Planning the Future of Privacy at Microsoft 138
Tony writes "Peter Cullen, Microsoft's chief privacy strategist, found himself in the front line in the wake of the software giant's recent antipiracy controversy. He talks about his role at the company, and what's in store for the future." From the interview: "Cullen, Microsoft's chief privacy strategist, has been very involved with the issue and readily admits that the software maker dropped the ball on WGA Notifications. The flap puts him on the front line, rather than his usual role behind the scenes. For the most part, Cullen, who joined Microsoft three years ago from the Royal Bank of Canada in Toronto, is happy with his role at the software giant. He works on things such as guidelines for developers and privacy policies."
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Microsoft seems to do this alot (Score:5, Interesting)
Remember when SGI was a Unix company and a leader in 64-bit computing with their high end MIPS chips and then they switched to become a Wintel reseller and drop their chips and started selling Windows and practically stopped devloping their Unix? Well, if you look at who made that decision (Belluzzo), Microsoft hired the guy and made him a company president [theregister.co.uk]
Remember when HP was a Unix company and a leader in 64-bit computing with their high end PA-Risk chips and then they switched to become a Wintel reseller and drop their chips and started selling Windows and practically stopped devloping their Unix? Well Microsoft hired that guy and made him a company President too (oh yeah, it was the same guy).
This is what I expected to happen long ago, and posted on Groklaw (as an AC, of course) -- I bet Darl and friends get executive positions at Microsoft or a Microsoft backed company as rewards for their service too.
Re:Microsoft seems to do this alot (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Microsoft seems to do this alot (Score:1, Insightful)
The analogy would be if Google payed off some Microsof
Re:Put some elbow into it! (Score:2)
Re:Put some elbow into it! (Score:2)
Re:Put some elbow into it! (Score:5, Interesting)
*MS execs "advised" RBC to invest in SCO.
Re:Put some elbow into it! (Score:2)
The Royal is the largest bank in Canada, tens of thousands of employees (direct and indirect.) The investment division alone has thousands -- if you think there was a memo from upper management to investment managers saying "Screw Linux -- let's help SCO!" you're sadly mistaken.
Investment guys do what investment guys do. They invest in what they think will make money.
It's all about the capital.
Re:Put some elbow into it! (Score:2)
And it's already been established that RBC invested because of a "tip" from certain MS executives. Have you heard about the Halloween Papers [wikipedia.org]?
RBC != SCO investor (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Put some elbow into it! (Score:2)
It gets even better for the conspiracy nut
||three years ago from the Royal Bank of Canada||
3 years ago?
Which would put that, what, at the beginning of the SCO/Caldera scam^W lawsuit?
RBC, Baystar, Microsoft - thick as thieves.
--
BMO
Planning.. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Planning.. (Score:1)
Ouch.
Beer.
Nose.
*SNORT*
Ouch.
Re:Planning.. (Score:1)
you're not the only one!
Re:Planning.. (Score:2)
The rebels will be hunted down and the young Andersson will be one of us.
This version of the Barratry Star is invincible, apart from having large enough holes in its hull armor to drive a ship through, literally. Who [piratbyran.org] would ever dare to challenge [thepiratebay.org] the IP Empire [bsa.org] ?
Re:Planning.. (Score:1)
Optimus Prime works for Microsoft? (Score:1)
Re:Optimus Prime works for Microsoft? (Score:1)
Re:Optimus Prime works for Microsoft? (Score:1)
Re:Optimus Prime works for Microsoft? (Score:2)
Re:Optimus Prime works for Microsoft? (Score:2)
Re:Optimus Prime works for Microsoft? (Score:1)
Re:Optimus Prime works for Microsoft? (Score:2)
Definitely a Grimlock.
"ME BALLMER THROW CHAIR"
Re:Optimus Prime works for Microsoft? (Score:2)
"privacy strategist"? (Score:2, Insightful)
new policy: "don't get caught so easily" (Score:5, Funny)
Re:new policy: "don't get caught so easily" (Score:2)
back to square one plus accusations for circumventing the Windows firewall application.
Off topic, but... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:1)
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:1)
Please, just try it out. You may find it u
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:3, Informative)
I tried it probably a dozen times.
Each and every single time it came back telling me there was no additional information. I turned it off. (System Control Panel -> Advanced -> Error Reporting -> Disable Error Reporting for those that might not know how.)
I don't miss it.
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:2)
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:1)
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:2)
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:2)
I'm not saying this system is ideal - only that it's available if you're looking to pursue it.
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:5, Informative)
If you have memory dumps turned on (My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Startup and Recovery Settings, Write debugging information, Small Memory Dump (or better)), you do get to see the error message. That error message is embedded in the created dump file. In order to see what process or driver faulted the system (the error message), you take that dump file and run it through WinDbg. WinDbg is part of the "Debugging Tools for Windows" package, a free download from Microsoft.
When you say "Send it" to Microsoft, what happens is that the equivalent of a small dump file is sent to Microsoft for automated analysis. WinDbg uses basically the same analysis engine. Assuming whatever crashed your system didn't totally corrupt memory and your stack, WinDbg will tell you what process, processor, and what thread caused the fault. It will also take a good stab at what module (dll, sys file, etc.) was responsible for the fault. If you have enough symbolic information available you may even get a function or stack frame name that is of use.
Mark Russinovich has a book Microsoft Windows Internals, Fourth Edition: Microsoft Windows Server(TM) 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 that has useful information about all this.
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:1)
Seeing as how this configuration box is what determines whether the send/don't send box pops up, why isn't there an option to configure said send box (ie, always send, ask to send, never send; I can imagine that in a collaborative environment, it even makes sense to have the "Small Memory Dump (or better)" and "
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:2)
By in a collaborative environment, if you mean a "work environment", Microsoft does have a good solution for this. It is called "Group Policy". With group policy you
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:1)
No, I mean a collaborative environment. That can be a work environment. That can be an open source project. Because the latter exists, it is not sufficient to have the ability to control such in a "Group Policy". And the former might not even be reasonable if one considers that a work environment may very well mean multiple branches of a company collaborating, at least some of the time being
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:1)
Re:Off topic, but... (Score:2)
Privacy at Microsoft (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Privacy at Microsoft (Score:2)
Dropped the ball?!? (Score:1, Insightful)
Ah, the humility (Score:5, Insightful)
When I see stuff like this, I don't know what to think. Come on! A chimp could figure out that someone will eventually discover anything you try to get away with, especially when it involves unauthorized communication with unknown servers. They didn't drop the ball, they tried something stupid and got caught. Fess up.
Re:Ah, the humility (Score:1)
You are absolutely right - there is a distinction there. Dropping the ball would be, oh, say... something like missing release deadlines by years.
Re:Ah, the humility (Score:2)
Well really they DID drop the ball, not that they were doing something wrong (that is 'having the ball') but in that they were found out.
The analogy reminds me of the Jo Moore scandal - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Moore [wikipedia.org]
she attempted to 'bury bad news' behind coverage of the WTC bombings. As she was a PR person many pragmatic observers pointed that what she had done badly was not to have attempted to do this but that she w
Re:Ah, the humility (Score:4, Insightful)
Is it only me, or does anybody else see a paralell between this gaffe and Sony's rootkit?
It's not Linux. It isn't your computer. When you buy a computer with Windows on it, or install Windows on your machine, it isn't your computer any more. It belongs to Microsoft.
How do we know they didn't make a deal with the DOJ to open a few backdoors? Do you know what's in Microsoft's code? I don't.
Do you trust a company who has been known for evil business practices for twenty years? I don't.
Microsoft doesn't need a rootkit. That's the only real difference between MS and Sony.
Re:Ah, the humility (Score:2)
Sure they do. Windows is their rootkit.
The roll-out strategy (Score:2, Funny)
"In other words," continued Peter Cullen, "freedom is the right of all sentient beings."
...please... (Score:3, Interesting)
'front line' means just that...front...way out in front...
'wake', in the context seemingly indicated here, means 'behind'...'following'...'trailing'...the activity resulting from some other activity.
At least try "..in the wake of the recent xyz, JimBob finds himself on the front lines of having to deal with..."
Re:...please... (Score:2)
Re:...please... (Score:2)
Re:...please... (Score:2)
Why is it (Score:5, Funny)
It's not like we're going to see, any time soon, Steve Ballmer, or some other sedate Microsoft exec, dancing around the stage, shouting at the top of their lungs
"Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! Privacy! "
but stranger things have happened.
There's one other thing... (Score:2, Interesting)
Best of luck, Peter. Welcome to the spotlight!
Privacy... Microsoft? Hah. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Privacy... Microsoft? Hah. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Privacy... Microsoft? Hah. (Score:2)
Re:Privacy... Microsoft? Hah. (Score:3, Interesting)
"The holes in Microsoft product ensure that no one will worry about privacy because with Windows, there's absolutely none to be had."
(suspend pedant mode)
Their solution... (Score:3, Funny)
The future of privacy at Microsoft... (Score:1, Insightful)
An oh yeah, the vast majority of them will just roll over and take it.
Planning the future of Piracy at Microsoft (Score:5, Funny)
WGA is about security and privacy of the users? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:WGA is about security and privacy of the users? (Score:3, Interesting)
Come to think of it so would their lawyers.
Well I am in. When do we start the petition drive. Let's get the potheads out of jail and replace them with PHBs and lawyers. The world would be a better place I am sure.
Re:WGA is about security and privacy of the users? (Score:1)
Can we say self serving BS? (Score:4, Insightful)
Sure it is... (Score:3, Insightful)
Riiiiiiight. I'm so sure that Microsoft is trying to help protect all the people that it finds stealing from them. If that was the case, then why force authentication of your software on me? If you were really concerned that my pirated copy of Windows has malware installed, why not use your ineptly disquised spyware to install a scanner and remove your crap, as well as everyone elses, so the users system is clean? Since it's not about the revenue, but about protecting ALL users of your software, legit or not, then you shouldn't have a problem helping thieves clean their pirated install of your crappy software, and making sure that everyone has the current updates. Limiting updates to legit users is ridiculous anyway. How many pirates do you think have a workaround, or at the least, a clandestine WUS server setup for their peers? If it was truly about the privacy and security of the user then they'd actually fix the holes in their code instead of trying to prevent lawsuits with bubblegum and bailing wire fixes.
Trusted Computing (Score:1)
One of the most gratifying things about Microsoft is that privacy is a core tenet of the company. It's part of the Trustworthy Computing Initiative, which was proclaimed by Bill Gates four-and-a-half years ago.
Yeah TCI is to protect users privacy, not stop piracy and enforce DRM.
The Act of Contrition (Score:3, Interesting)
Meanwhile plans are afoot for something like WGA. (looks, smells, maybe doesn't quack like wga)
The more minor stories like this get press on
There's no action. Linux on the desktop. Now.
I converted two desktop users last week. How many did you convert?
Re:The Act of Contrition (Score:2)
Stop phoning home for starters (Score:3, Insightful)
And make it so that the user has to specify what information is shared, for example by clicking on a checkbox next to each description of data sent from their PC.
[ ] IP address?
[ ] GUID?
[ ] MAC?
[ ] Email Address?
[ ] CD Info?
[ ] DVD Info?
[ ] List of installed software?
[ ]
Re:Stop phoning home for starters (Score:1)
Malicious Software = Pirated Software (Score:5, Insightful)
a slight correction (Score:2)
Microsfot is again trying to change the english language.
The above correction is small. Their intent is the same but it won't work.
Most people never will buy into their definition of malice. Despite all sorts of effort, users refuse to see their freedoms as "communist" or a "cancer". Very few people see copyright violation as the moral equivalent of "piracy", which is deception, theft and murder on the high seas. While individual software packages may be malicious, Microsoft is going to have hard tim
Here's what I don't get . . . (Score:4, Insightful)
they have a guy whose sole job, whose 8-5 is to check up on things like applications phoning home, yet he didn't notice this till recetly? What operating system does he use at home and at his office? Wouldn't an individual in such a position forever have a packet sniffer running, and be running netstat?
Some people say that it doesn't make sense to personify a company and attribute concepts such as 'evil' to it. But I find this diffcult to attribute such lack of sign to simple ignorance.
Protect the users... (Score:2, Insightful)
That's the most BS comment I've heard in a while. Is he trying to say that MS is really worried about those people that pirate Windows? If so, then what the hell is Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). The last I hear
Re:Protect the users... (Score:1)
I'd gladly buy a legal copy of Windows, if it
1) didn't have Activation because I often replace my PC's components and I would hate to get a new activation key each time I do a massive upgrade. Oh, and I have 3 PCs and buying a copy of Windows for each o
Peter Cullen sucks at his job. (Score:1, Troll)
microsoft is using your name as damage control, I'm using it until you own up to your horrible doings. Peter Cullen, your name will be assosiated with "liar" until you prove other wise...
Peter Cullen.
One Day in the life of Peter Cullen (Score:2, Funny)
10:40am - Wake up with a start. Shit! Call the office to let them know that I'm going to be slightly delayed this morning due to an ongoing alien attack. I tell them I'm as keen as hell to be safeguarding users' privacy and all that, but they cut me off at this point and say that I shouldn't worry, take my time getting in, maybe take the day off until the invasion's been repelled? It's really tempting, but there's been too many days like that just lately. I
Dropped the ball???!!! (Score:2)
Re:Dropped the ball???!!! (Score:1)
I read this bit
and was surprised. I simply hadn't realised that they had any to drop. I'm thinking of the project for a worthwhile shell, now abandoned I believe, called MONAD . And of course all the slightly off-colour jokes of the style "MONAD! Microsoft, don't you wish you had one!" I know it's bad of me, but I did laugh quite a bit.Oops. Our bad. Sorry. (Score:4, Insightful)
Makes sense. If you knew there is, there would be no grounds for a lawsuit now.
I need more coffee (Score:2, Interesting)
On second thought, maybe "antiprivacy" was more accurate?
Untrusted Computing (Score:4, Insightful)
To put it bluntly, Microsoft no longer has my trust! They have become worse than the pirates they are fighting.
To put it even more bluntly: I will not upgrade Microsoft Office, because I do not trust it. I will not upgrade Internet Explorer to version 7, because I do not trust it. I will not upgrade to Vista because I do not trust it. If this later decision means I can't play the latest and greatest video games, then so be it.
I also refuse to change the way I work because of this, however. A lot of what I do is not handled by Linux to my satisfaction, so I need Windows. That means I will continue to run Windows 2000 or Windows XP, but in a virtual machine in Linux, cut off from the internet. That should protect me from the malware writers -- including the ones at Microsoft!
Microsoft needs to learn that a company's most valuable asset is the goodwill of its customers. Well, they just lost mine.
Classified ad... somewhere in western Oregon (Score:2, Funny)
i couldn't resist...
WGN Frisks Users (Score:3, Insightful)
If I was frisked yesterday and found to be legit and frisked two weeks ago and found to be legit, why do I need to be frisked again? My system doesn't change that much daily, weekly, or monthly. This is a given, it is no brainer. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand this. 90% of us have legit licenses. 100% of us will be frisked even though 90% of us have already proven our reputation.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen stole computer time from Harvard to write an emulator for the processor used in the MITS Altair computer. Then they stole more time to write the basic programming language for the processor. They then licensed it to MITS and used that to fund the growth of Microsoft. Bill Gates openly wrote a nasty letter to the computer club accusing them of stealing their software. Bill Gates flaunted his willingess to violate the laws by speeding, and getting caught so many times he was hauled in and arrested.
When I was found legit yesterday, last week, two weeks ago, etc., there's no reason to believe that I am not going to remain legit. Any attempt to monitor me is an invasion of my privacy at that point. Any continued monitoring is an accusation that I will give my code to others to use and hence am aiding them in their theft, thus making me a theif.
Bottom line, this form of monitoring is akin to calling me a thief even though I have been proven to not be a thief. To put this software on my computers when I do not wish it is bad. To monitor me without my consent is bad. To do is is to become a malware program.
A decade ago we told Microsoft and the others that we did NOT want this stuff on our computers. If anything they are certainly persistent.
Vista has this built into it. But XP is allegedly going out and Vista coming in. Why so much effort in protecting XP when it is allegedly to die in a couple of years? The reason is that Vista is XP with a different interface and heirarchy. Underlying it is the same OS as XP with that change and some security that prompts you upon every change to your system. Oddly enough this is how Linux and OSX do it. Because they are basically the same OS there's really NO need to update to Vista.
Off topic: if you look at the trash can in Vista you'll note that the icon is taken almost directly from the linux community. Pretty sad.
Microsoft and privacy (Score:1)
--
http://absolutelynothingunified.blogspot.com/ [blogspot.com] - beyond the hysteria
Re:its for you own good thing (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:its for you own good thing (Score:5, Insightful)
This is the most often repeated meme on slashdot and it could not be more wrong. If what you say is true then Apple would be ruling the world today not MS. Every year for the last three decades apple products have been better at "just working" then MS products. They have always been easier, they have always been more cohesive. So why is MS ruling supreme and not the mac?
1) People want their computers cheap as possible.
2) People want their computers to run the same software they use at work so they can take work home.
3) People want their computers to be able to worked on by the neigbors kid or the guy across the street.
4) People want to be able their computers on impulse at the local best buy.
5) People want their computers to run the games they like.
That's it. "just works" doesn't come in to it. It never has, it never will. People do and have put up with crappy, unstable, unsecure, crash happy MS operating systems for years because of the five factors I have listed.
Time to put that meme to bed.
Re:its for you own good thing (Score:3, Insightful)
Every year for the last three decades apple products have been better at "just working" then MS products. They have always been easier, they have always been more cohesive.
Somewhat. Apple didn't gain a real edge on user-
Re:its for you own good thing, Mr. Cullen (Score:1, Insightful)
Fine - yesss - lots of folks want it automatic - they wouldn't know enough to evaluate what they are being offered and they DO need to be protected (and continually encouraged t
Re:its for you own good thing (Score:3, Interesting)
1) This is the major problem. People don't think it's worth it to spend twice as much for a Mac. This is the only problem that has ever existed with Macs.
2) If Mac was as ubiquitous as windows, then at work they would be running Macs, and then you could run a Mac at home with no problems.
3) There would be more people to work on Macs including the neighbour's kid or the guy across the street, if Mac was as popular as windows.
4) Best buy would stock a lot more Macs if that is
Re:its for you own good thing (Score:2)
Re:its for you own good thing (Score:3, Insightful)
I worked as an admin for my university's camupus-wide computer lab system. While I was there, the art department bought about 40 G4 Powermacs and built their own lab. Unfortunately, they didn't hire anyone to actually maintain their lab. It quickly deteriorated to the point where only about 5 of those machines would even *boot*, let alone work well enough to do anything useful. Our Windows labs with a combined total of over 700 computers had a better than 95% uptime -- and ne
Microsoft discovers "spontaneous software decay"! (Score:2)
Perhaps, a century after the Curies' groundbreaking work in physics, the big brains at R
Re:Black is White Good is Evil Welcome to 1984 (Score:1)
With Communism, government runs industry. With Facism, industry runs government. Me, I don't really see much difference between the two.
In cahoots? No, the (mostly foreign owned) multinational corporations have bought all "our" politicians.
Here in Springfield they've installed cameras downtown by the old state capitol to watch for dope deals and homeless guys pissing on the sidewalk. There are cameras on most traffic lights. It isn't just privately owned cameras any more, i