Check this out from the InqWell:

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=4729

From the MS SP3 EULA:
* The OS Product or OS Components contain components that
enable and facilitate the use of certain Internet-based
services. You acknowledge and agree that Microsoft may
automatically check the version of the OS Product and/or its
components that you are utilizing and may provide upgrades
or fixes to the OS Product that will be automatically
downloaded to your computer.

W2K now acts like WXP - sneaky bastards in Redmond!

Guess we better all be more careful

Yup, I'm trying to figure what I should do for our network. Good thing we have a firewall but it still doesn't make me feel safe. Not going to deploy SP3 for 30 days but even then...it's a tough decision.

Is this a seperate service other than the automatic updates? Can't you just go to the control panel and disable the automatic updates?

I wish people would actually read the EULA.......

Here is a cut from wininformant......

SP3 Licensing Controversy is No Controversy
An uninformed complaint about the End User License Agreement (EULA) for Windows 2000 SP3 is making the rounds this week, spreading some mistruths about information Microsoft is allegedly collecting after you install the patch. According to the complaint, the SP3 EULA gives Microsoft the right to collect your OS version number and Product Identification number, Internet Explorer version number, version numbers of other software, and the Plug and Play ID numbers of hardware devices. This, the complaint says, is sneaky, underhanded, and any number of other adjectives you'd care to add to the list. The truth, as ever, is far less fascinating. First, this information is passed to Windows Update so that the service can provide the correct product updates for your individual system. But the EULA clearly states that this information is not saved, or passed along to Microsoft. It's just collected for an obvious (and desirable) reason. "Windows Update does not collect your name, address, e-mail address, or any other form of personally identifiable information," the EULA reads. "The configuration information collected is used only for the period of time that you are visiting the site, and is not saved."

The concern isn't about information collected or alleged to be collected by MS after the installation of SP3; it's the part about pushing updates that MS determines the importance & efficacy (and, ultimately, purpose) of.

Nothing in the previous posts about collected data; anonymous information gathering doesn't bug me very much; updates being pushed out to me without my consent or knowledge, however...that concerns me.

I sometimes get a little caught up in the MS is gonna spy on all our computing habits thing, but when I think about it, I have yet to see any reliable site give a straight yes or no answer about this going on. If anyone can do this, please post it.