I didn't mean for this page to only be about privacy/security issues, but these seem to be the most important things going on right now. Here's the latest. Real (makers of the Realplayer which allows you to view streaming audio and video compressed in the real formats - file type: .rm) has a nifty new way to spy on you. I don't use any Real products after the last privacy fiasco, but undaunted by that bad press, they're back with an even more intrusive scheme. Installing the new Real software now places a program called Download Demon on your computer. This program, without any warning, is installed as the DEFAULT Download manager for your browser (strike one.) If you use your browser for FTP connections, the Download Demon quietly records the URL and filename of every file you download (strike two) and (again quietly, without any prompting) connects to Real and uploads this info to the mothership (strike three - please delete all Real products from your computer.) This is according to the very reliable TBTF. I'm not going to test this myself, but I will continue to follow the story. I almost think this couldn't possibly be true, as it seems illegal at best, but stranger things have happened... I mean, sure, the FTP connection is monitored already, but I don't need additional monitoring from the private sector. Big business is free to PAY me for my personal data (if I accept their offer, which I won't,) but really this is getting ridiculous.
Jim is this still the current word on real? I can't understand why npr and the bbc use real as their streaming prog. (actually I'm sure it all boils down to money) This sucks. How do I remove real products from my system? I'm sure it has all sorts of incidious stuff that I wouldn't even recognise.
I can't confirm the current practices of the download manager, but I can confirm that Real is crap and you probably don't want it on your system. But then I'm like that. Since you're on a mac you should be able to remove everything pretty easy. There shouldn't be anything hidden anywhere (although the files won't all be in one place - try finding all files with 'real' in them and then go through and throw away everything that looks like it's from them.)
Looks like the BBC is going to drop quicktime as an option. That's too bad.
It's a horrible situation where the largest competition for microsoft in this market is Real. So I want to like them. But it's just not possible.
Easilly done, Real provided an uninstaller. It removed most of their files, I had to manually trash a couple though.
NPR requires either Real or Windows Media Player for their online listening. I know that Windows is evil but is this program considered to be spyware?
I'd choose Windows Media Player over Real if I had to make the choice. It's technically superior, for sure, plus I actually trust Microsoft more than Real. I think it unlikely that WMP has any sort of spyware.
The problem with Microsoft here is more subtle. If they "win" the market (so that all digital content is encoded in WMP format) this will be a bad thing. Especially if you are a content creator. We can see the beginning of this in the fact that Windows XP (as it ships) cannot rip tracks to MP3 format (because they want you to use their propietary WMP format instead.) As soon as there are no more choices then they will start to tighten the noose. Expect huge licensing costs if Microsoft controls all digital encoding technology, plus lots of pressure to distribute said content through MSN affiliates. They really try to get you coming and going, which is why people - especially developers - have such a bad feeling about Microsoft. But that's a more general long term objection, and obviously biased by my personal dislike. Everything I hear about this program itself is pretty positive.
Let me know what you think if you install it. Apparently playback quality is very high.
Quality is good. But I hate the design, it looks a bit like Real player, lots of cheesy graphics, links to paysites via IE etc. I don't like using it but for now I am unable to listen to my favorite daily NPR broadcasts unless I do it via the internet at night. I'm going to write WNYC and ask them why they don't at least give us the option of listening via quicktime. I'm disgusted that they only provide access through one of these two corporations. But I'm not suprised, NPR and WNYC after all are underwritten by Archer Daniels Midland.
|
- jim 5-22-2000 4:07 pm
Jim is this still the current word on real? I can't understand why npr and the bbc use real as their streaming prog. (actually I'm sure it all boils down to money) This sucks. How do I remove real products from my system? I'm sure it has all sorts of incidious stuff that I wouldn't even recognise.
- steve 1-27-2002 12:48 pm
I can't confirm the current practices of the download manager, but I can confirm that Real is crap and you probably don't want it on your system. But then I'm like that. Since you're on a mac you should be able to remove everything pretty easy. There shouldn't be anything hidden anywhere (although the files won't all be in one place - try finding all files with 'real' in them and then go through and throw away everything that looks like it's from them.)
Looks like the BBC is going to drop quicktime as an option. That's too bad.
It's a horrible situation where the largest competition for microsoft in this market is Real. So I want to like them. But it's just not possible.
- jim 1-27-2002 3:20 pm
Easilly done, Real provided an uninstaller. It removed most of their files, I had to manually trash a couple though.
NPR requires either Real or Windows Media Player for their online listening. I know that Windows is evil but is this program considered to be spyware?
- steve 1-27-2002 7:22 pm
I'd choose Windows Media Player over Real if I had to make the choice. It's technically superior, for sure, plus I actually trust Microsoft more than Real. I think it unlikely that WMP has any sort of spyware.
The problem with Microsoft here is more subtle. If they "win" the market (so that all digital content is encoded in WMP format) this will be a bad thing. Especially if you are a content creator. We can see the beginning of this in the fact that Windows XP (as it ships) cannot rip tracks to MP3 format (because they want you to use their propietary WMP format instead.) As soon as there are no more choices then they will start to tighten the noose. Expect huge licensing costs if Microsoft controls all digital encoding technology, plus lots of pressure to distribute said content through MSN affiliates. They really try to get you coming and going, which is why people - especially developers - have such a bad feeling about Microsoft. But that's a more general long term objection, and obviously biased by my personal dislike. Everything I hear about this program itself is pretty positive.
Let me know what you think if you install it. Apparently playback quality is very high.
- jim 1-27-2002 8:35 pm
Quality is good. But I hate the design, it looks a bit like Real player, lots of cheesy graphics, links to paysites via IE etc. I don't like using it but for now I am unable to listen to my favorite daily NPR broadcasts unless I do it via the internet at night. I'm going to write WNYC and ask them why they don't at least give us the option of listening via quicktime. I'm disgusted that they only provide access through one of these two corporations. But I'm not suprised, NPR and WNYC after all are underwritten by Archer Daniels Midland.
- steve 1-27-2002 11:31 pm