So, are we seriously just putting up with Microsoft's update practices?

Plenty of games still support dx 10 and dx 9, so I don't see support for dx 11 in games going away for a while either...the percentage of overall population, not to mention gaming population, of windows 7 users is huge. And, even with microsoft's attempt to force their planned obsolescence on the masses...for the gamers, backed by nvidia and amd...there is vulkan.

As for security holes, I'm more worried about what new stuff can do more damage than old patched stuff. I'm sure I'm not the only person out there who's once somewhat new computer just totally broke because of vista, and was forced back to xp.

This whole concept of microsoft wanting to have it's os and other things be a service and not a product is straight up garbage that I'm not buying into, nor will I rent it. I don't need cortana, I don't need microsofts own brand of spyware doodads/targeted advertising, not the ugly candy coated win 8 tiles, not the xbox support, social media can kiss my ass, I don't need nor want any of that fluff. I am not some noob on the internet at the mercy of the windows store, or google play, or whatever for obtaining whatever programs...I need a computer that works, and does what I tell it to when I tell it to.

Besides..upgrade to windows 10, and break half or more of the stuff I use? I don't think so. The only advantage it would have for me is to use an xbox one controller with no hassle...and that don't outweigh everything else I would have to fix.

Group Policy edits don't work after the anniversary update. As far as I understood it, that was universal. From what I read, you can still edit it, as before, but the registry doesn't actually 'connect' to any actual settings, so all you're doing is toggling a registry variable. In other words, the anniversary update stripped out the actual group policy functionality that used to exist for managing updates.
In any case, I still have my Group Policy set to the appropriate framework, and it has been shutting down for me as noted since the AU dropped, so at the very least it doesn't work for me.

I have not, however, interacted with the Task Scheduler before now, so that may in fact be the point of significance- I've implemented that, I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks very much for the bit of hope, it's become pretty stressful by this point. :X

it was unnecessary to make your point

I didn't feel I indicated it was. I fully acknowledge that I tangented to referencing something due to the strength of my considerations for it.
Think of it like someone expressing the sentiment of "And that ruins the meat! Sorta like [insert vegetable here] do- ugh, I hate [that vegetable]." Except in this case, it's "And that ruins respectful consideration! Sort of like victim blaming in worse contexts does! Ugh, I hate people diminishing such things like they have a right to do so."

Did it add to the topic at hand? Not necessary. Was it evidencing of my general mindset on such matters? Yes.
So I can't say I really regret it, though the phrasing definitely should have been considered better.

In other words, I referenced rape because victim blaming in general matters to me and I wanted to snap out about that, and not because rape was relevant to the topic at hand. Had there been something else that exemplified victim blame to the same degree, I'd have as easily gone with that as the reference.

In even simpler terms: You triggered me, a bit, with the blunt and accusative phrasing you used at first. :P

Given you are the 'victim' in this thread

I am not. You made a general statement, and I was responding to generalities. Had you accused me directly of being inept, I'd have been far less bothered by the matter. But a sentiment along the lines of "when someone does something dishonest and disrespectful, it's the fault of those that don't know any better than to fall prey to such behavior".. well, let's use scams as the reference instead. Regardless of how naive or foolish someone is, they're still not the one doing something wrong in that situation, and putting blame on them simply pushes the blame from where it's supposed to be, and where it can do some good, to diminishing the importance of other people.
I can't say I'm fond of that sort of mentality or sentiment.

Taking ownership of one's actions is important. We learn from mistakes and help others by sharing. Too often people blame external influences. Responsibility is almost almost shared, even if the split is far from equal.

Someone else's actions are not something you should ever take on the full responsibilities for. You're confusing two very different topics.
Here, Microsoft is trying to be a micromanaging parent. If, say, my teacher assigned me an overnight assignment, and my parents demanded I go to bed right after I got home, who is to blame there?
Me, for not considering i might need a workaround, and sneaking in a flashlight so I could handle things on my own? Or my parents, for sabotaging the things I need to get done?
Nevermind in this instance apparently my parents have inexplicably smashed every flashlight in the county.

All the sentiments you're expressing are givens, but they simply don't apply to this topic.

Some users can control the updates while others can't even resort to registry hacks to gain control anymore.

From this thread we've come to the conclusion that that seems to be primarily due to region- the EU (with their more consumer-protective legislation) apparently limited the type of behaviors Win10 could affect, and as such Win10 is a lot more reasonable in the EU than it is in the States.

I believe noone from the US has yet mentioned not having the issues at all, and that the only ones that've mentioned being able to fix their issues have tried (combinations of) approaches that I have not yet tried (or are on mobile devices with metered connections set). So the matter may actually be a lot more consistent than it appears at first glance.
But yes, even if it is that inconsistent for US users, it doesn't diminish how severe the problem can be for those affected.

Or, if one were to put a tinfoil cap on. The core issue is that Microsoft is intentionally breaking key features of Windows 10 in order to take more control of our digital lives.

Don't have to tinfoil that, the anniversary update removal of the group policy allowing you to manage updates has thus far been indicated to have been intentional. I'm also not sure that willful incompetence is any different than deliberate sabotage. If you see a fire and you have a bucket of water in hand, it doesn't matter if you set the house on fire or not, if you don't use that bucket before the house goes aflame you're still responsible for it burning down. "I want to see the world burn" ends up being the mindset either way.
Well, agree with that or not, responsibility does still fall onto them to provide a minimally functional product, as we were assured we'd receive.

relatively intelligent debate

The only truly intelligent debate is that of "Cake or Pie".
Pie, by the way- obviously.