Maybe yes, and maybe no.
I run Linux, currently I like my Debian the best, but I have used Mandrake, Susse, and Red Hat. I also have a Solaris 10 machine.
One of the reasons that I do like Debian the best is that when I go to get the latest Distro that I don't have to enter any registration credentials. I moved away from Susse when they turned into Novell and wanted to know my eye color to download the iso.
I understand the need for corporations to have some user base knowledge. (if only 14 year olds are downloading your stuff, they probably won't be signing up for you big support contracts.) But making the quest for user data required and invasive turns this user back into a shopper looking for a different vendor.
If you must have my user data, don't ask for my name, email or phone number. You won't get real ones. I may volunteer them if there is a legitimate benefit to me, so make them optional. If you want the city, state or province, and country. Gender and age. that is fine, but if I start to feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up, I will just back away and go somewhere less Orwellian.
