Generally, I'd tend to agree, though I'm not fully buying all of those analogies. I would never do any of those things. You act like I'm walking around with this chip on my shoulder like I just am not getting my due in life, so I "take what's mine" every chance I get. But I do understand that society doesn't function when you do that, so I tend not to do it. Like, I'd love to offer people a much lower price on custom builds by secretively setting them up with W7 activations from machines tossed aside, but I know you just can't do that, so I don't.
With my machine specifically, I did pay for a retail W10 activation as I have many times... the W7 machine was a salvage. When I changed the motherboard out for a fully-working one, the troubleshooter let me down and wouldn't activate, no matter what I did. At this point I'm already a little miffed. I'm looking over at that salvage machine, thinking it's an easy out. And much to my surprise, it worked. That's really all it was. It simply spared me the trouble of going through Microsoft's hit-and-miss support team. And I definitely wasn't going to buy two activations for the same, basically brand new machine. I highly doubt Microsoft wanted me to either. That would be some serious bad PR.
Just wanted to clarify that I have never piggybacked service, would never steal a truck, have never shoplifted, and would never commit tax fraud. That's really in a completely different ethical category. It reminds me of how people often like to compare people who's actions they don't condone to Hitler, which isn't really fair to his victims. To compare me to someone who's stolen a car is not only offensive to me, but people who've actually had their cars stolen and been majorly effected by it, because what they've had done to them is that much worse than anything I'm capable of. Honestly, that's pretty rude. Tax fraud effects entire communities in a big way. I don't appreciate being compared to hardcore criminals just because I bucked a W7 key from an old machine. Not the most realistic comparison.
I'm not one of those "stick it to the man" types. I have an analogy of my own. If you changed the transmission in your new vehicle, would you be alright with starting your lease over? Even if it's in your contract, that's not okay.
At least in that case, you
would actually have options. But in my case, it's Windows or bust. I'm not going to rage-quit windows and gut my whole way of operating over that... and I'm definitely not swapping a brand-new machine for a mac over it, even if it will run some of the software I'm well-entrenched in. That would be rather dumb of me. Or at least a bit dramatic. But regardless, this is a gaming machine... and realistically most people will agree that W10 is still the only real option for that.
I get that Windows is not the only option anymore, but when I see things like "buy a mac" or "just use linux" I kind of have to laugh. It's as if you think I'm not aware of these things... as if there's no reason why I choose Windows. No ill-intent, that is a silly argument to make without knowing what someone's use-case is. FWIW I am familiar with Apple products and for many years was an avid linux user. And I still follow along. They aren't my ticket right now, so I don't consider them to be realistic options.
The rest of what I said, take what you will of it. I still think it's being completely over-dramatic. I get that it's not exactly right, but that doesn't make your depiction of those actions any less hyperbolic. The ToS is clear, and measures to prevent people from doing exactly what I did have been in place across generations of Windows. And yet, they aren't being utilized. Leaves you wondering why. They could easily terminate my activation... like instantaneously. They could've denied it outright. But they don't do any of that. I find that strange. It's hard to fathom that they aren't aware or can't easily stop it. Again, make what you will of it. I'm not gonna pretend like it's the best thing to do, let alone what people should do. It basically boils down to where you as a person draw a line. But that is to say it's not so black and white. If you want to discuss it further, we can, but I doubt we'll really get anywhere with it.
I'll put it to you this way... if Microsoft wants to revoke my key, I will accept that and pay the price of a new activation. I consider that the cost of living with my choices. According to you I should be in jail, which I frankly have a hard time taking seriously. I will forever see it as a minor loophole. To me it just is not this grand moral quandary. Call me stubborn. I could say the same when you suggest that I should stop stealing cars and just get a mac.
), that makes it no less wrong to rip them off - especially for your own personal gains. It is not like Robin Hood stealing from the rich to give to poor - which is still wrong but at least not for personal gains.
marketing and executive policies and decisions (schemes? 
And agreed, let's move on.
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