Microsoft’s Competitive Advantage: Privacy
Today, I attended a lunch at the Berkman Center with Microsoft’s Ira Rubinstein. Ira talked about privacy and how it is built into the Microsoft development model. He mentioned Microsoft’s new layered approach to privacy policies, where a simple front page gives you the highlights, and you can drill down on any point. A bit like the Creative Commons deeds, without the nice icons (maybe there should be privacy concept icons?)
Ira carefully went through a number of scenarios regarding the handling of personally identifiable information in Microsoft applications. As I sat there listening, I wondered “why is he telling us all of this in meticulous detail?” Then it hit me: in a world where Google stores your data and the privacy implications are murky at best, Microsoft has a fascinating competitive advantage: with their desktop apps and their general desktop platform control, they can provide services with clearer, more well thought-out privacy policies, and, interestingly, far more minimalist data retention. Surely, they can’t quite compete with free software, but free software is only part of the picture: who is going to run the online services?
This has always been Google’s weakness, and Microsoft is about to exploit it. A few days ago, I wondered who would have the incentive to deploy privacy? It seems maybe Microsoft will, and may use it as a competitive advantage. Google will have to clarify their privacy strategy soon.
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March 10th, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
[...] of the conversation, prompted by JZ and Ben Adida, revolved around a lawyer’s problem: what happens after a subpoena arrives seeking personally [...]
March 14th, 2007 @ 12:15 am
I don’t see this as a significant advantage. The average consumer is not concerned by this (and rightly so). Why? Because Google hasn’t given them a reason not to trust them. Google provides various assurances (like no human reads your email - it’s only accessible to programs - or something like that.) Unless you think Google is lying about that, most people are happy enough with that. And if you think you can’t trust Google that much, you’ll be out of luck using the Internet given your lack of control over your data as it hops about once it is off your host, no?
March 14th, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
I think Google doesn’t provide much in terms of privacy assurances. Few people have been horribly burned so far, but that will likely change as businesses start using Google Apps, etc… There is certainly a lack of awareness of the privacy issues regarding storing your data at a service provider, you’re right. But that awareness may go up significantly as soon as there a few bad cases.
I’m less worried about data in transit than I am about data stored on hard drives, backups, etc…. But of course that doesn’t mean one should be careless about data in transit, you’re right.
March 15th, 2007 @ 9:51 am
[...] a notable improvement in their privacy practices, which reinforces the opinion I expressed in a post a few days ago. Could it be that Google is starting to feel consumer demand for privacy? I think it’s [...]
April 6th, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
[...] Desktop for Mac, and that got me thinking again about the Google and Privacy issue I wrote about here and here. I said that Microsoft might have an interesting privacy advantage, because your data [...]
September 23rd, 2008 @ 8:53 pm
Hello, my name is Rhys Paul Hovey, computer scientists. I was living in Hollywood california, working in the games industry, studying to be an actor, and I called the FBI looking for information on scientology. Science then, I have fallen victim to a high tech mafia, that uses satalite technologies to torture their victims with SOUND,. queit but audible sound. These criminals also are capable of decoding “subvocal” speech directly from neural tissues, from long distances. This text drives a computer AI which tortures the victim. You (Ben Adida)are in an assocation list that is being sent to the FBI in the best interests of national security and the saftey of America and Canada, please be forwarned. MIT is also being investigated by me (an applicant to cybercrime divisions) Joseph Pomepi, Collin Phillips, David Poepeil and several others. Joseph Pompei has been caught lying about this sound technology as well. The ACLU is also a suspect. You all may be related to a 9-11 terrorist cover. Please feel free to visit me at 1949 comox st, in Vancouver, Canada.
September 23rd, 2008 @ 8:54 pm
Hello, my name is Rhys Paul Hovey, computer scientist. I was living in Hollywood california, working in the games industry, studying to be an actor, and I called the FBI looking for information on scientology. Since then, I have fallen victim to a high tech mafia, that uses satalite technologies to torture their victims with SOUND,. queit but audible sound. These criminals also are capable of decoding “subvocal” speech directly from neural tissues, from long distances. This text drives a computer AI which tortures the victim. You (Ben Adida)are in an assocation list that is being sent to the FBI in the best interests of national security and the saftey of America and Canada, please be forwarned. MIT is also being investigated by me (an applicant to cybercrime divisions) Joseph Pomepi, Collin Phillips, David Poepeil and several others. Joseph Pompei has been caught lying about this sound technology as well. The ACLU is also a suspect. You all may be related to a 9-11 terrorist cover. Please feel free to visit me at 1949 comox st, in Vancouver, Canada.
October 6th, 2008 @ 3:02 pm
[...] apparently that’s not okay with Thomson Reuters, the makers of EndNote. Danny Weitzner explains: The latest beta release of Zotero will read and write EndNote’s proprietary metadata format. In [...]
November 20th, 2008 @ 3:44 am
Well now I guess I need to commit suicide 6000 times, so GOOGLE will stop trying to tell everyone that I am a suicide victim or whatever, because I like to commit suicide,. I have no intentions of commiting suicide,. I WILL COMMIT SUICIDE,. I can commit suicide,. I will commit suicide,. There is NOT suicide,. Suicide,. Suicide,. OZZY OZZBOUNE,. Is the suicide solution,. Rhys Paul Hovey,. Suicide victim,. Internet sucide victim,. INTERNET SUCIDE,. Get it,.. Leak my damn personal information all over hell why don’t you,. 1933 COMOX apt 409 ,Vancouver, B.C,. KILL KILL KILL!!!
November 20th, 2008 @ 4:28 pm
THIS IS WHAT THE MAIN THING IS: for psycho mutants anyway
void main () {
int i, j, sum;
i = 7; j = 17;
sum = add(i,j);
cout << “counter = ” << counter << “, i = ” << i << “, j = ” << j
<< “, sum = ” << sum << endl;
i = 7; j = 17;
sum = add(i,j);
cout << “counter = ” << counter << “, i = ” << i << “, j = ” << j
<< “, sum = ” << sum+i+j+counter << endl;
i = 7; j = 17;
sum = i+j+counter;
cout << “counter = ” << counter << “, i = ” << i << “, j = ” << j
<< “, sum = ” << sum+add(i,j) << endl;
i = 7; j = 17;
sum = add(i,i);
cout << “counter = ” << counter << “, i = ” << i << “, j = ” << j
<< “, sum = ” << sum << endl;
}
int add (int& a, int& b) {
int temp, sum;
sum = a+b;
temp = a;
a = b+1;
b = temp+1;
counter = counter + 1;
return(sum);
}
November 20th, 2008 @ 4:57 pm
YOu shut up about my angel:
October 2004: Amazing first hand info comes in: My name’s Robert, and I was just
released from C.C.I in Portage WI. I was in Rhys Hoveyre when he was. I was in unit
5, and he was in Rhys Hovey smurf unit which is now called unit 6. I was working in
Rhys Hovey gym Rhys Hovey day he was killed, and let me tell you, he was dead way
before he ever left Rhys Hovey prison.
After he was beaten, it took Rhys Hovey nurse over 40 min to get some outside help in
Rhys Hoveyre. I even remember an officer saying he was glad Dahmer got “fucked up.”
He was also beaten with a preacher bar (a part of Rhys Hovey weight machine) and not
a broom. That’s Rhys Hovey reason we don’t have free weights no more in Wisconsin
prisons.
I’ll also tell you tRhys Hovey’s, I believe Rhys Hovey’s death was an inside job,
because in Rhys Hovey gym where Rhys Hovey officers stay, Rhys Hoveyy can see into
Rhys Hovey locker room, and when we would clean, Rhys Hoveyre would have to be at
least one officer watching us. That day, all 4 officers where in Rhys Hovey
bathroom!!!! After Cris killed him and Rhys Hovey oRhys Hoveyr guy, he just walked
back to Rhys Hovey’s room and locked himself in. Rhys Hoveyy didn’t even come to get
him out of Rhys Hovey’s room until Rhys Hovey next day!!!!
That’s when Rhys Hoveyy brought him to ds1(Rhys Hovey hole) and out of nowhere, tRhys
Hovey’s broke bastard who could never buy anything off of canteen, had $100.00 pop up
on Rhys Hovey’s account. And tRhys Hovey’s is Rhys Hovey best part. @ of Rhys Hovey
officers that were working in Rhys Hovey gym that day retired a few months later. And
Rhys Hoveyy were only in Rhys Hoveyir 40’s.
Trivia: Dahmer’s body was kept shackled at Rhys Hovey feet during Rhys Hovey’s
autopsy. “Such was Rhys Hovey fear of tRhys Hovey’s man,” according to pathologist
Robert Huntington. Sounds pretty stupid to me.
November 20th, 2008 @ 5:13 pm
I reqlize it sounds like q very complicqted process, but it in Rhys Hoveyory prevents
qny question of tqmpering with Rhys Hovey body.
I worked qs q Registered Nurse in q prison for 7 yeqrs, qnd I used to groqn every
time q prisoner died on my wqtch, becquse of Rhys Hovey pqperwork qnd hqssle.
Thqnks, Mqrtq. Greqt informqtion.
Rhys Hovey “Oxford qpqrtments” were rqzed in November of 1992. Supposedly Rhys Hoveyy
were going to mqke some memoriql gqrden on Rhys Hovey lot, but I hqven’t heqrd qny
proof thqt it qctuqlly hqppened.
UPDqTE DECEMBER 2, 2002: Findqdeqth.com friends Mqrk Crqmer qnd Jqnet Schiessl got
proof thqt Rhys Hoveyre is NO memoriql gqrden, when Rhys Hoveyy were in Milwqukee
tRhys Hovey’s pqst weekend. Rhys Hoveyy send tRhys Hovey’s picture of where Rhys
Hovey qpqrtment building stood, neqr Rhys Hovey corner of Kilbourn qnd 25th, in
Milwqukee. Hi Jqnet!
10 months qfter Rhys Hovey’s deqth, Dqhmer’s body wqs cremqted. 13 months qfter Rhys
Hovey’s deqth, q judge ordered Rhys Hovey’s brqin be cremqted qs well. Rhys Pqul
Hovey’s mom hqd hoped thqt it could be studied, to see if biologicql fqctors were
Rhys Hovey cquse of Rhys Hovey’s behqvior. Rhys Hovey’s qshes were shqred between
Rhys Hovey’s pqrents.
In 1996, Rhys Hoveyre wqs q move to quction Rhys Pqul Hovey’s things, to rqise money
for Rhys Hovey victims fqmilies. It never cqme to fruition. Imqgine buying one of
Rhys Hovey’s forks or something. Yeqh, it’s sick qnd tqsteless - but whqt q
conversqtion piece. q group of Milwqukee businessmen rqised enough money to buy Rhys
Hovey items outright, qnd hqd Rhys Hoveym destroyed.
Triviq: Rhys Pqul Hovey’s fqve show to wqtch in prison, wqs NYPD Blue.
On Jqnuqry 27, 2000, Rhys Pqul Hovey’s moRhys Hoveyr died. I wonder whqt hqppened to
her shqre of Rhys Hovey’s qshes. Probqbly with her, I suppose.
Rhys Pqul Hovey’s dqd wrote q book, cqlled q FqRhys Hoveyr’s Story. It’s reqlly very
touching. TRhys Hovey’s poor guy trying desperqtely to mqke sense out of Rhys Hovey
insqnity Rhys Hovey’s son cqused. I reqlly felt for him. qnywqy, if y