Weapons Of . . . Genuine Advantage?Weapons Of . . . Genuine Advantage?

I wrote about Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage program in my e-mail newsletter (here's an online version) this week, and mentioned that once you click "Install" it can't be uninstalled. But that turns out to be not quite the case.The Wikipedia entry on Windows Genuine Advantage makes very interesting reading, especially the section on "Circumvention and DMCA" -- and a link there to this article. If you're one of the people who think WGA is out-and-out spyware, then you'll find some aid and comfort in it.

For my part, I'm offended by being branded a criminal by Microsoft, which is what WGA amounts to. I'd love to see some kind of boycott on the grounds of invasion of privacy, or even simple bad manners. But I don't quite know how to get it started, other than standing up, and going to my window, and shouting, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any more."

Or how about Anne Lamott's approach to revolution? We may not be able to agree about her topics of divine love or impeachment, but maybe offering each other a banana and saying, "WGA -- I don't know, that just can't be right" could actually have some impact. I'd join any movement whose symbol was a banana.