[aprssig] WARNING If you are using Streets&Trips 2006 orAutoroute 2006 READ THIS

[Stephen H. Smith]

farmer.aj at gmail.com wrote:
> On 1/3/06, Stan - N0YXV <n0yxv at gihams.org> wrote:
>   
>> As for the Urban Legend I'll leave that up to you all to figure out as to is
>> it...or isn't it... ;-)
>>     
>
> .
> However, I have been unable to verify the claims of "reporting your
> location back to Microsoft", "popping up ads on your computer based on
> your location", lack of a proper uninstall routine, etc.  That part of
> the e-mail I think is very suspect and very likely a hoax.  If anyone
> can definitely prove these statements, please do.  But then again, why
> are we wasting APRS SIG bandwidth with this non-APRS discussion?
>
>   
1)        As I mentioned in my initial post, many APRS users use this 
program as an add-on to UIview or as a source of static maps (i.e. 
screen caps) for other APRS programs.   The updated 2006 version of this 
program, whose data files can also be used as-is (without installing the 
program) to update previous years versions of both MapPoint (used by 
APRSpoint and by UIview via UIpoint) and Streets&Trips (usable by 
UIview) just came out a month or two ago.   Many potential users haven't 
yet discovered the invasive nature of the 2006 version of this otherwise 
excellent mapping application.    Given that APRS'ers are relatively 
heavy users of GPS/mapping products of various types,  I feel it is 
quite relevant to APRS.

2)        There have been numerous stories in the computer trade press 
about a) Microsoft hyping "location-based services" as the next really 
big thing",  b) How Microsoft almost bought an adware/crapware pusher 
outfit until adverse publicity in the trade press made them back down 
and c) suddenly quit having MS AntiSpyware flag this particular system 
parasite as questionable.  And finally d) remember it was Microsoft that 
bought out Vicinity/Mapblast (as part of their "location-based services" 
buildup)  and then cut off findu.com's use of the maps.  

3)       I didn't claim it was CURRENTLY "popping up ads". Only that 
this is the basic commercial premise of "location-based services". 

4)       From my personal experience, I have seen the totally stealth 
install, phony uninstall and other questionable behavior on SIX 
different systems that I have installed Streets & Trips 2006 on.     
This is not an urban legend or email-propagated hoax.  This is 
first-hand personal observation on my part. 

5)     The overwhelming questions remain:  Why is Microsoft so 
determined to force this thing onto systems without disclosing it or 
offering it as an option in a "custom install"?   And why doesn't the 
uninstall really uninstall it????







Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
EchoLink Node:      14400    [Think bottom of the 2M band]
Home Page:          http://wa8lmf.com

"APRS 101"  Explanation of APRS Path Selection & Digipeating
  http://webs.lanset.com/wa8lmf/DigiPaths

Updated APRS Symbol Chart
  http://webs.lanset.com/wa8lmf/miscinfo/APRS_Symbol_Chart.pdf   


New/Updated "Rev G" APRS     http://webs.lanset.com/wa8lmf/aprs
Symbols Set for UI-View,
UIpoint and APRSplus:


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