Whether or not you think the FCC's alleged power over internet connections is useful, legit, or otherwise constitutional, there -is- a new influence that we can now bring to bear against people trying to disrupt the structure of the internet, e.g. Comcast v. L3:

The FCC has shown itself to be vulnerable to PTC-style interventions, where a large segment of organized users more-or-less simultaneously demands intervention against a regulated entity--see nipplegate for details.

A PTC-like organization of interested internet users (Hey, Anonymous--you guys reading this?) could force the FCC to levy fines against ISPs that engaged in activities that contravene usability of the internet for various users.

What we have here is an opportunity. Sure, the whole structure is not perfect, but that can be changed. Let's -use- this opportunity.

Well, to spend would require passing the token (read: handing over the bill) to the new owner.

Key generation by private individuals could be prevented through custom exotic machine architecture without which the algorithms don't work--say, quantum-processed base-(largeprime) calculations. It wouldn't last forever, of course; doubtless, someone would be able to eventually crack the base-2305843009213693951 calculations that generate the keys, but by that time the new series of bills would be out ;-p

If it became necessary to inflate the bitcoin supply, issuing a new series based on the same algorithm would be more than possible, by the looks of it. O'course, calibrating the exchange rate between bitcoin.v.1 and bitcoin.v.2 would be a fun exercise in applied economic theory...

Or, alternatively, the bitcoins are technically divisible by several places more than is currently supported. Updating the clients for one more decimal place gives you more options.

A more effective way would be for the NSA to run the client on its server farms for a few days, and amass a controlling interest in the concern ;-p

Now here's an interesting thought--bear with me here--what if the serial number were generated as the public key to a private key hidden in the electronics in the note? That way, the authenticity could be verified easily, and, as a bonus, individual bills could be used as crypto keys.

That would likely be why they want to deposit so many of them--so that if they wear or wash off, there will still be enough of 'em to work.

You've not seen txtspeak before, then?

Considering that the rules apply only to exams taken by middle and high school students, by then, spelling should be less of a concern than content, structure, and adherence to the theme given for the writing. Spellcheck is a tool that they'll be using for 'real life' implementation of the skills being tested, so it seems fairly reasonable to allow them its use.

I don't have $149, and am neither a student nor Canadian.

I'll stick with a competing product that works and costs less, thank you.

I think that Google Docs, for better or for worse, will end up having a bigger impact than OpenOffice (or any forks thereof): it comes from a recognizeable 'brand name' and it's got an interface that people are reasonably familiar with. It also "just works"--nothing to install or configure or whatnot.

When it comes down to the end user, that's going to be one of the biggest criteria for what platform to adopt--and if it were a choice between google docs and MS Office, most people I know would pick the cheaper and easier option.

Besides, MS doesn't package Office with Windows--but they do package 'the internet'.

...on what large account threatened to go to OpenOffice if Microsoft kept nagging 'em?

More seriously (because I know how enterprise licensing works, and I know that an enterprise account was not likely the reason behind this) I dare say that the program simply wasn't profitable--that people either cracked the program to stop nagging 'em if they pirated it, or went to some competitor. No profits = no use nagging.

By rolling the text into the illustrations, AFAIK.

Epub is an XML derivative, I think, so if you want a particular layout you'll have to keep that in mind--and the only way to ensure that is to make the book a series of pictures.

I've been looking into small-scale publishing, so I actually have an answer for this:

Nope.

Kindle accepts .mobi, but the spiffy Amazon features are a little bit locked down for outsiders.

nook and most everybody else will accept epub, though. Smashwords has some interesting agreements with ebook retailers, where they will submit your book to several different outlets for a (rather reasonable) cut of the sales.

Once I finish editing my book, I think I may well go with them.