Microsoft's IE8 Phones Home

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On Friday, ComputerWorld reported that Microsoft went into defense mode over Internet Explorer 8’s "phone home" feature (Suggested Sites). Although the browser doesn’t claim to contact an alien race, it will suggest Internet sites based on URLs entered i

Microsoft's IE8 Phones Home : Read more
 
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I think IE8 $uks majorly! IE8 xmits more information about browsing habits, apps etc.... and you have to pay a few hundred dollars for this added feature!! Go Linux/Ubuntu dude!! it rocks and has no built in spyware!!
 
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Actually this doesn't phase me at all. Any kind of autocomplete feature like this needs to communicate with some list somewhere. Rather than clog the DNS servers of the world with billions of autocomplete DNS translation requests, Microsoft hosts servers with fast software that can direct you to the site you want.

Obviously it needs to know what you've typed in so far to guess the rest of what you might want. Then when you finally choose the site, it transmits what you chose back to improve the list. Nothing dangerous or invasive at all.
 

Alternator

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Does it still do this when you are in privacy mode?
I would presume not since apparently it has to go into the history.

And what of Chrome which apparently logs all keystrokes, perhaps I need to google this (perhaps maybe yahoo it instead...)

But my bigger concern is it seems every man and his dog wants a log of what you're doing on the net... ISP's obviously log it, search engines log your searches... now (perhaps always??) the browser providers are collecting logs of where you go too!
 
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Also note that this is opt-in at install time. Most other articles on this have mentioned that.
 

virtualban

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Alternator: my bigger concern is it seems every man and his dog wants a log of what you're doing on the net
Couldn't have said it better!!
The only other way to reach privacy is a shared computer/network where many-many-many other people browse the internet and what you're doing on the net can be hidden among a very big collection others doings on the net.
 

virtualban

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What would they do knowing my internet activities anyway? Except for the obvious, the marketing of products I will never see with my conscious eyes and that will enter my sub conscience as products I'd hate because their advertisements would have been crafted around me just to turn me to another sheep/brick in the wall (not related to the wall of sheep of the hackers convention)...
 

DXRick

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This sounds like something that Google does. Google remembers what link(s) you click after a search, so that it can prioritize the thousands of matches found to give you the most likely ones. IE8 is doing the same thing with its built in search feature.

Now, if they are also recording any of your personal info, to remember YOU, then it would be something to be concerned about.
 

killerb255

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I don't ever surf the net expecting privacy. That's like flashing your junk in public.

On the other hand, if I order something online, I would like my credit card and bank info to be secure...
 
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