MS experimenting with your PC - really? Has anyone heard of this?

What about that latest horror "Targeted adverts

I think that targeted ads are a very good idea, ok let's be realistic, you are going to be served Ads, this applies to the TV, Radio and of course the internet. targeting ads is only possible on the net, at present, so what does it give you ...

It means for me that I see adverts for stuff, that I am more likely to want and buy, without this I get all the crap I get on the TV -The personal ladies products, the childrens games, the special offer on Cyclists Lycra underpants or even Icelandic Yogurt

With targeted ads I see a different subset, Tech "Boys Toys", things on Amazon that are consumables and I have already purchased in the past, Things that are new versions, updates to what I already Use, or items that are used with things I already own.

Ok the Amazon a Suggestions can be quite amusing with the random items that "others who bought this item also bought this" ... Ok someone may have bought a "USB pen drive and a ladies Shampoo" but this is not exactly something that most users would automatically place together ( and I do add that Amazon quite often include random items in this suggestion system that happen to be on special offer )

Amazon also message me (I have opted in), for items on Flash sale, and I have purchased items this way, but they are items than I would likely have purchased anyway at some time, and probably at a higher price.

All ads are invasive and unwanted but as they are going to arrive anyway I would rather see ads for something that I may be interested in that something I am not and never will be interested in

roy111 said:

I think all your respectable an opinable considerations have nothing to do with the original
question of this thread which in the end is once I choose a configuration will it be honoured or bidirectional telemetry can change the setting at will for testing pourposes; may have misunderstood but this has nothing to do with privacy, data gathering, targeted or not targeted advertaising. my experience is that lately there are "A grade" costumers (enterprise and edu costumers) and "B / guinea pig grade" costumers to test out new features before they land in the enterprise/educational.
Sadly I fall into the B grade not having access to enterpraise/educational grade products.

Hope this helps.

Yes, I remember when computers were once "personal" and settings were not altered based on browsing habits. I made my settings and they stayed that way for years. Now we have such an evolving platform (on-line style OS) that even if we have control of settings, we are somehow still placed in an inescapable box of settings that are not controllable even if given a choice of how to set them.

I want to throw this note in here:

I just read the first post.

As of today, the world that we live in, there is nothing that is considered 100% private. No matter if it's digital or physical items (in the house, that has nothing to do with technology): If any certain "higher" organization wants to "observe" things, they will force gain access to "watch" without you knowing or noticing.

The idea of "100% privacy" physically no longer exists.

That's how things are in my life.