>>>I can, since I install builds all the time. Tell it what country you're in, click a button, and you're done. We'll see how well it works out in production.
>>
>>There you have it, folks!
>
>I forgot to add that no personal information is required. This whole argument about having to "register" is bogus.


Maybe, or maybe some memories are too short:
http://www.epic.org/privacy/consumer/MS_complaint.pdf
http://www.epic.org/privacy/consumer/MS_complaint2.pdf


"More chilling is that last fall, the Department of Justice released an internal Microsoft memo written by Joachim Kempin in December, 1997, titled "License for Limited Time and Create Annuity Business." The memo proposed an "annuity-based" or annual subscription charge for Windows, and said of the strategy, "This is the best thing long-term but it might disrupt end-user operations and could require end-user registration." It also revealed that if a user did not pay the required "annuity-based fee," Microsoft would simply cause Windows to cease functioning. All of a user's files would, in effect, be held for ransom." from: http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:IB38KTpcEo8:www.pscu.com/articles/1999/June/article109.htm+Microsoft%27s+secret+GUID&hl=en
pardon the big url but the original doc has been removed and this is from googles cash. It is probably located in the DOJ files but I didn't want to look for it.

http://www.junkbusters.com/microsoft.html#history

and:

"Meanwhile, a series of virus and Word macro outbreaks has drawn all sorts of unwanted attention to Microsoft. This is largely due to its imbedded ID system called the Globally Unique Identifier (GUID), which apparently is inside Word and Excel files. Supposedly used as a way to embed the user's name into the file, it was used to identify the guy who spread the Melissa macro virus. This is the macro virus that sent out emails to people's address book entries under the name of the hapless user who was infected. We're always told to avoid weird DOC files or executables from 'strangers'. This concept negated that notion. Now you can't trust anything." from: http://www.zdnet.co.uk/pcmag/columns/1999/07/dvorak.html

http://www.twcny.rr.com/technofile/texts/bit083000.html


And, although two years ago MS was promising to remove GUID info from their software, here is a news item posted with the submitters GUID visible:
- - - - - - - -
Cylink CEO is a secret agent man
New technologies pave way for secure
business Think of electronic security,
and what's the first catchphrase that
comes to mind? Most folks, unless
they're a lifelong security buff like
William P. Crowell, will offer "smart-
card." Or "firewall." The daring among
them may mention "cryptography." "I find
the word security an inadequate word
because it doesn't talk about non-
repudiation and other concepts central
to the business," says Crowell, chief
executive of California's Cylink Corp.
and former deputy director of the U.S.
National Security Agency in Washington D.C.
http://www.ftmarketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid={C30ADB14-7995-4E96-AB12-2B 793E99CACD}
- - - - - - - -
http://www.newsbits.net/2001/20010522.htm


Microsoft is facing legal injuctions against releasing XP, and has moved the release data a month ahead of it's Oct 25th scheduled release,
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6658768.html , because of complaints about the activation-wizard, http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-6387054.html