Hubris - definition: Microsoft's Passport

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Hubris - definition: Microsoft's Passport

By Stephen Bucaro

Before September of 1995, Microsoft ignored the Internet
because their 16-bit Windows 3.1 operating system couldn't
handle the 32-bit Internet world. With the introduction of
Windows 95, Microsoft decided they owned the Internet.

Instead of having separate accounts at dozens of websites,
Microsoft decided that you will have one master account
that you will use to log in everywhere. That account will
contain your credit card number, bank account numbers, all
your personal information and financial records, and
Microsoft will own that account.

Well, Microsoft IS the United State's government condoned
monopoly, so 200 million Internet users, and 100 major web
companies dutifully signed up for Microsoft's Passport
wallet service.

In 1999, Internet authorities discovered Microsoft's
passport service had numerous security holes, and hackers
could steal your personal information. In 2001, the Federal
Trade Commission admonished Microsoft for not adhering to
their own privacy policy. In 2003, Microsoft purged all the
financial records from its Passport servers.

Millions of users continue to sign up for Passport because
of the convenience it offers. Nearly 100 websites use
Passport as their authentication method. Users don't need
to remember separate usernames and passwords for each
website. They can log in to all of them using a single
email address. Some of the websites let you register
without a Passport accont, but others, especially Microsoft
owned websites, require you to have a Passport account.

If you sign up for Microsoft Network (MSN) or for a free
Hotmail email account, you will be forced to sign up for
Microsoft's Passport wallet service. You can sign up for
a Passport account with a non-Microsoft email account at
Microsoft's Passport website.

To sign up, you need only an email address and a password.
After you sign up, you can choose to add personal
information to your profile. Then you can indicate if you
want to share your information with companies that use
Passport. If you choose to share your personal information,
be aware that Microsoft shares it with every passport
website you visit, and those websites are not required to
adhere to Microsoft's privacy policy.

The Internet does not need a master account repository for
users personal information. Users don't need to remember
separate usernames and passwords for each website. Every
Internet user has memorized two or three different email
addresses and half a dozen different passwords that they
use everywhere.

If an Internet master account repositiory is desired, it
should NOT be owned or operated by Microsoft. A repository
of personal account information must be operated by an
honest, independant company.

Note: In April 2000, U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield
Jackson ruled that Microsoft violated two sections of the
1890 Sherman Act. He concluded that Microsoft was an
illegal monopoly that used anti-competitive means to
maintain its dominance in Intel-based operating systems.

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