I have to use Windows for my job (game dev) . I dont understand how anyone can stomach non LTSB windows. Also, just go ahead and pirate it! MS have given us no other choice.
Also FWIW, Microsoft does kind of give you a choice to obtain 10 LTSC legitimately, it's just a pain in the ass since it's very deliberately not intended for consumers. Described here: https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/2167558-explicit-inst...
I actually did it (using CDW, total cost US$319.15), in part because I'm a goody-goody I guess and in part because even if you can trust the ISO you got is good by verifying its checksum, god knows what the tool you use to bypass the copyright enforcement mechanism does.
If anyone reading this comment is interested in buying it, you should probably also know that the Open License volume purchasing program that the linked units are being sold under is getting discontinued in January 2022, so might want to decide whether to bite the bullet soon.
I think of pirate stuff like open source software. I'm not personally going to go through every download with a fine tooth comb looking for malware. But other members of the community will do that. I trust the pirate community way more than I'd trust any corp. In fact even if I buy something, I like to download and actually use the pirate version, cus often-times the cracker removes the spyware and shit that's included in the official release.
a friend told me the 99c keys on aliexpress activate perfectly well without needing any dodgy .exe files
then disabling the regular check-ins is a single registry key