8232 Responses to "Member's Area Discussion" (displaying 4301 to 4320)

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10/14/20
03:49:07

lazee

"Microsoft's strong arm tactics that turned me off to 10." .. Ha, I get that.

Also note, according to Microsoft's Privacy Statement, they simply don't search your system for whatever they want, whenever they want, such as scanning your files for copyrighted media and then ratting you out.

If anything, it's more complicated than that, yet I reckon perhaps not too far from the truth..

For example, if you use Windows Security, and allow it to scan all your files, and it finds malware or the like, then Windows can report that info back to them. Likewise, say if you use VLC, and some video file corrupts the player and crashes Windows, then that info can be sent back to Microsoft as well.. In addition to that, say you have a Microsoft account tied to Windows, and you used your real name with that account, confirmed with purchases at their store or whatever, then you have pretty much no privacy.

Now, a user can jump through hoops to prevent MS and such from spying on them, which can help some, but alas, that potentially puts such users on the top of other profile lists, such as what data brokers collect and trade.

Yet again, most of this tracking is for marketing and brainwashing, as with leveraging sociological methodologies from VALS Framework, Claritas Prizm, and the like. Yet although such has been a threat to our so-called freedoms, I think most folks don't give a hoot, nor do I.., much.., anymore.

As for the wack-a-mole game, perhaps they will kill it eventually, and I reckon likely so, but IDK. I imagine doing so would pretty much involve blocking whole countries, as we don't all share the same copyright laws. What I do know, the hardware DRM front is the holy grail for them, but we will see how far they can get with that.

10/14/20
06:42:55

OldGeezer916

lazee:
VLC can rarely crash you. I have accidentally put an info file in the playlist. It will hang up, but you can usually kill it. Only a few times ever did it get stuck & I have to shut down. It's much better at this than it was years ago.

As far as marketing to you from your purchases, an ad blocker can prevent most of this. I use uBlock. They do end up in your cookies. I have bought something from NewEgg & he next time I go on Amazon related items are "suggested for you". On a few occasions I have even bought.

I use Firefox & I want to keep my history. I have Chrome because a number of sites won't let you watch videos if you block ads. Also by constantly clearing my history I can get by several paywalls that limit articles per month. The difference without ad block is VERY noticeable & annoying.

Microsoft does state they can report you for pirating their software. Don't know how much they care about other companies programs & I doubt they will do it for videos. I suppose they do have my email & possibly my purchase history. I bought two keys from them to make 8 genuine upgrading from 7 that wasn't.

As I said, I have several spare 7th generation boards. Kaby Lake was not supposed to work with 7 & 8, so I doubt 8th generation will at all. Should I EVER get 10 it would be strictly if I want software that only run on it & that is ALL I would use it for. No browsing beyond software purchases & updates. No other purchases. NO personal files. I do sometimes have to briefly put my 7 & 8 online for software updates, but I quickly disable it again.

10/14/20
22:06:01

lazee

@OldGeezer916

That was just an example I used with VLC. A corrupt video file can crash any player at some level. But as you brought it up, I've found that MPC-BE x64 deals with such crashes the best, which is a rather easy thing to test and compare, which I have.

As for getting busted for using pirated MS software, the only legal actions I know of involved businesses who used pirated copies who were ratted out by employees, and/or individuals who were selling or uploading/posting pirated copies. I think it's pure hype to promote the idea that regular users need to worry about MS scanning their computers for pirated software, so MS can bust them in court, or rat then out. If you think I'm wrong, then show me some proof, as I'm open to learn otherwise to this topic. Otherwise concede and move on, ha.

Now I agree that MS could do such a thing, but as I explained, it's not a thing, yet. Also worth noting, back in the day MS was locking systems (with all files) that ran a pirated version of Win 7. As I remember, they only did that for a few months (at most), before users complained and MS ended that unpopular policy. Also, as I recall, that locking involved the user trying to update the OS, not via some spying scan, but perhaps so. Regardless, after that event, MS has been rather relaxed when it comes to non-business users running pirated version of Windows 7. Windows 10 is basically free, so IDK about what has been going on with pirated versions of that.

As for marketing data gathering via your purchases, an ad blocker can NOT prevent most of what I explained. When you buy stuff, that gets added to your profile, and such info is often consolidated and traded among data brokers. Ad blockers can prevent ad networks and such from tracking you from site to site, but with fingerprinting and other tricks, users are still effectively identified and tracked regardless. Yet if you just want to block annoying ads, then ad blockers are great. Yet I think the best way to thwart ads is with a "Pi Hole".

I use Edge, Firefox, and Opera, each for specific uses. Edge for example is the most secure, and only Opera offers some extensions that work best IMO for ripping media streams from most any site. I don't use Chrome anymore, as I like Edge much better, and the latest tests show that Edge is more secure than Chrome on Windows.

Other than that, if you want to be the most secure with your purchases and banking, then I suggest you use a dedicated PC for that, and only that, and keep it off your local network, with no Wi-Fi. Yet although Windows 10 with Edge is a secure choice, a Chromebox is likely a better and affordable choice, especially if you use an Android device you want to synch and share data with, and/or use Google Pay and such.

That all said, the main reason I use Windows 10 is for playing pirated games offline. Yet of those games I like, I eventually purchased them for Xbox One. As such, I have little need to use Windows anymore. As such, I will likely keep using my XP and 7 boxes offline as need be, with 10 soon to be unplugged as well. Right now, Zorin OS, Chrome OS, and Android are working good for most all my needs online.

In the end, I just treat them as tools, without getting too emotional about the politics and hype, as with "MS is evil", ha. That's like saying a chainsaw is evil. Better to say "MS is potentially dangerous", and deal with it, without the hype.

10/15/20
03:15:51

OldGeezer916

I had read that Microsoft wanted to keep even pirated Windows updated so it would limit the spread of malware. Never heard of any lockup in 7. Must have been before I ever got it. A couple times a year an update would break a popular 7 hack & the desktop would be black & show the watermark, but all you had to do was uninstall & reinstall the hack to get it back. I figure you know the one I'm talking about but you may have filters if I name it. I didn't find a break for 8, but then I stopped looking when I bought keys & went legit. The 7 in my Virtualbox is genuine.

I don't upload & what little torrents I did, I used a VPN. Never heard of anyone getting busted for only downloading from a locker. Torrents are uploading at the same time.

It doesn't bother me that my purchases can be targeted. I'm not buying anything illegal. With uBlock I see very few annoying ads & that I do care about.

As for VLC, any hangups can usually just mean you close the window if the stop button doesn't work. If not, just send a kill signal from the system monitor. In more than 3 years I have been using Ubuntu I only remember shutting down once. I don't use it much in Windows. For the Nvidia hardware acceleration to work in Xilisoft, I have to stay with an older driver. VLC 2.2.8 works fine, but version 3 seems to have problems. Just as well. I really only use it in Windows to scroll through files to test them & the mouse wheel in 3 scrolls them much slower. Version 3.0.8 came with my Ubuntu upgrade. A couple changes I like. Been using VLC for so many years & so rarely had much problems since versions very long ago. Pretty satisfied with it. I could try the one you suggested if it works with Ubuntu.

10/15/20
03:53:33

The_Owl

@Admin I have just sent you a email about a problem please read.

10/16/20
03:46:12

lazee

@OldGeezer916

Yup, that lock was a bad move by MS, as there were users who had pirated version and didn't know it, or their legit copy was flagged as no-genuine for some reason, and thus their files were kept hostage until they paid MS for a legit copy, to no fault of their own. It happened to me, although I knew my copy was pirated. Regardless, I was able to use Linux to get my files back with ease, and I later installed a legit copy.

MPC-BE is just for Windows. I reckon VLC works better on Linux, and I use it in Zorin OS with no issues. My gripe was that when VLC got hung in Windows, I would often have to end it via the Task Manager, but no big deal, and a rare issue. But more so, my point was, when that happens, the error info (such as the name of the video you were watching), can be sent to MS.

I stopped torrenting when it became a bust (with the uploading part), and I wasn't willing pay for a VPN or locker services at that time.

As you may know, in the USA, just downloading has never been much of bust, except for some users on work, gov, or school related ISP services, mostly involving policies and fines. VPN services have promoted the idea that downloaders need to worry, but that's pretty much been all hype.

Yet now that ISPs in the USA have the legal right to collect and sell customer data, then using a trusted VPN is a good idea now, if privacy is a concern or whatever.

I prefer to stay clear from marketing profile lists, as they can make their way to hackers who leverage such info for identify theft and such. Also, the legit use of such data can hurt credit scores, costs of insurance, applications for work and school, and more. This likewise involves risk analysis of those you know and live with. That said, we now have huge conglomerates that own many sub-companies involved in many sectors, all under one roof. As such, through their security branches, they use cookieless device identification (fingerprinting tech) to detect and track customers via banking, health care, insurance, e-commerce, and more, all around the web.

"It doesn't bother me that my purchases can be targeted. I'm not buying anything illegal."

It's not that. When you buy stuff, then they usually know who you are, by name. Furthermore, they can still track you elsewhere, learning that you download pirated media, or looking for medical treatments, or whatever. That data becomes part of your profile, and thus can hurt you and those you know in ways you may have never considered. Just say'n.

Personally, I don't really care much anymore, as I'm getting too old to fuss with all this tech.

"While my young friends have unlocked the mysteries of the Internet, and speak in a cyber-language I can't understand, I take naps in the afternoon, and hobble from room to room, frantically looking for my glasses." - Joe Frank, 2012

10/17/20
10:13:11

OldGeezer916

I never saw 7 do anything except go black desktop & watermark not genuine. It was actually still usable. The fact that a lot of innocent people had pirated Windows was the reason they were selling keys so cheap. Windows 8 will not function for long not genuine. I once had my 8.1 turn up as not genuine even though it was. Maybe it was because I hadn't even briefly been on line for too long. All it took was going on line & a couple clicks & it was OK. Did not make me put my key back in.

My VPN costs less than a penny a day. Torrents are history. They weren't that great to start with. Lousy quality files, peers dropping out, slow. The VPN came in handy when lockers used to let you download large files not premuim, but you had to wait between them. I would use the VPN in my Virtualbox. Some sites like Facebook will lock you out if they see you connect from different locations, so you have to uncheck everything in Jdownloader. Played hell getting back on. I also have a second Firefox profile I use under a VPN with all the saved log ins deleted just in case. When I first open Firefox it will ask me normal or no passwords. An ISP will still know who you connect to even with a VPN. If they were going to get me for downloaded files, they would have a long time ago. Again uploaders are who they are after, but that includes torrents.

I have not been in debt since I paid my house off in 1997 & don't ever intend to be. Pay full balance on my credit card every month. Being retired, I won't be applying for work. Perhaps high level jobs may really dig deep, but blue collar employers don't often go beyond police records & maybe credit scores. Long time since I checked, but I used to be in the top 5%. No credit except a paid off card may have dropped that.

I know my birth date & Medicare number is out there. Had a scammer pretending to be Medicare call me. I told them if they were Medicare they would know that & damned if they did. I asked them my birth date & they gladly told me. I asked if they knew my social security & they did not. If they did, they would have said so to try to convince me. I contacted Medicare & they said to just check my portal regularly for bogus charges. If not, they weren't going to change it.

VLC has looked lousy in Windows the last 2 of 3 versions unless you are in full screen. Linux doesn't have that problem. I often drop 1080 files into a 720 sized box part of the time. Just as smooth.

10/19/20
04:46:23

lazee

@OldGeezer916

Debt free, good for you! I've always been debt free, and have never had a credit card, as I'm very frugal, single, fiscally conservative, and historically lucky. I pretty much retired at 40 after selling off my assets at some highs. Since then, I've managed to live rent free, and even grown my wealth some. If I invest in property again, it would likely be with a working farm near an acceptable city, such as Rochester Minnesota or?

Yup, everything seems to work better in Linux. I only wish it did a little more.

You're right about VPNs and ISPs, yet with point to point encryption/encrypted DNS/DNS-over-HTTPS then ISPs can't see what sites you visit so easy, so they say. Still, I reckon ISPs are ahead of this game on other fronts, with their rather hidden partners and such.

Some of my work has involved deep background checks, involving IT and managing a warehouse. Funny thing is, we would sometimes still hire people who lied on their applications, but we wouldn't tell them we knew. This gave us leverage in various situations down the road, if you can imagine, which wasn't cool, but there you go.

Now due to security cameras, there are growing databases of people with their cars, other people, where they go and such, in the real world. For example, some bars now take secret photos of all who enter, and sell that info to data brokers and more. I know a person in corporate security who works with hidden cameras, where most people are clueless about this happening.

10/19/20
08:27:32

OldGeezer916

lazee:

My credit card is just a convenience. Never paid a dime of interest on one since the early 90's. Also found out a good defense against being ripped off. Had a merchant take $465 from me for computer hardware & never shipped the packages. MasterCard got the money back.

I retired at 60. Boeing had been paying a pension & covering health insurance since I was 55. Medicare with supplements is taking a bite now, but since SS is determined by your 10 best paying years, a good union job means I get better than average. Unless the republicans slash my benefits, I'll get along OK.

Not everything is better in Linux. A lot of great free software, some as good or better than Windows, but some Windows programs I just can't find a replacement for. Linux is certainly more secure. I trust Windows better for copying. With them networked I get the best of both.

You have to assume you are on camera whenever you go out & I guess with license plate readers they know where you drive. Don't care. I'm just an old man & really not that interesting. Drive so little I have to keep a trickle charger on my battery or the normal key off drain will run me down. The government's plan for finding needles in the haystack is to just keep stacking on more hay.

10/19/20
14:33:13

Deena

Dead link, can someone please reupload this on Clicknupload? Thanks heaps

https://rmz.cr/release/shes-all-that-1999-brrip-xvid-mp3-xvid

10/20/20
22:27:40

lazee

I have a friend who still works at Boeing. He moved to St. Louis when they closed the Long Beach plant. They tried to get him to retire early, but he refused, as he said it was a poor deal.

Back in the day, I worked with top engineers from Raytheon, Sun, Blackberry, and Citrix.

If fact, it was a Citrix dude from Sweden who got me into TPB, media servers, private VPNs, and more.

There's a good chance I at least know someone who knows someone you know, which may seem rather remarkable, but the numbers actually support such common connections.

Yes, not everything is better in Linux. I should have said, next to BSD, the Linux platform likely provides the best opportunity for software devs to make reliable software that runs great.

Yup, I'm getting close to being an old geezer. Hint: one of my earliest memories was when we landed on the Moon.

Car batteries, yup. I like those old cars that have a crank starter. I think my next vehicle will be an Arcimoto.

10/21/20
04:06:56

OldGeezer916

When I worked at Boeing people were always asking me "Oh, do you know..." I tell them just in plant II where I worked there was at least a thousand people. Hell, I look at old photos of my department & can't remember half the names.

Boeing pulled a fast one in Wichita in 2005. They faked a "sale" to a Canadian company. The whole purpose was to get rid of the older, more expensive employees. Boeing laid off everyone & said we would be notified if the new company would hire us. Unless you had a critical skill, anyone over 45 was gone. We had smoking gun emails & memos to this plan & still lost the age discrimination suit. A couple months later the new company went on a hiring binge at $14 an hour. I was making $26. Found out there is a LOT of age discrimination. I had 10 years at Cessna, good record, perfect attendance. 2 years composites, 8 flight line mechanic. They had ads every week on their site for these & related jobs. Couldn't get an interview. Guess 20 years total composite experience wasn't enough. Went to work as an auto mechanic. That doesn't pay like when I did it in the 70's. No benefits. At 55 I was still entitled to my accrued Boeing benefits & still get a small pension.

I was starting my senior year after the moon landing. I had followed everything, all the way from the start of Mercury project. Hell, I remember when the Russians launched Sputnik.

Linux missed a great chance to make a less nerd system when so many people did not want to be forced to 10. The easy to use system my son made for me is proof they could have done it so any Windows user could have switched. Only command line code I use is to check SMART on my NVME drive. He wrote scripts & programs that all I have to do is click icons.

Regardless of any advantage of 10, everyone was tired of the nagware & dirty tricks. Microsoft even downloaded 10 & set it up to install on boot for some people until they got so much backlash. People were having to go through several screens to click no to the install. They also had pop ups you had to kill in the task manager. Clicking the X began the install. Some boxes had 2 buttons. Install now or install later. Someone put out a program called GWX Control Panel to block nagware & sneak installs, but Windows wouldn't let it delete some files. I just put it under Linux & did a search for any file with "GWX" in it & wiped them all out. The idea of hijacking browsers for those that just clicked OK to everything was so Edge could steal a lot of advertising. Never trusted Microsoft from the days of DOS, but when they made Intel make Kaby Lake only support 10 & then bricked security updates for the people it still worked for, I think they are pure evil. Yeah, they are going to support 8.1 until 2023, but only if you have a very old computer.

10/21/20
08:08:12

amokkoma

Has anyone seen Riviera Season 3 yet ? Thanks a lot ))))))

10/21/20
08:24:30

cupcake

@amokkoma Yes..you can find all 8 episodes on rlsbb

10/23/20
06:49:33

lazee

@OldGeezer916

My friend reported a similar story, being that Boeing wanted to get rid of all older employees, and then some. He was able to stay on as he jumped on an IT program they offered years before that move.

"Hey Microsoft, get off my lawn!" , ha.

For research, I recently got a Microsoft account. Oh boy, does it suck. I could go on, but I'm sure you can imagine.

Some parts of Microsoft are still good, but most are bad, and it all looks to be getting worse. For example, I expect most all the folks who buy one of the new Xbox's are going to regret it later. I think the main problem is that they have given the marketers way too much control of the company.

I hated Windows 8 when it came out. I know it got better later and can be somewhat "fixed" as need be. I stayed with 7 until the end. While on 7 it did try to update to 10 ("for free", but I was able to stop that with little effort.. Then I bought some new rigs that came with 10. I've never had any big issues with MS.

I think the new Edge browser is the best preforming browser for Windows right now. I've had no issues and I like the GUI a lot.

I could care less about other people's issues with MS, as if it works for me, then it works for me. And if it stops working for me, then I either deal with it or move on.

China Inc. is likely the most evil "company" out there, but I still buy stuff from China.

10/23/20
06:51:57

lazee

testing

" " )

I hate smileys.

10/23/20
07:12:48

lazee

@OldGeezer916

"Linux missed a great chance to make a less nerd system when so many people did not want to be forced to 10."

Many Linux distros have been very user friendly for a long time now.

I've always use Linux via point and click, without anything special.

I think the only lost opportunity is for those who have never tried Linux.

Which reminds me, you had said you have a Windows 7 PC on your network. That is a security risk, even for geeks who know how to lock things down proper, as hackers are always evolving their attack vectors.

10/23/20
10:43:39

OldGeezer916

lazee:
Because of my son teaching me I'm probably a bit more advanced using Windows than average. He told me Ubuntu would probably be best to start out. There were still some things that involved command line that he automated for me & even wrote some GUI's for me. Some programs like Jdownloader work in Linux, but he had to add a file to launch it. I use Sysclone for cloning, but you have to put in code to bring up the menu in the konsole. I just click an icon. Ubuntu has a pretty simple software center, but there are times I want to install something they don't have & you have to type sudo this & that. If I'm trying something I'm afraid I might screw things up I make a fresh clone first. Sometimes they tell you that you have to uninstall something first & that's when I get into trouble. I have had to boot from the USB & clone it back to my NVME drive when I do blow it. Never understood why installing can't be like Windows where you just download a file you click on & an install window pops up & you click OK on a few screens & maybe choose some options.

My son can work on my system remotely from his place. I just let go of the mouse & he goes to work. For him to do this I have to paste a command line first each time. The code is only for him. It's amazing to watch him work. I have never seem anyone type as fast as him. There were a few things in Windows I did in the command prompt, but it seems like there is so much more you need it for in Linux. Windows users are used to GUI's for everything.

I can network to my 7 machine to transfer files but most of the time I only leave my 8.1 hooked up. My son says it is very unlikely anyone could get through my Ubuntu to my offline Windows machines. Besides Linux being more secure to start with, he has made some additions to the firewall. Since there is no support for 7 & for 8 only if your machine is old, no one is going to keep them online. I sometimes enable them just long enough to do a program update & then right back off. Don't figure I'm going to get hacked in the 3 or 4 minutes it takes to do that. Some programs I have lifetime updates like GoldWave, Total Recorder, Xilisoft, Hard Disk Sentinel. Then there's the free ones like Macruim Reflect, FSviewer, MKVtoolNix, & VidCoder.

Are there any Linux versions a Windows only user could just switch right to without a skilled user helping them & has GUI's for everything? Ubuntu comes preloaded with a lot of programs so that helps. Guessing probably all versions do. I've wondered why Microsoft hasn't sued over LibreOffice.

10/24/20
08:30:39

kellym2

Queens Gambit- could eps 2 - 3- 6 7 please go on. There's no point in just loading a couple of episodes of a series. Thanks, much appreciated

10/24/20
08:50:36

lazee

@OldGeezer916

So you enable Win 7 just long enough to do a program update & then right back off. Hmm.

Understand that it just takes one dependency not being updated to leave a door for hackers/malware to exploit, which can take very little time.

Also, why do software updates on Windows 7?

For example, if some Win 7 software is still being updated, then that dev's repository is a target for hackers to plant their malware, such as with ransomware, where you simply install it and your Win 7 box is infected. This has happened to CCleaner, Linux Mint, and more.

If the software on Win 7 works for you, then I wouldn't even update the software on it.

Also note, Jdownloader depends on Java, and both are very sketchy IMO.

It's true that the chances of your system getting infected is low, but is it all still worth the risk?

Personally, I think it's to risky to manage a proper home server, as the security risks are not worth the fuss for me, and there are other ways to get things done (for me).

~

Yes, many Linux distros are easy to use, just like Windows. If some software is not found in any trusted point and click repository, then I don't fuss with trying to install it.

~

I reckon Microsoft hasn't sued LibreOffice as the code is legit. As for the look and feel, I don't think that's a big issue and/or not a wise battle to pursue.

If all businesses supported and used LibreOffice, I think this world would be a little better place.