And yes you can disable a lot of it...but every time you check for updates it's back!

Always peeping in.
And, they can change any of their privacy policies any time, you won't know.
Didja see the part where they have keyloggers and can copy everything you type, and all your files?

I work at a computer repair shop, and lots of people are going to do the free upgrade, not knowing what's in store for them...or worse, Microsoft will move versions up and discontinue selling us the older versions. I guess I'll have to figure out how to shut it all off, but if they are on updates(which they probably should be) it will revert all of it the next minute.

This may very well relieve traffic from their webservers, but for those of us with ADSL in which using any of our upstream bandwidth seriously affects our download experience, this sucks.

It seems like one of those things that should be opt in, but how many people would choose that if it didn't give them any personal benefit.

What? We're nice guys like that!

8 is new to me and I finally know how to navigate successfully within it..I do not need the newest update to impress anyone...I like what I have.....

seen MS come out with releases that are not filled with endless bugs and dissatisfaction. If I didn't have a couple of apps that needed Windows, I would never use it.

It's quick and efficient.

I do use Chromium to watch Netflix. It's a special build (no nagging here) from "alien" at Slackware.

10 is a much better OS. Win 8 is good but they did a very good job with 10 of making things much easier to access.

and, tada! you have no privacy.

I moved to Linux years ago. I use a homebrewed Slackware myself. I think Ubuntu has become way to bloated.

Since my computer is strictly for my personal use I like having that control.

Hell I rooted my mobile so I could rip everything "Google" out of it.

is practically painless most of the time.

I just prefer to have a little more control over what happens on my computer. I actually like fiddling with the code.

Should I be afraid of this? The family tree is already on Ancestry.com and the bank is a federal reserve social security account. I would like the benefits of Windows 10.

If you already have that stuff online you are more than likely already subject to EULAs that read almost exactly the same as this one.

Most of this stuff is basic CYA stuff for cloud based computing.

Once you start using cloud based things the companies themselves that host this stuff become open to requests from law enforcement to access that data. In order to avoid lawsuits over complying with those requests they write things like you see in the win 10 EULAs

Win 10 does assign you an advertising ID that will collect web habits in order to try to target ads better to your personal preferences but this can be turned off pretty easily, in fact if you chose custom instead of express during install you are presented with the option to turn it off during the instal.

Personally I prefer getting adds for things I am interested in instead of whatever random stuff gets thrown at me. I would prefer no ads of course but the web has to paid for somehow and if I am going to see them I would rather they were relevant. Your mileage may vary so if you are the least bit concerned about that I would definitely recommend turning it off.

Now you could in theory be targeted by the NSA for something and whatever data you store in the cloud could be accessed but the chances of that for the vast majority of people are slim and none.

My advice to anyone is don't put anything online you wouldn't be comfortable with anyone seeing. There is always the possibility with any online service for your data to be leaked.

Having said all that Win 10 is a pretty slick OS. They did a bang up job with this one in my opinion. I have it running on three machines already and all of them are running quite nicely. I have had the tech preview installed on one machine for months and am quite used to it now. The other two got the upgrade as soon as the retail version was released.

and you don't mind the dangers of getting hacked since you have your bank info online
or the dangers of getting some new virus that Microsoft takes months to fix
and all your information about everything you do online being stored somewhere until someone wants to paw thru it.

Otherwise, probably a good buy.

PS: You really might want to look at "open source" computing, like Linux instead of Windows systems.

the social security departments account. If they hack they will be hacking the Social Security Department. I will talk to my grandson who has the other computer in the house about going with Linux. Thank you.

All they need is routing number and account number.

Since most of us on Soc. Sec. were forced to go to direct deposit, a serious hacker can really mess up our accounts.
We will most likely be ok once the dust settles, but no telling how many weeks and months it would take to straighten all that out.

Thus there is a lot said for having emergency money on hand for the inevitable computer glitches.
Our little town has had the ONE computer cable cut more than once, and people could not even buy groceries until it was fixed, the next day,
unless they had cold hard cash on hand.

Go Linux! Even using a version of linux that's 5 or 6 years out of date, I can do just about anything I want to online. (Except read rawstory, for some odd reason, but it's not a site I really need.)

you're missing out on so much of the Internet. You're left stuck with nondynamic webs sites. Also, you can't experience online games.

I could do most of what I do online now back in the late 80s, just a hell of a lot faster.

The days of flash are coming to an end.

My Internet experience is very dynamic. I even watch Netflix. Quit spreading FUD.

I don't see any reason to change.

This will remove the Windows patch that put it there. You could also do the same thing manually, but this is a one-click process. And you can still get Windows 10 if you decide you want it -- the system tray icon is only there to nag you about it.

https://github.com/rn10950/I-Dont-Want-Windows-10/releases/tag/2.0

I have some serious concerns about going to Windows 10.

Besides what I read over at Kos, I have to wonder if Microsoft will be required to turn over anything collected that might indicate piracy (other than Microsoft's own products, which I have no problem with because I have a legit copy). If suddenly studios and TV networks sue Microsoft for the data (or better yet they just give it to them as they could theoretically be a "trusted partner&quot that leads to lawsuits against millions of people.

TPP is going to play into this as well as one of the sections in the deal strengthens copyright infringement laws. So now we not only have lawsuits in the US, but around the world.

Tell me I'm just spouting CT.

Windows 10 has a super cookie to ID you no matter what web site you go to. And everything you type is logged to the Microsoft servers. Privacy is a Myth in the 21st Century.

1- Run the version of Linux designed to thwart the NSA, https://www.qubes-os.org/

2- Make sure your email is either 1) on your own personal server or 2) with an outfit like ProtonMail

3- Make sure your router is on DD-WRT, Tomato or some other safe variant. Routers are very vulnerable to being hacked.

4- Make sure all of your applications for messaging are secure.

5- Dig deep into the settings of everything you use to make sure it's doing what you want.

6- Think twice about using a password-saving service. I was using Lastpass, even they got hacked. Sorry, not taking any chances, I changed ALL of my passwords.

7- Check out Tor.

8- Stop giving out your info to companies unless absolutely required.

Myself, I'm not that careful. I use DD-WRT, I secure Windows as well as I can, I don't use a password service any more, I keep all my apps updated for security. Many of the problems happen because COMPANIES get hacked and agencies get hacked. That's where the real problem is. A lot of stuff needs to start going offline, IMHO. Given time, expertise and adequate resources, almost anything and anyone can be hacked. I say almost, because I'm willing to make an allowance for extremely high encryption and other "NSA-proof" measures that are diligently and daily applied.