Call from MS today!

On 20/04/2016 21:14, Zack Sten wrote:
On 4/18/2016 3:28 PM, Popkin wrote:
The nice Asian gentleman, John Lewis, told me my computer was
downloading malicious code.

I told him he was FOS and to FO.
I received one of these calls while temporarily living in another part
of the country. I listened to the guy's schpiel, and then told him how
odd it was that my 'puter was sending out messages, since it and my
router had been turned off for five weeks (not a lie). He immediately
hung up, but I did get a laugh out of it.

Why didn't you tell him that that is what you do as full-time job to
spam and to send out malicious emails! You get paid to do it and so it
is good it is working!!

--

1. /*This post contains rich text (HTML). if you don't like it then you
can kill-filter the poster without crying like a small baby.*/
2. /*This message is best read in Mozilla Thunderbird as it uses 21st
century technology.*/

"Good Guy" wrote in message ...
On 20/04/2016 21:14, Zack Sten wrote:

On 4/18/2016 3:28 PM, Popkin wrote:

The nice Asian gentleman, John Lewis, told me my computer was
downloading malicious code.

I told him he was FOS and to FO.

I received one of these calls while temporarily living in another part of the country. I listened to the guy's schpiel, and then told him how odd it was that my 'puter was sending out messages, since it and my router had been turned off for five weeks (not a lie). He immediately hung up, but I did get a laugh out of it.


Why didn't you tell him that that is what you do as full-time job to spam and to send out malicious emails! You get paid to do it and so it is good it is working!!


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++
Looks like we’re both in the same business. But don’t be upset.

"Char Jackson" wrote in message
...

On Wed, 20 Apr 2016 18:50:57 +0100, Bill wrote:

In message , mechanic
writes
On Tue, 19 Apr 2016 17:33:51 -0600, Buffalo wrote:

Anyone here ever use NoMoRoBo?
https://www.nomorobo.com/
I just installed it two days ago and so far so good.

Does it work in the UK?

When I looked at it I got no further than the message that it doesn't
work on traditional analog lines.

Unfortunately, I got no further than seeing that US-based wireless carriers
are not currently supported.

I do have a VoIP-based home phone but only use it for outbound calls now
and
then, so the ringer is turned off. My cell phone is my primary phone, and
Nomorobo doesn't work with that.

It works on systems that can be set to 'simultaneous' rings to different
phones, as far as I understand it.
IOWs, if you can set your telephone system to ring different numbers (home
phone and cell) for all calls, then it most likely will work.
Just my take on it.
My home pnone (corded) works well with that system, but my cell will not.
--
Buffalo

On 04/18/16 13:14, Keith Nuttle so wittily quipped:
On 4/18/2016 3:28 PM, Popkin wrote:
The nice Asian gentleman, John Lewis, told me my computer was
downloading malicious code.

I told him he was FOS and to FO.
It is more fun to thank him for the information and ask him specifically
which computer is causing the problem as you have a half a dozen on this
site. Make your end up as you go along, eventually he will give up
after you have what he considers wasted "his" time. ie he probably gets
paid by the computers he is able to infect.

After a while, don't forget to ask for HIS phone number, to match it
against your caller ID. Funny things happen after you do that.

On Fri, 22 Apr 2016 12:42:16 -0400, Wolf K wrote:

On 2016-04-20 16:47, Johnny B Good wrote:
On Tue, 19 Apr 2016 11:59:30 -0400, Wolf K wrote:

On 2016-04-19 11:58, Wolf K wrote:
On 2016-04-19 10:41, Johnny B Good wrote: [...]
the great unwashed consumer masses and their offspring.
[...]

Corrected:

You're one too. You get can't out of the game.

Just a typo, which I corrected as above, and then corrected again:

Should read "You can't get out of the game." :-)

I'm sure this is a reference to something you said to a previous
poster
but I couldn't find your previous post to check exactly what you said.

It's a comment on your reference to "the great unwashed consumer masses
and their offspring".

You're a consumer. It doesn't matter whether you're unwashed or not, or
have offspring or not. You're in the game, and you can't get out.

Have a good day,

Well, thank you for clarifying the point you were making. I'd assumed
you were referring specifically to the part MSFT were playing in our
consumer society rather than to society in general.

From that point of view, you are, of course, quite correct and as you
pointed out, we are all participants in the "game" whether we like it or
not.

My point was that MSFT went from providing an OS that served end
*users'* needs in a reasonably transparent way to a travesty of an OS
designed to act as a platform by which to sell services to the great
unwashed consumer masses whereby the end user controls were obfuscated to
minimise any consumer interference to its default behaviour.

It suits MSFT to ensure that their customers (consumers) have as little
an understanding of the technology as possible beyond the ability to
switch it on (and, grudgingly off - MSFT would prefer you to put it in
standby rather than completely shut it down) and know how to buy
application software packages and launch them.

Microsoft have basically been busy perverting what was once a general
purpose personal computer into another item of white goods, requiring no
more interaction from the consumer than say that of a TV set or an all in
one HiFi unit.

I can understand the desire to widen the appeal of the desktop PC. What
I can't understand is the deliberate removal of features which allow the
more imaginative and ambitious users the level of control that had
existed with win2k which had facilitated the use of the desktop PC as an
undifferentiated general purpose computing tool. Well, actually I can
understand why the user interface was downgraded to the point of
unusability but it paints a rather ugly picture of MSFT's attitude to
their customers.

As you pointed out, I can't completely escape my fate as a consumer but
I can certainly try and minimise my dependency on the less palatable of
Microsoft's products.

--
Johnny B Good

On 04/19/16 07:41, RandyM so wittily quipped:
"Popkin" wrote in message
...
The nice Asian gentleman, John Lewis, told me my computer was downloading
malicious code.

I told him he was FOS and to FO.

I got one of those calls too but their machine was faulty, garbled voice. It
said something like, "This is Microsoft Engineering calling. Your computer
is putting out viruses..." I just hung up. There ought to be a law, because
unfortunately some poor little old lady somewhere will be gullible to such
nonsense...


laws don't stop scammers. they're criminals. they're already violating
laws like 'fraud' and 'extortion'. don't forget what they might do to
someone's credit card number after the fact, either. And doing things
like that over a phone would be telemarking fraud. Yotta yotta. I
still get cold calls from ****ing violators of the 'do not call list'.
I don't even let the phone ring any more. It goes right to the
answering machine, which intentionally attempts to 'trick' robo-dialers
into thinking I answered. Then the message says "this number is on the
national do not call list". You'd be surprised at how many hangups I
hear during that part of the message.

and yet, these scammers, these illegal boiler-room call centes, they
keep doing this **** even though it's illegal.

What OUGHT to happen is to make it LEGAL to seek them out and *KILL*
them. THAT would stop the problem!

On 22 Apr 2016, Johnny B Good
wrote in alt.comp.os.windows-10:

Microsoft have basically been busy perverting what was once a
general
purpose personal computer into another item of white goods,
requiring no more interaction from the consumer than say that of a
TV set or an all in one HiFi unit.

I can understand the desire to widen the appeal of the desktop
PC. What
I can't understand is the deliberate removal of features which
allow the more imaginative and ambitious users the level of
control that had existed with win2k which had facilitated the use
of the desktop PC as an undifferentiated general purpose computing
tool. Well, actually I can understand why the user interface was
downgraded to the point of unusability but it paints a rather ugly
picture of MSFT's attitude to their customers.

You express well my disappointment with this recent turn of events. I
understand that they want to widen their approach and tap new markets,
but it seems like they didn't have to discourage and shut out the power
users among us, not to mention the developers who have been largely
responsible for the success of Windows all these years. Microsoft's
current corporate philosophy feels aggressively unfriendly and uncaring
toward the user. Their old model worked very well for me. The current
direction will require compromise from me that I'm not sure I'm willing
to make.

Big Bad Bob licked his own butthole and says it tastes like winston:

WHOOSH! Went right over h/er/is crackbaby brainhole...

After a while, don't forget to ask for HIS phone number, to match it
against your caller ID. Funny things happen after you do that.

Try to stay on topic, you dumbass.

--

I AM Bucky Breeder, (*(^;

Resolve conflicts the American way :

Rock - Paper - Scissors - Jedi Swiss Army Light Saber

.... and I approve this message!

Big Bad Bob licked his own butthole and says it tastes like winston:

What OUGHT to happen is to make it LEGAL to seek them out and *KILL*
them. THAT would stop the problem!

Yeah... you'd trip over yer own loaded geriatric diapers and die.

--

I AM Bucky Breeder, (*(^;

Resolve conflicts the American way :

Rock - Paper - Scissors - Jedi Swiss Army Light Saber

.... and I approve this message!

"Big Bad Bob" wrote in message
...

On 04/19/16 07:41, RandyM so wittily quipped:
"Popkin" wrote in message
...
The nice Asian gentleman, John Lewis, told me my computer was
downloading
malicious code.

I told him he was FOS and to FO.

I got one of those calls too but their machine was faulty, garbled voice.
It
said something like, "This is Microsoft Engineering calling. Your computer
is putting out viruses..." I just hung up. There ought to be a law,
because
unfortunately some poor little old lady somewhere will be gullible to such
nonsense...


snipped all the ****ed-up raving.


What OUGHT to happen is to make it LEGAL to seek them out and *KILL*
them. THAT would stop the problem!

A bit extreme. But to satisfy your rage, why not pull the wings off
butterflies? Or light your pet on fire. Kick your wife in the ****. Or
better yet, jump off a high structure surrounded by concrete.

On Sat, 23 Apr 2016 10:53:03 -0400, Wolf K wrote:

On 2016-04-22 23:02, Johnny B Good wrote:
[...]
My point was that MSFT went from providing an OS that served end
*users'* needs in a reasonably transparent way to a travesty of an OS
designed to act as a platform by which to sell services to the great
unwashed consumer masses whereby the end user controls were obfuscated
to minimise any consumer interference to its default behaviour.
[...]

IOW do what Apple did even before OS-X.

Yes, more or less the same strategy (Finally!) as Apple's. :-)


Another way of looking at it: There was a time when owning a motorbike
mean constant servicing, including regular stripping down of the engine
and rebuilding it. This appealed to a minority, the kind of people who
like tinkering with anything and everything, constrained only by skills
and knowledge, and not even then. :-) Result: not many motorbikes sold.

The real appeal of the motorbike back in the 50s and 60s was its
cheapness as a cost effective form of personal transport, the principle
parts of which could be readily understood and maintained by people with
more sense than money who could ill afford to 'outsource' the minimal
maintenance work required to keep it going.


But now a motor bike is like a car: You start her up, and ride. Every so
often you take it into the shop for regular maintenance.

Even today, a lot of 'biking enthusiasts' will try and minimise their
reliance on 'outsourced maintenance providers'. It's only the younger
wealthier generation who buy modern bikes as a summertime toy who
completely outsource such maintenance, preferring to avoid the reality of
the dirty business of doing their own maintenance and, of course, an
older generation trying to recapture the nostalgia of their youth where
the novelty of DIY bike maintenance has well and truly worn off, helped
in large part due to age related health conditions which make such tasks
less than the joy they once were.


So the question is, is that a good thing or not? Your use of "great
unwashed masses of consumers" implies that you'd prefer that only the
initiati should be allowed to use computers. Or motorbikes.

With Motorbikes, the dangers are self evident. With personal computers,
the dangers are far from self evident to the majority of the great
unwashed consumer masses.

When, for example, it came to the sound advice offered to the typical
windows PC user to *not* open email attachments which had a .exe or .scr
or .bat or .com ending, Microsoft's default fileview option to hide such
extensions rendered such well meaning advice a wasted effort.

Why such file viewing options even existed, let alone defaulting to such
an option, remains a complete mystery to me since its only benefit was to
the malware community looking for an easy way to masquerade the name of a
malware attachment as something harmless (eg renaming "Nasty Trojan.exe"
to "Naked Lady.jpg.exe" which would display as a seemingly harmless, if
intriguing, looking "Naked Lady.jpg" image file).

This was effectively an easy introductory "The art of infecting windows
101" course for the neophyte black hats looking to gain the necessary
qualifications in a malware writing career. As a simple method of
inflicting trojan software on a PC, it relied upon the blissful ignorance
of "The Great Unwashed" for its effectiveness.

Quite frankly, how MSFT avoided being drawn into a potentially
bankrupting class action lawsuit over the matter of "A wilful lack of
duty of care" to their customers over this matter in a product that was
quite squarely aimed at a class of customer with absolutely no need to
understand even the most basic aspects of computer technology, still
leaves me perplexed 16 years on from when they took that brave decision
to leave such a dangerous option and its default setting in winXP long
after they could possibly have offered a defence of 'ignorance of the
consequences' and pass it off as a foolhardy oversight.


PS: I thoroughly enjoyed "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by
Pirsig. If you haven't read it, I recommend it. He too dislikes the
dumbing down of technology, but for different reasons than you appear to
do.

I've heard of this book but never got round to reading it (yet) so can't
comment on whether or not our views on 'dumbed down tech' are similar or
wildly divergent. All I can say is that my main objection to MSFT's
'dumbing down' is their attention to pandering to the great unwashed
consumers' desire for 'instant gratification' at the expense of my desire
to retain some control over the the OS I'd like to use as an effective
productivity tool.

It's not as if MSFT were incapable of supplying such a tool, witness the
clean uncluttered desktop UI of windows 2000 professional. Unfortunately,
MSFT decided to (literally) attack the much softer consumer market,
dropping (nay, deliberately removing) the user friendly features which
had made win2k such a useful tool seemingly to minimise interference by
the more savvy members of their consumer market in their ultimate plan to
'own' their customers.

Looking at the ongoing discussions in this news group, it would seem
this assessment is absolutely spot on. It seems a great pity that my
computer literate compatriots required yet another decade and a half to
finally become aware of MSFT's intentions.

I'm tempted to ask the rhetorical question, "Where were you all when
that festering PoS known as windows XP was first unleashed upon the great
unwashed?" but I guess the real answer would likely be "We were still in
short pants being misinformed by the education system." thus
demonstrating the truth of that famous marketing axiom "There's one born
every minute." attributed to PT Barnum over a century ago.

It's no surprise to me that windows 10 (aka winX) has become what it is.
The more computer literate in this news group can criticise and complain
all they like but Microsoft won't be taking the slightest bit of notice
since you aren't their target consumer demographic. Indeed, I'd be very
surprised if we represent even as much as 1% of the total market share.
In short, our views simply don't matter to MSFT's marketing success.

--
Johnny B Good

Wolf K wrote:
On 2016-04-22 23:02, Johnny B Good wrote:
[...]
My point was that MSFT went from providing an OS that served end
*users'* needs in a reasonably transparent way to a travesty of an OS
designed to act as a platform by which to sell services to the great
unwashed consumer masses whereby the end user controls were obfuscated to
minimise any consumer interference to its default behaviour.
[...]

IOW do what Apple did even before OS-X.

Well, that's just not true. MacOS up to 9,1
or so, was a cooperative multitasking OS of
conventional design. Which would crash around
once a day. There was no opportunity for tracking
people back then. It was a different time.

My Mac G4 running 10.2.7, only the Software Update
service was obnoxious, offering to install new software
I didn't want. I declined each time. Again, I don't
recollect any indication of a tracking component. And I
could buy and install third party software on the machine,
without any help from Apple. When I boot that
computer today, it stops offering me software.

Certainly later versions of 10.x have seen changes.
But I cannot attest to those. The Mac G4 was my last
Mac. At some point, my legacy PowerPC software,
would no longer have been supported on a recent
Intel version of MacOSX. That G4 was the last machine
where I could be assured all the old software would work.
And that G4 still runs my (SCSI based) scanner, for which
I'm thankful. When the insurance company wants me to
fax them something, I need that scanner...

Paul

On 4/24/2016 3:21 PM, Johnny B Good's fingers rattled off:

It's no surprise to me that windows 10 (aka winX) has become what it is.
The more computer literate in this news group can criticise and complain
all they like but Microsoft won't be taking the slightest bit of notice
since you aren't their target consumer demographic. Indeed, I'd be very
surprised if we represent even as much as 1% of the total market share.
In short, our views simply don't matter to MSFT's marketing success.


That's actually a very good observation of the marketing issue. And it
is that, not a technology issue.

Those of us who are into the tech are not MS's target at all.

Still, we do come here to bitch about being ignored and left out. To,
generally, no avail other than to give us a brief moment of solace.

I admit, it is silly, but, hey! Feeling good for a few seconds is
better than not, eh?

--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net/
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you
please." - Mark Twain

On 04/23/16 08:17, Bucky Breeder so wittily quipped:
Big Bad Bob licked his own butthole and says it tastes like winston:

WHOOSH! Went right over h/er/is crackbaby brainhole...

After a while, don't forget to ask for HIS phone number, to match it
against your caller ID. Funny things happen after you do that.

Try to stay on topic, you dumbass.


stop being such a CONTROL FREAK, you PSYCHOPATH!

On 04/23/16 15:01, Popkin so wittily quipped:


"Big Bad Bob" wrote in message
...

On 04/19/16 07:41, RandyM so wittily quipped:
"Popkin" wrote in message
...
The nice Asian gentleman, John Lewis, told me my computer was
downloading
malicious code.

I told him he was FOS and to FO.

I got one of those calls too but their machine was faulty, garbled
voice. It
said something like, "This is Microsoft Engineering calling. Your
computer
is putting out viruses..." I just hung up. There ought to be a law,
because
unfortunately some poor little old lady somewhere will be gullible to
such
nonsense...


snipped all the ****ed-up raving.


What OUGHT to happen is to make it LEGAL to seek them out and *KILL*
them. THAT would stop the problem!

A bit extreme. But to satisfy your rage, why not pull the wings off
butterflies?

I like butterflies. HOUSE flies, on the other hand...