Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

eBay Drops Microsoft Authentication
TheStreet.com ^ | 12/31/04 | Troy Wolverton

Posted on 12/30/2004 7:24:30 PM PST by Straight Vermonter

eBay (EBAY:Nasdaq - news - research) is dropping its support for Microsoft's (MSFT:Nasdaq - news - research) authentication service, the auction company announced this week.

By late January, eBay users will no longer be able to log into the auction site using Microsoft's Passport system, eBay said in a post on its announcement board for users. eBay also will stop sending alerts to buyers and sellers' computers and mobile phones through the software giant's .Net service.

eBay spokesman Hani Durzy declined to comment on why the company decided to drop support for Passport. But in a report by Reuters, Durzy was quoted as saying that only a "very small percentage of eBay users regularly" used the service.

Microsoft representatives were not immediately available for comment. But in a statement, a representative for the company's MSN Internet service said that while Passport is one of the "largest" authentication systems in use and Microsoft continues to support customers who use it, the company is no longer aggressively seeking customers for it.

"Over the past couple of years, Microsoft ... shifted the focus of the service to serve as a great single sign-on solution for consumers of MSN and Microsoft online services," the representative said.

Microsoft and eBay signed a deal in 2001 under which eBay decided to use Passport, and Microsoft agreed to incorporate eBay's auction listings on some of the sites listed within its MSN portal. By signing the deal, eBay instantly became one of the leading supporters of the Passport service.

The idea behind the Passport service was that Internet users could have one user ID and password that they could use to log on to any Web sites and that could be linked to credit card numbers and other personal data. Microsoft initially used the service for Hotmail, its free e-mail service, and some of its other sites, but had hoped to find wide support for the service across the Web.

But the software giant had trouble convincing other companies or Web users to adopt the service. Microsoft faced privacy complaints over Passport that eventually led to an investigation by and settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. Other companies and Web users raised concerns about Microsoft's increasing power on the Web and giving the company insight into personal financial transactions and purchases.

In response, a coalition of companies led by Sun Microsystems (SUNW:Nasdaq - news - research) formed the Liberty Alliance to develop a rival authentication standard.

Shares of Microsoft closed regular trading on Thursday off 14 cents, or 0.5%, to $26.76. eBay's stock closed up 20 cents, or 0.2%, to $117.77.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ebay; internetexploiter; lowqualitycrap; microsoft

1 posted on 12/30/2004 7:24:30 PM PST by Straight Vermonter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Straight Vermonter
But the software giant had trouble convincing other companies or Web users to adopt the service.

Come here, little girl... I'm your friend.... really I am... You can trust me...

2 posted on 12/30/2004 7:27:14 PM PST by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Izzy Dunne

It doesn't suck enough


3 posted on 12/30/2004 7:38:35 PM PST by axes_of_weezles (Effin Kohn Tedwards)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Straight Vermonter
The idea behind the Passport service was that Internet users could have one user ID and password that they could use to log on to any Web sites and that could be linked to credit card numbers and other personal data.

That's the reason I would never use it. Microsoft has no understanding of either privacy or security. Why would I want companies with which I have never done business to have access to my personal information and credit card number?

4 posted on 12/30/2004 8:07:42 PM PST by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PAR35

I never used it. Good idea but I wouldn't trust my sensitive personal info to Microsoft.


5 posted on 12/30/2004 8:19:03 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

...yup, I'm glad to see eBay loose this wetdream of an all-in-one web authentication and that whole deal of letting Microsoft be in charge. Think about it -Microsoft would be data warehousing YOUR personal data (including CC numbers and web transactions, etc) on THEIR fine computers and server software..and to some degree it still does this for winXP registered user authentication.

Why is that you are still forced to give personal details and Company name unless they were building some profile about YOU?

Microsoft's OWN servers have been hacked many times before -if you think your data is safe. And an army of bad guys world-wide are probing the known world for vulnerable home and business machines using WIN products along with their corporate and web servers 24 hours a day -7 days a week.

While at the same time Microsoft dribbles out pathetic patches and in the future are discussing making YOU pay for their future security fixes.

Use LINUX instead, sleep well at night, and let them have their monopoly over -nobody-.


6 posted on 12/30/2004 9:00:20 PM PST by no_mm ("Give War a Chance." - Michael Savage)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

You are right. Microsoft refuses to believe no matter what they do people no not want their personal data centralized out of their control. It is one thing to have is in seperate places that do not talk to each other, it is another to centralize it with monopoly microsoft.

Microsoft more and more is looking like a company that does not know what business they are in.


7 posted on 12/30/2004 9:16:17 PM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Straight Vermonter
Seems like Bill and the boys at Microsoft have had a bad December.

5.56mm

8 posted on 12/30/2004 9:20:29 PM PST by M Kehoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: longtermmemmory
Microsoft more and more is looking like a company that does not know what business they are in. They know exactly what business(es) they are in. Its their traditional EMBRACE and EXTEND mode of operation -to control all aspects of world-wide computing and data transactions on their terms (and patenting their technology) thereby choking off and cutting off competion at the knees. No, they are smart. They EMBRACED Sun's JAVA under license agreements, only to EXTEND it with their own SPECIAL MICROSOFT enhancements that only worked with their IIS Server software and shutting out other technologies. In other parts of the world, they are illegally dumping Microsoft product and prices to head off the FREE LINUX TSUNAMI that threatens them at all levels -like Asia, S. Amer, and Germany. MIcrosoft has paid dearly by buying out competitors technology for years and has hired the top name talent in all tech fields working worldwide 24 hours a day -they know exactly what they are doing. Dr. Evils' World Domination PLAN 9 :)
9 posted on 12/30/2004 9:45:34 PM PST by no_mm ("Give War a Chance." - Michael Savage)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: no_mm

so you are saying I should own more shares of Microsoft?


10 posted on 12/30/2004 9:47:52 PM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: no_mm

And remember folks, MICROSOFT DOES HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD!

Would you want a CONVICTEDD FELON handling your most private personnel data? Ummm, guess not :0)


11 posted on 12/30/2004 9:48:55 PM PST by no_mm ("Give War a Chance." - Michael Savage)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: longtermmemmory

I don't give stock advice, especially when the company involved is a FELON. But further, I work for a major corporation that has some involvement with that other entity -so anything I say could be construed as insider trading, I will not offer you advice. I myself do not own M$ stock.

M$ days of huge profits are at their peak, they no longer have a cash cow of an OS or OFFICE suite. Why use and pay $500 for the next OFFICE 200X release, when you can get the FREE OPENOFFICE.ORG program for the download that does just as much and works on all platforms -if not better?

LINUX will TSUNAMI them in short order, and Microsoft has to be in other key technologies as the home/office is not the place to be (with throw-away computers nowadays).

M$ wants to be in the MEDIA delivery biz (look at XBOX, etc), but you see the big studios and record companies bleeding money, I can only laff if they pull that off.

Invest elsewhere, IMHO.


12 posted on 12/30/2004 10:00:06 PM PST by no_mm ("Give War a Chance." - Michael Savage)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: no_mm

"Use LINUX instead, sleep well at night, and let them have their monopoly over -nobody-."

A monopoly would mean Microsoft is the sole provider of a good in a given market. However, you contradict that in your own statement by indicating the existance of Linux, a competing product in the same market.


13 posted on 12/30/2004 10:47:49 PM PST by ryanjb2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: ryanjb2

no contradiction at all, in fact Microsoft was charged and convicted of multiple felony charges over just such a thing - MONOPOLY.

The only competition is what Microsoft see's as a threat. they are falling all over themselves to gain market share in countries that are closing their doors on their biz model and biz practices in favor of open source solutions. And has had to begin selling WINXP Lite versions in Asia because of their bleeding bottom line...

Linux is no more a competitive product to WIN, than is a Jumbo Jet to a Stealth bomber. more power to them...


14 posted on 12/31/2004 12:41:06 AM PST by no_mm ("Give War a Chance." - Michael Savage)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: ryanjb2

"A monopoly would mean Microsoft is the sole provider of a good in a given market." ...yes, and that's what they were charged with under Sherman Anti-Trust Laws. You may not remember that not-too distant past, but you could not BUY a computer without having some OEM version pre-installed and paying that hefty M$ tax -whether you liked it or not. No Linux, Solaris, or other OS...just M$.

Nowadays, you can order a computer from Walmart with YOUR CHOICE of OS: WIN, LINUX, -or none at all-. That wasn't always the case til M$ got spanked AND also had to refund money for people that REMOVED WINDOWS from their machine -per State Attorney litigation.


15 posted on 12/31/2004 1:05:06 AM PST by no_mm ("Give War a Chance." - Michael Savage)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: ryanjb2; no_mm; longtermmemmory
"A monopoly would mean Microsoft is the sole provider of a good in a given market. However, you contradict that in your own statement by indicating the existance of Linux, a competing product in the same market."

...true. And the GPL ("General Public License") behind the Linux effort is a virus that's restrictive against developers and against the free market. It causes any proprietary software (private source for profit) that links to it to be "GPL'd." So the Linux people are trying to force all others into worldwide communism with their license.

If any of you would like to take advantage of less restrictive and more free open source systems, go for one of the BSD-like licenses.

It gets old, seeing parroted doubletalk from RMS' little Stalinist buzzards.

And as for RMS, he's Gates' old buddy.

"As far as I know, Microsoft has not tried to restrict the freedom of programmers." --Richard Stallman

List: macbsd-general
Date: 09/02/1994 18:26:42

But that's no surprise.

Microsoft's Bill Gates to meet with Jacques Chirac, sign Dassault deal Wednesday
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1281425/posts?page=1
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20041116/bs_afp/france_us_it_software_041116203803

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave $8.8 million to the Planned Parenthood Federation.
http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/women/12/11/health.women.gates.reut/

"Microsoft offers source code to China"
http://itmatters.com.ph/news/news_03032003a.html
(removed from major news sites)

Gates: Buy stamps to send e-mail
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/03/05/spam.charge.ap/

Bill Gates against repealing the inheritance tax
http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_inheritance.html

"Soros, one of the wealthiest men in the world, promised $15.5 million to defeating President Bush. Also on this list are Bill Gates,..."
http://www.americasvoices.org/archives2003/CoxJ/CoxJ_112403.htm

The Left-Wing Billionaire Collectivist Pigs
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/9/25/191020.shtml

Billionaire Collectivist Pigs on a Roll
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/10/11/171315.shtml

"Gun-Control Group Changes Name, Keeps Agenda"
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=%5C%5CNation%5C%5Carchive%5C%5C200106%5C%5CNAT20010615a.html
(and Bill is a contributor)

"Is Bill Gates a closet liberal?"
http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/01/cov_29feature.html
(Bill Gates for gun control, pro-abortion, etc.)

http://vikingphoenix.com/news/madminute/1997/mm970040.htm
(Gates on gun control)

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/july-dec97/guns_11-4.html
(more money for gun control from Gates and his father)

"Bill Gates Is No Free Market Hero"
http://brian.carnell.com/articles/2000/12/000046.html

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/datelinedc/s_176864.html

Windows XP Shows the Direction Microsoft is Going
http://www.hevanet.com/peace/microsoft.htm

"the changing politics of Bill Gates" (national review, john j. miller)
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m1282/2_51/53662235/p1/article.jhtml

2002 Feb 2, In NYC protesters of the World Economic Forum turned out in large numbers. Inside foreign economic leaders criticized the US for protectionist policies, and Bill Gates and U2 rock star Bono pushed for increases in foreign aid by rich countries to poor countries."
http://timelines.ws/days/02_02.HTML

"Software, soft money, and Libertarians" http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0039/news-anderson.shtml [Bill gives money to both sides--whoever supports Microsoft and extreme social left policies. ...includes Barney Frank.] Client testimonials, Bill Gates in China, Bill Clinton in China http://www.beijinghighlights.com/testimonials/testimonials.htm "State-owned Software Firm Ties up with Microsoft China"
http://fpeng.peopledaily.com.cn/200107/07/eng20010707_74398.html

Rich men who desire to leave communism as their legacy (and their commie flunkies) should stop hating all of us "breeders" so much. But on the other hand, the more they hate us, the closer we come to victory for families.


16 posted on 01/01/2005 8:01:18 PM PST by familyop (Essayons)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson