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Microsoft to stop marketing Passport

Time: 11:13 EST/16:13 GMT | News Source: CBS Marketwatch | Posted By: Brian Kvalheim

The newspaper said the software giant had confirmed the step down after one of the service's biggest backers, eBay Inc. (EBAY: news, chart, profile), said Wednesday it would stop using Passport next month in favor of its own product. It said few customers had taken up the Microsoft (MSFT: news, chart, profile) service. Passport keeps track of online consumers' credit card and password information as they move from site to site. It has drawn the ire of privacy advocates, industry regulators and technology security experts, who in 2003 found a security glitch that could have led to massive identity theft, the paper said.

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Displaying Comments 1 through 9 of 9

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#1 By 13030 (198.22.121.120) at Thursday, December 30, 2004 02:02:38 PM

The beginning of the end for a really dumb idea.

#2 By 37 (24.183.41.60) at Thursday, December 30, 2004 07:00:17 PM

The funny thing is that the Activation has actually worked. And have you noticed how easy it is to activate, even if it's a phone call? Operators are awesome about giving out activation codes.

#3 By 12071 (203.217.26.160) at Thursday, December 30, 2004 08:32:38 PM

#1 Yay!

#3 It has worked perfectly! It is so easy for anyone to type in "Windows XP keygen" into google, download the key generator and activate their copy of windows. The only way it could be simpler is if came activated on install.

I'm sure Microsoft will figure that dongles are the next best way to go!

#4 By 37 (24.183.41.60) at Thursday, December 30, 2004 08:37:05 PM

Well, the problem isn't MS, it's the pirates.

#5 By 12071 (203.217.26.160) at Friday, December 31, 2004 01:01:05 AM

#5 MS isn't the problem, but Activation and Dongles etc are not the solution. The pirates always have and always will have a way around any protection that comes out, so it's just the legitimate end user that's inconvenienced as those illegal copies sold on black markets are already cracked for the end user.

So I'd love to understand where you came up with the whole "Activation has actually worked" idea. As far as I'm aware, the same people that hated Activation at the start, continue to hate it, they just use the keygen so they aren't inconvenienced by it.

#6 By 37 (24.183.41.60) at Friday, December 31, 2004 07:59:41 AM

It's worked with the "casual" users and small businesses, as intended.

"so it's just the legitimate end user that's inconvenienced "

That is not MS's fault. That is the fault of pirates. Did you know that here in the US that all of the products you buy are all marked up in price to cover the cost of shoplifters? The prices of your purchases are pushed up to cover the stolen merchandise, security, hidden camera's, the little "dongles" on clothes that set off the alarms when someone trys to leave the stores without paying?

Did you know that the above is ALSO in an inconvenience to the customer having to pay more, having to wait for clerks to remove "dongles" from their clothes at checkout, etc.

You need to look at the root of the problem, and that is pirates, thieves, shoplifters. The problem isn't Microsoft, Walmart, Grocery Stores, Boston Stores, etc.

Microsoft owns their intelligent rights to the product "license" that you purchase. Since you don't actually OWN your copy of windows (except for the box), but own a license to USE the product, Microsoft retains full rights to see what ever way they can to prevent losses. If they continue to let casual piracy run rumpant, then they could just UP the price of Windows even more to cover the losses.

I fully support the activation and it has NOT been an inconvenience. In fact, if you notice, when is the last time you saw an article complaining about Activation with Windows/Office? You don't see it. People have become used to it and come to expect it. In fact, other companies have been following suit, requiring activation. Not to mention, it was a common shareware scenario that has been around for awhile that still continues to grow.

Since activation is HARDLY an inconvenience (do you even know the details that require you to have to use the phone?) and it activates in about one second when you click on activate, and it HAS prevented casual piracy in the home and small business markets.

#7 By 12071 (203.217.26.160) at Friday, December 31, 2004 07:23:34 PM

#7 "It's worked with the "casual" users and small businesses, as intended."
HOW do you know this? Do you just assume that this is true?

"Did you know that here in the US that all of the products you buy are all marked up in price to cover the cost of shoplifters?"
Depends where you purchase your products from and that goes for most countries around the world. What you'll actually find is that the increase in price to cover the store for stolen goods is tiny in proportion to the increase so that they can get a nice fat profit. I purchase all my hardware and software at wholesaler prices so I'm completely speechless at times when I compare the price I pay for an item and the price that some big store is trying to pass it off at. So don't fool yourself into thinking it's all to cover theft and piracy! That's FUD the RIAA and MPAA would love for you to believe. It's why they are still selling cd's for $10-$20!

"Did you know that the above is ALSO in an inconvenience to the customer having to pay more, having to wait for clerks to remove "dongles" from their clothes at checkout, etc."
All that happens as you're purchasing the product, what would be an inconvenience is if after you bought some new Ralph Lauren pants for work, you came home and had to ring up to get your pants activated so you could wear them. Then if you decided to change 3 things (for whatever reason) you had to ring up yet again to activate the pants.

"Since you don't actually OWN your copy of windows (except for the box), but own a license to USE the product"
We all know this Brian, and it's something that a lot of us disagree with. If I purchase just about anything else, I own it and can do with it as I like, but not with the majority of software, where the greedy company doesn't want to relinquish control after the purchase! Why is that Brian? Why is it that people like yourself accept that and move on, when you have the right to do anything you like with any other purchase you make? Do you just not care?

"In fact, if you notice, when is the last time you saw an article complaining about Activation with Windows/Office?"
Just before the latest keygen came out which allowed one to generate several valid keys per second. As you know the first keygen took a lot lot longer to brute force a valid key so people were still inconvenienced by that. Now that the second keygen is out, those that were complaining about it, have bypassed it.

"People have become used to it and come to expect it."
So your point is that it's no longer inconvenient as people have become used to it through conditioning, just like many Americans believe that Fox News is "Fair & Balanced" after becoming used to it through conditioning.

#8 By 37 (24.183.41.60) at Sunday, January 02, 2005 10:56:07 AM

"HOW do you know this? Do you just assume that this is true? "

Based on the details that MS has provided publicly.

"Depends where you purchase your products from and that goes for most countries around the world. What you'll actually find is that the increase in price to cover the store for stolen goods is tiny in proportion to the increase so that they can get a nice fat profit. "

I am speaking for the U.S. only. As a business law graduate at the University of Wisconsin, I can attest to the fact that shoplifting will increase the price of a product on average of 10%. Hardly tiny. More that than the tax alone!

"So don't fool yourself into thinking it's all to cover theft and piracy! That's FUD the RIAA and MPAA would love for you to believe. "

Education and Retail experience tells me differently than your opinion.

"All that happens as you're purchasing the product, what would be an inconvenience is if after you bought some new Ralph Lauren pants for work, you came home and had to ring up to get your pants activated so you could wear them. Then if you decided to change 3 things (for whatever reason) you had to ring up yet again to activate the pants."

Still an inconvenience. You have to wait that much longer everytime you go to the store. AND, think about this. YOU are paying for a portion of that dongle each and everytime you buy something. Why should I or you have to pay for that dongle if we don't want it and we don't steal? Where is the blame? Ah yes, shoplifters.

"We all know this Brian, and it's something that a lot of us disagree with. If I purchase just about anything else, I own it and can do with it as I like, but not with the majority of software, where the greedy company doesn't want to relinquish control after the purchase! Why is that Brian? Why is it that people like yourself accept that and move on, when you have the right to do anything you like with any other purchase you make? Do you just not care?"

Oh I care. I care about the intellectual rights that someone has earned. I guess we should do away copyrights and trademarks? I guess we should have to do away with purchasing CD's for the content, and should only have to pay the cost of manufacturing? I have ZERO problem with ME MAKING A CHOICE. I CHOOSE TO PAY FOR WINDOWS XP LICENSE KNOWING THAT I DON'T OWN THE ACTUAL software. If I wanted, I COULD CHOOSE NOT TO BUY IT. Or if I wanted, I could CHOOSE TO STEAL IT. I choose to follow the laws in the U.S., and when I choose to ACCEPT an EULA, I CHOOSE to follow it. Guess what? My Windows XP doesn't expire, and it will work just like it did on day one as I own the CD.

"Just before the latest keygen came out which allowed one to generate several valid keys per second. As you know the first keygen took a lot lot longer to brute force a valid key so people were still inconvenienced by that. Now that the second keygen is out, those that were complaining about it, have bypassed it. "

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=windows%2Bactivation&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d

Not seeing Activation Issues articles at the above famous news search engine as of lately.

"So your point is that it's no longer inconvenient as people have become used to it through conditioning, just like many Americans believe that Fox News is "Fair & Balanced" after becoming used to it through conditioning. "

Yup! At least in the U.S. get used to having to take it up the @ss from pirates and shoplifters. That is the way it works here and we are used to it.

AND FWIW, Fox News is FAR from fair and balanced. Probably the most UNFAIR and UNBALANCED network in the U.S. Horrible horribly news station. I get my news from the internet, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, CNBC, NBC etc. Don't limit yourself.

#9 By 23275 (68.17.42.38) at Sunday, January 02, 2005 02:56:50 PM

I think product activation is a very good thing. Same is true of the opportunities to validate software as being genuine. I like the idea that I can verify that the SW I have purchased is the real thing. I also like that we can demonstrate for our customers that the SW they have on their systems is legit and supported. The actions taken to stop piracy will help lower costs for honest people. From what we see, people want assurances and proof - activation helps provide for that.

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