Edit: Guys I didn’t write the headline; the subtitle that I added, I’ve now fixed tho

Edit: Also, the information about there being no escape is out of date – here’s a quick guide to how to fix the problem in the modern day

  • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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    8 months ago

    Don’t want to sound like I’m proselytizing, but unless you run Linux, your computer really isn’t yours (closed firmware aside).

    Microsoft is just as bad at treating your hardware as theirs that they so graciously allow you to use (in between forced updates, criticizing your browser choices, and trying to trick you into storing everything you do in one drive)

    • pearsaltchocolatebar@discuss.online
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      8 months ago

      Forced updates are a good thing for most people, though. The general population doesn’t know or care about infosec, so they’ll put off updates for months or years.

        • derbis@beehaw.org
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          8 months ago

          I’d be fine with what you describe in the second paragraph, but that’s not what’s meant by “forced.” That’s opt-out. Forced is what’s really objectionable, especially when it’s abused, as discussed in the article and elsewhere in these comments.

      • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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        8 months ago

        Updates forced at inconvenient (or inapropriate) times aren’t a good thing though.

        Don’t interrupt my work right bloody now.

        You can update later when I’m done doing what I’m in the middle of.

      • derbis@beehaw.org
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        8 months ago

        Let’s have the authorities force us to eat salad and exercise while we’re at it, it’s better for us

        • Dark ArcA
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          8 months ago

          Oh Christ, that’s not the same thing and you know it.

          • derbis@beehaw.org
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            8 months ago

            Meh. You’re not just talking about just making it automatic or easy or recommended, but actually forcing everyone to have to go along with it and taking away the option to not do it.

            • Dark ArcA
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              8 months ago

              You 100% should have to keep your systems up to date. It’s a danger to yourself and everyone else when you don’t.

              • derbis@beehaw.org
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                8 months ago

                Even at the risk of Microsoft adding more spyware to my machine, reinstalling apps I deliberately uninstalled, reverting privacy settings I set, strongarming me into using their browser, etc? All of which has been reported.

                My hardware, my choice.

                • Dark ArcA
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                  8 months ago

                  If you want to phrase it as a “personal responsibility” thing, then you should frankly be criminally liable if your system is used for a DDOS attack.

                  • derbis@beehaw.org
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                    8 months ago

                    Lol.

                    As long as security updates are bundled with antifeature updates, this amounts to “install candy crush or go to jail!”

                • terrrmus@beehaw.org
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                  7 months ago

                  Sounds like Microsoft is the problem here. Their antics finally got me to switch to Linux with Copilot.

                  Just curious, are you unvaccinated too?

          • Vigilante@lemmy.today
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            8 months ago

            Edit : Turns out you can turn it off atleast according to someone in the thread idk personnely i ran ubuntu .

            • Dark ArcA
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              8 months ago

              There already is a way to turn that off AFAIK but also any tech literate person should be able to tolerate a, what is it these days, monthly(?) restart of Windows.

              The point is leaving an unpatched system running is dangerous. You shouldn’t be “tech literate” and running into a problem with these updates.

              As much as I love that Linux gives more flexibility here, and I do run Linux on pretty much all of my devices, I very much agree with Microsoft that these updates need installed.

              Even “tech literate” people are often extremely relaxed with their security posture.

              • Vigilante@lemmy.today
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                8 months ago

                Oh i didn’t know there was a way i personnely don’t run windows (anything anymore really last time was ubuntu) i kinda thought there was no way from reading these comments if there is why are people commenting that . I’m gonna go edit.

                • Dark ArcA
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                  8 months ago

                  I think it’s some registry thing at this point, but last I knew, yes there’s still a way to turn it off … even though you really really really shouldn’t.

      • Zworf@beehaw.org
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        7 months ago

        That’s their problem though. If they wanna get hacked, go for it.

        But there should be a way to turn it off for us power users at least (without having to build a whole domain controller)

    • thingsiplay@beehaw.org
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      8 months ago

      Don’t want to sound like I’m proselytizing, but there are other free operating systems not based on Linux: FreeBSD, FreeDOS or ReactOS in example. I wish, I could add GNU/Hurd to the list, but from what I know, its unusable at the moment. Redox is also a new OS written in Rust, but it’s not ready yet (I think).

      Now, are these real alternatives to a regular Linux based OS? In some cases they are (FreeBSD and their family), but most probably would just use Linux for their PC. They aren’t even suited for gaming I guess, the likes of Steam. I was just “Acktually”-ing around that you don’t “need” Linux for owning your computer. I mean, you mentioned closed firmware, so technically I was allowed to. :D

      • PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S [he/him]@lemmy.sdf.org
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        8 months ago

        Yeah my position is really to recommend any FOSS OS in the large over proprietary ones. However, since my experience is primarily with Linux distributions, and I do think that Linux makes sense for a lot of use cases, I usually start by talking about “Linux” first.

        But, from my experience, if a “solution” to a problem “forces” the user to make a choice, then they’ll stick with what “currently works” over having to make a choice. So when I talk to people about Linux IRL, I typically direct them to Linux Mint directly, even though other distros exist and it actually doesn’t fit my use cases. Once they’re comfortable in the Linux ecosystem, they can switch to a different distro or OS family if they feel the need to do so.

      • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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        8 months ago

        Yeah, I know people running FreeBSD as their daily driver; totally left that one out haha.

        The rest of them are either niche (e.g. FreeDOS for retrogaming) or not quite ready for daily driving (e.g. ReactOS – which I’ve been rooting for for a while now).

        There’s also TempleOS lol

        When we’re talking FOSS, feel free to “ackshually” all day. Worst case is I learn something new/cool.

        • Subdivide6857@midwest.social
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          8 months ago

          I would absolutely run FreeBSD on my laptop if the WiFi wasn’t awful. It doesn’t matter which chipset, max is like 20 Mbps. Rouuugh.

          On the server side of things, Docker/Podman is so convenient, and keeps me from blowing so much time on “maintenance.”

          Hopefully, some day, I can daily a BSD. Until then- NixOS!

    • Diplomjodler@feddit.de
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      8 months ago

      Don’t want to sound like I’m proselytising but do you have a few minutes to talk about our Lord and Saviour, Linus Torvalds?