Originally Posted by stormkeep
I posted a link above which gave that very information, why'd you go digging and, beyond that.. how did you not find it when you did? It's the text in the "overview" of the download page for the questionable component being discussed.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...1-6383ba034eab
BTW, yes I do go to the MS site and read details before installing service packs from MS. Service packs, by their very nature, usually have a long laundry list of what is in them. This means they can impact alot of different things if there are any issues. MS has, in the past, released bad service packs that screw things up for a lot of users.
I certainly do make sure I know what any SP is supposedly going to do, in detail, before installing it. But no, I wouldn't expect most users to be that anal, you are right on that account. They probably should be though...
I agree in terms of Silenia being helpful though. It's how most users get information like this in the absence of doing the research/reading themself. And in that, it is effective. Despite the fact you probably think I'm being argumentative, part of the reason for my participation in this thread is to get it noticed. |
The points you missed...
1) The specific Firefox information did NOT appear in the Microsoft Update page or the Windows Update page. The only way you could find it was by digging into the regular MS Downloads page(s) which you posted. My point, which escapes you apparently, was that you need to dig a few pages deeper to find the specific update information. How many users do this? I'd be willing to bet 99.99% don't. Furthermore, I'd bet a similar percentage of people don't even know you can find these updates listed individually among the "regular" MS download sections. The point wasn't that I (or anyone else) couldn't find it, the point was I had to. Do you not see how this is rather sneaky? If you don't, I have nothing else to tell you that will make sense.
2) I simply don't believe you or anyone else goes digging for information about Windows updates. It simply isn't practical. While I already stated I don't think Microsoft is maliciously trying to do these things, they are definitely sneaky with some of their practices. It's very reasonable to expect the average user to read a blurb or two on an update site, but not quite as reasonable to expect them to leave the site and go digging for knowledge base articles, tech net articles, support articles before making update choices. I don't care what you say you do, I simply will never believe you do this for everything you install. Period. At the very least, I don't consider people ignorant who run updates from the update site. One shouldn't have to become an IT professional to keep a simple OS updated. Give me a break.
3) I don't think you're being argumentative. However, I am. I took offense at the fact you're essentially implying people are ignorant fools if they chose to run something based upon all the PRACTICAL information at hand with this specific update. I see wannabe techs trying to elevate themselves while making average users look stupid all the time. I employ technicians, programmers, etc. I know the culture and can identify the type. Your purpose wasn't only to inform. If it was, you wouldn't have started in with the OP's title being misleading, etc.
If you want to impart some of your vast wisdom to the ignorant masses, do so without calling them ignorant. That's the failure of 95% of the technical types I have dealt with over my (almost 15 years) of being in business for myself. I often remind these nerd types that their client may not know a damned thing about reinstalling a driver, updating a pc, or even starting a fame of Freecell, however, that person may know how to perform brain surgery or save a life. You know, something significant.
Help people without making them feel stupid. The person who has done the best job of that in this (and may other) thread(s) is Silenia.