WTH: Live Essentials 2011 on Microsoft Update

 

Microsoft says its Important that I get the Bing Bar…
2010-11-07_wu_wtf1
(and a dozen other whatnots, all of which will increase the security surface area of my system)

…but it’s just optional that I have current security software?!?
image

 

What the heck??

 

To be clear, I do not recommend installing Live Essentials unless you see something in that list which really interests you.  I use and do like Live Writer, which is my preference for publishing to this blog.

 

2010-12-18 UPDATE:

I found the cause, in a setting I hadn’t noticed before:
"Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates"

When I uncheck it, Recommended Updates get moved from the Important category back to Optional.

I’m not sure when or how this got set, but I’ve noticed other brand-new machines do the same thing.  Is this the new default?