Posts by Sam

The Guardian ditches Phorm

Data losses

Since public concern over undeniable and unacceptable data losses by government agencies, there is absolutely no way that the public will accept the 'selling' of personal browsing information when, it's apparent, they could get it for free from the data infringements of our own government.

I am afraid this may be a technology at the wrong time.

Assurances aren't enough I am afraid due to the incompetent and unreliable storage of data. I may as well put my PC on the street and wait for someone to hack it. Won't be hard but probably a little less likely than a public organisation who has to take some responsibility for what they provide to us.

I am incredulous at the thought of what damage this is likely to do. We will end up using foreign ISPs, proxy servers, adware control, blocking cookies (that will cripple the internet ease of use)..... someone, somewhere has ideas above their station until the legal and technical frameworks are in place.

A VERY BAD IDEA, AND NOW A BAD PR. Funny how keeping secrets can ruin the implementation of a new one and those that we can trust. What happens if I have a BT phone line providing broadband services via an alternative ISP? Can they intercept that data and give Phorm what it wants.

A lot of questions need to be satisfied before anyone will accept this.

Microsoft finds good facts to sell Windows Vista

Vista drivers and general compatibility

I have had Vista since April and it has required 2 base reinstalls since then. So bad was it that every time I requested a shutdown I got a BSOD.

However in respect of compatibility. Not only are drivers causing problems but the fact that I am precluded from using certain functionality. For example, Sky Anytime DOES NOT work with Vista so if you're a Sky subscriber you can forget trying using Anytime.

Pretty much the same with most TV on demand providers (to a certain extent). Joost that said my PC didn't meet the system criteria although it exceeded it and basically said - well it 'may' work so give it a go (hardly scientific). I can't tell you how the Performance and Information Tools Graph just degrades totally from the day from which you first switch on - it only goes DOWN and DOWN and DOWN. Problems were never this bad with XP and since I was prevented from selecting XP for installation as an option when I bought my Dell machine 2 months ago, I am stuck with an operating system that should not have seen the light of day yet and I didn't want.

Also a 'silent background virus scan' by Sophos triggers the User Account Manager Security for approval. Yet another reason why people will disable it since it's hardly silent is it?

A thorough mess of an operating system and I now wish that I'd bought another Mac for my collection. Vista is too big, too different and TOTAL bloatware.