This is nuts!!!!  I haven't even sent one email and I have been locked out of my new account!!!  Is Obama designing Microsoft's security algorithms?

I bought a new ASUS notebook computer about 10 days or so ago.  Since it came with Windows 8.1, I had to get an outlook account.  Then it would periodically tell me that I was using the wrong password even though I was "Cutting and Pasting" it from my passwords storage file.  This always worked in the past yet it only seems to work once in a while with this friggin account.  I even went so far as to use the cut and paste to put a copy of what i just entered, into a text document.  The password was ALWAYS correct. 

I ended up changing my password.  In a couple of days, it did it again.  So, I went to change password right away, changed the password and then got a lockout notice from Microsoft.  Despite ALL of the security hoops and back-up email addresses, Microsoft NOW wanted my cellphone number (I have a landline and skype {which I haven't used in ages}....no cell phone because it's not in my budget! Yeah, I admit it,  I'm not rolling in money and cell phone bills have gotten me in trouble in the past.  Like credit cards, I quit using them.).  They already had my first dog's name and back-up email which NO one knows.  But no, that's not enough!

I then tried to notify Microsoft.....man what an ordeal that was...but everything said there would be a delay.  So then I found the reference to this community for "quicker" answers.  Therefore, I am giving it a whirl.  But I have to say that all of this nonsense is just about as bad as being hacked!  Honestly, it seems like a thinly veiled trick to get people's cell phone numbers....now why would microsoft do that after all of the splatter-back about the NSA data grab.  You'd think they would want LESS of my personal data, not more!  Unless, of course, they like the NSA snagging their customer's data.

Anyway, I know it's not you guys who came up with this whackiness but I gotta say, it is very intrusive during a time when many of us are divesting ourselves of all trackable data that we possibly can.  I am an old-timer and have watched the Internet go from a place for freedom and innovation to a tool of oppression and privacy invasion.  Why is Microsoft supporting this anti-privacy trend?  Somebody has to stand-up for us or we are all going to have to stop buying computers, software and Internet access, this is nuts!

D