[luau] NEWS: A Scary Trend - Forced Updates in WinNT and now Sun JRE

[MonMotha]

Well, it seems that numerous big giant companies are intent on screwing 
over the consumer with forced updates.

There's an article over on /. about Sun including an almost MS like 
clause that allows them to automatically run basically whatver they want 
on your system.  And this ain't the Windows version:

 From the Linux JRE Liscense Agreement for Java 2 Runtime Environment, 
Standard Edition 1.4.0_01:

"5. Notice of Automatic Software Updates from Sun.  You acknowledge that 
the Software may automatically download, install, and execute applets, 
applications, software extensions, and updated versions of the Software 
from Sun ("Software Updates"), which may require you to accept updated 
terms and conditions for installation. If additional terms and 
conditions are not presented on installation, the Software Updates will 
be considered part of the Software and subject to the terms and 
conditions of the Agreement."

A scary trend indeed.  Also, the liscense does not mention if their 
software includes mechanisms to enforce this clause or not.

Another article on /. points out that this may cause problems in fields 
where privacy is legally protected, such as the medical field.  Could it 
be possible that since Sun and Microsoft have given themselves free 
reign over your system, that systems running this software (JRE or Win2k 
SP3/XP SP1) are legally prohibited from storing medical data?  Maybe 
these idiotic claues will backfire on that front, or maybe they'll just 
get enough people mad at them that folks will "Vote with their dollars" 
(which is never a pretty thing).

--MonMotha