About InfoWorld : Advertise : Subscribe : Contact Us : Awards : Events : Store

	PRODUCT REVIEWS GUIDE    REVIEWS    ANALYSES    SPECIAL REPORTS
InfoWorld // Ed Foster

COLUMNIST   The Gripe Line     Ed Foster          E-mail Ed 1999 Archives | 2000 Archives | 2001 Archives | 2002 Archives | 2003 Archives   • Unfinished business    [ April 18, 2003 ] The latest on two ongoing cases that remain unresolved as I wrap up this version of The Gripe Line       • Chink in the armor?    [ April 11, 2003 ] Two readers burned by inconsistent service policies reveal weaknesses Cisco's relatively durable reputation       • Your loss, their gain    [ April 4, 2003 ] Think you're lightening the financial load by divesting business assets? If they include Microsoft 6.0 volume licenses, think again       • Un-public domain    [ March 28, 2003 ] Will DRM and the challenges to fair use spell the end for your local library?       • Caught you!    [ March 21, 2003 ] What are services designed to help guard your personal information doing with your trust?       • When the chips are down     [ March 14, 2003 ] Printer vendors' attempts to capitalize on the cartridge market threaten their relationship with enterprise customers        • Censorship test    [ March 7, 2003 ] The government can't muzzle speech, but vendors act as though benchmark testing is unconstitutional       • Does fair use apply?    [ February 28, 2003 ] Software vendors want the kind of lock on products that has never been allowed in book publishing       • When winning isn't everything    [ February 21, 2003 ] It's not total victory, but the ABA's snub forces UCITA proponents to push on alone       • Taxing for the user    [ February 14, 2003 ] If you plan to install Intuit's latest version of TurboTax, read these product activation horror stories first       • Anniversary bash    [ February 7, 2003 ] As Gripe turns 10, reflections on how readers' concerns have evolved in the past decade       • The fate of UCITA    [ January 31, 2003 ] An open letter to the ABA’s House of Delegates concerning their impending vote on UCITA       • Pay up or else    [ January 24, 2003 ] Vendor changes the maintenance rules midway through a security subscription       • Don't pass this along    [ January 17, 2003 ] Intuit's TurboTax comes with a little surprise for those who attempt to use it on more than one computer       • Eternal vigilance    [ January 10, 2003 ] It's a new year, but the same powerful interests continue to threaten our diminishing digital rights       • Avoid contract traps    [ January 3, 2003 ] Readers give tips on their successful strategies for battling vendors' 'evergreen' maintenance clauses     1999 Archives | 2000 Archives | 2001 Archives | 2002 Archives | 2003 Archives   • The silent treatment    [ December 13, 2002 ] Even when an evaluation of its product offers praise, Microsoft's EULA has the power to squelch evaluations       • Some call it fair play    [ December 6, 2002 ] In the censorship debate, several readers are quick to defend vendors who put restrictions on product reviews       • Big brother nightmare    [ November 29, 2002 ] Knock knock, who's there? Media moguls' dream of mandatory TCPA security could make for a house of horrors       • Return to sender    [ November 22, 2002 ] One reader finds out the hard way that not all vendors are clear on what they mean by 'compatible'       • A vote for fair play    [ November 15, 2002 ] Readers weigh in on the latest vendor registerware schemes, and the best ways to fight unfair practices       • Sharpened clause    [ November 8, 2002 ] Tough times mean tough tactics, as one software purchaser found when he tried to cancel a maintenance agreement       • Sneakwrapping a virus    [ November 1, 2002 ] If it acts like a virus, it is a virus -- even if its creators cloak it in a EULA to legitimize their security breach       • Sneakwrap abounds    [ October 25, 2002 ] Readers say restrictive license agreements have been showing up in some odd places for a long time       • An uphill battle    [ October 18, 2002 ] Bills before Congress seek to erode consumers' rights, but one measure deserves consumer backing       • Since you asked ...    [ October 11, 2002 ] Thoughts on a software company's marketing research questionnaire about product activation       • Register, or else ...    [ October 4, 2002 ] One reader's horror story about how failing to register an OS upgrade within 30 days killed his PDA       • Spam salesmanship    [ September 27, 2002 ] The use of bulk e-mail to sell software raises questions about shady sales tactics and the best way to combat them       • No way to break free    [ September 20, 2002 ] Readers say they signed up for a discounted Web-hosting service that wound up costing them in the long run       • Headed in reverse    [ September 13, 2002 ] A court decision giving a shrink-wrap agreement the weight of a contract could devastate software developers       • Bug-free dreams    [ September 6, 2002 ] Developers say that software bugs are hard to eradicate, and it's often difficult to say who is responsible for them anyway       • Demand better    [ August 30, 2002 ] With the IT industry in a slump, now is the time for users to demand that vendors produce bug-free software       • Web service EULAs    [ August 23, 2002 ] Readers express concern about license restrictions on free and open debate about the pros and cons of .Net       • License to hide    [ August 16, 2002 ] UCITA 'reforms' would still keep consumers in the dark about the terms of their software licenses until after they pay       • Open with caution    [ August 9, 2002 ] Readers report shrinkwrap agreements have migrated from software to books, complete with prohibitions on disclosure       • Fair use or foul play?    [ August 2, 2002 ] The DMCA helps the music, movie, and software industries undermine traditional free speech and first-sale rights       • Cost of 'free' service    [ July 26, 2002 ] Once again, Intuit is turning a QuickBooks feature into a service that could cost users money and privacy       • Back to school    [ July 19, 2002 ] Microsoft's request for a software audit from public schools backfires, offering lessons for businesses       • Microsoft manipulation    [ July 12, 2002 ] Business owners are still confused about how the Software Assurance maintenance program is supposed to work       • Compaq runaround    [ July 5, 2002 ] Readers report frustrating warranty troubles with Compaq as the company got ready to merge with HP       • Secrets and lies    [ June 21, 2002 ] Spammers seem to be getting more bold and more outrageous in their claims       • Battling the bugs    [ June 14, 2002 ] Bug-free software was once considered unrealistic, but readers say it's time to raise expectations for vendors       • Maintenance madness    [ June 7, 2002 ] Readers weigh in on maintenance schemes that seem to have more to do with generating revenue than providing service       • Draconian DMCA    [ May 31, 2002 ] In practice, the law shuts down ISPs instead of offering protection against copyright infringement by their users       • Unfairly used    [ May 24, 2002 ] Lobbyists for media and high-tech corporations are vying for the Congressional mandate to control copy protection       • The spy who loves you    [ May 17, 2002 ] Some 'free' Internet services come with the kind of surveillance you may not want       • Hell on wheels    [ May 10, 2002 ] Imagine life on the road if Microsoft shackles its current licensing philosophy to systems designed for your car       • UCITA, the undead    [ May 3, 2002 ] Just when you think another silver bullet has hit, UCITA proponents find a way to revive the monster       • Disclosing terms    [ April 26, 2002 ] If Microsoft wants end-user license agreements taken seriously, it should publish them online       • Can you really click 'No'?    [ April 19, 2002 ] Don't assume you can refuse a license agreement and get an automatic refund if you object to the terms       • Old domain refrains  April 12, 2002     • Bargain bloopers  April 5, 2002     • The rebate runaround  March 29, 2002     • First Amendment blues  March 22, 2002     • Come on down!  March 15, 2002     • Palming off the SUDS  March 8, 2002     • A censorship test case  March 1, 2002     • Big Brother is watching  February 22, 2002     • Revamping recovery  February 15, 2002     • Check the fine print  February 8, 2002     • Maintenance games  February 1, 2002     • Migration migraines  January 25, 2002     • Who'll replace @Home?  January 18, 2002     • Bride of UCITAstein  January 11, 2002     • The ongoing dilemma  January 4, 2002   1999 Archives | 2000 Archives | 2001 Archives | 2002 Archives | 2003 Archives   • Parallax paradox  December 21, 2001     • A Ghost of a chance  December 14, 2001     • Riding into the sunset  December 7, 2001     • Returns of the season  November 30, 2001     • Lifetime limitations  November 21, 2001     • A stalking horse?  November 16, 2001     • UCITA: a security threat  November 9, 2001     • Spammers prey on fears  November 2, 2001     • The 500-employee limit  October 26, 2001     • It's a sneakwrap world  October 19, 2001     • Dell's closed ticket  October 12, 2001     • You've been cut off  October 5, 2001     • Control with fine print  September 28, 2001     • Transfer disappearing act  September 21, 2001     • A punitive puppeteer?  September 14, 2001     • The war against OEMs  September 7, 2001     • BSA's truce campaigns  August 24, 2001     • One fax too many  August 17, 2001     • Fighting back on the fax  August 10, 2001     • Pay attention to me  August 3, 2001     • Hookups add hang-ups  July 27, 2001     • Kids as bait for junk faxes  July 20, 2001     • Domain land rush  July 13, 2001     • Resellers feeling stung  July 6, 2001     • UCITA running on empty  June 29, 2001     • MS licensing shell game  June 22, 2001     • Redmond reinvents whip  June 15, 2001     • Apple padlocks UI decor  June 8, 2001     • Legal sanctions for spam  June 1, 2001     • Termination fee threats  May 25, 2001     • Is MS jealous of AOL?  May 18, 2001     • MS incites UCITA breach  May 11, 2001     • When should the burden of informing customers of a hacker break-in begin?  May 4, 2001     • Twist in Intuit's crippleware techniques doubles the cost of its tax-table service  April 27, 2001     • Comments on Microsoft's benchmark results prove passionate and interesting  April 20, 2001     • Is it OK for Microsoft and others to forbid disclosure of benchmark results?  April 13, 2001     • Why is Sony's warranty on batteries for its notebooks good for only 30 days?  April 6, 2001     • Is Network Solutions exploiting the rules or just aggressively marketing?  March 30, 2001     • Federal redrafting of the UCITA law could benefit everyone -- including Bush  March 23, 2001     • Some e-shoppers feel ripped off when the rules aren't always apparent  March 16, 2001     • Don't blame the vendor: Web shoppers are not always innocent victims  March 9, 2001     • Some new shrink-wrap license terms seem tailor-made for UCITA  March 2, 2001     • All's quiet on the UCITA front -- too quiet -- but that's about to change  February 23, 2001     • Readers don't buy eBay's claims that technical glitch resets preferences  February 16, 2001     • Streamlining at HP puts its good reputation for service in jeopardy  February 9, 2001     • Reliability problems with @Home e-mail sends customers elsewhere  February 2, 2001     • BSA's and Microsoft's scare tactics target small fish in big-city ponds  January 26, 2001     • Coincidence, or is BSA's anti-piracy program really a Microsoft effort?  January 19, 2001     • Poor shipping processes got Amazon on this year's holiday naughty list  January 12, 2001     • Phony lotteries, domain name extortion may be the latest Internet con  January 5, 2001   1999 Archives | 2000 Archives | 2001 Archives | 2002 Archives | 2003 Archives   • Stats show backbone provider UUNet seems to be biggest spam haven  December 22, 2000     • From the majors to the minors, manufacturers shirk their warranties  December 15, 2000     • Some companies use trivial excuses to cancel their service obligations  December 8, 2000     • UCITA questions could lead to purposefully poor design of ordinary goods  December 1, 2000     • A world with UCITA may allow fine print to outweigh the right thing  November 24, 2000     • Microsoft joins the ranks of industry sinners as it limits users' free support  November 17, 2000     • Are Microsoft's scare tactics intended to disturb businesses' Mr. Littles?  November 10, 2000     • What's it worth to you to get off the 'legitimate' spammers' mailing lists?  November 3, 2000     • Legitimate concerns vs. free speech: Who defines the rules for the Net ring?  October 27, 2000     • No free speech @Home for critic who posts service documents to newsgroup  October 20, 2000     • Cease and desist letters tell Web denizens IP equals Intellectual Property  October 13, 2000     • Confused about when a warranty isn't a warranty? Vendors have final say  October 6, 2000     • UCITA officially became law in Maryland, and I'll bet you didn't even notice  September 29, 2000     • They are everywhere you want to be -- and even where you don't want them  September 22, 2000     • Friends should never ask friends to spam -- even if Big Blue says to do so  September 15, 2000     • Comcast's nebulous VPN policy could leave you in the telecom Twilight Zone  September 8, 2000     • Why offer VPN as a basic service when you can charge a premium for it?  September 1, 2000     • Exodus into New Jersey proves to be very taxing for one dot-com company  August 25, 2000     • UCITA lets vendors reach in and disable your software, forcing you to upgrade it  August 18, 2000     • Troubled by the threat of spyware? Here are some tools to fight against it  August 11, 2000     • Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? She's spying on your network  August 4, 2000     • Mixing b-to-b dot-coms with UCITA will make for a volatile combination  July 28, 2000     • Readers say their hands are tied when it comes to HP's OS recovery CDs  July 21, 2000     • Good price on notebook computer turns into fishy case of bait and switch  July 14, 2000     • Avoid getting burned by terms of software licenses in the age of UCITA  July 7, 2000     • The new pitfalls of today's software licensing: What IT managers should know  June 30, 2000     • Telecom rules and merger lead to service provider squashing its customers  June 23, 2000     • Don't get boxed in by changes to your service providers' TOS agreement  June 16, 2000     • Readers learn that what's advertised as 'free' on the Internet often isn't at all  June 9, 2000     • Readers ascribe devious motives to Microsoft's policy to withhold OS CDs  June 2, 2000     • Readers decry Microsoft policy of withholding operating system CD  May 26, 2000     • Drumbeat users beaten as Macromedia discontinues product and tech support  May 19, 2000     • Readers report their own experiences with vendors' content-grabbing licenses  May 12, 2000     • Readers report uninvited software making itself at home on their systems  May 5, 2000     • Users find Microsoft's 'medialess' anti-piracy play hard to swallow  April 28, 2000     • Maryland Legislature caves to UCITA, but Iowa may offer a safe haven from law  April 21, 2000     • Where do spammers look for their new prospects? The Whois database  April 14, 2000     • Spammers get aggressive: Readers report threats and e-mail bomb attacks  April 7, 2000     • Vendors don't want you to sell used software as you would used books or CDs  March 31, 2000     • The new licensing terms: When you create content, it belongs to someone else  March 24, 2000     • Intuit is up to its old tricks: Adding taxing burdens on its QuickBooks clients  March 17, 2000     • States shouldn't be so sure that passing UCITA will bring them jobs and talent  March 10, 2000     • Mid-Atlantic states vie to become the first to enact the controversial UCITA  March 3, 2000     • Hear the sucking sound? That Novell upgrade may cost more than expected  February 25, 2000     • Readers say CompuServe billing is out of control -- $100+ charges per month  February 18, 2000     • While some kids were left waiting for Santa, many e-tailers delivered on time  February 11, 2000     • Viral marketing goes one step too far -- to a place where friends spam friends  February 4, 2000     • The greatest innovations in technology in the 1990s came from other countries  January 28, 2000     • Don't like that product? Under UCITA, you hadbetter keep that to yourself  January 24, 2000     • Best customer support? The award goes to Sybase Internet newsgroups  January 14, 2000     • UCITA threatens rights of consumers in the new age of electronic commerce  January 7, 2000   1999 Archives | 2000 Archives | 2001 Archives | 2002 Archives | 2003 Archives   • We won't give up the fight: Battle against spam will continue into millennium  December 22, 1999     • Virginia, the home state of AOL and NSI, opens the door to passage of UCITA  December 18, 1999     • Watch out for the big zap: Users decry vendors that ping without permission  December 11, 1999     • The 'repo man' could turn off your software in the age of UCITA licenses  December 4, 1999     • Best Technical Support: It may not be the guy on the telephones anymore  November 29, 1999     • Crushing spam avalanche may be too powerful for anyone to be able to stop  November 22, 1999     • What's behind a free PC? A whole lot of trouble and a substandard warranty  November 15, 1999     • Shipping and handling: The big surprise on your e-commerce shopping bill  November 8, 1999     • Watch out for the changes broadband suppliers are making behind the scenes  November 1, 1999     • Waiting for Compaq: customer support delays leave users to waste away  October 25, 1999     • State attorneys general urged commissioners of NCCUSL to table UCITA  October 18, 1999     • UCITA author does some moonlighting for money, courtesy of Microsoft  October 11, 1999