New Microsoft Service Agreement

[chezler]

Don't know if this is the right place for this, but I felt I should mention this.

This is for anyone Using anything Microsoft or Windows, AND for anyone wanting to completely rid their system of same.

The new agreement basically states that if you use anything related to Microsoft after Aug. 30, 2019 you are bound by the new agreement that was released on July 1, 2019

In the new agreement, if you use ANY of these things, you must have a current Microsoft account and all these things must be linked to it. Or you are in violation.

Microsoft was kind enough to have a list of their associated things, so I copied it to paste here.
NOTE: I did edit it and added the word "ANYTHING" to items like BING and MICROSOFT, etc. There are lots of things that start with those words.

• Account.microsoft.com
• Advertising.microsoft.com
• Ask Cortana
• Bing ,...ANYTHING

• Citizen Next
• Cortana
• Cortana skills by Microsoft
• Default Homepage and New Tab Page on Microsoft Edge
• Dev Center App
• Device Health App
• Dictate
• Docs.com
• Education.minecraft.net
• Experts for PowerPoint (Preview)
• Face Swap
• Feedback Intake Tool for Azure Maps (aka “Azure Maps Feedback”)
• Forms.microsoft.com
• Forzamotorsport.net
• Groove
• Groove Music Pass
• GroupMe
• HealthVault
• LineBack

• Manufacturers.bing.com
• Maps App
• Microsoft ,...ANYTHING

• Mixer
• MSN ,...ANYTHING

• Next Lock Screen
• Office ,...ANYTHING

• OneDrive
• OneDrive.com
• OneNote.com
• Outlook.com
• Paint 3D
• Picturesque Lock Screen
• Presentation Translator
• Remix 3D
• Rinna
• rise4fun
• Ruuh
• Seeing AI
• Send
• Skype ,...ANYTHING

• Smart Search
• Snip Insights
• Spreadsheet Keyboard
• Sprinkles
• Store
• Sway.com
• to-do.microsoft.com
• Translator for Microsoft Edge
• Translator Live
• UrWeather
• Video Breakdown
• Visio Online
• Web Translator
• WhoÂ’s In
• Windows games, apps and websites published by Microsoft
• Windows Movie Maker
• Windows Photo Gallery
• Windows Store
• Windows Live Mail
• Windows Live Writer
• Word Flow
• Xbox ,...ANYTHING

Zo

[jglen490]

So I guess they can try to enforce that, but without knowing what the impact is of NOT having a "current Microsoft account", I can't see many people worrying too much about it. In my experience, Microsoft wants your money more than your loyalty.

[Snowhog]

"I" think that this applies mostly to 'corporate' entities; government, scholastic, scientific, etc.; and that individual 'users' aren't the target audience.

[jglen490]

That's likely it. MS enjoys the money that government agencies, especially, pay for services. And chances are, that under the terms of the big $$ contracts, these agencies have very special accounts

[chezler]

"I" think that this applies mostly to 'corporate' entities; government, scholastic, scientific, etc.; and that individual 'users' aren't the target audience.

Actually just the opposite.
Taken from the agreement:

The Microsoft Services Agreement does not apply to products and services dedicated to business customers, including Office 365 for business, education, or government customers, Azure, Yammer, or Skype for Business. For commitments regarding security, privacy and compliance as well as related information that applies to Office 365 for business, please visit the Office 365 Trust Center.

[chezler]

This is aimed at consumers. This is one of the main reasons I want everything "Microsoft" off my computer, why I joined this forum, why I am in the process of changing to Linux.

Microsoft wants everything you do to be tied to them: Using a computer, paying bills, shopping, traveling, communicating, researching things, etc. Everything.

I made this list so that I would know what Microsoft has in their grasp that I don't want to be a part of.
I posted it here in case there are people who visit this forum who DO use Microsoft products, but they don't get notifications like this.

What anyone does with this info is their own business. In my opinion, knowing this info is better than not knowing.

[WWDERW]

Microsoft wants everything you do to be tied to them: Using a computer, paying bills, shopping, traveling, communicating, researching things, etc. Everything.

MS isn't the only one that is trying to do this and it's really hard to totally be rid of any of the bigger players. While MS may not be on any local devices for a particular user, that doesn't mean that their info isn't flowing through MS servers etc during any of a user's transactions. Although any little bit less is better then nothing. I had already started playing with Linux when Win 7 was still the youngest OS on the block, but I didn't feel compelled to switch fully then. Some key software that I use for content production started going pseudo SaaS and that itch was getting more compelling to scratch. But back in 2015 is when I really decided to have it on bare metal on all of my computers. In some ways, it's a shame (I know I'm probably speaking for myself on that one), but end users are really getting the brunt of things and either don't realize it, don't care, or (and in my mind worse) have just accepted it as a normal course of how things are done.

[jglen490]

O.K., fine. The greedy b**t***s can demand all they want. Getting what they want will be a massive undertaking, or they will lose a lot of customers. Yes, there will be those who "think" they can't live w/o MS, and they will succumb.

Beware of MS and their "help" that they want to give to Linux. That, too, is all about the Benjamins.

[WWDERW]

Yes, there will be those who "think" they can't live w/o MS, and they will succumb.

Don't underestimate the power of perception. That keeps a lot of people with Adobe as well (there are some needs with that, but a lot of it is still perception).

Beware of MS and their "help" that they want to give to Linux. That, too, is all about the Benjamins.

I would be more worried about what Fuchsia could do as a competitor to Linux then what MS could do to Linux, if Fuchsia makes it to fruition. It seems to be coming right along though.

[dagmann]

Some day Windows will decline and Linux will rise.

[GreyGeek]

That day, for me, arrived on May 1, 1998

[ScottyK]

Win10 came with my new laptop. I use it to play GTA and a few other games. I don't use any of the "recommended" microsoft products, I installed open source alternatives. I *still* don't have a microsoft account, and no plans to obtain one. It was a bit annoying to get around the begging when first setting the laptop up, but it's been six months now. Now sitting here waiting for 19.10 to be available!

[woodsmoke]

LOL
I actually have an ORIGINAL Sony Vaio with an ORIGINAL (OEM) install of Windblows Vista(tm). (This is the same lappy that Daniel Craig used to send his resignation e-mail on the sailboat. Although I do not know what was being used for the OS.)

About...can't remeber precisely, five ? years ago the machine did a self-update, I only use it for ONE application, a crossword puzzle maker and don't update. And after the update there is now a notice on the right end of the panel that says:

This is an unauthorized operating system.

As an aside, it is not THAT difficult to get at the hard drive so I purchased a spare and installed a variety of Linuxs on it but the keyboard is just well...unhandy and I invariably am hitting a wrong key on the right side so I only now use it for the CW maker.

woodnowcanusetheCWpuzzlemakerunderWINEsmoke