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October 25, 2004

Microsoft in violation?

In order to register a Microsoft product, you must get a .NET Passport. There are no alternative methods. I don't want to support Passport because I'm uncomfortable with Microsoft being in the ID business — and if I'm wrong, then I'll fall back simply on "I don't want one because I don't want one" — so now I don't get the benefits of registration (whatever those might be).

Isn't this coercive behavior? Can't someone please sue them? Thank you.

Posted by D. Weinberger at October 25, 2004 12:38 PM


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Scoble asks, apropo a complaint about being required to get a Passport account: I don't get what the big deal is here. Passport isn't a big data collector. All you need is one email address. It doesn't collect your life... [Read More]

Tracked on October 26, 2004 10:30 AM

Comments

Is it really that much different than registering any other software?

Get a hotmail account and use that for Passport. It's not like you have to tell the truth on when you sign up for one.

Posted by: Bryan Price | October 25, 2004 01:26 PM


This is a new one on me. What was the product?

Posted by: Julian Bond | October 25, 2004 01:51 PM


I think you are incorrect. I registered XP w/o ever getting a passport. I had to use phone registration, which was more irksome than an online process, but that's what I did.

Posted by: James Robertson | October 25, 2004 03:02 PM


Julian, OneNote a few weeks ago and their optical trackball today. I suspect it's corp-wide, or will be soon.

James, I saw no alternatives to online Passportian registration for either of those two products. I don't know about XP.

Posted by: David Weinberger | October 25, 2004 03:05 PM


Disclosure: I'm (Sandhill is) a MS Certified Business Partner... whatever that is. Here's what I get about your issue David. The Passport requirement is coming at us fast and hard. When I signed my partnership agreement there may or may not have been such a thing as Passport. There definitely wasn't a .Net. Last year they started coaxing us to use the Passport. This year you can't see what's in the "Action Pack" they're going to send you if you don't log-on using the Passport. Next year I expect we'll have to get RFID implants or something.

Posted by: fp | October 25, 2004 03:17 PM


Seems to me the solution is to not use MS products.

Posted by: Norman | October 25, 2004 05:08 PM


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