Ubuntu and Spyware?

[courseinmiracles2]

I guess I'm late coming to the party. I just saw Richard Stallman talking about ubuntu being in partnership with amazon!!!! <snip> I only made the change to linux a year or so ago, and just when I think I've found the answer to my OS worries I hear this.

Is there any truth to it? Can we put a stop to it??

I am so <upset>!!! Can someone talk me back off the ledge?

[Cheesemill]

Thread moved to Recurring Discussions.

This topic has been discussed to death, it's not spyware and can easily be switched off if you want by going to Settings > Privacy.

[courseinmiracles2]

Well, that might be easy for you to say but now i'm right back where I started from...what crap do I have to "turn off" on my own computer in order to have a free system???

[papibe]

Hi courseinmiracles2.

What Ubuntu version are you using?

Also, take a look at this thread.

Regards.

[craig10x]

It's a 5 second turn off process if you are using one of the more recent versions of ubuntu...you just go to privacy setting and switch the on button to off where it says "include online search results"
By the way, it is NOT spyware it is just a small way for Canonical to get some revenue to help ubuntu development, a very good cause would you not agree?

It just shows little ads from amazon on the dash search when you type in certain key words and find something that hopefully relates to something you might be interested in...Amazon does NOT have direct access to your ubuntu installation, they receive it in an invisible manner as far as your end is concerned...

I turn mine off only because i don't care for the way it clutters my search...and instead send direct contributions to Canonical from time to time...
Nothing to get all upset about

[MadmanRB]

No this is pretty much FUD from Stallman, proving not only Microsoft can spread it.

[1clue]

Good grief. Yet another RMS acolyte is gonna jump. Step forward, young acolyte.

***NEWS FLASH***
Ubuntu is NOT a community controlled distribution. It's controlled by Canonical, which is a commercial interest.

Ubuntu contains non-free software. A lot of the people who use it like that fact.
I for one chose Ubuntu specifically because it allows easy integration of non-free software.
*** ======= ***

If you want a "free" system, then wipe off your hard disk and reinstall, and click the little check box that says, "only install free software." Or, go install the HURD. Or another one of the many distros out there who agree completely with RMS.

Subsequently, you must remain vigilant lest you install some piece of non-free software even on the HURD. http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/hurd.html

[Pako Pako]

Don't use Gnome with Compiz?
XFCE, KDE, et al. are also great ways to experience Ubuntu. Or try other distros like Mint or Arch?

[1clue]

I'm sorry I just can't leave this alone.

As far as I can tell, the HURD is the only operating system/distro that Richard Stallman actually likes. And it has so much support that even after well over a decade that page still hasn't changed noticeably, and as far as I can tell has yet to actually release something for people to use. I have yet to meet anyone who has tried to install the HURD. I don't intend to be the first on my block.

While Richard Stallman has basically put Open Source into the public eye, he's done twice as much damage as he's done good because his views on Open Source are so extreme that he scares the $#!+ out of anyone who has a commercial interest. Including a few people who would only use it for work on occasion.

There are a lot of extremely workable free software models out there. RMS and his group are the only ones I can think of who wear three layers of camouflage and need armed guards.

RMS can convince a convention full of Open Source fanatics that commercial software isn't that bad after all.

[courseinmiracles2]

Thank you.
I noticed by the other posters that not many of you guys are disturbed BY THE PRESDENCE that has been set. Am I wrong that it's set as the default? Even if it's only suppose to give me a better user experience...where does that end?

Anyway, thanks. It is all turned off