Biting back at Microsoft

[Syngin]

Ok, before the moderators delegate this to the bach bench of the main Microsoft thread, I wanted to share an idea an see what people thought.

Most of us here probably end up spending significant amounts of time fixing inherent problems with other peoples' computers that run Windows. While, some of this time might be standard configuration time, most is spent fixing things due to shoddy programming, particularly security related issues.

How is it that no one ever thinks to charge Microsoft for what, among computer people, must mount up to hundreds of thousands of manhours due to defects in their product? If a person was able to break into your house due to a defect in the workmanship of the lock you have on your front door, shouldn't the lock company be held accountable since it's product didn't do its job?

On top of this, forcing us to jump through hoops over serial codes when you change hardware should also fall into this category. If they force us to do this, then they can pay for our time.

Anyway, my point is that I've registered a domain name (billmicrosoft.com) and was going to write an application that would allow people to sign up and write up a quick invoice for time they spent working on Microsoft products due to defects in their products. The site would fire off an eFax, fax (if i can get a ecent voice connection on the server) or email to Microsoft's accounting department with the invoice and a running total of the amount billed to Microsoft overall would appear on the site's front page.

Think this would help to prove a point?

Before you ask (which every second person I've mentioned this to has asked for some reason), I'm in no way, shape or form doing this to take a % of any invoice. This would be a 100% free service. I'm more interested in the point that would be made if enough people signed up and usered it.

Whether its feasible to expect payment on the otherhand is left to the enduser. ;)

Thoughts?

Good idea?

Bad idea?

Feel free to add other billing reasons as well.

[je_fro]

Heh...go for it!
I won't be using it though, as I have no idea how to admin windows boxes...the people who really want my help are all running linux :D

[xdakorx]

Bawlin!!!

[bwkaz]

Well, I can see it getting abused (J. Random Person stumbles across the form and fills out a bill for several trillion dollars), but it might still make a point. ;)

[JRefL5]

If you looked at MS EULA, I think they deny any responsibility for bugs/config errors in their code. Tracking the time spent trying to fix, or workaround their "Features" might be intresting in and of it self though in an anti FUD sort of way.

[klackenfus]

I think this is a terrible idea and I'll tell you why. Although I totally agree with you in principle, you're forgetting that a great many of us here work in I.T. for a living. Don't get me wrong, I am a devoted Linux user at both work and at home. At work, I admin over sixty Linux/Unix boxes in addition to many Windows servers. The Linux/Unix boxes just run and I spend the bulk of my day fixing Windows problems. Without Windows you'd put me out of business. I'd be lonelier than the Maytag Repairman.

[cybertron]

If you looked at MS EULA, I think they deny any responsibility for bugs/config errors in their code.
Yeah, that's the biggest problem. As I understand it (and IANAL), they don't even certify that their code will do what it's supposed to, much less whether it won't do things you don't want it to (like let hackers take control of your system). So I don't think there would be any legal basis for sending them a bill, although it would still be amusing. But like bwkaz said, you know people are going to send a bill for eleventy billion dollars just to be funny so I'm not sure how well it would work.

[Syngin]

Well, I can see it getting abused (J. Random Person stumbles across the form and fills out a bill for several trillion dollars), but it might still make a point. ;)

Hmm, I could have pulldowns for hours and rates I suppose.

[Syngin]

Yeah, that's the biggest problem. As I understand it (and IANAL), they don't even certify that their code will do what it's supposed to, much less whether it won't do things you don't want it to (like let hackers take control of your system). So I don't think there would be any legal basis for sending them a bill, although it would still be amusing. But like bwkaz said, you know people are going to send a bill for eleventy billion dollars just to be funny so I'm not sure how well it would work.

That brings up an interesting point. On systems that come preinstalled with Windows, at what point does the enduser have to agree with the EULA?

The incident that started me thinking on this track was Dell trying to RAM Vista down our throat. A month ago, we were told that they'd still offer XP to businesses but they've reneged on that.

[cybertron]

I think it may be that simply booting the system indicates acceptance of the EULA. There's probably a piece of paper in the box somewhere that says as much. Then again I never read instructions anymore so I'm not sure.;)

[ph34r]

Nope, I charge the people that own the computers that run Windows. $75/hr is good money :)

[betamaxman]

Here is what I think, we should charge M$ for the help we have to give linux users so they can simply use thier linux pcs in a M$ created world that won't support their hardware with linux drivers, and makes them jump through hoops so they can play mp3s or wma files that M$ has made us all dependent upon, and and because M$ tries to bury standards such as .odt, or .ogg. :cool:

[Syngin]

Thought I'd add a quote into this:

Microsoft's biggest and most dangerous contribution to the software industry may be the degree to which it has lowered user expectations.

- Esther Schindler (Source: OS/2 Magazine)

I have a bunch of other programmer quotes here if anyone is interested:

http://www.syngin.com/quotes/index.php

[Syngin]

I'd like to thank the moderators for not moving this to the standard M$ thread.

With M$'s monopolistic control over almost all of the major hardware vendors, its difficult to take. Just look at Dell's IDeaStorm site which Dell started to gauge how consumers feel about how they should do things.

All of the top ideas are open source related and Linux installs have garnered close to 100,000 votes as of this writing.

Check it out and vote your conscience.

http://www.dellideastorm.com/

[je_fro]

I'd like to thank to moderators for not moving this to the standard M$ thread.
It won't be too much longer 'till the rhetoric appears and this puppy gets merged...
:D