Yep, skype is perfectly good at:

• * Keeping records of everyone you talk to
• * Keeping records of all your conversations
• * Playing at security while exposing everything you do (your encryption is only between you and the server)
• * Being a flaky piece of crap that has lock up issues, and requires far too invasive an install when all it is is a network accessing application.

I apologize for my humor impairment. Not enough caffeine....

If you check the name and person out, you'll understand why I used it and not Prince.

Nope, there's situations when a group you don't have control of decides to use something as terrible as Skype for their group conversations. If that is work related, you have little choice in the matter.

You likely selected to never store conversations at some point in the past. 99% of Skype users probably don't know that is possible.

You are smoking crack. Web developers, those writing crappy PHP websites or just straight HTML do not have a clue about security. Those writing enterprise apps at least know what the word means, but the general web page developer still does exactly 0 security work.

And displays an incredibly bad error condition handling in the codebase. There's a reason I only used Skype when forced to. Although now I might enjoy it - all MS users send me a message at MSisDaBomb!

AD doesn't play well with anyone. It's still a crappy directory and I don't think anything will ever change that short of a wholesale replacement.

Well, what that proves is that it isn't about race, but name bias. I'll bet something like Bjork ranks low as well.

It is expensive, until you need a reliable wireless connection. Then, compared to Cisco and other business class routers, the APE is an absolute bargain. Yes, you don't get enterprisey management, but all I want or need is a reliable wireless connection. Linksys, D-link, TrendNet, Buffalo, etc have all failed at this basic requirement for a wireless router. I used to get a new router every 3-6 months or so as the current one went flaky. Tallied up the costs in a year and decided to buy an APE. 5 years later, still running the same APE and it's been rebooted only a handful of times. I'm considering getting a new one only to get the upgraded wireless speeds.

It's more like 2 decades since ssh first hit the internet. And I came here to retract the other day's comment that MS still didn't support the industry standard, well, will soon support the standard...

I agree with the AC however, cygwin is a pain, enough so that I switched to Linux and macs to get real shell support. Granted, since I stopped running any windows at all more than 5 years ago, I can't state that cygwin still sucks, as I haven't seen it in that time.

And then you have pilots like Lubitz who's only the latest in a string of such pilots.

You should never short-change your emergency fund, and at 200K+ a year, sorry, I don't care where you live. I and my friends have lived on a lot less in various portions of the country that you're naming. Granted, it's not always where you *want* to live, but it is way way way beneath the means of someone earning 6 figures. Otherwise waitresses, busboys, doormen and fast food workers would all be earning well into 6 figures. He's living far beyond his means if his stated circumstances are true. And the old quote "just because you can, doesn't mean you should" holds here too. Live like you earn 100K in his case, and his finances will be fine in short order.

And that is a large part of the problem. The "music industry" has a lock on all marketing avenues that matter, if you don't sign with the gatekeeper, you will 99.999% of the time fail. Even if you discover an indie band that you like, if they don't sign, they'll most likely fail.

Yeah, I'm sorry, no pity here - you're making over 210K / year, and you don't have at least 2 years run rate and a hefty retirement savings account you can fall back on? Sounds like you majorly failed at money management 101 - spend less than you earn and put at least 20% away in savings. BTW, that 20% is for people at an average salary, in your case, no matter where you live, you should be dropping at least 40% into savings, and likely more.