Yesterday Neowin posted instructions on how to obtain a free Microsoft TechNet subscription.It's now clear that the free subscriptions were meant for a small and limited amount of people as part of an offer from Microsoft. Unfortunately this was not clear at the time of posting and the sign up links were public on Microsoft owned servers. We apologise that the possibility Microsoft had made a mistake wasn't highlighted more in our article until we updated it later when it became clear. Microsoft has currently disabled all accounts that were created using the method posted.
Thanks to Neowin member Kristan Kenney's blog we may have a final confirmation on how Microsoft will handle the keys produced from these subscriptions. Kenney spoke to a Microsoft TechNet spokesperson today and they supplied the following statement:
"The Microsoft TechNet Consumer Service Pilot program was intended for use only by those invited through the ITAC program, in which you had to fill out a survey and be accepted as a member of ITAC before being sent an invitation to the TechNet Pilot program.
All of the subscriptions that are listed under the TechNet Consumer Service Pilot have been taken offline and placed "under examination". Any subscriptions created by legitimate ITAC members with valid contact information will continue to have a valid subscription. For those who are not a member of ITAC and signed up directly with the web address will have their subscriptions revoked and any claimed product keys will be placed on a blacklist with Microsoft Genuine Advantage and Product Activation to prevent against software piracy."
When Kenney pushed the official for what would happen to those who planned to share their product keys the spokesperson confirmed "we are able to see what product keys have been assigned to a subscriber, so in that situation we can track down which subscriber the product key originated from."
We contacted Microsoft on several occasions yesterday and the company is aware of the situation but has not issued a full public statement on the matter. It appears that Microsoft will be revoking subscriptions and blacklisting keys obtained. Once we get further correspondence from Microsoft to confirm/deny Kenney's findings we will update this post.
Update: People in the UK are reporting their subscriptions have been re-instated. Still no word from Microsoft. What's going on here?
Update 2: Accounts for those in the UK appear to have been revoked again. I have spoken to Microsoft UK today, their official response so far "We are currently tracking down a statement for you from Microsoft and hope to have something for you shortly. We will keep you posted".
Agreed, I was able to get integrated SP2 Vista ISO's. I have legit keys for Ultimate and Business and can cut down my reimage time for machines at home.
After seeing the inner workings of TechNet, I hope to have the disposable income in the future to purchase a subscription.
Or use a more reliable method and capture the sysprep'ed image with imagex.
I'm gonna LOL hard when you won't be able to install an update or another SP because of Vlite. MS wrote in a kb article that "Vliting" your Vista DVD is NOT RECOMMENDED and can cause problems when updating your system.
Last edited by Calum on 06 Jun 2009 - 04:16
+10 for sysprep over VLite
Maybe, but sysprep is the prefered and most secure way to customize your system image.
I agree, but vLite is an easier way for the non-pro to do it.
Some of us use ISOs to help clients reinstall software when the can't find their discs. Their legit keys are easily found with utilities like Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder. I was able to get ISOs for Office 2002/XP. Been needing that for a LONG time!
Now, as for the servers, neowin people posted *precise instructions* for exploiting this backdoor in Microsoft's system; and they used language that suggests that they knew what they were doing was underhanded.
First, Sam said that you 'need a valid address if you wish to get CD/DVD media.' Okay that's normal, but they he adds, 'otherwise you can use any for the direct software downloads.' So, in other words, you can use an invalid/spoofed address to gain access.
Second, 'you'll need to... before you have... within your grasps.' Sounds like vicious grabbing/pirating behavior to me...
They go on to say, 'For those in other countries, it seems you're out of luck, but no doubt there are ways around these limitations.' Again, like an ordinary hacker or black spider, these individuals were posting precise instructions on how to bypass whatever safegaurds Microsoft had in place so that thousands of people could exploit the Microsoft servers and gain illegal access to thousands of dollars worth of software. In total, I'm sure it was millions of dollars in piracy.
Yes, others may have been posting backdoor exploits too, but the point HERE on neowin is that neowin 'editors' did TOO and really hammered down the spike in Microsoft's back while pretending that they didn't know just how wicked their "grasping" was.
And whether they KNEW or NOT or LIKE it or NOT, they are responsible for WHATEVER they post. This time, they were wrong. And they WERE obviously wrong in the information that they posted, because the information was... wrong. It was NOT a golden freebie for the masses. And thus neowin should at least be professional and courteous and say they are sorry for the misunderstanding WHETHER or NOT there even was one.
However, neowin's post-behavior favors the analysis that they made an underhanded announcement to begin with, because they have since NOT apologized. They didn't say they were sorry for the mistake/misunderstanding to Microsoft. And they didn't say they were sorry to everyone here who went through what I can imagine was a technological and emotional stress.
Look at all those people who downloaded tons of stuff and got their precious keys, only to wind up in a train wreck with virtually nothing in hand after all that turmoil.
You know, 'I'm sorry,' is less than 10 characters long, but apparently that is too much for neowin. All I see here is a LOT of nasty attitude ~we didn't do anything wrong, so too bad or get lost, and we will NEVER apologize~ (~~ = not direct quotes, just paraphrasing it all)
p.s. PROFESSIONAL journalists CHECK their facts! and EDITORS of RESPECTED publications do not publish without knowing the FACTS.
Didn't know they were going to withdraw their service though.
Caveat emptor!
It probably says they can withdraw the service at any time, AND keep your data
Breaking the law for signing up for a FREE service, no matter if it was supposed to go public or not? You're daft.
I am quite impressed with the amount of damage Neowin managed to cause in just a few hours.
Actually, in researching this issue further, it was posted on some other unrelated forums days prior (I've heard that these links have actually been working for about a week).
It doesn't matter who posted it where, it was the responsibility of the website to check up on it instead of just a C & P like Neowin normally does. Think before you act.
Instead of deflecting criticism, think about how your actions are contributing to the Internet being a trashier place Neowin editors.
Instead of deflecting criticism, think about how your actions are contributing to the Internet being a trashier place Neowin editors.
Well here's an idea: if you can't verify a story, then don't post it. Wait until you can verify.
Secondly, you know and I know that people downloading ISOs from Technet were getting full non-trial versions, because they were posting exactly that in the comments section of your story. It was quite clearly a suspicious arrangement.
Thirdly, I love the poll you've attached to this story - asking people whether they think you're in the wrong (with a loaded negative question of 'yes, where's the pitchfork' to imply anyone disagreeing must be crazy). OF COURSE people getting free stuff aren't going to complain. Duh. The point was for Neowin to demonstrate some responsibility, but of course I'm shouting into the wind here, clearly Neowin doesn't believe in that at all. My mistake, terribly sorry.
As far as this goes I agree that it should have been more properly researched before hand. You said yourself you thought it was too good to be true and if you think that then it usually is.
I also think you should show a bit more respect to the users opinion whether you like it or not instead of trying to belittle them for their point of view.
Last edited by lee26 on 04 Jun 2009 - 22:43
in all aspects it seemed legit a while before neowin picked up on it, it was on MS own site
Secondly, you know and I know that people downloading ISOs from Technet were getting full non-trial versions, because they were posting exactly that in the comments section of your story. It was quite clearly a suspicious arrangement.
Thirdly, I love the poll you've attached to this story - asking people whether they think you're in the wrong (with a loaded negative question of 'yes, where's the pitchfork' to imply anyone disagreeing must be crazy). OF COURSE people getting free stuff aren't going to complain. Duh. The point was for Neowin to demonstrate some responsibility, but of course I'm shouting into the wind here, clearly Neowin doesn't believe in that at all. My mistake, terribly sorry.
Way not to take responsibility Tom, you should get out of the editorial business if this your attitude towards personal responsibility because it eventually erodes your creditability, something you're running short on at the moment.
That's a tad crybaby-ish isn't it?
-1 to Neowin.
Secondly, you know and I know that people downloading ISOs from Technet were getting full non-trial versions, because they were posting exactly that in the comments section of your story. It was quite clearly a suspicious arrangement.
Thirdly, I love the poll you've attached to this story - asking people whether they think you're in the wrong (with a loaded negative question of 'yes, where's the pitchfork' to imply anyone disagreeing must be crazy). OF COURSE people getting free stuff aren't going to complain. Duh. The point was for Neowin to demonstrate some responsibility, but of course I'm shouting into the wind here, clearly Neowin doesn't believe in that at all. My mistake, terribly sorry.
Sorry, but not every story can be verified, and sometimes these "stories" or "rumors" come from word of mouth, or insider tips, something we get a lot of here at Neowin. If the information turns out to be a flop, so be it. If the information turns out to be confirmed and real, than we have posted the news.
Sorry if you were some how affected or offended by our news stories, but it is the chance we take by posting stories and putting outsides out there on the line. Sometimes we are right, sometimes we are wrong. We are all human, you probably make mistakes too.
This is why pencils have erasers.
Why does Neowin have a duty to protect MS from it's own mistakes? Should they also not run news articles on other stuff ups MS has had?
I don't see the problem...they updated the article as more was made known. It's a news site after all so why should they have to chase up everything if they have already verified that free subscriptions were being made available, by mistake or otherwise?
Secondly, you know and I know that people downloading ISOs from Technet were getting full non-trial versions, because they were posting exactly that in the comments section of your story. It was quite clearly a suspicious arrangement.
Thirdly, I love the poll you've attached to this story - asking people whether they think you're in the wrong (with a loaded negative question of 'yes, where's the pitchfork' to imply anyone disagreeing must be crazy). OF COURSE people getting free stuff aren't going to complain. Duh. The point was for Neowin to demonstrate some responsibility, but of course I'm shouting into the wind here, clearly Neowin doesn't believe in that at all. My mistake, terribly sorry.
Sorry, but not every story can be verified, and sometimes these "stories" or "rumors" come from word of mouth, or insider tips, something we get a lot of here at Neowin. If the information turns out to be a flop, so be it. If the information turns out to be confirmed and real, than we have posted the news.
Sorry if you were some how affected or offended by our news stories, but it is the chance we take by posting stories and putting outsides out there on the line. Sometimes we are right, sometimes we are wrong. We are all human, you probably make mistakes too.
This is why pencils have erasers.
I'm willing to agree with everything you have said. The issue is Neowin staff are yet to admit that they made a mistake; carefully read over your staff and your contributors responses. They are very careful not to admit mistake nor apologise.
You should be mature enough (as a journalism outlet, not personally) to be able to admit mistake.
I'm sorry if my responses and attitude haven't been what you expected, and I do not mean to offend, but nor did I expect this "blame Neowin" attitude for something that clearly is not our mistake but Microsoft's. I apologise the story wasn't clear at the time of writing but I believe this was rectified as much as possible with the updates to the original story.
The fact that you use the phrase "Microsoft's mistakes" in an attempt to rally support through the vapid fanboy-ism that exists in these comments is distasteful at best. There is a difference between reporting the facts and providing nicely formatted links to exploit something that is obviously a technical oversight.
Microsoft were not out to do harm or disrespect users in any way. It was simply a technical oversight one that Neowin should of casually reported and had the common sense to use some restraint on.
If Neowin had an unpatched SQL injection vector then there is no journalism integrity in posting an article on how to exploit it; while a technical mistake on Neowin's behalf it would be purely malicious to do so. This is essentially the decision you made -- making a mistake does not mean you should be punished for it and that all the punishers should be exonerated.
Essentially yes. Would it be more fair to compare it to a DDoS? Your own staff were advocating the use of multiple tab refresh spam -- you can't seriously indicate that you thought it was a legitimate offer when you made that suggestion.
"Quick, get in before they fix it!"
Did Sazz honestly just delete his post telling users to use CTRL-R and F5 for a better chance to get keys? I'm not going to make accusations but if you are honestly editing comments then I don't even know what to say.
EDIT: More on topic; the original article was never edited to reflect that this was the result of a Microsoft survey -- a fact that is indicated all throughout the comments and the original Ars Technica link. In addition to that Sam's original news article even suggests getting around the regional limitations, a process known as fraud.
I'm also certain that there was a post there by Sam or Sazz that advocated use of CTRL-R and F5. Where has it gone?
Last edited by ascendant123 on 05 Jun 2009 - 00:09
You can edit your own posts....
There's no hidden editor conspiracy to cover things up.
Sazz is a staff member; whether he edited it or someone else is irrelevant. Either way it's subverting the facts to cover yourself...
While I appreciate the suggestion that I'm a crazy conspiracy theorist I simply referenced a comment I had seen, went to obtain the comment and it was gone. I'm asking where it's gone - I'm not holding a pitchfork as the original poll suggested.
Neowin doesn't do 'copy and paste' stories anymore. All of our articles are now original content.
Last edited by Calum on 05 Jun 2009 - 00:47
If I made a mistake with a post and decided to change my mind moments later, what's wrong with editing it out? I've done it before as a regular member, as a subscriber, and I'll continue doing so as a mod.
It wasn't moments later. It was 24 hours+. I'm fine with you changing your mind; the time just seems inopportune to put it lightly.
This brings up the debate of responsible journalism.
Another user stated in the other news thread, just because the house is unlocked does not give your the right to walk in and take what ever you want. In the other thread I also saw several users state the whole story and mention it more than once that it was a limited offer. If they could track it down, maybe you could have to.
Id also cap the attitude, or what reads as such. Don't forget who butters your bread... your readers, with out readers this site would be nothing.
You found the house unlocked and you invited everyone in to take what they wanted as did several other sites.
And in the other article I stated that MS would blacklist all the generated keys but someone stated that they would not...
Told ya so... neener neener neener... lol
Eitherway no need to blame neowin someone was going to exploit it no matter what.
Yes it was more Microsoft's fault than anyone for not securing it better, but news sites like Ars and others should have been a bit more cautious I think. If it has been posted by CNN, MSNBC, etc they'd certainly be in hot water I believe.
I'm sorry but I don't think that that is a valid argument.
The question of "why is it not here" is a lot better then the resulting hail storm you have created -- by claiming you were in the right and refusing to heed obviously valid rationale is simply exasperating the situation. While I do understand the unique situation you are placed in I would suggest that it is definitely not a good decision to get both on Microsoft and your users bad sides. I would also remind you that many Neowin members are valid TechNet Plus subscribers -- subscribers whose experience you sought to devalue. These members of your user base would make up a decent portion of your talented IT professional user base; a user base you should not be willing to drive away.
If you aren't willing to concede that alienating significant members of your user base is a bad move then you should at least to concede the fact that you made a bad decision on behalf of Neowin. It is said below most clearly by one of your own users:
It is your duty as a journalism outlet to make decisions that not only respect your readers but the companies you are reporting on. The attitude you are taking is that of a smacked child who stole his siblings toy - it is equivalent to "it's not my fault mummy he did it first!" and the sheer air of arrogance is overwhelming; journalists should be able to admit when they made a bad decision without throwing a hissy-fit. It's part of the job.
Last edited by ascendant123 on 04 Jun 2009 - 23:10
My apologies -- I was simply using your posted viewpoint as an example of a Neowin user. I'll be more then happy to clarify that in the original post if you'd like.
Most people who signed up for this knew that they were probably doing something that MS didn't want. I certainly did, but got it whilst it was active expecting it to be cancelled. If it wasn't then bonus, but i never thought for a second that i would actually end up with a free subscription. Worth a shot though.
I saw this posted on several other sites before neowin posted so they were slower off the mark than some others.
For those of you who have never had a subscription (I've had two MSDN subs in the past 6 years), here's how it works: Microsoft provides you with download links for whichever products are available under your subscription. On a separate page, they have a list of products, and links to request keys.
A subscriber gets one key per product. Period. That key is good for multiple activations (typically 10), but it's the same key that's used for each install.
The guy who claimed to have generated 300+ keys was trolling.
Uhhh, no. For certain products, you get one key, for others, you can request multiple keys, up to 10 in some cases. Vista and XP for sure you can generate multiple keys for.
I sincerely hope that Microsoft legal finds out about that.
Anybody who allows their keys to be distributed to the public deserves what they get here.
Oh well, everyone makes mistakes, so live and learn.
Last edited by Glen on 04 Jun 2009 - 23:14
How often do the national press run a story that turns out to be bogus, Neowin ran a story and told it like it was, they said they didn't know the legitimacy behind it and when it went belly up i doubt to many people were surprised, at the end of the day it was news and this is a news site.
P.S. I managed to grab a few integrated service pack ISO's so I'm happy either way and it appears MS might have gained a few Technet subscriber from this (me being one of them :p)
yeah if it wasn't unemployed I would gladly pay for it, if only for the webcasts to learn MS certifications.
something is fishy about the quotes above.
Microsoft is going to remove/revoke user subscription they should also remove user's informatiom. Neowin Please ask Microsoft what's going to happen to user's information that was entered
Last edited by nozen09 on 04 Jun 2009 - 23:14
something is fishy about the quotes above.
Microsoft is going to remove/revoke user subscription they should also remove user's informatiom. Neowin Please ask Microsoft what's going to happen to user's information that was entered
+1 NeoWin you have to do this.
Me too. But now I'm thinking about buying a subscription, so Microsoft should be happy!
Althought they already have my information from previous signup and promotions, i just like to find out what their going to do with the user informations. Their's no point to keep user's information if their going to revoke subscription and blacklisting keys.
Stop accusing, you're all just as dirty for clicking the link anyway. I don't see you all jumping on CNN or the New York Times or any other major news organization every time they misprint or misstate a fact or story, so lay off.
I was prepped, set, and ready to pull the trigger on renewing my subscription the day it expired as well...I even TRIED to renew it even after they canceled them, but sadly it said I had to sign up for a first time account, not the 249$ renewal. I would've gladly paid 250$ for what Technet offers.
Last edited by SirEvan on 04 Jun 2009 - 23:20
Stop accusing, you're all just as dirty for clicking the link anyway. I don't see you all jumping on CNN or the New York Times or any other major news organization every time they misprint or misstate a fact or story, so lay off.
I was prepped, set, and ready to pull the trigger on renewing my subscription the day it expired as well...I even TRIED to renew it even after they canceled them, but sadly it said I had to sign up for a first time account, not the 249$ renewal. I would've gladly paid 250$ for what Technet offers.
Are you kidding? Major news outlets such as CNN or NYT have had major civil proceedings brought against them every single time they misprint or misstate a fact (please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNN_controversies). The difference is these outlets are willing to concede and issue re-prints, admitting wrongdoing and clarifying facts.
Neowin is currently unable to admit wrongdoing at this point and it certainly does not make unprofessional journalism look better. If you want to play with the big boys in news you have to be willing to play the whole game.
Stop accusing, you're all just as dirty for clicking the link anyway. I don't see you all jumping on CNN or the New York Times or any other major news organization every time they misprint or misstate a fact or story, so lay off.
I was prepped, set, and ready to pull the trigger on renewing my subscription the day it expired as well...I even TRIED to renew it even after they canceled them, but sadly it said I had to sign up for a first time account, not the 249$ renewal. I would've gladly paid 250$ for what Technet offers.
I did not click the link and not living in the glass house means I get to throw as many stones as I please.
Maybe all the people that were trying to get thousands of dollars worth of software for free should learn some self control. MS may have left the link up, and it was for people who were part of the survey be neowin and other sites assisted in the exploitation of a mistake. They also openly admitted that it seemed to good to be true. The utter lack of common sense people display on a daily basis keeps me wondering who the human race is still alive and kicking.
Those who order the free TechNet Plus subscription also manage to get Hyper-V Changes Server Virtualization Options whitepaper from Directions on Microsoft and Implementing Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 e-learning course 6536 from Microsoft Learning.
WARNING: Using the trick above to subscribe to TechNet Plus without participating in the research activities is in fact illegal, and the subscription may be revoked and made inactive anytime (proof from 1/1/1900 expiration date).
they didn't sell you anything. If their eula is like any other eula, i'm sure there is a line there that says they can change it at all if they see so fit and you pretty much agree to it. I know it didn't read the eula and I wish people on here would stop acting like they did.
don't get mad at Microsoft or Neowin for this.
Ok that's true, but again people on neowin need to calm down. nobody in this site lost any money whatsover and if anything most of us gained something, and people are still complaining.
https://om2.one.microsoft.com/opa/start.ors...40-40CA7AB167D1 (you will be required to sign in using your Windows Live ID).
------------------------------------------
this is still working
I highly doubt Microsoft is going to take legal action against those who signed up for this offer, considering how many legitimately thought that this was the real deal. Besides, it would take too much time, too much money, and they wouldn't get much out of it. They have bigger fish to go after, like counterfeiters and OEMs loading systems with illegal copies of Windows and Office.
Neowin didn't post anything misleading. They posted the information as they knew it, as everybody else knew it. At the time of posting, it appeared to be a completely legitimate offer.
that is a blatant lie aimed at covering yourselves just in case!
Nothing about MS giving away a $ 350 product to everyone who might want it, which would include licensing for an unreleased mayor source of revenue (windows 7 & office 2010) says legal.
It was very clear this offer was too good to be true, so assuming you (neowin's staff and owners) don't regularly fall for a nigerian scam, you clearly know better. I can understand that you just reported, but the way it was done was very unprofessional and more proper of a 13 year old's blog than a reputable site like microsoft. you could at the very least have put in a warning of the unusual nature of this offer.
Please don't argue that you thought MS would give xp, vista, 7, office 2007, office 2010 and others for free to everyone, that insults our intelligence.
Nothing about MS giving away a $ 350 product to everyone who might want it, which would include licensing for an unreleased mayor source of revenue (windows 7 & office 2010) says legal.
Microsoft did something similar a few years ago when Vista was released. People watching a couple of videos on their site were given copies of Vista Business and Office. I guess you don't remember that or you simply weren't aware of it.
Yes, but my point was that Microsoft giving away valuable products isn't without precedent.
you said it, you participated in a program or got through the army, There's no such thing as a free lunch. This offer required nothing of you other than filling the form.
details of all those that unwittingly signed up to this, they should invite us all (or as many as they realistically can) to
take part in future surveys, so we can be entitled to sign up legitimate free short-term trial Technet subscriptions.
This would of course be subject to strict Non-Disclosure Agreements to prevent a repeat performance of this fiasco.
If anything, it'd create some good PR for Microsoft, and perhaps ultimately, a fair bit of extra money from those
that decide to renew their Technet memberships once their free short-term trial subscriptions are due to end.
Last edited by DJGM on 05 Jun 2009 - 01:38
the last time i checked you can activate windows whenever you want and and as many times as you wanted with those... any version too
Im sorry, i didnt say things how i thought them in my head. I wish more announcements like "we are trying to do this..., and contact these people on that.." In this case i would have liked to have seen something like. We contacted -insert name-. all they were able to tell us was.... and said they would get back to us within a day but we were told that people should not be doing this. Maybe i am being ignorant about how information flows from microsoft reps, cuz they were being contacted on this, right?
It only appears to be those in the United Kingdom and Australia, perhaps due to consumer relations laws that are enforced in those countries (where if you have been invoiced for a product it cannot be revoked etc).
Does this give me the green light to use the keys? I live in the UK.
If your subscription has been restored then as long as you abide by the Microsoft TechNet EULA you should be alright to use the product keys. If it's an option, you could ask the Online Concierge (I'm not sure if they're available for customers outside of the US and Canada?)
Hang on I can access my product key page again, what does this mean? I actually see all the keys I claimed.
I can download new stuff again to.
I got mine back, UK user here
If you devised such a link on your own, and published it as an exploit, that would be a different matter.
Yes, you wouldn't knowingly. But the question is, if 500 members abused such a link to create accounts, what would the reaction be?
You're only going around in circles because you refuse to entertain a scenario in which Neowin is placed in a situation similar to the one Microsoft now finds itself in.
The TechNet creation link was either not meant to be publically accessible, or was priced incorrectly. People used it to create an account (or in some cases, many accounts) for free, when they should not have been able to. Neowin aided in this process by posting relevant links.
I'm not interested in saying that any of this was right and wrong. I'm curious as to how Neowin would react if a large number of users took advantage of a mistake and became subscribers without paying. If that were to happen, should Neowin allow the accounts to continue for a year, or simply take them away?
That way, you still get the story, but don't risk getting into any trouble.
I didn't say you were, I said "don't risk".
I, for one, would NOT like to see you guys at Neowin get in trouble with the likes of MS for innocently posting a news story that other sites were also carrying.
The US law in this case supports MS, the commonwealth supports the people.
The one responsible about this mess around here is Microsoft, and why I understand we´re all humans and mistakes are common of us -they didn´t do this just to mess up with the people-, I´m not happy of how they´re handling the situation. I'm currently a registered partner with them -with an Action pack suscription- and an MCP and I believe MS not only is being rude revoking the access to those who haven´t abused the account (300 keys anyone?) and opened an account navively and without malice or any kind of ill will. It is also being rude to us, Partners and MCP´s by not notifying us about this offer first, or making an exception when checking up accounts (all my MS related programs are linked to the same passport account) pertaining to MCP´s or Partners; after all we´re their most loyal user base and the one whose actually spread the word and -most times- legally buy their products and spend time and money learning and "evangelizing" their technologies.
In the case of Ars and Neowin, they have been loyal sites and channels to openly advertise MS products and technologies without paying out a dime, so, MS should acknowledge those aspects and embrace both sites and their communities in some way to at least repay them a little.
Just my 2 cents...
First, Microsoft posted this as a public link. They did not have to, because the targeted participants were already registered with MS for their survey. That product page could have been secured to be available only to selected users via their Windows Live ID. The very fact that this could be reached by anyone suggested to me that it was open to anyone. This isn't just the case of the inadvertantly unlocked back door, it was a deliberately unlocked back door, with a sign that read "welcome, feel free to take what you want".
Second, Neowin was not remiss in reporting this. They were relaying a post and links that originally appeared on ArsTechnica, which is a site that enjoys a reasonably good reputation in its own right. Neowin's tone was no more opportunistic than AT's. I see no way in which they owe anyone an apology.
I suspect many users will be able to keep their accounts, particularly if they've used established Windows Live IDs to link to them (ie, they didn't do a new, scam account just to take advantage). And as long as users abide by Microsoft's EULA, I don't see why they should feel bad keeping them.
The keys are good for multiple activations. Once a subscriber requests a key for a particular product, that key is posted on a listing within the subscriber site. It can be re-used within the terms of the subscription, but it cannot be re-requested.
As for the 300 keys thing there was a guy on here back when this all started claiming he had or intended to make multiple accounts so he could get 300 keys. Whether he really did that or not I don't know but I just wanted to poke fun at him a bit.
And, yes, I saw buddy's "300 keys" post. He was just trying to wind people up, and it looks like he succeeded.
Not true...I'm sure it was limited so that 300 per product wasn't possible (probably 10 or something rather low) but I know for a fact that you can get more than one key per product.
In the US and my account remains deactivated. Won't be surprised if it remains that way...or if MS does blacklist all US keys...seems to me that the chance of them doing that would go up with them reactivating UK and Australia accounts...limit the damage and all.
Hope they just admit they screwed up by not properly restricting access to the offer and leave the keys that were generated alone.
Last edited by TRC on 05 Jun 2009 - 07:44
The last I spoke with Microsoft, they informed me that the product keys may or may not be blacklisted for revoked subscriptions (management was still looking into it and also looking at the legal implications of this matter). This hasn't been updated on the Neowin post, however I am providing updates as I get them on my blog.
mine is 6/2/2010, so looks like its a year long
also mine has changed from pilot to TechNet Direct (Retail)
yep i signed up on the 3rd using the details from here
mine is 6/2/2010, so looks like its a year long
also mine has changed from pilot to TechNet Direct (Retail)
Mine too :-)
does this mean we can get hold of Windows / when it goes RTM?? fingers crossed....
I quite like what's on there though... I'll be subbing up properly at some point.
Not to bothered about them blacklisting the keys - haven't used any of the ones I got anyway, more interested in the Vista ISO with SP2 integrated.
Will wait and see what happens now. Given that they sent me a receipt for £0.00 and we've both agreed a contract, i'm not sure this can be reversed under UK law by MS unless i violate the EULA. I have no intention of selling keys and so far i've generated one Win7 RC key.....
Last edited by ZombieFly on 05 Jun 2009 - 09:21
I now have 5 keys for 32 and 64 bit vista ultimate, which means I can buy 3 laptops very soon.
32 bit and 64 bit keys are the same.
I had actually (as I probably mentioned) upgraded my broadband to unlimited as to take advantage of this.
I will also buy a subscription when this runs out as it seems like money well spent.
I actually tried to renew my subscription just now as I see good value in TechNet (I'm UK, was also re-activated with an expiry date of 2/6/2010), but it won't let me - tells me I have no active subscriptions on my account. Sucks.
Well it's your laws that are the problem, commonwealth nations simply have better laws for things like this.
Thats brill me tooooooo, so maybe windows 7 for free he he
Yes we already told you this, read my post I am from England.
I'm sorry? I thought your account was restored.
Mine however, has not and I too live in the UK.
Maybe you didn't give them a kosher billing address or maybe you need to try again.
I am also on their questionnaire mailings and anything else they have to offer, so maybe thats another reason.
That's strange, alot of people from the UK have had their accounts reactivated.
Mine however hasn't, I live in the UK and I didn't even download much / request that many keys
Guess I'll wait and see what happens.
http://technet.microsoft.com/subscriptions/manage
logged in with my hotmail account and got in.
Same, also in the UK.
Don't have mine back either - I only requested 1 xp key and used real details (apart from phone number, which I never give out to things like this :p)
Same here, and for some reason I have a feeling it won't be either
We'll have to see what happens I suppose but at the moment, I'm not optimistic for my account.
I notice Technet Plus is on offer for a reduced price in the UK and US (or so it seemed when I was browsing earlier) so this may well create a lot of extra business for Microsoft anyway due to the interest it's generated.
I can't see why this is Neowins fault, I did suspect it was an error and that it would get pulled pretty quickly (took longer than I thought) but I did sign up for the deal anyway.
I've used it to nosey around technetplus (without downloading anything) and am probably going to subscribe as I like the elearning benefits.
Mainly because I could get it working for a charity in the UK from CTXhange for £15 +vat for the year.. **
** the reason we haven't already is that we'd hit our "quota" for the year of purchases through CTX already before technet was offered.
That time period coming to an end soon, I will probably sign up. Even at such a low price, working in charity at the moment you have to justify everything. Obviously if my account gets reinstated from this sign up then it'll be a bonus!
Hopefully it does come back
UPDATE (06/04/2009 7:50 PM EST): I have been in touch with Microsoft TechNet Customer Service once again and was provided some updated information. At this point, management are still deciding whether or not any of the product keys claimed through these subscriptions will be blacklisted, as well as any legal implications and ramifications there may be in this event; the rest of the above information has not changed (this offer was only for ITAC, and that the subscriptions have been revoked).
When I asked them what would happen if someone were to share or otherwise sell the product keys obtained, the agent informed me that it would be handled appropriately as they would with any other product key leak.
UPDATE 2 (06/05/2009 2:50 AM EST): Users in the United Kingdom and Australia appear to be able to access their benefits once again and their subscriptions have been reinstated. Perhaps this is due to different laws in those countries?
UPDATE 3 (06/05/2009 2:59 AM EST): I have been informed by Bryant that some accounts in the United States are being reinstated as well, however it seems that accounts that requested several product keys are being investigated. I will get in touch with Microsoft TechNet when their contact centre opens for business this morning to find out if there is any new information.
UPDATE 4 (06/05/2009 3:34 AM EST): Bryant has reported that access for United States subscriptions is intermittent. I can also confirm that there has been no sign of reinstatement for accounts created in Canada. Again, as I hear more information I will pass it along to you.
Interesting Microsoft ... very interesting ... I wait to see what happens
SubscriptionType: Retail
Subscription Status: Active
Expiration Date: 6/2/2010
and on the muppets blaming Neowin for posting this....errr stfu......go shout at MS for being incompetant.
THANK YOU NEOWIN, you have gained MS 2 new Technet+ subscriptions due to your news post (paid for by employer)
Are you guys who now are sorted (UK) loging in from the email received or direct?
Thank you for your email.
To all Invitees we apologise for the delay, this is due to the Huge unauthorized applicants
The TechNet Plus team ran a survey program, for someone to get a free TechNet Plus Subscription as part of the program, he/she had to participate in an initial survey. Only participants of the survey program are entitled to a free TechNet Plus subscription. Those participants are not only participating in the initial survey, but also in several other surveys throughout the subscription year. The subscription is given to those participants in exchange for their assistance in this program, and only these persons are entitled to a free subscription.
If you are not part of a survey program then you are not entitled to use this free subscription, to enable us to resolve your issues with the pilot scheme, please issue us with proof that you are part of the above scheme
We would like to assure you that we are doing all we can to ensure this issue is resolve shortly. But have suspended all access at this time.
We thank you for your patience.
Should you have further questions please feel free to contact us again.
Kind Regards,
Microsoft TechNet Program
mailto: technet@eu.subservices.com
For future contacts please use our webforms at https://microsoft.eu.subservices.com/techne...ailcontact.aspx or for information about your subscription visit http://eu.technet.microsoft.com
all it says is;
TechNet Subscription Management
Microsoft TechNet Subscriptions are an essential resource for IT professionals planning, implementing and supporting Microsoft solutions. It is your personal library of Microsoft software, Knowledge Base articles, service packs, security updates, Resource kits, and technical guidance.
Already a subscriber? You can associate subscriptions with your Microsoft Passport by using the Add New Subscription link.
b*gger.
Last edited by RanCorX2 on 05 Jun 2009 - 11:50
this is a real ****-up from MS and they should let us keep our 1 year subscriptions, are they breaking UK law for what they are doing?
Last edited by Calum on 06 Jun 2009 - 04:48
I emailed ms about it and got a reply;
Dear Sir or Madam
Thank you for contacting TechNet Plus. We are currently researching your query and will respond within the next two business days.
But unfortunately that will also take 2 days
EDIT: maybe not, i logged in and it worked but now its not
It sounds to me that microsoft action of removing subscription without any notice is more illegal than what we did.
It sounds to me that microsoft action of removing subscription without any notice is more illegal than what we did.
I used my real address, and yes, Microsoft have made a mistake, however; by first giving access then taking it away and then a day later giving it back again and removing it a few hours later is really taking the p*ss! we should be given back access to technet and Microsoft should learn from their mistake and be more careful next time....
The fact is, a lot of people "joined" in good faith and now all but a few countries' residents have had the rug pulled out from under them. The fact that those folks' subscriptions are being reinstated because their LAWS provide for it is irrelevant.
MS should reinstate ALL subscriptions, not because they are forced to by law, but BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I think it was pretty obvious that the subscriptions and all keys would end up redacted once MS realised what was going on.
Its not all of us who did over exploit it, i only generate key for one software and i did not download anything when my subscription was active.
Its not all of us who did over exploit it, i only generate key for one software and i did not download anything when my subscription was active.
Oh I'm not saying people DID over-exploit it (apart from that guy in the thread that had generated about 300 keys), but I am saying that we can't really complain now that MS appear to have caught on and are terminating the accounts.
I'd fully expect ALL keys to be blacklisted within the next few days...
Sure, some have taken full advantage of this, but most did think it was one of those once in a lifetime offers.
Scheduled Maintenance
Duration (GMT-
Last Updated (GMT-
Benefit or Service: Impact: Affected Customers:
Benefits entitlement
Subscribers will not be able to access benefits
Volume license customers
Retail customers in Asia
User Action:
Please try again after the scheduled maintenance.
Looks like an outcome wont be coming this side of the weekend.
They should have made it session key based.
When the European Union get involved then they will know why.
No doubt MS lawyers are digging deep into the implications of this and we'll get answer one way or other in good time.
No doubt MS lawyers are digging deep into the implications of this and we'll get answer one way or other in good time.
Intent has no place in a contract. If you make a contract but you intended to make another one, tough cookies. The contract is there. In this case the contract is a bill of sale for $0.00
Yes we have know of this for some time.
However some of us cannot afford to wack out a huge sum.
Though, now my family needs a laptop each and our circumstances are
changing, then this would be an ideal source on saving some monies.
Though, now my family needs a laptop each and our circumstances are
changing, then this would be an ideal source on saving some monies.
Yes we have know of this for some time.
However some of us cannot afford to wack out a huge sum.
Though, now my family needs a laptop each and our circumstances are
changing, then this would be an ideal source on saving some monies.
Hope you get caught and locked up. Then how well off will your family be?
Buying 4 laptops from Argos, is that a criminal offence?
Oh I read what subscriptions entitles me to, lets see, I can legally download and install an operating system and try out future releases for nada.
You only goto prison in Britain for non-payment of council tax and tv licence, I pay both!
Breaching the terms of an EULA is hardly a prisonable offence... It's not even illegal. At worse, it's a civil issue that MS would never bother to take to court.
Buying 4 laptops from Argos, is that a criminal offence?
But wouldnt those 4 laptops from Argos already have Windows installed?????
and also didnt you know that Windows 7 RC is a public release??
for nothing......who'd thunk it?
whoever requested it here it is.
whoever requested it here it is.
Thanks, couldn't see anything about termination of service ...
I dunno.. Americans.. Always forgetting their hat.
Microsoft could have easily locked this down using Windows Live IDs
My small company normally reviews software using betas or *gasp* "other means" before committing to a license but browsing through the Technet downloads, library etc made me far more aware of the value of the service.
MS may have inadvertently gained itself a few new subscribers... maybe they may want to thank Neowin