For those that have signed or clicked on acceptance of the agreement this is your fate. (Caution: this link contains humor).
http://dilbert.com/search_results?ter...

Win 7 Pro is my last MS OS I'll be using. My plan is to switch to Fedora in a couple of years before the end of support. Libre Office here I come!

I know it's popular to use the $ as a negative thing in referring to Microsoft, but it's a positive symbol here.

Miniscule, token acts of defiance that inconveniences no one but yourself are futile. As individuals, the government can do about anything they please to any of us. You can die tomorrow of some unspecified disease, induced by an unknown assassin, or simply just come up missing. They can make your accounts disappear and let your creditors eat you alive then put you in jail because you didn't pay your taxes. Of course Microsoft caves into their demands.
I worked for company 50 years ago and we were that was coerced into buying out a competitor that had completely blotched a US government job in a foreign country. They alleged antitrust against us to be ignored if we absorbed the criminal company that had paid off government inspectors to pay for work not done and materials that did not meet specifications. Others in the industry were making jokes about us being so stupid but we were keeping our CEO, who was a great man, out of prison on a fake charge. The world has not gotten better in 50 years, it has gotten worse. Until tens of millions are willing to sacrifice more than an inconvenience, this will continue.

You hit on the primary reason I still use Windows. I do like a good computer game. I watch little TV but give me a good story in an RPG and I am loving it.

I looked at making the Linux switch as well, but one of my favorite time burning things to do would have to go too.

Interesting, I usually get pro anyway due to the fact that I use a domain server at home, download updates to the domain controller and then push them to my other computers. Makes it easier to keep them up, although their increasing prices are making me think about looking at other options to do the same kind of thing.

This also avoids most of the information collection from my systems. Looks like 10 Home will make this required to keep the prying eyes out.

So, like it or lump it, if you're using Windows 10 Home, your system is going to be updated when Microsoft says it's time. The Windows 10 Home EULA now reads: "You may obtain updates only from Microsoft or authorized sources, and Microsoft may need to update your system to provide you with those updates. By accepting this agreement, you agree to receive these types of automatic updates without any additional notice."
http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-...

Ever since Micro$oft buried DOS within Windoze, I figure that about half my [long] working life was consumed was fixing and fine-tuning to make computing work not as M$ wanted, but as I wanted and needed. Who has not noticed the endless stream of "security updates" and glitch fixes? Who has not seen the BSOD. having to reinstall and reconfigure everything and losing valuable data? How much has it cost you to buy applications to prevent viruses and malware, and all software to produce your work?

It wasn't easy for me to make the switch to Linux after I swore off M$ after XP, but today's good distros have overcome most of that. Linux is still not great for the gamers, but otherwise so many FREE and GOOD Open Source apps are included with the distros. I got my life back!

I think the primary reason for the change is to give it to the government goons.

It also makes the patriot act something they can expire and not loose a drop of information on people in so doing.

You can change the settings on MS to not auto update as well, and then don't or do so very infrequently.

"This is actually in line with nearly every other piece of software out there nowadays that auto-updates on launch."
Not true. Nearly all others allow the user to decide not to update (in my experience.)
Disclosure: Not updating is the choice that I often make. Although that may not be the right choice for others, it is the right choice for me, and my systems have not suffered from exploits. If I ran a web server subject to exploits, I would not choose MSFT os for the server and I would keep security updated.

Do read down into the comments. There is an interesting perspective from someone who identifies himself as a Microsoft Engineer:

"A great deal of the decisions made with Windows 10 are of the 'damned if you do' and 'damned if you don't' variety. When we made Windows Update optional for home users --- users went years without updating their machines. As a result, an entire culture of remote exploitation, hacking, and bot-nets emerged. In Windows 10 (Home Edition only), updates are automatic. This is actually in line with nearly every other piece of software out there nowadays that auto-updates on launch.

When you encrypt people's cloud storage (remember, this is the free storage not the business storage) people have this great habit of losing their encryption keys and then calling up Microsoft expecting us to somehow let them in to their personal photos, data, etc, which are now gone forever. We decided to do what every other Cloud provider does and safeguard this. You can STILL encrypt your files and information using any other form of encryption -- and obviously if you lose THAT key -- you're on your own. Again, these are decisions made to service the 80% majority of home users. Apple/Google does the same thing."

“[W]e will access, disclose, and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications, or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary.”
(Their own words!) What that really means is, “We’ll listen in, record what you type, then store it or sell it as we see fit.”
I would add: and/or give it to the government goons

I wouldn't characterise MSFT as the author of the article does, but he makes valid points about the contract, and he suggests a free market solution.