An Open Letter to Microsoft

Att: The people who decided WGA was necessary
Subject: Microsoft should not treat their consumers like criminals.

In matters of DRM and control one thing has been proven over and over again: You only hurt the ones you’re supposed to love.

The Story

A close acquaintance of mine, a 70 year old man, recently called me up because he had a problem with his computer. He turned it on one day and it told him that his copy of windows was not Genuine.

He is, as of this moment, unable to use that machine (luckily he has a Mac so he can get along). He didn’t “steal” a copy of windows. In fact he bought a copy of windows. It came with his computer. Of course, to you (Microsoft) he is probably a criminal so why shouldn’t his computer be rendered useless?

Obviously Windows tells my friend that he must reenter his key. Of course, almost every OEM license of Windows does not come with a readily available copy of the OS and key. So what are the alternatives? He can A) Call Microsoft (good luck with that) B) Call his manufacture who well send him “Restore CDs” that will whipe his data and force him to reinstall all of his programs or C) He can ask his friend who is aquatinted with these sorts of things to force Windows to behave like it’s supposed to.

The fact that Im writing this letter should tell you that the only real option is C. So here I am, having to clean up after your mistakes. All because you would rather assume that your clients are criminals rather than the people you should love and appreciate.

The cruel irony

The cruel irony of DRM is so silly that I wonder why people keep on trying. To pirates DRM and the Windows Activation thing are not problems. It does not bother them in the slightest. They dance around your silly anti-copying measures and laugh.

However to your client, the actual consumer who becomes the collateral damage of your war in error, these protections loom high and are impassable. In other words, the only people who end up having a hard time are the people that actually pay for your software!

A Modest Proposal: Steal Everything

Its simple, if you buy the software it will lock you out. If you download a cracked version and keep it that way you will be able to use your software unabated. Either way you’re considered to be a stealing criminal.

In closing, you sir (Microsoft) are disgusting. I have no idea how you can get away with treating your clients like criminals. It is absolutely deplorable that you have not learned from any of your mistakes and stopped with all of this nonsense. I will avoid your products like the plague and go with alternatives that do not consider me to be a criminal.

I’ve attached a simple diagram to help explain my article using pictures. This diagram is about music however it still applies to software.

Signed, Dan at todaywasawesome.com