My call as a neutral is that you all came off as a bit dismissive of MikeD and then MikeD subsequently overreacted. My verdict is that every man jack of you (both sides) is a Major League A-hole. Will that fair judgement bring the arguing to a close and reduce the tension a notch?
Seriously, I don't see the problem with allowing someone to just check a box and opt out of the PT beta phase at least. Being able to opt out of beta updates is something which other games do all the time. Give the 'opt outers' one update when the full version is ready.
I've seen another thread saying that the updates are wreaking havoc in online leagues. These updates don't bother me personally, and they may not bother you (whoever you are) as an individual. The point is that there seems to be a fair amount of people who have no interest in PT and don't like the constant reminders and download attempts. I can also see how, given that there are a lot of worries about PT, "Taking over" those reminders might feel more oppressive than they really are.
It seems like there should be an easy, temporary workaround for people who just want to play their traditional game and be left alone.