Microsoft Nags U.S. Users of Fake Windows If Microsoft thinks your copy of Windows is pirated, the software will display a nag screen upon login.
What do they think their "stick" and "carrot" mean to knowledgeable users, anyway? Those wanting to control their own computer don't sign up for Automatic Updates, anyway. And with all the holes arising daily, anyone still using Insolent Exploder for a browser is in serious denial.
I love their locution "You may be a victim of software piracy" ... those using such programs are hardly "victims," though it's indeed true for MS's balance sheet. Other reasons exist to eschew such copies, but not the sense that one is "victimized."
Oh, their concern is justified, and so is offering this "helpful" "tool." (Standard property-rights disclaimers inserted here.) That doesn't make this effort on MS's part any less repulsive.
Posted by Tamper Lad on :
Lots of "mom and pop" computer operations sell pirated copies of Windows preinstalled on new machines. People who buy these machines not knowing are victims. The whole activation initiative targets this practice. I agree that anyone knowingly pirating the software knows how to get around the message.
As for security, Any browser is only as secure as the stupidest user that uses the machine. Having worked the IT trouble desk I can say that dumb users (not flawed or unpatched software) is the major security issue.
I've never had a security issue with IE or Firefox because I can spot trouble. My users were another matter, using Firefox doesn't make the user smarter. If I had to guess I'd place most computer users on the level of car owners who drive with no oil in the engine or coolant in rad.
Inevitably they tell the mechanic, "I didn't know that would hurt it."