Local vs. MS account, what would you choose?

[jbartlett323]

Yes, I agree. The difference as I see it is that I explain the difference to the customer and let them choose, whereas you seem to just make that decision for them, for the express purpose of some perceived saving of frustration. How are they to know if they want one or not without the explanation of the difference?



I must not be working on the same OS as you. This isn't difficult at all. where are you having trouble? It's Settings --> Your Account --> Sign in with a local account instead. Follow the prompts. This is from memory, so the labels might be slightly different, but these are close.

For my residential grandmothers, for example, having access to MS Solitaire almost always makes the decision. Plus, being able to reset the password remotely if they forget it is a bonus.

No, the perceived difference is they get the choice, and I don't have to waste my time explaining. I make no decision for them, I let them make it themselves and give them the opportunity to make an informed one if they want to take the time to inform themselves (by asking or research). By setting the account local, They have the choice of using the profile as it is, or switching to a MS, and are provided ample opportunity to do so. By asking, I'm am skewing their thinking automatically to thinking they need one, and therefore anyone who is not informed will automatically assume they need one. Its like all the people who did the update themselves, and assumed you had to create a MS account to use Win10, and in all reality just didn't know about that tiny "skip" button to create the local account.

As for going back to a local account, last time I tried that it created an entire new profile with none of their stuff, and everything had to be set back up and transferred. Easy for me, not for them. Since then, I just don't recommend doing it. Maybe its gotten better, something I will be checking into, but rarely have that question posed.

For my residential Grandma's, most of them don't like the new solitaire, and find it too annoying. I either load Win7 games, they find an online alternative that they are happy with, or they just hit "Not Right Now" when Solitaire prompts for MS account (it still saves data, including stats, just no leader boards etc.). Still, needs no MS account. Plus, no password to worry about resetting...

Fact is, there are definitely Pros and Cons to both directions. If your customers are happy your way, that's what counts! Mine are happy my way! The options exist either way, so in the end whats it really matter either way? Just keep it Consistent!

 

[phaZed]

Local account here. Too many prying eyes under an 'account'. Proof in hand:

http://www.chesterfieldobserver.com..._pleads_guilty_to_distributing_child_por.html

Microsoft discovered the pornographic material Ridout uploaded to his Cloud account and subsequently provided the Chesterfield County Police Department with the cyber tip about Ridout’s activity for criminal investigation.

When confronted by authorities, Ridout admitted that it was his Microsoft Cloud account and that he had uploaded the pornographic images, Johnstone said.

While you will not hear me defending CP one bit, I do find the ability of cloud service providers to search through your stuff a bit disconcerting. Now, the US Federal Court has ruled:

The EFF reports that a federal court in Virginia today ruled that a criminal defendant has no "reasonable expectation of privacy" in his personal computer (PDF), located inside his home. The court says the federal government does not need a warrant to hack into an individual's computer. EFF reports: "The implications for the decision, if upheld, are staggering: law enforcement would be free to remotely search and seize information from your computer, without a warrant, without probable cause, or without any suspicion at all. To say the least, the decision is bad news for privacy. But it's also incorrect as a matter of law, and we expect there is little chance it would hold up on appeal. (It also was not the central component of the judge's decision, which also diminishes the likelihood that it will become reliable precedent.) But the decision underscores a broader trend in these cases: courts across the country, faced with unfamiliar technology and unsympathetic defendants, are issuing decisions that threaten everyone's rights.

We know that MS, Apple, etc are all beholden to the Gov't and allow carte blanche access (as per snowden and recent revelations on Wikileaks).

Local Accounts, as little as it may actually help.

 

[jbartlett323]

That's not our experience at all, and making a significant security decision based on which card game you think your older clients would prefer comes across as both patronising and short-sighted.

You might not believe it, but it is possible to learn new things once you've passed forty.

Yes, it's annoying - it's an extra five minutes setup time for you and a more complex password for your client to remember. But setting up a Microsoft Account for your clients means that OneDrive works, Windows Live Mail will sign in properly, and all the lovely free things in the Windows Store are there for the asking. It's one of those swings-and-roundabouts situations where what works for you may not be the best choice for your client.

We explain the difference between both types of account, including the marginal effects on privacy, and most clients (more than 90%) choose the simplicity and convenience of a Microsoft Account.

Treating our clients as adults capable of making their own decisions seems to work pretty well.

There is so much wrong with this, I can't reply without being offensive. Please re-read the above posts on the topic, and dismount your high-horse. This discussion is about opinions, and yours is no more correct than mine.

 

[HCHTech]

I don't have to waste my time explaining. I make no decision for them, I let them make it themselves and give them the opportunity to make an informed one if they want to take the time to inform themselves (by asking or research).

Emphasis mine.

You have made yourself clear. I'm just going to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[carrcomp]

I always choose Microsoft account.

Can't tell you how many non-msp clients forget their password. So much easier to reset an online account.

 

[jbartlett323]

Please, go ahead and be offensive if you need to.

I found your apparent assumption that "residential Grandmas" are unable or unwilling to learn anything as simple as a slightly-different card game offensive to older people everywhere but I might have misconstrued your meaning, in which case please accept my apologies. Perhaps my experience of older adults is different from yours - some of the "Grandmas" we look after have minds like bacon slicers.

As a wise man once said, "This discussion is about opinions, and yours is no more correct than mine."

Perhaps I was generalizing a bit much while replying to a comment of another post (which I perhaps should have quoted for clarity). I have an assisted living establishment literally out my back door. A large percentage of my clients are above the age of 55. Some of them are sharper than fresh cut glass, some of them are about as sharp as a marble. This applies to the younger generation in equal measure. Some of my older customers don't mind change, majority don't want it to change if it doesn't have to. This applies to a card game as much as a daily use program like IE. That's all I was trying to say. I also admit, my opinions are formed based solely off my customer base, as I imagine yours are also.

I accept you apology, and hope you accept mine for any offense given.

Emphasis mine.

You have made yourself clear. I'm just going to agree to disagree on this one.

Ok! I'm down with that!

 

[Porthos]

Can't tell you how many non-msp clients forget their password. So much easier to reset an online account.

As long as they know the security questions and gave MS real info & phone number.

 

[GTP]

I usually do NOT tell the customer about the local account, it's my backdoor.

With the greatest respect, isn't that illegal?

 

[GTP]

I'm with you I do the same.

Seconded!

 

[Metanis]

With the greatest respect, isn't that illegal?

Possibly if I were to misuse it for my own purposes. But we can't even indict a woman who scattered Top Secret information to the world at will, I'm not worried they'll be coming after me. <smile>