Microsoft Cut Privacy Features to Sell Ads in IE8

Microsoft Cut Privacy Features to Sell Ads in IE8

Privacy by default, wouldn't that be a nice change? Microsoft's IE development team had designed innovative privacy features that would have been turned on by default to effectively help users avoid being tracked online. Sadly, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft cut the IE8 privacy features to sell ads.
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In early 2008, the Internet Explorer 8 development team, led by general manager Dean Hachamovitch, had privacy features like InPrivate Subscriptions. According to the WSJ, privacy groups were to compile "black listed" website addresses that would have been automatically blocked by InPrivate Subscriptions. Other privacy features would have limited third parties from easily tracking mouse clicks and other activity. Too bad, so sad for privacy when Microsoft executives found out that designers actually wanted to protect users. Microsoft had spent $6 billion on a Web-ad firm that would help it track and sell targeted ads. This reportedly triggered a heated debate between the two camps within Microsoft, going all the way up to CEO Steve Ballmer.

The WSJ reported, "At a meeting in the spring of 2008, Brian McAndrews, a Microsoft senior vice president who had been chief executive of aQuantive before Microsoft acquired it, complained to the browser planners. Their privacy plan, he argued, would disrupt the selling of Web ads by Microsoft and other companies."

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In the end, Microsoft included one feature, called InPrivate Filtering. However, it doubtfully functions as developers had hoped. WSJ stated that users must turned on the privacy settings every time they start up the browser. That is truly unfortunate for users who might expect that when they take the time and effort to setup a program, that the privacy setting would then be maintained by default. What IE8 offers seems to mainly benefit online advertisers and marketers as opposed to users.

In his blog post, Hachamovitch explained the balancing act between the ongoing issue of online privacy and tracking. "Because some of the technologies that can be used for tracking are also essential today for basic functionality, there is no 'Just give me perfect privacy' feature. The way different tracking and anti-tracking technologies interact can read like a Spy vs. Spy comic strip...Part of what makes online privacy tricky is that browsing the web is fundamentally an information exchange. Your web browser offers information in order to get information. That information can identify you. Often, that information is sent automatically for your convenience (like the languages you prefer to read) to tailor the content for you."

Hachamovitch gives other tips for setting up "InPrivate Filtering" and "Block for me" automatic filtering. In a MSDN blog, IEInternals, Eric Law explains cookie controls.

The WSJ noted that Mr. McAndrews is no longer working for Microsoft. The software giant has another opportunity to act less in the interests of advertisers and more in the interest of users by applying default and robust privacy settings in the upcoming IE9. In 2008, the software development team designed software with built-in privacy features which would have served as a model for the rest of the industry. I hope in 2010, these developers (who are in touch with what Internet users actually want) will be allowed to go forward with their designs...instead of having their programs neutered.

IE8 has done some very good things since its launch, like block access to over 560 million sites that it determined were serving malware, or about 3 million blocks per day. Even that was questioned as to how many of those were legit. Microsoft has sued alleged click-fraud scammers. But there are dangers when the same company that makes your web browser also sell the ads you view inside of it. No browser is perfect, but more and more people (and businesses like IBM) are moving away from using IE as their browser and are instead using others like Firefox.

Whether it's true or not, it's said that people love to hate Microsoft. If it is true, IE9 offers a chance for the big M to turn it around and put privacy and security at the forefront by default. It is true that the average user will not take steps to setup privacy. Instead of making that the challenge, how about leaving directions for users to deactivate automatic privacy features if they choose to not want privacy as a defaulted option? It could possibly be as simple as unchecking a box that would otherwise leave the program on by default, much like Remote Assistance.

Will Microsoft choose ad money over privacy features again in IE9? Microsoft, if you set industry standards that privacy is a right by default, then others will follow.

Windows XP Common Problems and Gotcha's

Windows XP Common Problems and Gotcha's
I will use this tip to collect gotcha!s and common problems in Windows XP. If you have corrections, additions, or questions, please send them to Wayne Maples .

Probably biggest gotcha! is that Windows XP Pro and Windows XP Home are very different products. Lots is missing in XP Home and it is much less stable than XP Pro.

* Acdsee May Cause an Error Message
* ACPI Troubleshooting
* Admin file ownership in XP Inconsistent
* Admin pw : Cannot Change the Password for the Administrator Account in User Accounts in Control Panel
* Admin can't install updates? Only happens if your workstation is part of domain it has either reg key HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoWindowsUpdate set and/or has changed full control permission from admin on HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate.

* Audit accounts: if you have auditing enabled, users may be prompted for a password even if no password is required. If this happens there is nothing you can do except assign passwords. You could try the current SP to see if it resolves the bug. Its actually an odd situation. What environment would had auditing enable and allow auto logon?
* audio or video files don't play - GSpot Codec Information Appliance will tell you what codec are required
* Backup utility for XP Home - where is it? On the install CD in \VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP. Double-click the Ntbackup.msi to start the wizard that installs the Backup utility.
* Bandwidth : XP needlessly consumes 20% of available bandwidth. The QoS packet scheduler dialogue box in XP Pro has a default bandwidth limit of 20%. Some interpreted this setting to mean that XP will hold back 20% of your bandwidth even if its packet scheduler was turned off. Not true.
* Blank activate Windows page in the Windows Product Activation Wizard
* Booting
o BootVis.exe Tool - This tool is no longer available - More information
o How to Disable a Service or Device that Prevents Windows from Booting
o "System Has Recovered from a Serious Error" message every reboot (Q317277)

* CD - when you copy files from a CD to your HD, XP copies them read-only. Need to update them? Remove the read only attrib : attrib -r * /s

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* CD-R Drive or CD-RW Drive Is Not Recognized As a Recordable Device
* CD-ROM Drive or DVD-ROM Drive Missing After You Install Windows XP
* "Incorrect Function" Error Message When You Access the CD-ROM Drive, DVD-ROM Drive, or CD-RW Drive
* "CD Recording Software Will Cause Windows to Become Unstable" Error Message When You Start Windows
* CD-ROM Access Is Missing and Messages Cite Error Code 31, Code 32, Code 19, or Code 39 After You Remove Easy CD Creator in Windows XP
* CDRom : Limited users can not burn CDs in Windows XP Home
if you have setup limited users and want them to be able to burn CDs, set value HLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\AllocateDASD = 2.
* C-Media Cmaudio.ax Driver : Problems When You Are Using an Out-of-Date Version
* Compiling programs take 30-40% longer on XP rather than NT. Solution: Compile on a Windows XP-Based Computer Takes Longer to Complete Than on a Windows NT-based Computer
* Compressed files : XP search treats zips as directories and searches through them. If you have lots of compressed files, this can extend XP search time to hours. Solution: Disable Windows XP's builtin zip support
* Computer Does Not Start After You Change the Active Partition by Using the Disk Management Tool
* Control Panel icons missing after upgrading to XP
delete the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Don't load key.
* Copying from XP to Windows 2000 SLOWWWWWWWWWW
Q321169: Slow SMB Performance When You Copy Files from Windows XP to a Windows 2000 Domain Controller
* Crashes :
o XP setting crashes dorm networks Bill Brawley, director of user communications at Computing Services, said that the problem begins when a laptop with Windows XP switches between the wireless Internet card and an Ethernet cable connection. "There are two sort of network interfaces then," Brawley said. "The bridge feature is handy on a home network, but on our network it bridges those two devices and sets up a loop in which packets travel between the networks, sort of a feedback loop. This messes up both networks for the whole building." For background on bridging issues:




o XP Bridging and Media Support for Home Networking

* CreativeLabs :
o Audigy registration program causes error message : InetReg.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience
o Error Message When You Shut Down Computer: DEVLDR Not Responding
* Ctplay2.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close.
Creative SoundBlaster Audigy Audio May Cause an Error
* CPU : Explorer.exe Process Uses Many CPU Cycles When Windows Is Idle
* Desktop Icons gone !!!
This is a setting available in XP. Maybe your buddy is screwing with you. In any case:
o Right-click desktop
o Select Arrange Icons by
o Check/uncheck Show Desktop Icons
* Device conflicts: Troubleshooting Device Conflicts with Device Manager
* Disk Cleanup : Stops Responding when searching for compressed files
Q812248 : caused by incorrect entry in the registry
This can also be caused by a corrupt temporary file. Clear the files from the Temp folder:
o Close all applications
o Start, click Run and type %temp% which opens the Temp folder
o Type Ctrl+A to select all files
o Press Delete
o Close Windows Explorer
o Open the Control Panel Internet Options applet
o Select the General tab, then click Delete Files
o Select the Delete all offline content check box
o Click OK
* DSL : XP kills Verizon DSL
* DVD : Windows 2000 DVD-ROM Drive Cannot Read Windows XP-Formatted DVD
Q304841 Although Win98 can read the XP formatted DVD!
* XP often will not read or write to a floppy formatted by an earlier version of Windows
Keep it in mind. No prob if formatted by XP.

* Hard Disk Performance Is Slower Than You Expect in XP
* IE issues - probably not unique to any particular OS
o IE only saves graphics as BMPs
* Internet Connection Sharing in Windows XP Troubleshooting
* Dial-Up Connection in ICS Does Not Prompt to Disconnect when you quit Microsoft Internet Explorer on an Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) client computer,
* Infrared Data Transfer Slower in Windows XP Than in Windows 2000
workaround
* information about the hardware installed on his computer hangs with message: 'all.part2' is null, or it is not an object
* IIS : can't install IIS web server under XP Home - have to upgrade to XP Pro or use Apache instead
* Language gotcha! : Cannot Upgrade or Install a Different Language Version of Windows XP

* Mail Folders, Address Book, and E-mail Messages Are Missing After You Upgrade to Microsoft Windows XP

* Media Player Info Exposure XP Windows When you play media files, Media Player collects titles, artiles and album art from the Internet. It also leaves behind info about you and your computer. To block Windows Media Player from providing your info: click Tools > Options and go to the Player tab and disable option Allow Internet sites to uniquely identify your player?
* Modem Does Not Work After You Upgrade a Hewlett Packard Pavilion Computer to Windows XP this occurs when you upgrade certain models of the HP Pavilion computer that are equipped with a modem based on the Rockwell chip set.
* Modem, external serial modem can't be installed because XP does not recognize any COM ports except for the LPT port for the printer. Enable com port in BIOS and reboot. Now XP will have serial port available.
* Mouse Pointer Moves Erratically or Does Not Respond with Windows XP
* Netware : Poor Performance with File and Print Services for NetWare
* My Network Places vulnerability
* Outlook Express : can't make it default mail client
you try to set Outlook Express in XP as your default mail client. It resets saying "this is not the default mail client" every time you go into the options menu. Solution: Click Start, Run and enter MSIMN.EXE /REG Then if needed, go to Control Panel, Internet Options, Programs and click the Reset Web Settings Button.
* passwords:
o Admin resets user's password and user loses access to EFS-encrypted files, email and various credentials
No problem if PC is a member of a domain but a real problem for non-domain PCs.
o Admin pw : Cannot Change the Password for the Administrator Account in User Accounts in Control Panel
o No Password Expiration Notice Is Presented During the Logon Process
* Q811493 - Windows XP Security : after applying it, XP systems are SLOW
* Random crashes - causes
o USB hub - got one? XP crashing? Worse - using an unpowered hub? Remove it and see if crashes stop.
what I see more often is that hub works well before upgrading to XP but not under XP.
o memory - my first thought - remove existing memory and replace with known good memory. Sometimes you just need to reseat cards and memory; vibrated ever so slightly loose.
o drivers or bios - always check with vendors - particularly sound cards
o power supply - not as common with modern boxes but if your PC is older, it may literally be underpowered. upgrade to a 400w.
* Recovery Console in Windows XP
'The Password Is Not Valid' Error Message Appears When You Log On to Recovery Console in Windows XP

* Remove programs - can't - get Error 1719
occur when you try to add or remove a program that uses the Windows Installer Microsoft Software Installation (MSI) package file (.msi).

* Restore Point
o Restore Point : Restoration Incomplete occurs when the computer is not shut down properly
o When you start the System Restore tool and view the "Select a Restore Point" page, some of your restore points may be missing : Q301224
o When you run the System Restore tool on a Windows XP-based computer, the calendar on the left side of the "Choose a Restore Point" window is not displayed : Q313853

* "RUNDLL32.EXE - Entry Point Not Found" Error Message When You Start Your Computer Believe it or not, if you get this error, one major cause is older NVIDIA video drivers. Update them.

* Scandisk missing ? XP like NT uses chkdsk.exe. Open a cmd prompt and type in chkdsk.exe /? to checkout the available parameters you may use.

* Search function in WindowsR XP has a known issue of not finding a number of File Types when you do a Search for Files "containing text" or using the "A word or phrase in the file" option. See Using the "A Word or Phrase in the File" Search Criterion May Not Work for Microsoft writeup or Search - Text for an alterative.
* Security Exposure : XP Windows Universal Plug and Play
* Security flaw : IE I can't begin to list the number of security problems found in IE. Use Windows Update often or if you fear it, monitor current security issues and patch when needed. Really Windows Update will save you a world of hassle. I would schedule the updates manually. See Automatic Updates Give XP Users New Headaches.
* Security tab missing in XP If your hard drive is formatted NTFS, you can set permissions on files if you right-click file and choose properties. If your XP workstation is standalone or part of a workgroup, the security tab will be hidden. To have it show,
o Open Windows Explorer
o Choose Folder Options from the Tools menu
o On the View tab, scroll to the bottom of the Advanced Settings
o Clear the check box next to "Use Simple File Sharing."
o Click OK to apply the change

* Serious privacy problems in Windows Media Player for Windows XP
* Services : disable service with services.msc rather than msconfig
msconfig will allow you to disable any service including required services - services.msc will not allow you to do that kind of damage.

* Sony MovieShaker : "This Application Cannot Use This File as a Clip"
error message appears after an upgrade to Windows XP on a Sony VAIO PCV-R553DS computer that runs Windows 98 Second Edition and has MovieShaker version 1.1 installed. this version of Sony MovieShaker is not compatible with Windows XP
* Shutdown : Resources to Help Troubleshoot Shutdown Problems in Windows XP
* Startup : Resources for Troubleshooting Startup Problems in Windows XP
* STOP errors:
o STOP 0x00000073 CONFIG_LIST_FAILED Error Message in Windows XP
one of the core Windows system hives (the SAM hive, the SECURITY hive, the SOFTWARE hive, or the DEFAULT hive) cannot be linked in the Windows registry. However, this error does not mean that the hive is damaged or that it was not loaded successfully.
o STOP 0x00000074 BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO Error Message in Windows XP
caused by having one or more RAM sticks that are either damaged or not placed into the computer correctly. turn off the computer and double check the RAM seating. If the memory is seated correctly, it could be that you have a bad DIMM. Try swapping out the DIMMs one at a time.
o STOP 0x0000009C MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION Error Message in Windows XP
processor detected an unrecoverable hardware error and reported it to Windows XP
o "Stop 0x000000A5" Error When You Are Installing Windows XP
Windows has detected that the BIOS in the computer is not fully compliant with Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI).
o Stop 0x000000C2 error in Windows XP
kernel-mode process or driver incorrectly attempted to perform a memory operation. This error message is typically caused by a faulty device driver or software.
o Stop 0x000000D1 Error Message When You Turn Your Computer Off
the OHCI endpoint is unable to find the transfer descriptor in the list of USB devices attached
o Stop 0xc0000135 Damaged Registry Repair and Recovery in Windows XP
Registry damage often occurs when programs with access to the registry do not cleanly remove temporary items that they store in the registry. This problem may also be caused if a program is terminated or experiences a user-mode fault.
*
o System restore points taking up LOTS of space. This can consume several gigs. Solution is to set maximum space allocated to System Restore In the System Restore tab of the system applet in the Control Panel, click on settings and reduce the amount of space allotted to System Restore. This will remove older restore points using space not allocated and it will prevent System Restore from getting too large in the future.
o System Restore Tool Displays a Blank Calendar in Windows XP
* Taskbar Is Missing When You Logon
* Upgrade gotcha!:
o "Setupapi.dll File Appears to be Corrupt" Error Message When You Try to Upgrade to Windows XP
o Existing Computers Are Not Updated to the DNS-Style Domain Name After You Upgrade the Domain to Active Directory
o User Profiles May Not Be Migrated During Windows XP Upgrade
o Missing Third-Party Control Panel Icons After Upgrade to Windows XP

* Video Drivers : How to Determine Which Video Driver Is Loading in Windows XP
* Webfolders : Cannot Add FQDN Web Folders that Require Basic Authentication to "My Network Places"
* Windows XP Stops Responding at the Welcome Screen
System restart has been paused : computer enters into the Hibernate mode and accesses a corrupted memory snapshot
* XP SP1 Problems
o SP1 : 100 Percent CPU Usage May Occur Under Some Battery Conditions
o SP1 : Network File Errors Occur After You Install Windows XP SP1

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