WGA: Balancing the View

Probably, I should preface my remarks by saying I don't work for Microsoft.

As an editor for infopackets.com, as well as a contributor, it was hard reading all the articles without inserting my own opinion. Watching people jump on the bash Microsoft bandwagon, however, can be amusing.

The furor over WGA is unfortunate.

If it motivates folks to turn off Automatic Updates entirely, that would be tragic. Clearly, there were problems with WGA, both in its initial implementation and in the PR treatment. Leo Notenbloom, in a Lockergnome article, gave a fair and balanced view.

http://ask-leo.com/wga_is_it_spyware.html

As a beta-user, I participate in a variety of programs that 'snoop' on me. CTP (Consumer Technology Preview) and CEIP (Customer Experience Improvement Program) and even the Spynet watch and send information to Microsoft. I could have turned them off, in most cases, and I don't always know exactly what information is sent -- but I trust the information is as stated, not personally identifiable and not misused.

Developers want to see where the rough spots are and this gives them a database of what is working and what isn't quite right, what people are using and what they rarely do, what people find useful and what they can't find at all. This is the how programs get improved.

If you are still uncertain, Cliff's sugestion offers one work around worth considering.

Microsoft published another themselves as KB021914. Whatever you decide, remember "The thing about bandwagons is they never take you where you want to go" - Sun Microsystems sent me a mug with that slogan so it isn't Windows propaganda.