Automatic Updates | Silicon Shecky

Before I get started let me say this, I believe in patching, and updating systems and software. It is essential to security fo a system.

That being said, there is something to be said about forcing updated software by calling it a high priority update. Yep, I’m talking about IE8 yet again. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve used it, and for general web browsing, it is ok, although a lot of sites still seem broken when using it.Some of it is because of the higher security settings built into IE8 the rest because a lot of sites are not optimized for IE8 yet.

The problem is that it is listed as a high priority update, and if you have a machine set to automatically install critical updates, it gets automatically installed on your machine. This is totally against the statement from Microsoft that IE8 is optional. The non-tech person does not know to check, nor is expected to know how to decline the installation of something like IE8. All of a sudden this is costing my clients money, due to the fact that they have to pay me to remove IE8 and then reinstall IE7 on their machine.

Yeah, its nice for my revenu, but it makes the IT world look bad overall. Clients jsut want things to work, and I can’t blame them on that. I just want things to work also. Microsoft doesn’t seem to care about anything except market share and money, and with more and more viable options coming out, they better start learning that reputation means everything, and properly working software is the way to get more market share and money.

IE8, still not ready for everyone to use due to compatibility issues with many websites out there. Microsoft says, “We are not pushing IE8 out there yet.” Everyone breaths a sigh of relief.

At least until today. If you run updates, you should take a close look at the high priority updates. Yeah the ones that get pushed down through Automatic Updates. You will see IE8 there. Sounds like a push to me. Yet Microsoft is still claiming that they are not pushing it out.

Now I don’t know about you, but if I saw it in the Optional Software updates, I would believe them, but with it in High Priority? Come on, we all know that usually we just let the high priority updates get installed, because they are usually the most critical of the updates, and if you are set up to autoupdate, it will get pushed down and installed unless you are set up to check what updates have been downloaded for install.

To use a phrase from a segment on a sports show I listen to.. Microsoft, Who Ya Crappin?

And the pain of Automagical Updates

IE8 not being pushed? Only if you work in PR.