Re: [LUG] Re: today's meets and some observations etc.

[john <davenull@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sunday 26 September 2004 4:15, tony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> DaveNull writes:
> > because you say, in plain english, no this software doesn't phone home
>
> Plain english? Please, what does 'phone home' mean?

comes from the "Phone home ET" film line

means that without any user intervention of prompting or notification of any 
kind, the software or operating system in question will attempt to connect to 
the servers of the writers, eg www.windows.com or www.application-name.com 
and exchange information with them, the content of this information also 
being hidden from the user.

windows itself and windows software is absolutely rampant with this, if there 
is no connection it just waits until there is, and you will never know unless 
you monitor a fiewall and capture packets and try to analyse them.

as always, google is your friend
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=30697

--
The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG
Mail majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe list" in the
message body to unsubscribe.