Sunday, July 14, 2013

Why We Can No Longer Trust Microsoft -- Who Said We Ever Did?!







While this is not directly Genealogy related, this article does pose a real and potential problem for everyone who uses the Windows or the Macintosh Operating Systems....

Think of all the data which you have accumulated over the years, all the proprietary work you have created, all the sensitive data of living and deceased persons.

Now think about your IRAs, your 401K's, your banking information...

Think about all the implications this has for you and for your future, as well as for the future of anyone who uses one or more of the Microsoft or Apple products.

All too often, as Genealogists, we always look to the past for answers (some say we have no foresight because of this -- no matter what we do to keep up with the times and technology), but sometimes we must think of the future and what it holds for the next generations.

Dick Eastman recently published an article about the "Superman Crystals"; for all intents and purposes a combination of silicon, quartz and digitization of information which is purportedly meant to last for thousands of years. Think of the data miners which would love to get a hold of that kind of technology....

Everything we do as Genealogists, we do for a reason. We research our past to educate us as to our family's origins, but ultimately the goal of each Genealogist should be to publish a great and final work, a Curriculum Vitae, such as it were.

Now, imagine all the hard work you have put together for 20 plus years, and all the crashes, loss of data, etc., which have set you back YEARS, just to have your data mined by the NSA -- or worse -- hackers who want to capitalize on your hard work!

My point is, that if the NSA can partner with Microsoft and Apple to mine data, then there are other back doors which will allow hackers access this data as well.

Think about that "Cloud Storage" you use...think your data is safe there?

I might rethink my storage solutions in light of this article...

In the immortal words of Richard Stallman --- "Cloud Computing Is Stupidity!"


~ Vince ~ 



































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