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Posted by on July 31, 2007, 12:09 pm
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>
> > In comp.security.misc plenty560@yahoo.com wrote:
> > > Hi folks,
> > >
> > > Has anybody here ever built OpenOffice from sources, or know of
> > > someone who has recently, who can say that doing so is possible?
> > >
> > > I ask because I am curious as to whether I should be trusting
> > > the binaries coming from Sun.
> > >
> > > After all, it seems that so many big US corporations are
> > > eager to cave in to the demands of the NSA or RIAA/MPAA.
> > > I have to wonder whether OO maybe has spyware in
> > > the binary download that is not in the source code download.
> > > AT&T, Comcast, etc... why would Sun be any less unethical?
> >
> > One could dismiss this as paranoid trolling or ranting. However, I'll
> > take it as a serious question.
> >
> > First of all, you're blurring the difference between software companies
> > and service providers. AT&T, Comcast, etc., don't provide software--they
> > just sell service.
>
> Actually, most ISPs *do* provide software, typically to brand browsers
> with the ISP's name ("Internet Explorer powered by Comcast", or
> something like that) or configure network settings (default home page,
> SMTP/POP servers, etc.) automatically. Use of it is generally optional,
> but lots of newbies don't realize that and dutifully install the ISP's
> CD.
>
> --
> Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
> Arlington, MA
> *** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me ***
> *** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***
>
And of course if you have any microsoft software installed at all your PC
is a open book anyway. Both to the NSA and anyone else who can be
bothered enough to find out how to read it.
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