Vlad Mazek – Vladville Blog

For about a year now Microsoft has been testing the Genuine Advantage program that checks if the license of your Windows system is valid or if it is a pirated copy. This system has been in place for some premium downloads on the Microsoft site and has been used simply to get the idea of which copies are pirated and crack down on companies distributing illegal software.

This system, Windows Geniune Advantage (WGA), is now integrated into the Windows Update site and you will not be allowed to download security patches for your operating system if it is not licensed properly. If you are using a stolen/pirated copy of Windows the system will prevent you from accessing the upgrades and give you two choices:

1. Fill out a piracy report, provide a proof of purchase / receipt, where or from whom you purchased the copy of Windows and you will get a free copy of Windows XP Home or Windows XP Professional.

2. If you only fill out the piracy report (and provide no information leading to how you acquired this illegal software) you will get a 50% discount on the copy of Microsoft Windows XP you are currently using.

“Microsoft has created a program that is fair to customers and reseller partners,” said Michael Cherry, lead analyst, Windows and Mobile, at Directions on Microsoft, an independent firm that provides analysis of Microsoft products and strategies. “While Microsoft is requiring customers to validate, they’re putting their best foot forward to help customers out, in terms of simplifying the process, creating software incentives and offering to help customers replace counterfeit software they acquired unwittingly.” The WGA validation process is designed to be quick and simple. On their first visit to the Microsoft Download Center, Windows Update or Microsoft Update, customers will be asked to participate in WGA. They will be prompted to download an ActiveX® control that checks the authenticity of their Windows software and, if Windows is validated, stores a special download key on the PC for future verification. The validation process does not collect any information that can be used by Microsoft to identify or contact the user.

How many unsolicited messages do you get each day? The man that lost his life recently was probably responsible for at least some of the clutter in your inbox… and when he was killed there was an outpour of emotion over how this barbaric thing could happen in the modern world.

Trouble is, most of the spammers are criminals. They obtain data and addresses through criminal means, behave in clear and conscious vilation of international laws and use mafia / organized crime connections to further their operation. In turn, organized crime resorts to bribery and distributed denial of service attacks on corporate networks to bring in revenue.

Original Story

After a long process of going to the next version of Windows (Codename: Longhorn) Microsoft has found the official name for it: Windows Vista.

Press Announcement

Let the domain squatting begin. Check out the Press Announcement for the video of the first commercial.

Now a screen saver by itself usually does not warrant a mention, but this screen saver is special for two interesting reason.

The good: MSN Screen Saver integrates news, picture album slideshows, videos and a lot of other interesting information that can be collected on the web. It shows up as the background and includes many other MSN services such as the unread messages, desktop or web search, access to email all without launching a separate application. Does this sound familiar? If not, do words “Active Desktop” come to mind? Yup, more than 7 years later one of the core technologies of Windows 98 is coming back as a screen saver. Talk about progress. The coolest part of the screen saver is that it downloads RSS content as well which makes it a very cool thing to run in the waiting room on a spare TV. If you can’t get cable in your office you’ll agree this is very important.

The bad: This screen saver is beta. Yes, beta as in broken. For the love of god, what does this say about Microsoft’s developer talent if they cannot even release a stable screen saver these days.

If you’re interested, please download it directly from Microsoft.

It has been a quiet few days in the IT land lately and I’ve been working quite hard to figure out just what motivates people to attend IT Professonal user groups. This is a multi-dimensional survey that not only attempts to determine users motivation to network with others on technical merits, but also to see what level of it is business-growth motivated. Considering a large portion of the surveyed identify themselves as business owners, what motivates them to share information with their competitors and how much do they trust their vendors?

So far the results are fairly typical:
– Members are fairly customer-focused
– Members are motivated to grow their technical expertise
– Members are interested in small business technology

What is somewhat surprising (but by no means unwarranted) is the:
– Inherent distrust for software / hardware vendors
– Although Microsoft focused, very interested in competitive solutions
– Not interested in reliance on Microsoft

These points are somewhat interesting and seem to show a high desire to get information about Microsoft from an independent source. If you take a look at the popular Microsoft Professional site, Redmond Magazine, at least 25% of the content seems to be Linux based. Now why would people that have spent money, time and effort to become certified in Microsoft technology show any interest in Linux? Why do people that gather to discuss SBS and whose livelihood depends on SBS want to know more about the technology that directly competes with everything Microsoft Windows stands for, especially from software use rights?

Interesting questions, I hope the survey answers those in due time. Check back in a week when I hope to disect the final results.

Another great series of webcasts. I’m generally the first line of support for many of you and everyone always asks where I learn all that I know. Part of it is from hitting the wall in the lab and production with these tools, but a big part of it comes directly from these webcasts. I know a lot of people that pay a ton of money for certification classes and still don’t learn 10% of whats available in these free, yes, $0, online webcasts.

TechNet Webcast: Modifying the SMS_DEF.MOF for Advanced Clients (Level 300)
Thursday, August 11, 2005 – 11:30:00 AM – 1:00:00 PM Pacific Time

TechNet Webcast: Migration from Software Update Services to Windows Server Update Services (Level 300)
Tuesday, August 16, 2005 – 11:30:00 AM – 1:00:00 PM Pacific Time

Momentum Webcast: The Value of Manageability and Windows Server System (Level 100)
Tuesday, August 23, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time

Momentum Webcast: An Introduction to Software Asset Management: Optimize, Secure and Build (Level 100)
Thursday, August 25, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time

TechNet Webcast: Security Update Management with Windows Server Update Services, Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2.0 and Systems Management Server (Level 300)
Thursday, August 25, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Pacific Time

Another great series of webcasts. I’m generally the first line of support for many of you and everyone always asks where I learn all that I know. Part of it is from hitting the wall in the lab and production with these tools, but a big part of it comes directly from these webcasts. I know a lot of people that pay a ton of money for certification classes and still don’t learn 10% of whats available in these free, yes, $0, online webcasts.

TechNet Webcast: Modifying the SMS_DEF.MOF for Advanced Clients (Level 300)
Thursday, August 11, 2005 – 11:30:00 AM – 1:00:00 PM Pacific Time

TechNet Webcast: Migration from Software Update Services to Windows Server Update Services (Level 300)
Tuesday, August 16, 2005 – 11:30:00 AM – 1:00:00 PM Pacific Time

Momentum Webcast: The Value of Manageability and Windows Server System (Level 100)
Tuesday, August 23, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time

Momentum Webcast: An Introduction to Software Asset Management: Optimize, Secure and Build (Level 100)
Thursday, August 25, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time

TechNet Webcast: Security Update Management with Windows Server Update Services, Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2.0 and Systems Management Server (Level 300)
Thursday, August 25, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Pacific Time

TechNet Webcast: Mastering Exchange Server Scripting (Level 300)
Tuesday, August 09, 2005 – 9:30:00 AM – 10:30:00 AM Pacific Time

Small Business Webcast: Using Microsoft Exchange Server in Small Business Server 2003 (Level 100)
Wednesday, August 17, 2005 – 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM Pacific Time

Momentum Webcast: Fighting Spam the Microsoft Way (Level 100)
Tuesday, August 2, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time

Momentum Webcast: Common Troubleshooting and Support Issues for Exchange Server 2003 (Level 100)
Thursday, August 18, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time

TechNet Webcast: Implementing Exchange Server Security (Level 200)
Wednesday, August 24, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Pacific Time

TechNet Webcast: Microsoft IT: Exchange Security at Microsoft (Level 300)
Tuesday, August 30, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Pacific Time

TechNet Webcast: Implementing Messaging Security for Exchange Server Clients (Level 200)
Wednesday, August 31, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Pacific Time

TechNet Webcast: Mastering Exchange Server Scripting (Level 300)
Tuesday, August 09, 2005 – 9:30:00 AM – 10:30:00 AM Pacific Time

Small Business Webcast: Using Microsoft Exchange Server in Small Business Server 2003 (Level 100)
Wednesday, August 17, 2005 – 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM Pacific Time

Momentum Webcast: Fighting Spam the Microsoft Way (Level 100)
Tuesday, August 2, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time

Momentum Webcast: Common Troubleshooting and Support Issues for Exchange Server 2003 (Level 100)
Thursday, August 18, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time

TechNet Webcast: Implementing Exchange Server Security (Level 200)
Wednesday, August 24, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Pacific Time

TechNet Webcast: Microsoft IT: Exchange Security at Microsoft (Level 300)
Tuesday, August 30, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Pacific Time

TechNet Webcast: Implementing Messaging Security for Exchange Server Clients (Level 200)
Wednesday, August 31, 2005 – 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Pacific Time

Every businessman/woman will tell you that the best business they ever earned came from a reference or word of mouth. There are numerous brands around the world that have survived decades on the cult following alone, despite being technically inadequate or ridiculously overpriced. This is no less true for the software and hardware industry than it is for the motorcycle industry. When you have individuals or groups passionate about the products you put out, they can make or break your business initiative or the latest advertising campaign.

Earlier this week Dell shut down its highly popular message boards and effectively alienated a lot more people than they imagined and effectively cut the heads off their evangelists.

Their reasoning: it became a support forum.

Well no (expletive deleted). When you sponsor a community, encourage it to promote your product, on your site, organized and promoted by your stuff — what else can you expect?

Corporations do not understand that by opening themselves up to feedback they will receive the good with the bad. That level of transparency is nothing but positive for the company and gives them a realtime feedback on the shortcomings of their product. Corporations have massive market research budgets aimed at just that: tell us what you want.

Second of all, no corporation should sponsor a forum and turn its back on it. One of the most successful forums I have ever seen in my life has been the EV1 Servers forum where the CEO, along with many managers, takes the time to post news from time to time. Dell seemed to take it hard when people complained about the product quality. EV1 CEO had to answer to his customers complaints that the company hosts terrorist web sites with movies of American civilians having their heads chopped off.

Fact of the matter is, many corporations do not understand what community initiatives are all about. They talk about community as if it is a department in one of their subsidiaries. Bottom line is that it is all about people. People who are seeing assistance from other people. You cannot approach this group with a set of initiatives, a to-do list, or a memo. You have to learn how to reach them on the personal basis. With all the executives simply ignoring the Maslow’s Hearchy of Needs it is sometimes puzzling how many of them even made it out of the business school.