41 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown
41 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown
# Windows 8.1 to display targeted advertisements on local system searches
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It is very disturbing that [Microsoft decided that it would be a good idea
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to display targeted ads on local searches][0]---that is, if you search for a
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file on your PC named "finances", you may get ads for finance software,
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taxes, etc. If you search for "porn", well, you get the idea.
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> Bing Ads will be an integral part of this new Windows 8.1 Smart Search
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> experience. Now, with a single campaign setup, advertisers can connect
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> with consumers across Bing, Yahoo! and the new Windows Search with highly
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> relevant ads for their search queries. In addition, Bing Ads will include
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> Web previews of websites and the latest features like site links, location
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> and call extensions, making it easier for consumers to complete tasks and
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> for advertisers to drive qualified leads.[[1]]
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[0]: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9241524/Steven_J._Vaughan_Nichols_Microsoft_Bing_bang_bungles_local_search
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[1]: http://community.bingads.microsoft.com/ads/en/bingads/b/blog/archive/2013/07/02/new-search-ad-experiences-within-windows-8-1.aspx
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While that is certainly obnoxious, consider the larger issue of privacy
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(which seems to be in the news a lot lately[[2]][[3]]): Late last year, there
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was an uproar in the Free Software community when [Ubuntu decided to query
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Amazon---enabled by default---on local searches][4] using their new Unity
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interface. The problem is that your personal queries are being sent to a
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third party---queries that you generally would expect to be private. If I
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run a `find' or `grep' command on my system, I certainly do not expect it to
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report to Amazon or Microsoft what I am searching for.
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And to make matters even worse, Microsoft is exploiting this information to
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allow advertisers to target you. [Ironic.][5]
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[Do not use Windows 8][6] (or any other proprietary software, for that
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matter).
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[2]: /2013/08/facebook-knows-about-you-even-if-you-are-not-a-member
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[3]: /2013/06/national-uproar-a-comprehensive-overview-of-the-nsa-leaks-and-revelations
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[4]: http://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/ubuntu-spyware-what-to-do
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[5]: http://www.scroogled.com/email/
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[6]: https://www.fsf.org/windows8
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