Sorry but I have to agree, a big part of the support community is like a conglomeration of elitist hackers with a mindset of "linux is for hackers", "linux shouldn't become too user-friendly", "if you can't use it don't try" and "stop noobifying linux". Sad as it is, they are also the ones that propogate the image, that linux is for pros only.

Since most hardware is available for operating systems with the biggest user-base (Windows and Mac) your statement is simply not true. I could pick any hardware store around, walk in and ask them for linux compatible hardware and most of the time they'll just give me a blank stare or respond with "you simply have to try it out". Why else are there databases on the web of linux-compatible hardware ?

To trash something that looks like an explosive

It's a "CD-R" so still clunky, cumbersome for transport of big amounts of data and write-once read-only. Personally I'm sick of CDs and DVDs mainly because the CD and DVD drives still have problems with them (not all DVDs are recognized/can be read) and they represent an era I'd like to leave behind. This may be great for archivists but for normal users it'll be like a step back.

And how do you know this ?

This might come up on TV and if it does lawmakers will pretend to do something about it, just like they've always been doing and suddenly everybody will be fine with no change.
Some things will never change.

Was about to post a similar statement, but you nailed it :)

Since this uses specific js-tech/js-functions, is there a way to block specific js-functions ? e.g block calls to ajax by specific websites, cuz a website could easily mask as something useful but make calls to java functions that could be used for mischief.

The Pirate Party allegedly already has a similar system in place, where any party member can vote on current issues or bring up new ones for discussion. The idea is full disclosure and - I call it - radical democracy, a system which I btw fully support. Outside of the U.S I know it's working pretty well, because there's a different political system.

Please at least post a link to backup that claim. Here's my link showing the education spending by % of GDP. As of today(24.7.2011), the United States are #37. Maybe the annual total of U.S education spending is more, but you also have what ~300M people.

And I think at least Californian students would disagree with your claim that

after the major budget cuts.

In closing I would claim spending might not be the only issue for education in the U.S, but it is high up there with the education system being a mess itself. Fear not America ! You are not alone with your crappy educational system !

So for an internet connection that costs around $25 a month, with 25 KB/s upstream, an ebook that's ~1MB which takes ~a minute to upload, which is 1/43200 of a month actually worth ($25/43200) $0,000578704, so not even a penny (!) I'm supposed to pay $1-$2 ? Yeah that seems right.

If I like a book I donate what I think it's worth, which has been more than the general price so far, because I also pay for the good time the book brought me. Just as an example, a celeb's hair strain would be of no value to the celeb, but to a fan that really loves it the strain would be worth a few (hundred ?) bucks.

Digital conversion ? I'm hoping you don't mean scanning and OCR, because I'm seriously not paying for a digital-to-paper-to-digital "conversion". That is an unnecessary process not worth a penny !

Author's address ? I'm not sending paper money, per mail ! If I'd be that nostalgic, I wouldn't be reading ebooks in the first place.

I find books I want to read on review sites or book forums, download the books from any place I can get them for free and later post a donation directly to the author - that is if the book was a good read. I do not like paying the middle man and their "services" more money than they are worth. Why should I pay a "transfer fee" ? Why does the ebook cost as much as the paperback or sometimes even as much as the hardcover ?

Exactly ! It's about time that money's spent better, say in education

If Anonymous wants control over their posts, private data, friends-lists, etc. how about just joining diaspaora and helping the development instead of trying to reinvent the wheel ?

I fully support this and have saved this quote !

I'm feeling compelled to see how far I can get with getting pastafirism or even kopimism recognized as a religion in my country. I hope others are under this compulsion too and this turns into a worldwide thing. That would be quite funny and hopefully an eyeopener to some people :)