So, your reasoning to disallow an automatic update is because 'what-if' someone gets control of your system??! What if they dump 10 gallons on your PC? If your system is compromised, you are screwed.... period. They can format, and do darn near anything they want to at this point. At issue is PREVENTING this from happening.
I would prefer to have an operating system that didn't have all of these flaws and holes and didn't need to be updated every week. The very idea of giving the company that created all these security holes an even wider security hole is lunacy.
Let's be intellectually honest, ok? Do you think MS said "let's release a known buggy and insecure system, that will cost us millions of man-hours to fix later?" I'll give you a hint, they didn't. These are DISCOVERED flaws. And before you flame MS, Linux and Unix have issued their share of security patches too. When you are the market dominate source, you are the target of every script-kiddie on the planet. There aren't a whole lot of virus's going around for the Amiga. MS wants to sell their OS, and continue their market dominance; thats why they are supporting 4+ year old OS's free.
Yet another false choice. I regularly check for system updates and make sure that all of my systems are properly configured. I don't need or would allow anyone else to do it for me. Just as I would never reply directly to e-mail inquiries for my personal financial data, I don't accept solicited offers to alter my operating system. I either case where important data is being transferred, I will create the connection myself.
Let's be intellectually honest, ok? Do you think MS said "let's release a known buggy and insecure system, that will cost us millions of man-hours to fix later?" I'll give you a hint, they didn't. These are DISCOVERED flaws. And before you flame MS, Linux and Unix have issued their share of security patches too. When you are the market dominate source, you are the target of every script-kiddie on the planet. There aren't a whole lot of virus's going around for the Amiga. MS wants to sell their OS, and continue their market dominance; thats why they are supporting 4+ year old OS's free.
Microsoft's track record of selling under-tested and security flawed software isn't the issue here. Your bad advice in advocating that other people blindly trust anyone who claims to be Microsoft and allow them to automatically upgrade there operating system is.