You use standard pressure (29.92 inHg) above transition altitude, which, in the United States, is 18,000 feet. Pilots wouldn't be changing the altimeter after climbing past this point, and would start using local values once descending through it again.
Of course, your initial point is still correct: there could be slight variations if using those local settings and getting different values, but you'd only see that below transition altitude.
Most employees at tech firms, Microsoft included, are awash in their employer's stock. It's not in their best interest to intentionally tank the stock.
This is almost the entire thesis of Zero Trust Networking principles. Somehow, the user AND the device need to attest to validity during the authorization process.
"Validity" for a device can mean many things (latest patches, is running anti-virus software, among other things).
A general user probably doesn't need to attest to these things. I would argue that anyone trying to access a corporate or some other organization's network SHOULD be required to attest to these things given the cyber threat landscape. The caveat: those same entities should provide or heavily subsidize the platforms they require (work computers). It's their IP at risk. I'm not so naive to think they would actually do this with BYOD initiatives, unfortunately.
For personal users on personal devices, I agree this might go too far (but some principles like MFA are best practices).
I see the point as well, but it seems like a lot of theatrics at this point.
For example: the rainbow flag has always been for the LGBTQIA+ community. Now the flag has the added triangles with white, brown, aqua, and magenta for... black and trans folks? If that visibility makes folks feel included then by all means, but the rainbow colors on that flag weren't meant to specifically represent each aspect of that community to begin with. Maybe I've missed issues of representation in that community but I also don't think of LGBTQIA+ as an organization, just a sort of flag to represent non-cis folks.
And then there's Latinx, which is interesting because >98% of folks actually from Latino countries loathe that and don't recognize it. It's purely an American appropriation of another culture's terminology by the same folks who generally raise issues of appropriation.
I'm trying my best to be an ally but I have trouble keeping up with a lot of these things, even those which are a bit paradoxical. The best course of action I've found is to just treat everyone with kindness, respect, empathy, and an open mind.
What law would you propose to block private companies from deciding who they do and do not want to serve?
I see the obvious slippery-slope argument being made all over the place but the comparisons to the bakery refusing service to a gay couple are apt.
The concerns are over people who clearly want to leverage the platforms to induce violence (read: QAnon). If there are legitimate concerns over imminent violence, there is no legal obligation to halt service but there is absolutely a moral one.
And the free market allows others companies to continue providing service if they want. If the concern is over companies with massive market share then wouldn't your concern better be addressed by antitrust laws?
Of course, your initial point is still correct: there could be slight variations if using those local settings and getting different values, but you'd only see that below transition altitude.