I was flying to Brisbane from Melbourne just before Christmas and my only thought, as I lined up for 20 minutes to get through the huge crowd at security, was that I felt insanely less-safe in that small enclosed space with 200-400 other people than I did on the plane.

If you attack the plane it requires thought, planning, and luck. Compare that to just blowing yourself up in an unmoderated stagnat enclosed queue. They are shifting the threat to another venue that is easier to exploit which can only support the Security Theatre argument.

Then again, Australia has never had a terrorist attack on its soil and ASIO is doing a bang up job getting those who are plotting, so why aren't we giving them this money?

That's all fine and dandy if you know that the source you are downloading is in fact the source that everyone has reviewed. And, if you're paranoid enough to go along with things like Iron this is something that would concern you. However, I'd be willing to bet that the majority of Iron users are actually downloading the binary which really could have anything in it so my first point is moot.

This another choice that you knowingly allow yourself to make. Two adults should be able to maintain separate incomes, spending, and control of their money in a committed relationship without a problem. This includes rent, bills, and mortgages (though maybe not children? I can't comment on that yet) where you both commit to have an amount paid regularly. I don't think in my current long term relationship I've ever even known the general balance of my partners bank account and I've never wanted to. The important part of a relationship is that you're fair and there to help when needed, if you're able... Pet needs to go to the vet and the other doesn't have the cash up front? Simple. Lost your job and need to be covered for a few months until you're sorted? Tough but you'd expect the same in return. Partner doesn't think you've paid enough of the bills recently? Got it, next few bills are on me.

Allowing your SO to control your bank account is a trade-off that so many people make and then complain about.

I'm pretty sure the rest of us left Internet Explorer due to its lack of bloat (no modern features at all) and its total lack of churn ('IE6 is perfect, it'll never need another release!').

Guess you just have a short memory.

The summary uses the word 'infamous' to describe the original announcement. In my mind it could only be considered infamous if they made a simple and blatant error. As it looks to a layman they have made an error but in finding the error physics will gain some interesting knowledge it didn't have before. If the latter is true then I'd imagine this would be remembered for all the right reasons not all the wrong ones.

Would this be the case or is the physics world full of jerks?

Don't worry, I'm sure they're just saving it for 'S'...

Suspicious Spheniscidae

I signed up for the express purpose of untagging myself from all photos that include me. I've found, not even using the most strict privacy options, I've been able to limit the exposure of my privacy fine. Marketing companies can still deduce my friendship groups, where I work, my rough age, and where I went to school but all of that was public knowledge once FB became popular regardless of my participation.

In exchange for this it's facilitated my ability to keep up with friends across two continents.

Regarding the 'Like' button tracking me I'd thought everyone would have assumed that something like this was going on. It doesn't surprise me at all.