World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

I finally bit the bullet and clicked on the large Confirm button to begin my 10 day free trial of Burning Crusade. Then the page tells me I need to download a client updater. This updater, through the satanic, dark magicks of the Blizzard Downloader, will have taken in the neighborhood of ten hours before it is ready to even begin installation. This really only serves to remind of WoW's, and every MMO's, major failing in the subscription model: rather than paying for a product, one effectively pays for time, time which is already a volatile and precious enough resource. The fact that I'm not actually paying is only a minor technicality.

Progress: 20%