Microsoft takes down SP2 swappers

Published on August 14th, 2004

Posted by John C Dvorak in Column fodder

Stalin

Microsoft takes down SP2 swappers. This is wrong on so many levels. Another blown opportunity.

When it started sharing SP2, Downhill Battle said: “This project shows how file-sharing technology gives people without budgets or huge server space the power to solve problems themselves, without waiting for the government or some corporation to do it for them.”

The version being made available on the BitTorrent network was intended for corporations who have a lot of PCs to patch. A smaller consumer version of SP2 is due later this year.

link via Chris Coulter

related link: Bit Torrent – the hottest thing going

11 users responded in " Microsoft takes down SP2 swappers "

Subscribe to this post comment rss or trackback url

# 1 Mike Voice said, on August 14th, 2004 at 7:32 am

As much as I am leery of M$’s motives (what any corporation wants – World Domination of their market), I have seen concerns among BitTorrent users that the client software only be downloaded from “trusted” sites – since other distributions could have trojans/spyware added.

At the risk of appearing to defend them, is M$ concerned that distributed versions might be “adulterated”?

As for BitTorrent – I’ve had great luck with the Azureus client:
http://azureus.sourceforge.net/

I’m waiting for Comcast to shut this down. I get some fan-subbed Japanese TV-shows this way – and have had 80+ seeds and 100 peers at one time. The network traffic on the cable-network must be a problem they want to quash – or find a way to charge extra for.

# 2 Jim Dermitt said, on August 14th, 2004 at 8:42 am

Microsoft is also planning to let people order a CD with it on or get it via cover mounted disks on consumer technology magazines. I guess SP2 is going to be distributed like AOL disks have been, via the CD cover mounts on PC magazines. This should stop file sharing technology. Why not just put SP2 on a CD with music and sell it for $15 and have a concert tour. A CD holds 700 MB’s and SP2 is like 250, so that leaves plenty of space for music. Do it with the blues and promote the Microsoft Blues Tour. I guess the SP2 disks will have 250 MB’s of data, with the rest of the disk being reserved for nothingness. Maybe they can write a 400 MB EULA and fill the CD with legal mumbo jumbo that nobody cares about. Maybe an SP2 disk could have another book by Bill Gates included, explaining how one day all the computers in the world will need Windows and earn Microsoft $95 a second, every minute of every hour of every day of every year for the rest of time. This is because Windows is actually less expensive than open source software. It’s only a perception that Linux is free, the reality is that it is very expensive. Figure that one out. I guess the accountants can figure it all out later. Maybe file swappers can just stick to swapping Linux files and leave SP2 to the magazine system file distribution network. We’ll see who has the faster network and who can generate better code, p2p networkers or the mailbox & magazine networkers (mmbn).

Start writing your documentation folks or sit around figuring out the EULA maze and waste time and get more confused. There will be magazine articles with cover CD’s that explain the EULA in more painful detail. Share Alike. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under a license identical to this one. Wait, I don’t have a license for this one. Just distribute, alter and transform this work. Please do it correctly, which is all I can hope for. Have a nice day!

http://www.nyx.net/~sgjoen/The_LDP_HOWTO_Generator.html

# 3 Noogle said, on August 16th, 2004 at 7:53 am

Funny, the more I regard Microsoft and its role in the world, it’s not the evil Empire, nor the rival to the GNU or anything that might resemble radical IT transformation, but a strangely dualistic company that, by being part of the birth of modern IT, is struggling with the same identity problem, albeit in the very corporate fashion Microsoft was forced by evolution to adapt in its lifespan (else it would have never survived).

A single OS, no matter how cluttered, has been more beneficial in establishing the beginnings of a world-wide architecture not stopped by political borders. The company has added a lot to the IT world and still does very beneficial and creative things. But its inability to adjust and cope with the speed and chaotic nature of information in this new age is seriously hurting them.

It’s moot WHAT the SP2 patch was meant for, MS once again by trying to protect itself managed to hurt its reputation and efforts. Can you really tell me that such a powerful think-tank could not predict P2P would be used to distribute SP2?

I think Microsoft need to fire their lawyers and write up a new company charter that is a bit more up-to-date with what the wild west of the IT world is up to, because it’s definitely not going to bow its knees to one company in Redmond.

# 4 Noogle said, on August 16th, 2004 at 7:54 am

# 5 Jim Dermitt said, on August 16th, 2004 at 8:25 am

Microsoft has published the details of more than 40 programs that have conflicts with the newly released Windows XP SP2, including Microsoft’s own SQL and Visual Studio .Net

SP2 doesn’t work with MS’s own SQL or Visual Studio.Net, so what’s the point of file sharing this stuff? I guess the logic here is that instead of screwing your system up with a download from Microsoft, you can screw more systems up faster without budgets or huge server space by using unreliable networks for your unreliable service pack 2 solution. What a problem. Here is how to fix the previous fixes http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=842242

When you get this all figured out, something else wil cease working and there will be new fixes for the fixes of the last fix. In a monopoly everything is fixed except the fix and nobody is sure of what will break next, they are only sure it will be dramatic and monumental in scale. I wonder if IBM has a fix for what SP2 fixed, but it broke again. Good greif!

# 6 Jim Dermitt said, on August 16th, 2004 at 9:15 am

John, I just got a letter from Jack O. Lantern, CEO of Pumpkin Head Solutions, concerning SP2.

Dear Jim,

I’ve come to the opinion that SP2 is being pitched by those trying to get money out of Microsoft for ad revenues. You read this stuff about SP2 being needed and all sorts of distortions that follow this theme. Now it’s 50 software programs that require tweaking in order to work with its most recent Windows update. Tuesday it will be another spin and 20 more apps that need tweaking. Tweaking is a big theme here. SP2 just tweaked XP and now you need more tweaking. Next big thing, banner ads and spam with all manner of new tweaking software and secrets. Tweaking is good, SP2 is good, Linux is bad, Linux is violating tweaking patents, Linux is a mystery blah, blah! I got 943,000 search results for tweaking. Guess who dominates the tweaking world? here’s a lot of tweaking going on out there! It’s interesting how tweaking linux only gave me 143,000 search results. SP2 is a tweakers paradise. If you love tweaking, go for it. Tweak or treat kids. “Thanks a lot lady, you just broke my damn cookies!”

SP2 might just break your cookie jar. Good luck trick or tweakers. October is only a couple of months away. Maybe SP2 will work better by then. Who really cares? It’s a glamourous life.

Sincerely yours,

Mr. Jack O. Lantern
Big time CEO, Pumpkin Head Solutions

http://www.critical-depth.net/review_pics/DAZ_JackPumpkin/glamour.jpg

Tweaking
1. To pinch, pluck, or twist sharply.
2. To adjust; fine-tune.
3. To make fun of; tease.
n.
1. A sharp, twisting pinch.
2. A teasing remark or action; a joke.

# 7 Mike Voice said, on August 16th, 2004 at 12:26 pm

Mildly off topic – if M$-bashing ever is.

Just stumbled on this spoof-link to M$ Domination. Good for a laugh.
http://www.microsoftsworld.tk/

# 8 Jim Dermitt said, on August 17th, 2004 at 7:18 am

XP breaks eBay picture service and who knows what’s next?
The Register reports, 200 apps clash with XP SP2.
Published Tuesday 17th August 2004 13:12 GMT
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/17/xp_sp2_glitches/

eBay says, “Many of you may be aware that Microsoft is releasing an upgrade to the Windows XP platform called Windows XP SP2. For those of you who have already upgraded to Microsoft’s XP SP2 platform or plan to upgrade in the near future, we would like you to know that we are aware of and are working on a few issues with two of our products. Members who use the eBay Toolbar will notice that some of the features are working and others are not. For those of you who use or try to sign up for eBay’s Enhanced Picture Services, it is currently not working. You will be able to access and use the Basic Picture Services at this time. We are working fast to address these issues. We will update you with more information over the next several days on when these two products will be fully functional.”
http://www2.ebay.com/aw/marketing.shtml#2004-08-13215905

This stuff is visionary. This service pack is a significant security improvement. We highly recommend that you install it as soon as possible. Microsoft hopes to get SP2 on to 100 million machines in the next couple of months. If each machine has just one ‘glitch’, that’s 100 million glitches. Can we think about that for a few days? IBM’s technology department has warned internal users to not install Windows XP SP2 until IBM can fix some known issues. Maybe IBM can help eBay!

WHY WORRY?
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39961000/jpg/_39961722_windows_bill_xp203.jpg

# 9 Jim Dermitt said, on August 18th, 2004 at 5:19 pm

Less is More…I guess.

Flaws in SP2 security features
With Service Pack 2, Microsoft introduces a new security feature which warns users before executing files that originate from an untrusted location (zone) such as the Internet. There are two flaws in the implementation of this feature: a cmd issue and the caching of ZoneIDs in Windows Explorer.
See site for the rest http://www.heise.de/security/artikel/50051

I wonder if these people are near Munich.

# 10 Jim Dermitt said, on August 18th, 2004 at 5:58 pm

Ah, forget about it. I just read that the last warning is no big deal. SP2 is good, it is not good, it is maybe good. SP2 is delayed, it’s on again, it’s off again. You need this, you don’t need this. That ain’t working, that’s the way you do it. I’m starting to think that software is the only product in the world that is immune from consumer protection laws. Microsoft can put anything together and there’s no way to check it out and find unbiased consumer information. All the magazines print these endless articles about SP, XP, Longhorn, the .NET, you name it, but why can’t you find something by a Ralph Nader type? Dvorak exposed Word, but with all the crappy stuff heading for consumers PC’s, it would seem smart if the Consumer Product Safety Commission or some government agency was watching this stuff for the public. If you built a car seat, a faulty camera or a votive candle with no regard for design, use or quality you’d be out of business. I read that hundreds of programs could be broken by SP2 and all we talk about is file sharing and Microsoft controlling the desktop. Microsoft reminds me of a company that is going to fix everything and the only thing they really want fixed is software prices. I’m not hardcore anti-MS, but it is to the point where as a consumer, you don’t have any rights. They can do what they want. I’ll never spend another dime on a Microsoft product. You can’t even keep up with all the security alerts and the stuff that is supposed to fix the broken security features is broken or breaks something else that was fine. If you have time for this kind of Micromaze, good for you. I’d be glad to shell out a few bucks for software, but SP2 doesn’t seem worth taking on for free, swappers or no swappers. Who knows what’s next? Your Windows PC is like some sort of technical Darwin experiment. I just want to use it and forget about it when I’m done.

# 11 Vishal Kapoor (indian) said, on September 19th, 2004 at 5:50 am

Guess what !! While on My XP SP2 it did not Played Macromedia
Flash File Offline. It takes So Much Time 2 Install and So many File are Replaced. I think all files with RPC are Modified.

Leave Your Reply Below...

Comment Moderation is Active, so if your comment doesn't
show up immediately, please don't submit it again.

Special Deals 4U

25% off eHarmony subscription with code EHTECH
12-percent discount forever with code TECH
10-percent discount and free month using TECH10
10-percent or 30 dollars off weekly car rental!
Get 10-percent discount on car rental!
Get 10% off rental cars!
Get 10% off Dollar rentals!
Discounts on domain names!