From: mike 

On Sat, 21 Apr 2007 15:49:55 -0400, Mike N.  wrote:

>On Sat, 21 Apr 2007 14:10:32 -0400, mike  wrote:
>
>>
>>I was writing a document using Microsoft Word (2002) yesterday.  I
>>wanted to insert a horizontal line in the document.
>>
>>I went to the Format>Border menu and selected horizontal line.  After
>>about 15 seconds, a selection of horizontal lines appeared.   Each time
>>I tried it, there was a 15 or so second delay.  Then I noticed there was
>>also network activity that seemed prompted by my accessing that
>>particular menu.
>>
>>The netstat command showed that Microsoft Word was phoning home just so
>>I could draw a horizontal line in my document.  Geesh.
>>
>>TCP    [snip]:4573         b.office.microsoft.com:http  ESTABLISHED
>>TCP    [snip]:4574         b.office.microsoft.com:http  ESTABLISHED
>
>   The tendency for office going online is very irritating.

The slowness runs counter to Microsoft Word being sold as a
"Productivity application".


>[snip]
>
>  All that being said, I reproduced the online forced connection issue for
>horizontal line -
>
>It's posting to
>http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/dglx.aspx
>
>x-office-version: 11.0.6551\r\n
>xmlns:C="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:clipgallery">-Coll
ections
>
>   Note that they include your version of office.  Perhaps a necessary part
>of the communication.   But what a marketer's dream!    Now they can sunset
>your version of Office any time they please by remotely disabling the
>horizontal line draw.

Oh joy.   Another opportunity for Microsoft Product Deactivation.



>  You can disable this nonsense  by configuring the Online Content Settings
>stuff in the help area (it might be different for 2002).

Thanks.

 /m

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