Mastodawn

Jon S. von Tetzchner Apr 1, 2024

Congress in the US has banned Copilot for security reasons. I would take it further. Really the way Windows is coded now, it is a significant security problem. The idea that it is unclear whether you are using local data or online data is unacceptable.

This includes:

- Login. Login should be local. You are not logging into a service. You are logging into a computer. The service should be separate from the computer.

- Copilot. Clearly another case where you may not realize that you are sharing data by asking a question.

- OneDrive. Another case where local data is backed up in the cloud, without active actions by you as a user. Backup is great, but you should have to explicitly enable it and there should be a warning that your data may be scanned.

- Windows. In reality even Windows is now a problem given the login issue and any tracking that is happening.

Online cloud services can be great, but one should never be forced into online services or lured into them. Any computer should work fine without having to use OS online services, except basic services, like updates and the like.

#Windows #Linux #Microsoft

https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-congress-bans-staff-use-microsofts-ai-copilot-axios-reports-2024-03-29/

mercurial yapper (now in plasmatrap.com)Apr 1, 2024

@jon I got a new computer recently and I was absolutely shocked that there is no way of getting out of signing into a Microsoft account. The only way to use the computer otherwise is to use a different OS!

Jon S. von Tetzchner

@writeblankspace

Indeed. It is crazy.

Marta Threadbare Apr 1, 2024

@jon @writeblankspace last time I tried (win11 22h2) before I went back to win10, just removing the ethernet cable and not telling it which wifi to use worked? did they remove that way?

Jon S. von Tetzchner Apr 1, 2024

@cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace

They make it harder for each release. Last time that did not work. Why should one have to use hacks like that?

jahinzee Apr 1, 2024

@jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace I have a suspicion that they might also use A/B testing of random user account policies/blocks too, so one person might find it easy to skip online accounts while another might find it impossible (both on the same version on clean installs)

draeath Apr 1, 2024

@jahinzee @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace how is it supposed to coordinate that when it's offline?

Baron Von J Apr 1, 2024

@jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace
Currently if the computer has wifi and it finds nearby networks, you have to open a command prompt and reconfigure the out-of-box-experience to not require network

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-set-windows-11-without-microsoft-account

How to set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account

If you don't like having a Microsoft account on Windows 11, here's how to get around the problem.

Windows Central

Asta [AMP]Apr 1, 2024

@baronvonj @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace ... I'm sorry, if there's a nearby network the computer has found, Windows... requires you to use it right now? What the fuck?

Baron Von J Apr 1, 2024

@aud @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace
yeah, you can't continue with the out-of-box setup without either connecting wifi and logging in an MS account or reconfiguring OOBE via command-line. It's a garbage take from a company that realizes the future of their revenue is with the subscription cloud services. so they're trying to bundle it all into the OS.

Asta [AMP]Apr 1, 2024

@baronvonj @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace Is it like: if it finds open wifi or just any wifi?

because like, either way, that is a problem. "I see some open wifi, just sign in there!" wuuuuuuuut

Baron Von J Apr 1, 2024

@aud @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace
Actually I think it's if OOBE finds wifi hardware in the computer at all and can load a driver for it.

tallship Apr 2, 2024

@baronvonj @aud @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace
k. I've got less than 1337 chars to do this...

First let me say that Vivaldi rocks on Linux.

Okay the horror story you wished you didn't have to live through:

A friend comes over after not following my advice with a brand new hundred dollar Dell laptop to replace her tech challenged (spelled, luddite) husband's old one. It's got no Ethernet port.

Some idiot (me) says I'll migrate everything over. Bad choice. It was "Windows 11 Home edition S Mode".

I started teaching the MCSE program for Microsoft in 1995. I don't allow Microsoft accounts for logins - only Local accounts.

Aside from the OOBE issues, the problem requires one to rip out the "S Mode" part AND go through the other items without ever using a temp microsoft account to do so - much more non--trivial than you think). It's very bad if you create that shell-game temp MS account and will bite your customer later if you do that.

He has a google account as an anchor for Chrome, and 99% of everything he does is either Google Earth or YouTube music VoDs.

I should have shelled out the $17 for an OEM Pro ed., but I'm stubborn. Mission accomplished - eventually.

He uses zero Microsoft apps, yet his wife bought a box that would only run them.

See happy ending in alt-txt for image

⛵

.

elmussol Apr 2, 2024

@tallship @baronvonj @aud @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace blatant misuse of the word Luddite.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/26/enochs-hammer/#thats-fronkonsteen

Pluralistic: Brian Merchant’s “Blood In the Machine” (26 Sep 2023) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

Baron Von J Apr 3, 2024

@elmussol @tallship @aud @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace

"The ruling Tories had no sympathy for the workers and no interest in upholding the law or punishing the factory owners for violating it."

Same as it ever was, eh?

tallship Apr 7, 2024

@elmussol @baronvonj @aud @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace

Yes indeed, was I so blatant? 😎
You are correct and I was successful in conveyance.
That's a win<==>win 👍

Baron Von J Apr 3, 2024

@tallship @aud @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace

<shudder> at S Mode.

erilun06 Apr 2, 2024

@baronvonj @aud @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace

so the "OS" that is supposed to not need you to open a terminal, requires you to open the terminal just to install it, Im an arch-user and I find it easier to install arch(at least if I can use the tui installer) than it is to install a "recent" windows

I remember installing debian, and that was __really__ easy to do
Only linux system that cant be installed without network is the netinstall versions, and those usually(debian might not) tell you that you need network

Baron Von J Apr 3, 2024

well technically you don't *need* to. You *can* just finish the initial login by using a Microsoft account!

@aud @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace

erilun06 Apr 4, 2024

@baronvonj @aud @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace
Sure, but that isn't really an option for a lot of people (I still wish I could use GitHub to login to my Minecraft account(like I can for playing halo), and that's the only thing I use my MS account for )

Jernej Simončič �Apr 3, 2024

@aud @jon @baronvonj @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace It's much worse than that – without using the bypassnro workaround you will not be able to finish the OOBE wizard even if there's no working network adapter at all in your computer.

Jernej Simončič �Apr 3, 2024

@aud @jon @baronvonj @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace Oh, and even if you do the workaround, Windows 11 will nag you every few days to log in to a MS account with a similar full-screen wizard. You have to go to Settings → System → Notifications → scroll all the way down to Additional options and uncheck the suggestion checkbox there.

Corb_The_Lesser Apr 1, 2024

@baronvonj @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace

I used that the other day and it worked on 11 Pro. Also labored through following a batch of advice about getting rid of telemetry, disabling unwelcome services, etc. Not sure anything done outside Settings would survive the next update. Hardly seemed worth it, actually.

Baron Von J Apr 1, 2024

@Corb_The_Lesser @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace
That is for sure true that some of these settings can get reverted in the big OS updates (like 1909 to 20h2 to 22h2).

@baronvonj @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace reconfigure? more like just skip it

@baronvonj @jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace

Here's to hoping Microsoft are the next ones to be legaled by the US

Baron Von J Apr 3, 2024

They already have been once back in the 90s and the judges order to split the company was overruled. As far as Government use goes, they wouldn't be running the Home or even Pro versions that try to force you to use the regular public cloud. They'll have the Enterprise version that will happily work with on-prem services or Azure Government services.

@jon @cygnathreadbare @writeblankspace

Fabián Robledo Apr 1, 2024

@cygnathreadbare

Last week I started a brand new laptop for work and I used that trick. I do not know the exact W11 versión, but not connecting to the Internet allowed to me to create a local account.

Ironically, i only used it to download Ubuntu and make a live usb, as we mainly use GNU/Linux at work.

@jon @writeblankspace