[Katchoo]

Or that were set up by default. The one that keeps happening to me, even on systems where I've told it to stop, is the "Hey, you've been holding down Control for more than five seconds - would you like to enter Accessibility mode?" wizard which attacks and messes up what I was doing at the moment. I suppose it reoccurs because of the frequent "updates" which sometimes reset default system options, such as the existance and IE association of MS Outhouse Express

This sounds like "Sticky Keys", which can be disabled completely by entering the Accessiblity Options within the Control Panel.

I had a similar problem with the Shift Key while playing Wolfenstein. I used the Shift Key for sprinting, so of course I would hold it down to keep running, and because of that the game would lock up and I would get a message from WinXP Pro asking me if I wanted to enable Caps Lock (or some such nonesense).

As for this debate on "what is" or "what isn't" stealing, the fact is is that your breaking the law by obtaining software through unlicensed avenues. Breaking the law is breaking the law, no matter how you cut it.

Downloading a ton of software off of Kazaa won't get you into trouble, since there's far too many people doing it for the law enforcement agenices to make a dent. Where you will get into trouble is by making those same files available for download by someone else. That's when you become an illegal software traffiker, and that's who the FBI, RCMP, and the other large Law Enforcement Agencies like to go after. All it takes is for you to put one illgotten file available for download to place you onto the criminal dartboard.

The person who gave you a copy of WinXP could find himself in serious trouble if the Police decided to take an interest (and if someone notified them) in his activites. Unfortunatley corruption starts at the top, so if I were the Police I'd be more apt to go after his Employer and their complete lack of control over their Employees, instead of the individual Employee. Incompetent Management breeds equally incompetent Employees.

The Police are so overwhelmened, understaffed, and financially strapped that it's not worthwhile to go after any software Pirate unless it's someone traffiking software over $100,000, and even then it's not guaranteed.

Say all the negative things you want about the RIAA and their lawsuits, but at the very least they've gotten the act of digital copyright violation into the spotlight. What we need now though is to have a US-based Software Company take a hard, hard, hard stance against piracy and go after a small fish, and hammer them into permenant poverty and partial imprisonment. Slamming the crap out of some 18 Year old (and their negligant parents) would be a good start in getting the US Senate/Congress to increase Police budgets and enact tougher laws to stem piracy.

Just don't cry foul if the Police break your door down and arrest you for software piracy. Sooner or later the dam is going to break and the Police will be let loose. Wether it's an illegal copy of SEIV or WinXP Pro Enterprise, it's still illegal, and I'll be there laughing at you when the Judge sentances you into eternal financial destitution.