[cbbrowne at localhost.brownes.org: [NTLUG:Discuss] Fear and Loathing in Redmond...]

[Kirk Wood]

Ok, while M$ isn't a super great company mmisrepresentations of them are
no better then they are. In the interest of FULL disclosure here is the
complete text of the excerpt:

MATERIALS PROVIDED TO MICROSOFT OR POSTED AT ANY MSN WEB SITE 

Microsoft does not claim ownership of the materials you provide to
Microsoft (including feedback and suggestions) or post, upload, input or
submit to any MSN Site/Service or its associated services for review by
the general public (each a "Submission" and collectively
"Submissions"). However, by posting, uploading, inputting, providing or
submitting your Submission you are granting Microsoft, its affiliated
companies and necessary sublicensees permission to use your Submission in
connection with the operation of their Internet businesses including,
without limitation, the rights to: copy, distribute, transmit, publicly
display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, translate and reformat your
Submission; and to publish your name in connection with your Submission. 

No compensation will be paid with respect to the use of your Submission,
as provided herein. Microsoft is under no obligation to post or use any
Submission you may provide and Microsoft may remove any Submission at any
time in its sole discretion. 

By posting, uploading, inputting, providing or submitting your Submission
you warrant and represent that you own or otherwise control all of the
rights to your Submission as described in this section including, without
limitation, all the rights necessary for you to provide, post, upload,
input or submit the Submissions. 



Notice, this refers to input to the site. It is not intended to cover any
and all email that you send through their service. Further, they don't
claim to own it. And to make things a little more succinct, they are not
some supper power capable of ignoring previous copyright. Thus if you post
a suggestion or comment of material which is protected, they can not show
said material (or more accurately must remove it when notified.)

So if you are paranoid, don't suggest anything to the company. Then again,
if your paranoid don't tell anything to anyone on the internet. Guess
what? It may be disclosed. Privacy policies are non-binding documents
which may be amended at any time with or without notice.

If you buy something from any company the only way you can really insure
your information won't be sold is to buy in cash and give false
information if asked.

=======
Kirk Wood
Cpt.Kirk at 1tree.net

Nothing is hard if you know the answer or are used to doing it.