On CBS MoneyWatch: 5 Great Jobs for Lousy Times
BNET Business Network:
BNET
TechRepublic
ZDNet
TalkBack 20 of 50:
Next »
« Previous
As TorboTax Goes, So Goes Symantec
Last year I crossed TurboTax off my list. Tax Cut has worked fine for my small business. This year it is Symantec. I bought at least twenty copies of NAV and SW for clients last year (small potatoes, I know). Product activation is simply an unacceptable business risk for any prudent firm, and I let my clients know that. One cannot hand the keys to one's business over to an unaccountable third party. When I buy my software, I take it out of the box, install it, and use it in accordance with applicable copyright law. When I buy a new computer, I uninstall and reinstall. I don't ask permission. If I can't do that with a product, I just don't buy it.

This is what open source is all about, freedom, not freeness, and lots of folks are beginning to see the light. I have no problem whatsoever with proprietary software when it solves a problem for me, but firms like Microsoft, Intuit, and Symantec do not own my business, nor my revenue stream, nor my time. Their onerous EULAs and copy protection schemes have become too big a burden to carry; the problems they create overbalance the problems they solve.

Frihet
Posted by: Frihet   Posted on: 10/31/03 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
Reply to Story Reply to Message

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

NO THANKS  Joe Blow_z | 10/30/03
Free AV  Frihet | 10/31/03
detractors  Bill4 | 10/31/03
Symantec is history - bye bye  shawkins | 10/31/03
Symantec  hwarren1 | 11/03/03
I agree with Joe  Chad_z | 10/30/03
Tech Crashed When Activation Appeared  KeithRisler | 10/30/03
I'm not sure I'd go that far  Chad_z | 10/31/03
Copy Protection doesn't sell  DarthRidiculous | 10/30/03
That and...  lmaxwell | 10/30/03
Nope, no problems with WPA...  Yen_z | 10/30/03
Hollystupid Should Read The Above Post  cybershoplifter | 10/31/03
what???  JoeMama_z | 10/31/03
This is just going to get worse before it gets better  M Wilson (Scottish Executive) | 10/31/03
I thought they made money on subscriptions  cheznoble | 10/30/03
They aren't that smart  KeithRisler | 10/30/03
You folks don't have a clue!  jp_safford@... | 11/04/03
bad move  lmaxwell | 10/30/03
"A Few "Sounds Suspect  KeithRisler | 10/30/03
As TorboTax Goes, So Goes Symantec  Frihet | 10/31/03
Activation issue  Arrg | 10/31/03
TaxAct  Bill4 | 10/31/03
Only the latest in a series of problems  James Dean_z | 10/31/03
XP Activation does NOT work flawlessly.  James Dean_z | 10/31/03
Don't Reboot  Mopsey | 10/31/03
Suprise, Suprise,Suprise!  BitTwiddler | 10/31/03
XP users DESERVE wpAggravation  moiety | 10/31/03
What happens when you treat customers like thieves  doctormoriarty | 10/31/03
Is piracy that bad?  desktopgeek | 10/31/03
It's game  voska | 10/31/03
All that development money...  BitTwiddler | 10/31/03
That is not their only problem  Mad Scientist | 10/31/03
Well, it was a nice run...  Daisy Fontana | 10/31/03
Buh Bye Symantec  Chipper1963 | 10/31/03
Piracy  rccraig76 | 11/01/03
Product Activation  rccraig76 | 11/01/03
Product Activation  Chipper1963 | 11/01/03
No stop to piracy  Robert Rice | 11/01/03
Product activation glitch hits Symantec  jarlie63 | 11/02/03
Here is what you do flip norton the bird  Robert Rice | 11/02/03
Symantec Product Activation/WPA  jwschull@... | 11/03/03
They deserve this.  ebrke | 11/03/03
I loved Norton Antivirus 2003, but....  The Real Bitch | 11/03/03
Whiners: Is it OK to steal from you?  jp_safford@... | 11/04/03
Ridiculous  MitchDev | 11/05/03
AV Antivirus  fredhavn@... | 11/05/03
Not their only problem  NT Admin | 11/05/03
Not the only glitch in AntiVirus 2004  radreads | 11/09/03
Symantec and Intuit  davidwalsh | 11/22/03
Pay for product, Get zero support  NoGentleman | 05/01/04

What do you think?

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

SmartPlanet

Click Here