Y2K junk mail from Microsoft?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

The following is in my personal e-mail box on Yahoo. Not my forum box that I use here. Not my business box, where I do all kinds of stuff. My personal account, that I may use once a week, for friends, family, etc. As far as I know, I've never registered a product wtih Microsoft using this account, but I could be wrong. I "never" get spammed here...

Did anybody else get one of these, "out of the blue" ??? ...

"Dear Microsoft Customer:

The year 2000 is rapidly approaching, and there are simple steps you can take to get your hardware, software and data ready. We at Microsoft want to make sure you have the information you need to make this transition as easy as possible.

In order to keep you updated, we've set up a Web site that you can access whenever you wish. Just go to http://www.microsoft.com/y2k to get year 2000 information and Microsoft. software updates. In order to work properly after the year 2000, some Microsoft products may require a year 2000 software update. We recommend that you install the software updates so you'll continue to have the best computing experience. Of course, access to this Web site and any software updates you need are free of charge (connect time charges may apply).

Thanks for using Microsoft products. We look forward to continuing to provide you with the best products to meet your computing needs.

Sincerely,

The Microsoft Product Groups

)1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Important Customer Notification: We've sent this message to inform all Microsoft customers of critical information relating to year 2000 issues and our products. If you are subscribed to newsletters from microsoft.com, they will still be delivered. If you don't have any newsletter subscriptions, or have requested not to receive e-mail, be assured that critical notifications such as this are sent infrequently, and only as a customer service."

....................

Humm, I'm not kidding. In my in-box right now, dated Fri 1999-10-15. The regulars here know me. I wouldn't try a "Poole like" prank here.

Anybody else get one of these???

Tick... Tock... <:00=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), October 17, 1999

Answers

Sysman,

Yep. Just came from my dad's. He was asking me all kinds of questions about the email from Microsoft. When I told him I knew nothing about it, he pulled up the same email that you just posted. He also cannot remember giving them his email address, but I figured it was from registering the warranty on his computer/software when he bought it (but we don't know for sure).

We went to the website, but I need to have time to go back and read it. Sometimes it takes me a minute to figure out the info and I didn't have the time to do more than glance through it.

Me

-- me (me@me.com), October 17, 1999.


Yes. I got one a couple of days ago. Not sure what this might mean?? Wierd.

-- Gregg (g.abbott@starting-point.com), October 17, 1999.

Me too.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), October 17, 1999.

Guys,

I just checked my email, but there wasn't anything from microsoft in it. Dad and I both bought our computers within a couple months of each other. Doesn't make since that they would only mail to some users instead of all users (I know that they have my address from warranty registration). I agree that this is strange.

-- me (me@me.com), October 17, 1999.


Yea, I'm not sure what to make of it myself. I could see it in my work account, it's my default from work (and I try to use it from home when talking to MS etc.), where I do talk about Y2K a bunch, being in the middle of a Y2K project. I could see it in this account, y2kboard, where I talk about Y2K just a little (big grin).

But my personal account? My "happy birthday mom" account? My "party next weekend" account? My "hey boss, I worked 'til 3:00 AM, I'll be late tomorrow" account?

What's Y2K??? <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), October 17, 1999.



Sysman,

The only thing I can say is, you guys have someone's attention :-) But, seriously, I can guarantee that dad has never posted, written, or said more than a few dozen words about Y2K. His version of GI about as close to DWGI as you can get (mom, too.) Thank goodness this area has always prepared for bad winters (blocked roads, no electric or phones, etc...but then we don't have 911 either.) Sometimes I am grateful that we are as "backward" as we are and not dependant on alot of others.

-- me (me@me.com), October 17, 1999.


What's so weird about that? The only thing suprising to me is that they would be considerate enough to remind people.

-- @ (@@@.@), October 17, 1999.

You consider it "junk mail" to receive information on how to update your microsoft software? You're wondering why they sent it to your "home" account? Have you absolutely NO microsoft software on your home P.C.? Have you NEVER registered ANYTHING with them? If you can answer "Yes" to the above two questions, I'll agree that it's junk mail.

For myself, "junk mail" was the stuff that I received daily after posting to this forum with a workable E-mail address.

-- Anita (notgiving@anymore.com), October 17, 1999.


Sis,

I'm starting to wonder if you aren't a Polly deep undercover, masquerading as a Doomer, trying to discredit them with dumb statements 'ostensibly made by a died-in-the-wool Doomjockey'...

First, the other night, when I wrote about how efficiently the utilities handled an UNEXPECTED knockout punch (Hurricane Floyd flood) locally, you said, in so many words, "so what does that have to do with computers?" As in, kindergarten DUH.

Now, you express wonderment at an e-mail from Microsoft about Y2k. Did it not occur to you that you might have, at some time in the past, *registered* your MS software online? By snail-mail postcard, even? That therefore they might have your e-mail address filed, as a registered MS product user?

Nursery school DUH.

You must be a mole. Much as I disagree with Doomers, I surely don't expect them to be that blatantly STUPID.

I got that same e-mail and deleted it straightaway with nary a thought. Have been getting the (free) MS Y2k CD-Rom's by snail-mail regularly since January, and diligently appying the fixes included in them to clients' PC's since that time. What's the big mystery.

DUH.

-- Chicken Little (panic@forthebirds.net), October 17, 1999.


Two things:

Could this be some sort of "anti-liability" move whereby Microsoft is officially making this known to everyone, offering the fix, and can't be sued later. I know medical device manufacturers have to contact all their customers of known problems and at least offer upgrades (free or not is up to the mfg.). If the customer chooses not to put the upgrade in--they still can't sue the mfg.

Secondly, i read something also in the news about a virus that is being sent as if it is from Microsoft. The only thing about that one is it has a program attached to the email--microsoft.exe (i think).

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), October 17, 1999.



Hey Chicken,

You must be a pathetic little troll. Do you spend all your time trying to insult others or can you find nothing useful to say. I thought these boards were for people to share information on, which appears to be what these folks are doing. Sysman simply asked a question that was relevant to him and obviously it was relevant to several others. If you had half a brain you might understand when to voice your opinion and when to shut the hell up! Gotta go ... MOM's calling.

Norman

-- Norman Bates (funtime94@hotmail.com), October 17, 1999.


Sysman: I leave my usually silent lurking to answer you due to my respect for your thoughtful and respectful posts, thanks! I have probably a total of 4 different email accounts. We received this spam only on our yahoo account, not the others. I agree with the comment made above that this is a preemptive strike against Y2K liabilities on Microsoft's part.

-- cath (fin@llyGI.now), October 17, 1999.

If you have installed the latest version of microsoft explorer it saves a history of your web site visits and blips them to Microsoft every time you are online. If you go to (drive letter):windows/history you will see what I mean. Also, there are two DAT files in my cookies folder that I can't delete due to "acess denied" messages. I should have never let my girlfreind put microsoft explorer on this computer. If you value your privacy, use netscape or some other browser!

No replies please

=---->

-- Lonelyroads (lonely@faraway.net), October 17, 1999.


I got that e-mail too.

Got a question about the patches though. I downloaded all of the patches & most of my software is now compliant. HOWEVER, my Windows 98 is still not fully compliant (or at least that's what the MSN Product Analyzer keeps telling me). I've used the MSN bulletin board & even called their $35/occurance line, and they haven't been able to help me...

Any suggestions?

-- Deb (v.mcclell@columbus.rr.com), October 17, 1999.


Deb,

Yes, we at Microsoft do have a solution for our customers in your predicament. Try doing the same thing I did and I'm sure you'll be very happy and trouble free ....






-- billyboy (billyboy@microsoft.rules), October 17, 1999.


Good afternoon.

Anita,

My point is that I do register software, using my company account. Yes, I do run a registered version in Win/95B at home, registered to my company. Why didn't this notice end up in that e-mail account? I also use that account to download Y2K info, fixes, etc. from Microsoft and other vendors. I make alot of Y2K noise in that account. I'm registered at I don't know how many places with that account.

But this is my personal account. I haven't mentioned Y2K much. Maybe "yea, I'm still working on Y2K mom". This is private, personal stuff, not posted on a public forum. And cath, my y2kboard account is also Yahoo, no sign of it there.

Chicken Little,

Me, with 2500+ doomer posts here, "a Polly deep undercover" ??? You're pretty funny CL, maybe you should try out for the Tonight show...

What I said is that a physical problem, like down lines, and blown transformers, can't be compared to a logical, computer problem. It's just not the same thing. But even if you can't see the difference, consider this. NC, and NJ, had a bunch of outside help. That "help" may be having their own problems, and may not be available. How would things be there now, if you didn't have any help?

I posted this because I thought it was interesting. A few others here seem to also think so. It is Y2K related, and this is a Y2K forum.

And watch it CL, "closet polly" is fightin' words, and I don't want to violate out truce...

Tick... Tock... <:00=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), October 17, 1999.


tt,

Yea, I did think of the virus fun, but it had no attachment. Just plain text, nothing hidded that I could find. <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), October 17, 1999.


Sysman,

I see what you're saying now. Why didn't they use your company address? I think it is because this is some kind of automated mass mailing designed to saturate all users of Msoft products which have been detected by tracking Internet activity. For those using Internet Explorer rather than Netscape, I'm sure Msoft has built in features which allow them to follow your moves and they have seen that you have used a Yahoo account, so that is where it was sent. This is actually easier for them to contact larger numbers of people rather than backtracking all of the registration paperwork and trying to identify those e-mail accounts. There is also the added possibility that many companies use firewalls which block this type of spam activity so Msoft just didn't want to try to go that route because much of their efforts might have been blocked.

-- @ (@@@.@), October 17, 1999.


Hi @,

Who knows. I hit the web from too many places. T1 at work, 2 machines at home (hey my old Win-3.11 386 with a 56K modem, IE/303-SP1 and NS-4.08 makes a great "internet terminal"), housemates AT&T account, friends cable account. Just funny that I got "selected" that's all. Maybe I'm not making enough Y2K noise there... <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), October 17, 1999.


I received the same thing yesterday. I run Netscape on a Mac. I haven't registered anything from Microsoft since the original MS Works back in 1987 and certainly nothing over the net. I have visited their site to check the compliance of MS Works 4.0 and suspect that is where they got my e-mail address. They probably know just about everything else on the machine that I use on the net. That's why I use a completely net naive and unconnected machine to do things like Quicken and MacIntax.

-- Evelyn (equus@barn.now), October 18, 1999.

Evelyn,

Yeah, sounds like they latched onto you when you visited their site. I guess you really don't have to be using Msoft products if you visit the site because Microsoft uses those damn cookies that keep track of everywhere you go. One time I tried using a browser with cookies turned off and the damn Microsoft site wouldn't let me in. They want to know everything about you. I prefer to use Netscape because I think Msoft has designed the Explorer so that they can even look at files on your computer through the browser. Here is a recent article about another so-called "security flaw":

Big Brother works for Microsoft

-- @ (@@@.@), October 18, 1999.


I eat my cookies every weekend, at least. <:)=

Oh well... No CL. Should I go start a new thread on being called "a Polly deep undercover"? I sure wish I was...

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), October 18, 1999.


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