Yesterday, I did a Google search for information on a Windows topic. When I clicked one link to a Microsoft Knowledge Base article, I was taken to a Passport login page. I assumed it was an odd glitch.
This morning, it happened again.
Anyone else seen this? The KB has been a free an open, unrestricted resource for as long as I can remember. Why would it suddenly be insisting on a Passport login?
Ed Bott 
I am not seeing this, Ed. I went directly to the KB, no prompt for Passport.
Searched from http://www.google.com, clicked on a link, no prompt.
Went to http://www.google.com/microsoft, same result.
Tried the RSS feeds for the KB, those also came up without Passport requirement.
I HAVE seen it in the past, but today… using Firefox – it lets me in w/o (even logged out of Messenger to make sure that it wasn’t automatically signing me in…)
Thanks, Dwight and Glenn. I think both instances where I saw this were with Firefox 1.0.7. Not sure whether that is a relevant factor, but it could be.
I have seen it occur if I have already logged into Passport to visit another site, say premier.microsoft.com, in the same browser session If I open up a new browser window I can hit the MSKB without a Passport error.
“The KB has been a free resource for as long as I can remember. Why would it suddenly be insisting on a Passport login?”
Other examples : MSN Spaces, MS community forums, MS Download sites (WGA) : it is now impossible for end users to download the DirectX run-time or Media player without going through this crap.
The conspiracy theorist in me see several steps in this :
– invest heavily in technologies and give them for free for a long time (IE, knowledge bases)
– wait critical mass
– lock the door (passport, premium access, …)
– cash in
Anon,
Well, I see your point, but no, this isn’t the same thing. WGA is, at least in theory, anonymous. A Passport account requires an e-mail address.
“The KB has been a free resource for as long as I can remember. Why would it suddenly be insisting on a Passport login?”
Those two sentances don’t go together. It’s still free. It doesn’t cost anything to get a MSN Passport.
“Free” in the sense of “open” not as in “cost.”
Mea culpa.
Ed –
Funny you should mention it…
Yesterday I tried to open a dozen Excel files simultaneously on a networked drive. I used Windows Explorer to highlight the files, right-clicked and picked Open. For some reason (which I still haven’t figured out), Excel couldn’t find the files. I got an error message for each attempted opening – but when I cleared away all the messages, there sat Passport, waiting for me to sign in.
I have no idea if this is another manifestation of what you describe, but figured it was worth mentioning. Yep, I use Firefox 1.0.8 as my default browser.
Oops. I meant Firefox 1.0.7 of course…
I see no problem with a passport login requirement for use of the MS KB if it turns out to be the case. I’m sure MS has their logic or reasoning (whether it makes sense to us or not is another story).
As long as it does stay free (as in cost) I don’t care if its free as in open (because not much else of MS’s is free as in “open”).
Chuck
Chuck,
There are a lot of people who are opposed to the whole concept of Passport on principles. And the argument, “Get yourself a throwaway email address and sign up” doesn’t work for them.
I really think this is a Firefox related bug.
By the way, it just happened to me again this morning.
Ed