46 minutes well spent: Edward Snowden Interview on Apple vs. FBI, Privacy, the NSA, and More

There's a very real difference between allegiance to country–allegiance to people–than allegiance to the state, which is what nationalism today is really more about," says Edward Snowden. On February 20, 2016, the whistleblowing cyber security expert addressed a wide range of questions during an in-depth interview.

The One Fix That Could Save Windows 10

 The One Fix
 That Could Save Windows 10

DAVID LLOYD·FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016

The One Fix That Could Save Windows 10 would be giving clients the ability to prevent updates.

Until Windows 7, there was NEVER a version of Windows update that worked consistently enough that I could just trust it and leave it alone, and even with Windows 7, I made sure I had done a good backup before I ever flipped the switch to allow an update to proceed. In those cases when I had to revert to the pre-update state, I checked my hardware drivers related to the problem, updated the driver (or waited for the update), and then ran Windows Update manually. I did not allow my computer to remain in a pre-update state, as happens now when auto-updates fail. Every version of Windows I have used has occasionally attempted an update that disabled my computer. Sometimes it disables printing, sometimes it disables an input device, sometimes it disables network access, and sometimes the computer just has to be wiped and everything reinstalled after a Windows update. Nothing is more dangerous to people who need a dependable computer than an operating system that auto-updates without regard for what damage may be done by their random changes.

When Microsoft advertised that we should trust them, that Windows 7 would be an improvement, I held out a long time before trying it, but once I did, I wished I had trusted them a lot sooner. So when Microsoft told me I should trust them, that they had fixed their problems, and were so confident in their technology that they would be able to enforce Windows Update with no anticipated problems, I got suckered into believing them.

http://bit.ly/1SQeRbZ

They broke my trust. Worse, I believe they have broken their future. Windows isn't the only OS that can do all of the things

Microsoft advertises. In fact, it is likely Microsoft took this irresponsible gamble to prevent them from being left in the dust. Unfortunately, instead of being destroyed by their competitors, they are doing it to themselves, because I will never again run an OS that dictates how I configure my computer.

As soon as I find a reliable way to maintain my software investment, I'll be purchasing another SSD, and I'll be booting to Linux Mint. However, I haven't made the switch yet, Microsoft.

This is your chance to fix everything.

Just get rid of forced updates on incompatible equipment, and this vitriol that you are getting from so many people will vanish overnight.