Yes. For speed purposes. RAID read speeds vastly outstrip drives on their own. I can't do most of what I do (working with large datasets) without hardware RAID.

I have an 8TB server that also uses an additional 1.5TB of drive storage for system and temporary data. I back everything up to a grid storage system based on tahoe; the other servers running in my house together combine to form enough space to back up my larger server--even with the expansion required to form a 3-of-5 method set of erasure code blocks per-file.

The tahoe grid is probably more reliable, combined, than the big server. If some of the machines die, it's really not a big deal: tahoe makes sure that the overall grid is fault-tolerant. Their favourite quip: "tahoe, the axe-resistant filesystem."

I refuse to use online backup systems because my datasets are so huge. Really the only protection I'll get anyway is if I back this stuff up into spare drives and dump them into a safety deposit box somewhere.

If you create a farce out of it, you are making it more likely that the people get what they want, which is freedom for TPB, while still giving the Americans the sort of justice they're demanding (which is to say, secretly (but then not-so-secretly) biased judgement and a sneaky underhanded attempt to manipulate the justice system in their own favour.)

I love it. I think, if it was done on purpose for that reason, it's genius, which I suppose wouldn't be a first for the Swedes. :)

Nah it's not. The fact that it has external internet connectivity at all (whether it's periodic or not) means that preventing simultaneous access is completely pointless, because all you're doing is time-shifting the attack vector.

nsswitch.conf:
      hosts: files dns

Put your stuff in /etc/hosts. Done.

Seems simple enough to me.

... did they absorb in the attempt?

.. comfort is NOT IT. Instead, footwear protects us from worms, parasites, and infectious diseases. Oh, and people like this:

http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2006/4/30/91945/8971 ... and then his follow up three years later:

http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2009/3/16/3408/66053 ... which doesn't mention the fact that he's now SELLING these worms to people.

How amusing.

You think you are capable of determining in precise and specific amounts every benefit you receive as a result of living in a society.

.. that this guy was the author of The Crystal Empire:

http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Empire-L-Neil-Smith/dp/031294070X

That was a horrible book.

But Poor Ballard.. oh well.

Right. And what about the cyclists who don't use highways and thus don't want to pay taxes to support them?

Or, a closer analogy might be childless couples: why should they have to pay taxes to fund schools?

It's the same thing, and this sort of argument just displays ignorance of the topic. Canada currently has a tax on blank media: this is a directed tax which is then forwarded on to copyright conglomerates who them redistribute the monies to artists. Taxes don't have to be universal..

That is incorrect. Only stupid people argue that economic reasons create a right to copy.
The ease with which it is copied doesn't make it right.

The benefit of sharing with a friend is what can make it right.

Perhaps they make this claim as outrageous as possible in order to guarantee a loss in court and still save face overall?

INSWPKUABIAISP.

Hitting them only teaches them to hit. Don't hit your kid.

-12? -15 C? wtf..?! That's not cold!

And.. so when the links that Wikipedia article itself points to state that there are currently 50 conditions that can be treated by autologous cord blood transplants.. and the fact that the cord blood can be used by anyone in the family who turns out to be a match, are you just quoting out of context because you didn't read any further, or are you serious?