.NET

What do you think about M$'s .NET strategy and security/privacy issues it
may cause? Do you think it's really good to have applications running on
a remote server on the Internet? Do you like the idea that you will need
to connect to the Internet to read and write Word documents or Excel sheets?
With all security holes currently reported (and those not reported, like
backdoors, or not discovered yet), do you think the softwares and OSs are
ready to be so widely opened? Do you realize that it will be more easy to
exploit security holes and propagate viruses/trojans because scripting and
all others dangerous features will need to stay enabled on most systems for
office applications still runnning? What about logging activities and sniffing
private/proprietary data on host servers without the knownledge and the desire
of users? And finally, what about not being able to buy a software that we
pay one time for all and use as often we need with the possibility and the
liberty to add and remove fonctionalities without being charged for each
of them?

Claude,
These are some great questions. I hope to see a lot of responses in this
tread.

> What do you think about M$'s .NET strategy and security/privacy issues it
> may cause?
I think that the .net strategy raises security issues that can probably be
solved - eventually. However I am much more concerned with the privacy
issues. These are major and as far as I'm concerned not solvable. As long
as people and large companies are involved, our privacy will be abused. Can
you imagine having all of your personal documents living on some server
somewhere? Even if you keep the companies in line, what is to stop the
governments from sniffing around in your personal business?

> Do you think it's really good to have applications running on
> a remote server on the Internet? Do you like the idea that you will need
> to connect to the Internet to read and write Word documents or Excel
sheets?
I absolutely refuse to run software that requires a connection to the
Internet. I'm sure that there will always be alternatives that run locally.
If Microsoft turns all of their software over to this model, I will turn to
another company. I think that most people will too. People want their
privacy. No one wants to help "Big Brother" watch everything they do.

> With all security holes currently reported (and those not reported, like
> backdoors, or not discovered yet), do you think the softwares and OSs are
> ready to be so widely opened? Do you realize that it will be more easy to
> exploit security holes and propagate viruses/trojans because scripting and
> all others dangerous features will need to stay enabled on most systems
for
> office applications still runnning? What about logging activities and
sniffing
> private/proprietary data on host servers without the knownledge and the
desire
> of users?
I think that at this time ALL of these problems are real. I certainly
wouldn't want to be one of the early adopters of this software strategy.
However, I assume that within time, most if not all of these security
challenges can be met - but it appears to be quite a few years down the
road.

> And finally, what about not being able to buy a software that we
> pay one time for all and use as often we need with the possibility and the
> liberty to add and remove fonctionalities without being charged for each
> of them?
I want to buy software and have it run on my PC. This new ASP model is
pretty scary to me. It would shift so much power over to large software
companies who have already proven that they will take advantage of people
whenever possible. I can understand why this software model is attractive
to software vendors - they keep control of their software, prevents piracy,
makes updates much easier, allows them to add value even after the sale,
etc. What I don't understand is why any company in the world would be
stupid enough to accept this software model from their vendors. It shifts
the power completely into the vendor's court. Companies will be completely
powerless against the software vendors.

I have seen so many articles about how great the ASP model is. I haven't
seen any surveys of what people think of it. I'm sure that the average
joe-six -pack is clueless and will remain voiceless on this debate. I would
love to see what some large companies (not owned or associated with software
companies) think of this model. Are they really looking at this as some
sort of good thing for them? If so, why? Perhaps I'm missing something,
but it seems real clear that this .net strategy is not one that will be good
for anyone except software vendors and ISPs.

-Rich








>

"Claude Petit" <petit.claude@csq.qc.net> wrote:
>
>What do you think about M$'s .NET strategy and security/privacy issues it
>may cause? Do you think it's really good to have applications running on
>a remote server on the Internet? Do you like the idea that you will need
>to connect to the Internet to read and write Word documents or Excel sheets?
>With all security holes currently reported (and those not reported, like
>backdoors, or not discovered yet), do you think the softwares and OSs are
>ready to be so widely opened? Do you realize that it will be more easy to
>exploit security holes and propagate viruses/trojans because scripting and
>all others dangerous features will need to stay enabled on most systems
for
>office applications still runnning? What about logging activities and sniffing
>private/proprietary data on host servers without the knownledge and the
desire
>of users? And finally, what about not being able to buy a software that
we
>pay one time for all and use as often we need with the possibility and the
>liberty to add and remove fonctionalities without being charged for each
>of them?
>