>This is just like the first surveillance practice I learned about in Windows. My late friend Fravia told me that when he searched for a string in the files of his Windows system, it sent a packet to some server, which was detected by his firewall. Given that first example I paid attention and learned about the propensity of "reputable" proprietary software to be malware
I haven't been able to find any reputable reference for Windows sending local search keywords to "some server", maybe someone can point me to one. But the FUD campaign continues unchallenged and unabated, even in a community that prides itself to be technically superior to the unwashed masses.
I see your point and it makes sense. However, calling this FUD simply by stating the lack of data is not less of a FUD in itself.
And on a grander scale, how many times you have seen a small shop taking a big corp out of business? I don't think immense forces like Microsoft require our zealous defense. They're more than able to defend themselves, unlike these guys.
Even at an off chance this Dutch shop is a fraud, give them a benefit of a doubt, before you learn more about the case.
Narrative about unnamed "large companies" trying to kill Linux? Check.
Story about Microsoft Windows 8 killing off a poor Linux company? Check.
Lack of any details like the names of companies that stopped shipping machines without OSes? Check.
Lack of explanation about how exactly Windows 8 "closed the doors permanently" ? Check.
This is just plain FUD designed to garner clicks and sympathy by invoking the bogeyman and it's working very well, just like usual.
As an offtopic aside, even RMS is not immune from resorting to unproven FUD. For example from http://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/ubuntu-spyware-what-to-do
>This is just like the first surveillance practice I learned about in Windows. My late friend Fravia told me that when he searched for a string in the files of his Windows system, it sent a packet to some server, which was detected by his firewall. Given that first example I paid attention and learned about the propensity of "reputable" proprietary software to be malware
I haven't been able to find any reputable reference for Windows sending local search keywords to "some server", maybe someone can point me to one. But the FUD campaign continues unchallenged and unabated, even in a community that prides itself to be technically superior to the unwashed masses.