How can we help?

Here's an interesting rumour for us to consider. First seen on the Yahoo! Financial SCOX forum.

[Microsoft(r) tech support] told me that "in the fall, having the latest WGA will become mandatory and if its not installed, Windows will give a 30 day warning and when the 30 days is up and WGA isn't installed, Windows will stop working, so you might as well install WGA now." -- Ed Bott's Blog

This could be a complete fabrication, a case of broken telephone, FUD, a trial balloon from Redmond or something else. But what if it is close to being true? Any way to confirm or refute this? Anybody know anybody at Microsoft(r) with the ability, the clout and the willingness to get a real answer on this? A written answer, with attribution? Of course, with enough public outcry, Microsoft(r) will simply change their mind on this (if it's a trial balloon) and claim that the speakers were "wrong, misinformed, spoke out of turn," and deny all complicity.

But what if it is true?

How will the Linux community help people effected by this unilateral termination of computer services? How about Installfests? Can we be prepared to host installfests for large numbers of disaffected Microsoft(r) users? How about an installfest every week?