Particularly Wastebook, stand up and do the same.

I was concentrating more on exploratory endeavors, but you make a very valid point. Thanks for mentioning it.

Of your three examples, it seems to me the only real contender for a purely corporate endeavor is the Massachusetts Bay Company.

The Hudson's Bay Company, and the East India Company in particular, appear to be more quasi-governmental concerns, birthed by royal fiat, benefiting those in government who invested, allowing ample plausible deniability for inhumane actions against indigenous people and whose assets were eventually folded back into government.

Many major exploratory endeavors were subsidized:

Columbus, subsidized by Queen Isabella.

Louis and Clark, commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and subsidized by the US government

The transcontinental railroad, subsidized by the US government via the Pacific Railroad Acts of 1862 and 1864.

The interstate highway system, which enabled US citizens to truly explore their own country was brought about through the US taxpayer at the behest of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

NASA was subsidized.

The initial ventures into "cyberspace" came about through the direction of DARPA, an arm of government.

In fact, looking back, private industry hasn't really gotten involved until a clear profit potential was identified. So yeah, I'm going to have to side with Neil on this one.

Apple lawyer: "Who clicked the mouse?"

Defendant: [inarticulate mumble]

Apple lawyer: "I'm sorry, the court can't hear you. Your Honor, would you please inst..."

Defendant: [Yells] "I can't take it anymore! I DID! I clicked it! God help me...I did."

Apple lawyer: "Your Honor, I rest my case."

I don't think Egypt and the Arab states should be held out as role models.

They already "work" less than they "vacation" and now they want to have the ability to legislate naked?

Is there anything else they'd like? Cabana boys? Oh, wait, the have pages for that.

Before Rupert & Company came on the scene

When you can bash a household names hardware and have your eatery splashed over the interwebs?

"What does it take to get a patent request rejected these days?"

A lack of payola, pure and simple.

So, in the name of security, Apple XProtects users of Snow Leopard and higher from the evil Java.

In the meantime Oracle's update is only good for Lion or better.

But usage numbers from last month showed 10.6 and lower as being the largest installed base of Mac OS.

I'm not seeing how either action works to the greater good of Mac users, especially since Oracle has updates good for XP.

Lt. [Redacted] : "Where's the abort button?!"
Sound of deep throated rumbling in the background
Sgt. [Redacted] : "It melted, sir"
Lt. [Redacted] : "WHAT?! Why on God's green Earth would it MELT?!"
Fighting to be heard over what is obviously the sound of an rocket lifting off
Sgt. [Redacted] : "It's a safety feature, sir. To preserve the integrity of the mission."
Lt. [Redacted] : "FERCRYIN' OUT LOUD!! WE'RE STILL IN THE LAUNCH T..."
BZZZT!*~

So everyone clinging to Snow Leopard and below (even though they remain the bulk of Mac OS installs in use [OSX version graph], are left hanging in the wind.

GJ Oracle.

This just goes to show, once again, spell check â proof reading.

Watch the news and laugh at the stampedes.