The FBI gained access; we’d already lost our privacy, but Manila’s Carolina shielded my computer

A week ago, I spent a good deal of time on the phone with a woman in Manila. Her name is Carolina and she works for Microsoft, which insists on compelling me to “upgrade” to Windows 10. I tried, but for some reason it did not work. My computer froze and so I had Microsoft walk it back to Windows 7 whereupon, a bit later, Microsoft struck in the middle of the night and “upgraded” me one more time, and one more time my computer froze. That’s how I wound up with Carolina. I’d like to think that she helped the FBI unlock the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists.

Carolina took over my computer. (She had my permission.) The cursor started taking orders from the Philippines. It skipped all over the screen and then into this folder and that folder, things opening and closing, my (digital) life unfolding before me, Carolina hopping here and then there, probably jumping into my sock drawer and arranging things by color (there must be an app for that) and, finally, pronouncing the problem solved. The computer was returned to my control and Microsoft, I was assured, would never again take command of my computer and “upgrade” me to Windows 10, which, for some reason, my computer is allergic to. A week later, Microsoft tried again.