Interesting.
I've done a number of programs similar to this with no significatnt concerns. As always. . there is sa trade off
From the site:
What types of information will you collect and why?
We are looking for information that will help us understand problems
you encounter with Windows, how you have configured your computer and
Windows, what hardware you are using, and general information about how
you are using Windows and Microsoft Office products on your computer.
You can see a list of examples of the data we collect in our FAQ
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What kinds of data will Microsoft collect?
When you participate in the Windows Feedback Program, three types of data collected from your computer:
1. Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)
The Windows CEIP is a way for Microsoft to learn how customers are
using Windows Vista. If a user participates, a list of statistics is
generated from the user’s computer at scheduled intervals; that list is
later submitted to Microsoft over the Internet when the user’s computer
is not busy. More information about this program can be found here. Please also review the CEIP disclosure within the Windows Vista privacy statement.
2. Office Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)
The Office CEIP is a way for Microsoft to learn how customers are using
Microsoft Office 2003 or Microsoft Office 2007 products. If a user
participates, a list of statistics is generated from the user’s
computer at scheduled intervals; that list is later submitted to
Microsoft over the Internet when the user’s computer is not busy. More
information about this program and the privacy statement for Office
2007 can be found here. To display the privacy statement for Office 2003, please search for “Privacy Statement” in Office 2003 online help.
3. Additional data collection
The following list describes some examples of additional data collection our software performs:
- Windows settings and usage, such as the number of user accounts on
the computer and the view settings for Control Panel (that is, if you
use the default Category view or the Classic view to display Control
Panel).
- Details about your computer hardware, such as processor type and
speed (as well as the number of processors), system memory, video
memory, and other hardware configuration information.
- File and folder information, such as the number of files and folders located in common places (for example, in Documents).
- Which programs you open (for example, which application you use to read your e-mail).
- Changes you make to your hardware or software.
- Problems you encounter, such as application crashes.
This type of data collection can provide Microsoft with useful data, such as:
- Identification of top user problems; for example, how often does a
computer crash or stop? How often do customers update Windows? How
often are problems reported?
- How customers use their computers; for example, how often do
customers use their computers? How often do they connect to the
Internet? How long do they stay connected?
- How users store files on computers; for example, how much storage
space do customers have on their computers? How much storage space is
used? Where do customers store their files?
We do not intentionally collect sensitive information, such as the
passwords on the user accounts, the contents of any of your personal
files, the name or HTTP address of any of the websites you mark as
Favorites, or what websites you visit.
It doesn't seem like a bad deal.
