Stop Microsoft

All Things Microsoft => Microsoft Software => Topic started by: Laukev7 on 17 July 2003, 03:23

Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 17 July 2003, 03:23
Just after I uninstalled XP and Longhorn from my computer, my dad expressed his desire to install Windows XP on his computer as his main OS. Thankfully, I already deleted the ISOs, but I am concerned that he may download the image himself. He has heard good things about XP, and now I fear I won't be able to convince him otherwise anymore, despite everything I've said.

He already has Linux in his computer, and while he seems to like it, he doesn't intend to get rid of Windows, even though he agrees that Windows is crap. I fear that he may lose that perception if he switches to XP, and that I may never be able to make him switch.

What should I do?

[ July 16, 2003: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]

Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: jasonlane on 17 July 2003, 03:38
I don't know you're Dad, don't know what kind of guy he is, how he thinks. Basically tell him it would:

1. Be a personal insult if he did   :D  
2. Explain to him that so much more is at stake
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 17 July 2003, 03:52
I explained everything, from spyware to the upcomimg Palladium. He doesn't care; he remains stubborn, apparently under the inmpression that he'll be able to pirate M$ products forever. He thinks that even Palladium will be circumvented by specialised pirates.

He insisted that I install XP on my computer to try it out and get familiar with it for job purposes. Which, until now, I absolutely refused to do, knowing that it was just an excuse. I made a big mistake; I thought he may come to his senses if I told him I used XP, know how it works, and got rid of it. But now, my worst fears are coming true.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Stryker on 17 July 2003, 03:58
You could take the more aggresive approach and tell him that if he does put windows on there you'll report him to [email protected]. If ur dad is truely as stubborn as you say he is, i'd give up on convincing him though. let him learn the hard way.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 17 July 2003, 04:09
The sad thing is that I don't see what he's going to learn, other than XP is more stable than Windows 98. He has only got good comments about it from his peers.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Stryker on 17 July 2003, 04:16
So then go with the first option.

If XP works fine for him, and he has no problems with it. That's good for him. I'm glad he found an operating system he's happy with. He can't help it if he likes it. Did u try informing him that it was illegal? Did u have him read the eula?
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: xyle_one on 17 July 2003, 04:16
make sure that you take advantage of every exploit, unbeknownst to your father, to bring his system down. Make sure he clicks on the help center "i-will-delete-your-harddrive" link. anything. i know, its mean, but it could show him that xp is crap, and windows is crap in general.

that is, if you want to have a little OS war in your house

[ July 16, 2003: Message edited by: ecsyle:951 ]

Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 17 July 2003, 04:39
I am seriously thinking about doing that, Ecsyle, but I have moral issues over this. I really don't care how mean it is; it's more about honesty. I really need a much better reason to justify such drastic actions, or else I would end up convincing someone not to use XP with false premises. I need to expose him to real problems any user could encounter, not to something I make up, and which I could also do in Linux.

And Stryker, that would be hypocritical on my part, because I also use a pirated version of Windows 98 (alongside my other OSes, of course). Besides, he knows it's illegal. He just doesn't care. For now, I want to stop him from using any later version of Windows, or else my chances to ever make him switch one day would be slim. I know I still use Windows along with BeOS and whatever other OS is installed, but I intend to switch to the Mac eventually.

[ July 16, 2003: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]

Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Stryker on 17 July 2003, 05:34
quote:
Originally posted by Laukev7:

And Stryker, that would be hypocritical on my part, because I also use a pirated version of Windows 98 (alongside my other OSes, of course). Besides, he knows it's illegal. He just doesn't care. For now, I want to stop him from using any later version of Windows, or else my chances to ever make him switch one day would be slim. I know I still use Windows along with BeOS and whatever other OS is installed, but I intend to switch to the Mac eventually.

[ July 16, 2003: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]




If it is hypocritical, I can do it for you. I got the IP and the time were logged on. From there it's easy to identify him and get that process started. I'm not making any threats or anything, dont get me wrong. I'm only offering help. It wouldn't be hypocritical for me to do it.

Stop using windows, then it won't be hypocritical. Tell him to go buy it. I mean... how can he see any flaws or problems in something he didn't buy? I wouldn't care... I'd be like, "that's what I get for using a free/pirated product". If he buys it and then sees he's ripped off, maybe you'll have a chance.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 17 July 2003, 06:08
It could be a solution, but let's keep sabotage as a last resort. Before such actions have to be done, we have to evaluate the possible consequences. For one thing, his computer was infected with viruses a year ago, and he was still not deterred. And since he always says that Windows always worked for him, he would at the very least have suspicions that it might the result of a virus rather than what one would consider normal behaviour for Windoze. He has not installed Windows XP yet, so for now, it might be more important to keep him from switching to XP.

I don't doubt your cracking skills, but you may want to know that we are under a firewall router.

He'll never buy Windows. He feels that people are ripped off when they buy software (and I mean ANY software). He says money is better spent buying hardware. And he doesn't like Microsoft any more than I do.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: avello500 on 17 July 2003, 07:29
why not hook him up with lycros. it looks alot like xp.
or just setup a theme for him.

if not just let him be and get a signed note that states you wont help him with any windows product. just so when he comes to you.
also show him press releases about the lack of knowledge in a mcse. also so him how the rest of the world is going to open source.
show him how much money a it person working on os320/ or apache makes in relation to some windows flunky.
i know my friend makes $400hr. to work with os 320 and the likes.  i think its os320, whatever ibm makes for some big servers.
just treat him with the attitude of "if you want to be a dumass, i wont stand in your way."
most people only learn from thier mistakes.
that why we dont have flying cars.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 17 July 2003, 07:36
I'll go with that, then. I'll let him know that my computer crashed three times in less than a week. I guess there's little I can do; he already knows that Linux isn't that hard, and that Windows is crap. Maybe he'll change his mind when I'll buy my first Mac and show him how much better it is compared to Windows. He'll have to switch eventually, with Palladium planned for 2005.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 17 July 2003, 21:05
I know what I'll do: I'll just ignore him when he asks me to download it again. He may be computer litterate, but he doesn't know where to download Windows XP, neither does he know how to burn an ISO, and it took me a whole week to download XP. He may be stubborn, but I doubt he's persistent enough to download it without my help.

BTW, if ever I had to sabotage Windows XP, how could I do it in a subtle way, so he doesn't suspect a virus?
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Stryker on 17 July 2003, 21:21
quote:
Originally posted by Laukev7:

BTW, if ever I had to sabotage Windows XP, how could I do it in a subtle way, so he doesn't suspect a virus?




turn it on.


Well, actually i'd change some registry settings. go to tweakxp and do the opposite of what they say. Turn every service on, lots of startup programs. Install a lot of stuff because we know windows can't handle it, it'll bog ur system down.

Honestly though, just turn it on.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: gump420 on 17 July 2003, 21:26
Agree to download it for him, then carefully make sure you have a beta copy of XP.  I used a beta copy for all of a day back when I was running an x86 box, and XP crashed all the time . . .
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: avello500 on 17 July 2003, 21:48
lol  tell him as a member of your family that you are honor-bound not to let anyone hurt the family. even if it comes from within.
get a real serious look on your face and say you wont let ANYONE hurt the family.

lmao. he may put you in a home but hell it might be funny.

or bet yet start asking him why he wants to hurt everyone.  traet him like a abusive father.  lol
"daddy? why do want to hurt us? whats so wrong with us?"   ha im fucking rolling over here.

oh and look at him just a little funny from now on.

[ July 17, 2003: Message edited by: avello500 ]

Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 17 July 2003, 21:54
quote:
turn it on.


LOL. It is THAT bad? It better be worse than Win 98.

Well, now I think of it, it crashed three times since I installed it, wouldn't play RTCW because of dodgy OpenGL support, and couldn't even install Office 2000 because of a 'corrupted file' (which installed perfectly in W2K).

 
quote:
then carefully make sure you have a beta copy of XP.


Good idea. A bit of a straw man, but I guess it's OK in emergency cases.

[ July 17, 2003: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]

Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: mobrien_12 on 17 July 2003, 10:01
How can you download an XP iso??  I thought that the version that didn't need activation would break when the service packs were applied...
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 17 July 2003, 10:16
It was a Corporate Edition, and SP1 was already included. Now I think of it, could an automatic update suddenly make a pre-SP1 Windows XP stop working if it's pirated?

[ July 17, 2003: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]

Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Stryker on 17 July 2003, 10:31
hopefully.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 17 July 2003, 10:33
Or at least I can make it look like it's because of an update...

*cackling madly*

   :cool:

[ July 17, 2003: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]

Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: xyle_one on 17 July 2003, 22:26
if you have xp pro corporate edition pre-sp1, and then install sp1, it will break. they will make you buy a key to make it run.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 17 July 2003, 23:10
But what if he uses another key?
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: xyle_one on 17 July 2003, 23:14
where would he get it? how would it work. xp is broken because of sp1. he couldn't even get into it to install a patch.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 18 July 2003, 00:31
Heh heh. Great. I'll keep this in mind if he ever asks me to install Windoze.

Thank you, everyone.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Fett101 on 18 July 2003, 11:23
You could always realize that he's a grown man and has the ability to make decisions for himself.   :eek:
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Stryker on 18 July 2003, 12:15
quote:
Originally posted by Fett101:
You could always realize that he's a grown man and has the ability to make decisions for himself.    :eek:  


I think you'd give very helpfull advice if he were asking on how to get his dad away from linux.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Fett101 on 18 July 2003, 21:55
Not really. I'd rather people use what they want.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 18 July 2003, 22:00
It's rather hard to use what you want when you know of no other choices than M$ Windows.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: mobrien_12 on 18 July 2003, 22:16
And what he wants is XP for crying out loud... the most intrusive version of windows ever.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Fett101 on 18 July 2003, 22:34
In the first post, you say "He already has Linux in his computer", so you easily counter your own argument.
Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 18 July 2003, 23:43
What I should have specified is that he may have it in his computer, but he hardly ever uses it.

Actually, what I meant to say is that since Microsoft has a monopoly, it is very hard to adopt another platform because of the relatively few choices of applications.

[ July 18, 2003: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]

Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: mobrien_12 on 18 July 2003, 23:56
quote:
Originally posted by Fett101:
You could always realize that he's a grown man and has the ability to make decisions for himself.  


A grown man who wants to use XP but not pay for it.

[ July 18, 2003: Message edited by: M. O'Brien ]

Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 19 July 2003, 00:08
quote:
A grown man who wants to use XP but not pay for it.


LOL! How true!

He doesn't seem so about keen trying it, though (at least for now). It crashed for the fifth time the first week I installed it. Windows 2000 only crashed once the whole time I used it (which is about three months).

Edit: Sixth time, now.

Edit: Make it seven.

[ July 19, 2003: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]

Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: Laukev7 on 20 July 2003, 11:06
EIGHTH TIME IN LESS THAN A WEEK!!! It just crashed on me an instant ago, when I was playing my favourite game, and I lost my savegames!    :mad:  

UN-F***ING-BE-LIE-VA-BLE! And that system crashed only once in Windows 2000! Even Windows 98 was stable compared to this!

What kind of utter piece of s**t is that??? The last time I had so many crashes was 5 years ago with Windows 98 and ny crappy 233 Pentium 2!

It's been such a long time I've been using alternative OSes like BeOS and FreeBSD regularly that I had forgotten how unstable and buggy Windows is.

I think I've used that dodgy XPOS long enough to realise how much it SUCKS. I guess you were right, then: it just crashes by itself without any doctoring necessary. NOW I feel safe that my dad would NEVER want such rubbish.

I've had enough of this. I think I said I had deinstalled XP, but I only erased Longhorn; I was too lazy to erase XP. Time to do what I was supposed to have done in the first place...

     :mad:        :mad:        :mad:    

Whew! That calmed me down.

Edit: HAH! DELETED! TAKE THAT, MICROSOFT SCUM!!!

Okay, I feel much better now.

[ July 20, 2003: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]

Title: I need help dissuading my dad.
Post by: avello500 on 20 July 2003, 12:35
quote:
Originally posted by Laukev7:

Okay, I feel much better now.



could you put down the knife then?