I went to Forest Lake for hydraulics parts yesterday and couldn't help stopping in an Office Max next door to browse the software shelves. Nothing Linux there. The sales help was nice and I asked if it was true what I learned from the TCLUG that Windows XP maintains open control of your computer's software. He said yes, and it was, in part, to protect us against the bad guys. We've come a long way from worrying about phone taps and opening another's mail, to acceding to such flagrant violations of Constitutional privacy. Being software stupid, I'd like to know what you software experts know about all of this. I've seen my kids taught to accept compromises to their Constitutional rights at school. I've protested with limited success. They can get expelled by bringing an aspirin (and with three daughters, we go through aspirin). But I can't believe its acceptable for M$ to rummage through your personal computer via the internet. The M$ money monopoly is not new, but disregard of our Constitution is historic. Please inform.