Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 11:13:46 -0500
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: Gayle Surrette <davinci at chesapeake.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Urban Legend Info Request
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

I remember writing to my congress critters about something similar
and the bill was defeated.  Of course this was before 9/11 and now
everything is 'secret'.  It started when the CPU chip was going to have
a code in it that would identify the computer as being yours when you
bought the computer the chip code would be registered to you and
it was to help identify the machine that sent email messages anonymously
or tried to.  It would also put the code in cookies.  I think they dropped
that idea and there's been rumors around about other similar schemes
but I haven't heard much lately.

Microsoft also is trying to build in software to help with repair and
diagnosing problems so that the tech can issue a code and they
can take over you machine to see what's wrong.  I don't think they
got to far with that but there is a bit of it in the newest versions.
Personally I don't let my computer talk to microsoft by itself.  It
keeps trying to but I've got all that stuff turned off and I do the updates
manually and ignore the whining messages from my software.

You might try the archives at slashdot.org.

Gayle

At 09:51 AM 11/11/2004, you wrote:
>Microsoft has been accused of many, many things, but this is a new one.
> >From the usual friend of a friend . . . .
>
>"There is 'spyware' required by the government in all computers that
>keeps a list of every website you visit and it sends this information to
>Homeland Security.  It also takes regular 'images' of your harddrive
>contents and sends that to Homeland Security."
>
>Has anyone heard of this one?
>Does anyone know the origin of it?
>
>mjw

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are
to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile,
but is morally treasonable to the American public."    Theodore Roosevelt
*
Gayle Surrette                        Brandywine, MD
davinci at chesapeake.net     home email
Gayle.Surrette at noaa.gov    work email
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++