As if Vista wasn’t enough, it looks like Microsoft is “gearing up” to release an “advertising framework” that completely violates the privacy of your computer and brings even more advertising to the applications you use.

The adware framework would leave almost no data untouched in its quest to sell you stuff. It would inspect “user document files, user e-mail files, user music files, downloaded podcasts, computer settings, computer status messages (e.g., a low memory status or low printer ink),” and more. How could we have been so blind as to not see the marketing value in computer status messages?

If you have ever used MSN Messenger, then you’ve surely noticed the small advertising messages at the bottom of each messaging window, or at the bottom of the contact list. If Microsoft implements this framework in their future “free” products like Media Player or even Messenger, then I will certainly stop using them for good.

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