You're not the only one.
It's not that early games didn't have copy-protection. They just didn't demand you create an account and have your game maintain a connection to some authentication server in order for you to play.
I've avoided games that insist on some kind of online activation for a while now, and this is one reason why. All I want to do is stuff the disk in and play the game, and in these days of multi-terabyte hard disk drives, inserting the disk should be optional. Egosoft for example ensure genuine customers get support and updates by having you put your game key into a user profile on their web forums. That and the Steam nonsense is all optional though. Insert disk, install game, put the disk somewhere safe and don't bother touching it again, then play as much as you like.
Or then there's Gratuitious Space Battles, or obligatory mention of gog.com - there's still some choice out there for people who want to have fun without a side helping of malware and hacking risk.
I know the text says "Windows User", but it's the only one that looks like a grumpy old bloke.