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I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

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Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#441

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

wbsss4412 wrote: post #433
AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #394

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Non-technical users want a stable system that doesn't constantly change. ...and you're recommending Linux Desktop for that? An operating system famous for breaking compatibility with itself every 2 years or so? Not to mention between distros. I mean, I suppose you can just leave them on some arbitrary un-updated version of Ubuntu forever, but the same could be said for Windows 2000.

You can run LTS versions of Ubuntu and receive support for 5 years.

Non-server Windows editions, at least before 10, had security updates for almost 10 years. And new software often continues to function on old versions of Windows for far longer.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#442

Post by beagle3 »

AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #394
nickjj wrote: post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Running native Linux for non-technical users ends up being a great move as long as the programs they want to run work on it. For example imagine a retired non-technical person who occasionally trades stocks. Even major trading platforms like Interactive Brokers have native Linux clients. Non-technical users want a stable system that doesn't constantly change. Windows loves to hit you with popup notices or UI changes…

> Non-technical users want a stable system that doesn't constantly change. ...and you're recommending Linux Desktop for that? An operating system famous for breaking compatibility with itself every 2 years or so? Not to mention between distros. I mean, I suppose you can just leave them on some arbitrary un-updated version of Ubuntu forever, but the same could be said for Windows 2000.

I just set up Ubuntu 20.04 with Unity which is still there, and it looks exactly the same as the 14.04 it replaced. Might not be there in 22.04, who knows. But even switching to Ubuntu Gnome is less of a difference than the Win7 -> Win8 -> Win10 transition I had to guide some older family members through.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#443

Post by api »

Apple has so far not gone this way, and I'm very happy about that (if anyone from Apple is reading).

They do try to encourage you to log in with an Apple account, but they don't seen to use dark patterns to do this. You can use a Mac without one but you will miss out on the store and any iCloud feature... but the machine still works fine.

There is an "allow your Apple account to unlock your local account" feature, but again no dark patterns. You can just uncheck it.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#444

Post by Nexxxeh »

fart32 wrote: post #295
w4rh4wk5 wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Might be, I don't know. But I am not going to use biometrics either, for various reasons.

Would you mind sharing few of them? I use fingerprint reader on my phone and laptop, is there a reason I shouldn't? Face recognition is something I have a problem with. I don't like cameras, especially those you cannot unplug.

Not OP, but...

Fingerprints, as far as most readers are concerned, aren't too difficult to duplicate sufficiently.

You can obtain someone's fingerprints from photos, as the German defence minister found out years ago[1]. Also you leave them everywhere and your laptop is likely covered in them. You can't effectively change or revoke them.

You can reproduce them with varying levels of success with photoshop, a laser printer, gelatin and some home PCB etching gear.

And unlike passwords, there's no 5th amendment right covering them for Yanks. (The latter is debatable for passwords, but is absolutely not for fingerprints.)

They may be "good enough" security, depending on your threat model. But they're pretty shit for security, all things considered.

[1] https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/12/polit...

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#445

Post by developer93 »

gentleman11 wrote: post #375
nayuki wrote: post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This makes Microsoft's purchase of LinkedIn a good fit as another master of dark patterns.

LinkedIn is so full of dark patterns that there is barely room for the site any more. I keep missing recruiter messages because my LinkedIn email just goes to spam because they send so much junk to try and boost engagement. It’s like being stuck in a room with a car salesperson. I’m thinking of deleting it

I have a separate email for job hunting which LinkedIn and Xing etc go to, and it only gets opened when I need a new job

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#446

Post by maskedinvader »

r00fus wrote: post #428
probably_wrong wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's how I lost my GMail account - they demanded a telephone number so I relented and gave them mine, but they refuse to accept it. They won't take my work number either.

What I did: create a Google voice number on my google account, then used that GV# as my Gmail account. It's an ouroboros of Google.

Thats a bad idea I think, if you get locked out of your gmail account, you might not be able to get a reset code on your GV number either.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#447

Post by rebuilder »

w4rh4wk5 wrote: post #79

Fun fact, password for my Microsoft account sits in my password manager. If I can't log into my PC, I can't access that password. And no, I am not going to remember that, or change it to something simpler. (Yes I know about entropy and correct horse battery staple!)

Microsoft can reset that password for you. Or, presumably, anyone that convincingly pretends to be you. Which is why I'm not going to tie my Windows login to an MS account.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#448

Post by grishka »

nickjj wrote: post #377
HeckFeck wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a shame to watch the decline of Windows. There isn't much I can recommend to non-technical users looking affordable computing relatively under their control. Manipulation and user hostility is unacceptable. Any of these possibilities would be nice: * The market presents a kinder (and equally-affordable x86) solution and users follow. * ReactOS lurches leaps and bounds ahead. * Microsoft realises this trajectory…

Running native Linux for non-technical users ends up being a great move as long as the programs they want to run work on it. For example imagine a retired non-technical person who occasionally trades stocks. Even major trading platforms like Interactive Brokers have native Linux clients. Non-technical users want a stable system that doesn't constantly change. Windows loves to hit you with popup notices or UI changes…

In other words: people hate updates. Especially so if those updates don't give them anything new but just move stuff around instead.

That's what everyone working in IT should understand. No, you can't "always push an update". Always treat your every single release like your last one because there will be many people who will stick with that version.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#449

Post by Nexxxeh »

DrBazza wrote: post #426
Nexxxeh wrote: post #390

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do Microsoft care about piracy of Windows at the home level? It feels like they just want that sweet recurring Office 365 and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate revenue, and they'll effectively give you Windows to get it. Last I checked, you can still use an old used Windows 7 key to activate 10 on a brand new motherboard. They could stop it, but they don't make more than a token effort.

That's kind of my point. A $2tn company can probably just write off what little piracy there is left, even more so now that everything is "webby". So why they feel the need to add this to a platform they're now effectively giving away for free for the reasons you state is even more bizarre. I guess data is the next billion dollar department in Microsoft, and this is them harvesting even more of it.

My reading of it is, it makes signing up to 365 and XBGPU as frictionless as possible. If you're already identified and authenticated by the time you're presented with the options...

If you force people to do it early in the process, you won't struggle to through that objection and difficulty when you want them to metaphorically pull out their wallets.

And to make advertising more targetted, again it's recurring revenue.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#450

Post by cultofmetatron »

brushfoot wrote: post #73

This makes me want to move back to Linux, but last time I tried Ubuntu (2020) there were lots of little annoyances. Off the top of my head: - Screen tearing. I Googled around and installed the Nvidia drivers for my laptop, but it never went away. - No detection of tablet mode. - No auto screen rotation. - Slow Blender rendering. Probably a PEBKAC with my driver setup, but it just worked in Windows and it was easy to…

been disappointed by everything except PopOS
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