This is off-topic, but since the paranoia seems to be so rampant on this
list...
Have you already stopped it responding to the X-SendWin98SerialNum and
X-SendPrimaryMacAddr headers from *.microsoft.com? And have you patched
StarCraft to not send your PIII ID and Win98 serial number to Blizzard (since
v1.04 which auto-upgraded on connection to battle.net?) [1]
Think about some 'typical' users of the Windows world, too...
* Win98 Windows Update site keeps a log by Win98 serial number of all
downloads, and requires a full detailed registration for non-critical
update downloads
* Blizzard's StarCraft site records the StarCraft CD-KEY of each visitor,
to check for simultaneous use
You really think privacy exists now? You really think the PIII serial number
will make any more difference than the Win98 'strong CD keys' and Windows
update site, or the features of popular games like StarCraft? If the
government is after you, they can probably read your computer screen from
space anyway. And if anyone else is after you, there's probably a "commercial
strength" firewall between the Dept of Defence and the internet for them to
get through first, before they read your screen :-)
What does this have to do with Linux? Nothing. Let the thread die. The
PIII serial number is a non-issue, and Linux disables it anyway.
David.
[1] This is not true, of course - well it could be, who knows, and basically,
who cares? Win98 and StarCraft do have auto-update facilities now, and
do really make use of "cd keys" (serial numbers) as detailed for the update
site and battle.net.
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