobbyists of Mozilla, Where the CEO is a Bigger Liability Than All Liabilities Combined
the hobbyist in chief earns much more than colleagues, to say the least; the number quadrupled in a matter of years
Jim Zemlin Says Linux Foundation Should Combat Fraud Together With the Gates Foundation. Maybe They Should Start With Jim's Wife.
There's a class action lawsuit for securities fraud
Not About Linux at All!
nobody bothers with the site anymore; it's marketing, and now even Linux
Links 17/03/2024: Abuses Against Human Rights, Tesla Settlement (and Crash)
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, March 16, 2024
IRC logs for Saturday, March 16, 2024
Under Taliban, GNU/Linux Share Nearly Doubled in Afghanistan, Windows Sank From About 90% to 68.5%
Suffice to say, we're not meaning to imply Taliban is "good"
Debian aggression: woman asked about her profession
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 17/03/2024: Winter Can't Hurt Us Anymore and Playstation Plus
Links for the day