Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Phil — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 01:20:00 GMT

Won't limiting the questions as little as possible result in a lot of questions...

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Jeff — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 01:28:00 GMT

I will register software if I have to, but I really don't like to.

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Mike Gunderloy — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 01:53:00 GMT

I won't register unless the software is nonfunctional without registration. And then I will look for alternatives.

Microsoft's ability to find news of interest to me has always been far inferior to my own ability to find news of interest to me. I prefer to choose when and how to use my own bandwidth.

I don't object to other people getting marketing stuff if they want, though. Just make sure that those of us who aren't interested can turn off all reminders and other nuisances.

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Jeff — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 03:25:00 GMT

I have to agree that it's not likely that Microsoft can offer me anything I'm not already aware of. You have to provide one hell of a value proposition for me to voluntarily expose myself to more crap. I love Microsoft, but I'm trying very hard to lead as much of a crap-free existence.

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

denny — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 05:13:00 GMT

does registering help me get any better tech support? if yes then I'll be Happy to register.

other wise it's a waste of time and info.

" We are going to limit the number of questions as little as possible "

I think you meant:

" We are going to limit the number of questions as much as possible "

the first means lots of questions whith few limits, the second means very few questions.
Got that?
:-)

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Aaron A. Anderson — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 05:56:00 GMT

I have a sub to MSDN Universal, why on earth would I want to register? It buys me nada.

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

TristanK — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 06:13:00 GMT

Perhaps if you explain what exactly the benefits of registration are for the customer and for Microsoft at the moment, it'll be easier for people to articlate what they want from it.

If I'm asked "do you want to register" for just about anything, my immediate reaction is "why do I need to do this - what's in it for them, and what's in it for me?".

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Zirakzigil — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 06:29:00 GMT

I'd need to know what benefits registration provides. If I can get tech support and service packs without registering, I am _highly_ unlikely to register.

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Joku — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 08:22:00 GMT

> contact you with relevant events in your local area, send you offers and news that is of interest to you.

a) VS uses IE to serve web pages from MS network

b) IE tends to send information which establishes users local area to the MS server

c) Possible "shortcut" registration for those who have passport or MSDN subsc. so that they can do something like "one click registration" if they so want. Maybe it already works like that - never tried.

Product Activation included?

Uwe — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 10:33:00 GMT

So will the final VS.NET 2005 include Product Activation like Office or Windows XP/2003?

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Luc Cluitmans — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 11:08:00 GMT

(it seems my first attempt at posting this went wrong; sorry if it shows up twice)

I can't even remember having seen a registration form with VS 2003, but I suspect that is because it might not even be shown at all for the version that comes on the MSDN subscription CDs (we have a MSDN Professional subscription). After all, the MSDN subscription is implicitly 'registered', otherwise you wouldn't have had a clue where to send those CDs to :)

Given the things that software companies have done in the past with 'registrations' and given the heightened alertness in these spam-filled days of people when they are asked for their e-mail address, a registration form tends to set of alarm bells for many people, and they will try to find out how to get around them "without selling their soul". Maybe at some later stage they would be prepared to fill in such a registration form, if they would see some advantage to it, and if they remembered they didn't fill it in yet. Also, don't forget that registration forms are usually shown at the worst possible moment: when the user is eager to get started with his new toy ASAP.

Many people view registration as a service they provide to the company whose product they just bought. If you want a response, make sure you do the following things:
- Tell the user precisely what the benefits of registration are for him/her.
- Tell the user what you are going to do with the registration information. Be sure to allow an opt-out for any e-mail that might be perceived as spam.
- Tell the user what *your* benefits are if the user registers (I have never seen this in practice). This might cause some users to register, even if they don't see any immediate benefits to themselves. Openness is a good way of improving your karma...

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Sorin Dolha — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 11:16:00 GMT

Personally I would love to have that option in the IDE (Help, near About, for example) of any product, simply because when I install that product I may not be connected to the Internet and therefore skip Registration until later. It would be great to be able to register at any time without pain.

Sorin Dolha [MCAD, MCSD .NET]

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

AT — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 17:51:00 GMT

I will register only in case if it provide me any benefits from been unregistered.

But I would like to describe you one problem with current registration in my region.
In case if user in Russia register his valid and legal copy of Windows 2000 using build-in Registration wizard - he get no benefits from this and his registration data simply ignored.
If he need to get any support from Russian Microsoft office - he need to register once more using fax or post-mailing registration card.

This problem exists even in Russian localized version of Registration Wizard. During localization it was simply translated - but not connected to Moscow support office :o((

This is an example how to NOT do registration.

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Greg — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 17:58:00 GMT

If I give you something (my time in registering, information about me and my company) what will the return on that be?

Event Info? My RSS sub's work for that.
Spam? Have enough, thank you...

Give me some free stuff, VS books, CD's, geek toys, even shirts (I know I can always use more geekshirts)... Something tangible.

Maybe "membership" into a VS feedback community? I'm thinking that if we take the time to reg, then we might also take the time to help you build a better VS...

Sure, these things will cost MS a little, but our reg gives MS hard numbers for which they can use in the marketing (2 million VS users Served...etc), demographic information, etc. Information that has value.

Give the VS user a strong, compelling reason to give you their information and they will. (well enough will)

Just 'cause it's easy isn't good enough anymore in my book.

Show us, the customer, that you value the time and information by giving us something of value in return.

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Daniel Turini — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 18:08:00 GMT

I never registered a single software, for the same reason that I never registered my car, my TV set, my PS2, neither my PS2 game discs: I never felt the need.
Why should a supplier need that the customer "register" its products?
The whole "experience" buys me nothing, so, why should I register?

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Shannon J Hager — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 22:54:00 GMT

MS has too many different disconnected registrations as it is. I get email newsletters with my local events, MSDN flash, technet, etc, etc, no need for that same info coming from yet another source.

Updates and upgrades (if they existed) would be found via blogs before any official info from MS. You guys always beat them to the punch these days.

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Steve Hall — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 22:55:00 GMT

I don't get the: "I never registered my car" bit. If you live in the USA, you most certainly have (I hope) with your local DMV! (Unless you're a tax scofflaw!) ((If you don't live in the USA, where do you live? Mainly so I can move there to avoid car reg. taxes!))

And if you think car makers do NOT obtain that car registration from your state DMV, you're living in some fantasy land! Besides, ALL car dealers most certainly tell the car makers EVERYTHING about you when you buy a new car...since they're underwriting any extended warranty, and the basic chassis warranty. (Also, it's required by federal pollution laws that they keep track of you in order to be able to recall a catalytic converter or EGR valve, if necessary.)

All states make lotsa $$$ on this...and only in the past few years have consumers found about it in general, been protesting, and getting laws enacted to protect names and mailing addresses of registrants from the marketing machines of car makers. Car registration data has been one of the biggest after-sale consumer information businesses in the past few decades, with various government agencies relying on it for economic measurement and projections and car makers relying on it for demographics of their car buyers to plan future features of each make/model.

J.D. Powers 'taint the only one obtaining this info and reselling it!

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Steve Hall — Sun, 06 Jun 2004 00:09:00 GMT

Oops! Got a little off-topic there! I apologize. (Not trying to flame, rather illucidate.)

Regarding registration and activation: I rarely EVER see a reason to complain about either, as I RESPECT the RIGHTS of the authors of the software which I have PURCHASED. (More about this below...)

The only time I think it goes over-board are excessive number of wizard dialogs (such as those that Symantec uses in their products, e.g., Norton SystemWorks) that ask more than a dozen questions...and those questions are obviously data-mining my demographics. If there was no privacy policy displayed before the first question appears, then the knee-jerk reaction I have is that the data will not only be used internally, but also be sold/given to their "technology partners" or "business partners". (Just like car sellers sell/give their data to JD Powers and car makers...)

Thus, a button on the first form dialog to display the privacy policy and an option to skip most questions would serve to quell most complaints. (This is why I don't complain much about Symantec registration wizard dialogs: they have both a privacy policy button and a "Skip" button...)

On the topic of those that are WHINING about having to register or activate a product: it APPALLS me to hear this in our industry! Afterall, we're talking about a software development product...which you are using to develop the same and maybe make some money doing it, eh? For those that are complaining, you should ask yourself this: What would I feel if I found out that my hard-work is being stolen/pirated? If you have never had a fellow programmer reaching into your pocket for your wallet, then those of us who have been ripped off will certainly suspect your motiviations of complaining. (And for those that firmly believe that all software should be FREE, then what are doing using VS from the Evil Empire instead of Mono and the SSCLI? Sounds pretty hypocritical...)

I say this because each and every company to which I've been associated here in Silicon Valley feels it's perfectly OK to rip off Microsoft by propagating a copy of VS 6 or 7 from a single-user MSDN Universal license onto dozens of machines, violating the license and copyright. The excuses I hear range from ridiculous to just plain being CHEAP! (And it goes well beyond just misuse of a MSDN Universal license, but ALL software. It's become not only a bad habit, but a TRADITION in Solicon Valley!)

Now granted, I think this is largely due to the immense amount of Java-bigotry going on in Silicon Valley, and the idiotic idea that all software should be free. This has believing that most programmers that whine about registration and activation are simply thieves, or at the least disrespectful!

Maybe if all those that complain about registration and activation were to PERSONALLY pay for their MSDN Universal subscription (as I do), then maybe they would have a RIGHT to complain about excessive registration or activation processes.

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Thomas Wagner — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 03:07:00 GMT

No. Never have. Hope I never will. Worst thing ever was all the crazy registration after Win2K

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

secretGeek — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 13:00:00 GMT

give me a bunch of free vouchers for the gym, and five chances to win an X-box and a free invite to visit Redmond and maybe i'll *think* about registering.

you have to answer everyone's inner question: "what's in it for me?"

of course we can each see that by giving MS more info about how/why we use the product we'll allow them to generally serve us better -- but we're not interested in that 'general' improvement -- we (humans) are selfish, short-sighted -- make it worth our while or we won't bother.

>Our Product Management Group will intelligently contact you

There's an oxymoron there somewhere...

cheers
lb

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Not me — Fri, 11 Jun 2004 12:38:00 GMT

I view registrations like warranty cards. They are a waste of time for me and only provide free marketing information for the company to whom I just paid a chunk of money for their product. The last thing I need is more junk mail (snail mail or otherwise.)

Also, when forced to fill out marketing info I lie through my teeth.

re: Are you going to register your copy of Visual Studio?

Ken Papai — Tue, 29 Jun 2004 23:04:00 GMT

I started with Framework 1.0 download 2 years ago and using Notepad as my C# editor. Then I got my first copy of VS.NET 2002 and now use VS.NET 2003.
<p>
I have no problem registering if told of the benefits of registering. So, what are they if any, or what do you propose they'll be for WHIDBEY?
<p>
Ken