4 ms·

This reminds me it's time to start looking for the TurboTax torrent. The activation scheme is remarkably straightforward to crack yourself.

judge2020 4y ago
I'm surprised they still have the desktop version tbh. Do that many people prefer downloading and installing the software?
- mindslight 4y ago
  Well I for one surely wouldn't enter my personal information into a likely surveillance vacuum! I install the desktop software, make sure it works, then kill Internet access to the VM and never enable it again. For the wider market, I'd imagine there are a lot of people stuck in their patterns and discontinuing the product might make them look at other options.
- adventured 4y ago
  Accounting firms, large and small, are often reluctant to switch out of what they know, it's a huge hassle. It's still very common for firms to utilize installed tax preparation software.
- awepoiufjwaeoip 4y ago
  Why would I enter sensitive financial information into a website that isn't owned and operated by the government (to whom I'm sending information anyway)? I don't want to use the internet for my taxes, so I do TurboTax locally and save that information in local files.
- dboreham 4y ago
  For sensitive financial data, yes.
neilv 4y ago
That company lobbies to make tax returns as miserable as they can, a bit like a protection racket. But stealing their product doesn't help -- it only relieves pressure to smack them down, or takes business away from their competitors.
- mindslight 4y ago
  TurboTax's "competitors" are part of the same protection racket. Taking away business from any/all of them is a win. I do wish my approach were more scalable so that lots of people would do it. But for now I'll have to be content with personally not supporting the racket. Also, piracy is not stealing.
  - andsoitis 4y ago
    > Also, piracy is not stealing. How is piracy different from shoplifting shrink wrap software from a store?
    - ThunderSizzle 4y ago
      Because that's a physical item, and it can't be duplicated. It's not yours, and taking it deprives the owner of it, and gives it to you. Stealing can be applied to non-physical goods. The argument that a digital copy doesn't remove it from the original owner. It's straight duplication. I believe piracy can be stealing, but I've heard all thr arguments ad nasuem.
    - mindslight 4y ago
      It doesn't involve opening shrink wrap, for one.
robertoandred 4y ago
Submitting your most sensitive financial information into a cracked and pirated piece of software…
- msla 4y ago
  > Submitting your most sensitive financial information into a cracked and pirated piece of software… …is likely more security-conscious than doing it using the Official Licensed Software, given how valuable financial information is and how easy it is for a program that Officially Doesn't call home with it to send it all back home. As long as you're sufficiently thorough about the cracking, of course.
- mindslight 4y ago
  ... that has no Internet access, and never will. I print the outputs and mail them. With the price of certified mail it would probably cost less to pay for software to e-file, however ... In my estimation, one simply cannot trust proprietary software. They'll advertise trust and serving your interests on the front end, and then flip your information to the surveillance economy on the back end regardless. The more you try to avoid it, the more valuable your data becomes. Webapps have led the charge, but proprietary desktop software has the same dynamic now that Internet access can be taken for granted. Without a general privacy law like the GDPR, there is little downside to them doing this - the only risk is that they get caught by an independent researcher, and lose the few customers who notice and care enough. Essentially, since there is no political will for privacy regulation we're left with a low-trust relationship. And since I've got to spend effort protecting myself from the law of the information jungle, I might as well embrace it.

judge2020 4y ago

I'm surprised they still have the desktop version tbh. Do that many people prefer downloading and installing the software?

mindslight 4y ago
Well I for one surely wouldn't enter my personal information into a likely surveillance vacuum! I install the desktop software, make sure it works, then kill Internet access to the VM and never enable it again. For the wider market, I'd imagine there are a lot of people stuck in their patterns and discontinuing the product might make them look at other options.
adventured 4y ago
Accounting firms, large and small, are often reluctant to switch out of what they know, it's a huge hassle. It's still very common for firms to utilize installed tax preparation software.
awepoiufjwaeoip 4y ago
Why would I enter sensitive financial information into a website that isn't owned and operated by the government (to whom I'm sending information anyway)? I don't want to use the internet for my taxes, so I do TurboTax locally and save that information in local files.
dboreham 4y ago
For sensitive financial data, yes.

neilv 4y ago

That company lobbies to make tax returns as miserable as they can, a bit like a protection racket. But stealing their product doesn't help -- it only relieves pressure to smack them down, or takes business away from their competitors.

mindslight 4y ago
TurboTax's "competitors" are part of the same protection racket. Taking away business from any/all of them is a win. I do wish my approach were more scalable so that lots of people would do it. But for now I'll have to be content with personally not supporting the racket. Also, piracy is not stealing.
- andsoitis 4y ago
  > Also, piracy is not stealing. How is piracy different from shoplifting shrink wrap software from a store?
  - ThunderSizzle 4y ago
    Because that's a physical item, and it can't be duplicated. It's not yours, and taking it deprives the owner of it, and gives it to you. Stealing can be applied to non-physical goods. The argument that a digital copy doesn't remove it from the original owner. It's straight duplication. I believe piracy can be stealing, but I've heard all thr arguments ad nasuem.
  - mindslight 4y ago
    It doesn't involve opening shrink wrap, for one.

robertoandred 4y ago

Submitting your most sensitive financial information into a cracked and pirated piece of software…

msla 4y ago
> Submitting your most sensitive financial information into a cracked and pirated piece of software… …is likely more security-conscious than doing it using the Official Licensed Software, given how valuable financial information is and how easy it is for a program that Officially Doesn't call home with it to send it all back home. As long as you're sufficiently thorough about the cracking, of course.
mindslight 4y ago
... that has no Internet access, and never will. I print the outputs and mail them. With the price of certified mail it would probably cost less to pay for software to e-file, however ... In my estimation, one simply cannot trust proprietary software. They'll advertise trust and serving your interests on the front end, and then flip your information to the surveillance economy on the back end regardless. The more you try to avoid it, the more valuable your data becomes. Webapps have led the charge, but proprietary desktop software has the same dynamic now that Internet access can be taken for granted. Without a general privacy law like the GDPR, there is little downside to them doing this - the only risk is that they get caught by an independent researcher, and lose the few customers who notice and care enough. Essentially, since there is no political will for privacy regulation we're left with a low-trust relationship. And since I've got to spend effort protecting myself from the law of the information jungle, I might as well embrace it.