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Microsoft Security Updates for Pirated Windows?

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the recalls-for-stolen-cars dept.

zachlipton writes "DSL Reports has an interesting question posted: should users with pirated copies of Windows be allowed to download security updates, such as for Sasser? Apparently, without a valid CD key, users cannot download these updates. Do they get what they deserve, or should they be allowed these updates through Windows Update in order to reduce the impact of these worms on the rest of the net? Should security updates only for worms be made available to pirated users, or also updates for issues that while not posing a risk to other internet users, would open the pirate up to a security hole?"

8 of 1,096 comments (clear)

  1. MSFT Can Pick Its Poison by aerojad · · Score: 4, Funny

    Company profits vs. general good of the internet. I really wonder which one they'll choose.

    (note that I left out writing better software)

    --

    SecondPageMedia - Wha
  2. Who knows. by modifried · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe it's something you could get used to.

    Frank: Hey Bob, could I burn a CD on your computer?
    Bob: Yeah sure.
    Frank: Uhh. It says it's going to shut down in 60 seconds.
    Bob: Yep. Gotta work fast.

    1. Re:Who knows. by Glug · · Score: 5, Funny

      An uptime of 60 seconds sounds pretty good to me, but I never get the message that it's going to shut down. Are you saying I'd get that feature if I switched to a pirated copy of Windows?

  3. Re:Hey lets support the thieves! by bromba · · Score: 5, Funny

    But if they don't update, then the rest with legal copies is also affected when pirates computers get infected by worms.

    I have a modest proposition: MS should made for pirates a "special" version of the security update: one that will disable the whole TPC/IP stack

    Muahahahahaha!!!!! Take that, Mr. Pirate!!!!

  4. Re:Hey lets support the thieves! by ndpatel · · Score: 4, Funny

    Not funny... Insightful.. I fully support this idea. (As someone who is currently using LEGAL copies of Windows XP Pro, .Net Studio, and Windows 2000 Server.

    at last, someone with some real credentials.

    --
    london is drowning and i live by river
  5. Re:Read carefully by Jardine · · Score: 4, Funny

    They can be nasty, but what can you do?

    I go downtown and lure small children into my car with candy, money, and toys. Then I drive them to my house and ask them to click on I Agree, Yes, or Ok.

  6. Re:Yes we should all pay for this too by Sunda666 · · Score: 4, Funny

    > in fact I wish they would write code that makes illigimate versions of windows to not allow any virus scanner to run
    > plus crash randomly.

    And how would they differ from the regular versions, anyway?!

    cheers.

    --


    ``If a program can't rewrite its own code, what good is it?'' - Mel
  7. Re:Yes we should all pay for this too by Espectr0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    In the 50's in Venezuela, we had a dictator called Marcos Perez Jimenez.

    When a tunnel was built in a city, he ordered the arquitects to stand in it, and ordered 10 tanks to drive slowly above the tunnel with the crew below to see if the tunnel would hold the weight.

    I'm sure you can tell the quality of the work that was done here in that time. /me hopes Windows can reach that quality. It certainly has improved, but the user hasn't. Stupid people clicking all those .exe, .vbs and .pif files

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    Open Source Java Web Forum with LDAP authentication