Super scummy for microsoft to auto upgrade (at the added cost of an extra £30 a year) people to a AI plan, and not offer a "actually I don't use any of that stuff" can I not pay that £30 a year? And then only when you are at the cancel page, it's like "🥺 oh sorry do you want the old deal back? 🥺" For anyone else, you don't even have to get that far into the cancel page for this. So it's easy to save £30 a year with this.
m@martinh.net
replied 14 Feb 2025 12:57 +0000
in reply to: https://benjojo.co.uk/u/benjojo/h/6N8jJ41K6MFz6GSRh1
@benjojo Interesting how quickly our thoughts turn from "well, it has been the same price for quite a few years - bit of an increase isn't unreasonable I guess" to "aargh! bad MS for making me pay their stupid AI tax!" and suchlike
benjojo
replied 14 Feb 2025 13:14 +0000
in reply to: https://martinh.net/users/m/statuses/114002350728322578
The difference between the plan I was forced upgraded to and the plan that was hidden from me, was the AI offering. I don't know what you are trying to imply here?
to "aargh! bad MS for making me pay their stupid AI tax!" and suchlike
m@martinh.net
replied 14 Feb 2025 13:27 +0000
in reply to: https://benjojo.co.uk/u/benjojo/h/P3F552t69BkQ88y28g
@benjojo Doh - sorry! I figure if MS had simply said that they'd managed to keep 365 pricing static for several years, but now an increase was unavoidable due to <waves hands> rising costs, people would mostly shrug, grumble a bit and then pay up. Conversely, making it explicitly about paying for the AI shovelware and using that awful dark pattern for the opt-out really shreds customer goodwill and actively radicalises a whole bunch of people. It's quite an own goal, really.
benjojo
replied 14 Feb 2025 13:30 +0000
in reply to: https://martinh.net/users/m/statuses/114002472363180001
@m oh yeah yeah in that case yeah I get your point! It's hard to know if I am just part of a rabid anti-AI contingent, if other people are indifferent, or if the average joe is actually pro AI. I guess shit gets more real if something is sold to me in a way that it seems that I am being forced to pay £30 (a evening at a pub!) for something I wont use
WooShell@chaosfurs.s..
replied 15 Feb 2025 10:32 +0000
in reply to: https://benjojo.co.uk/u/benjojo/h/6N8jJ41K6MFz6GSRh1
@benjojo You can save even more by not buying MS365 at all, and instead using software on your own PC..
benjojo
replied 15 Feb 2025 11:16 +0000
in reply to: https://chaosfurs.social/users/WooShell/statuses/114007445014653571
@WooShell I'm mostly using it for OneDrive (photos etc), but having actual Office is regrettably handy at times (I find myself straddled between GSheets and Excel because they both have different feature sets, that neither Libre office has)
taxorubio@fosstodon...
replied 14 Feb 2025 12:52 +0000
in reply to: https://benjojo.co.uk/u/benjojo/h/6N8jJ41K6MFz6GSRh1
@benjojo > To reflect the value that we've added over the past decade WHY DOES EVERYTHING have to be about adding value???? "Hi! We did something cool and interesting that will help you complete your tasks with more ease." "But are investors happy? Does it add value?" We users want software to work not to "add value" to already millionaires D:<
mattsimpson@infosec...
replied 14 Feb 2025 12:54 +0000
in reply to: https://benjojo.co.uk/u/benjojo/h/6N8jJ41K6MFz6GSRh1
windsorwindsor2@mast..
replied 14 Feb 2025 12:55 +0000
in reply to: https://benjojo.co.uk/u/benjojo/h/6N8jJ41K6MFz6GSRh1
@benjojo So sick of these dark patterns. I wish there was some way to hold these companies accountable for this crap.
gavoir@mastodon.soci..
replied 14 Feb 2025 13:38 +0000
in reply to: https://benjojo.co.uk/u/benjojo/h/6N8jJ41K6MFz6GSRh1
nilsding@pounced-on...
replied 14 Feb 2025 13:48 +0000
in reply to: https://benjojo.co.uk/u/benjojo/h/6N8jJ41K6MFz6GSRh1