Imagine trying to open Notepad and getting an error because your Microsoft account has issues. Sounds ridiculous? It happened. And it reveals a fundamental problem with how we're building modern computers. 💻

Recent Microsoft account bugs locked users out of basic Windows applications—including Notepad. That's right: a simple text editor that worked fine in 1995 now requires cloud authentication. When the servers hiccup, you can't even write a grocery list.

The thin client problem:

  • ☁️ Apps that should work offline demand internet
  • 🔒 Your own files are locked behind corporate accounts
  • ⏰ Authentication expires at the worst moments
  • 🔐 Privacy? What privacy? Everything syncs to the cloud

We're trading ownership for convenience, and the bill is coming due. When your local apps depend on remote servers, you don't really own your computer anymore—you're renting it from tech giants.

For Gen Z who never knew the era of truly offline computing, this is normal. But maybe it shouldn't be. Sometimes the old way—apps that just work, no questions asked—was better.