You're exactly right.

Al Qaeda was the example I was going to use, but a lot of people aren't aware that it is a fictional organization and seem to not like being told this, despite the fact that it is true and verifiable.

Just because some western polticians and corporate news networks refer to it incessantly like a bogeyman doesn't mean it exists; in fact, in this day and age it very likely means you really need to check into any purported bogeymen that are repeatedly mentioned by either.

There is no reason why they should need THAT MUCH MONEY on an annual basis.

I lovew the idea behind Wikipedia, and I love the site itself - but it's grown increasingly political as far as editing goes - other posts have made that point already.

I think ads are a bad idea, it would just compromise the site faster than size, egos, and donors with agendas already have.

I agree.

I think it's entirely possible that "Anonymous" could be an operation specifically designed to give the governments of the world an excuse to try to ban anonymity online.

That is the sort of method that these governments use when they wish to curtail a freedom, or criminalize something that the populace would NEVER support criminalization of. Create a bogeyman, build it up in the media and the minds of the public and legisltors, and then cry out that "it must be stopped."

I am NOT saying that this IS the case, but I think it's something that should be considered as I am convinced that the powers that be see the internet (as it is now, fairly open) as a major threat to their pwoer and dominance - and in a way it is to them because it stops the corporate monopoly on news and information, it allows people to learn about things they'd never be able to find out about otherwise. It allows organization of people instantly, regardless of location worldwide and gives people access to information and resources fairly anonymously that they otherwise would never have access to.

It is a great equalizer when it comes to information distribution and organization - and those are two things that are an anathema to those who want to control populaces.

Obviously they just don't get it.

If you say you are a member of "Anonymous," then at that moment you are a member of "Anonymous."

If, several minutes later, you say "I am not a member of "Anonymous," then you are not a member of "Anonymous."

Anybody can be a member, for any amount of time. There are no central lists, no membership rosters.....in many ways the organization doesn't exist, it;s a "dis-organization."

Like they'd come out and admit it if it IS true.

Single player games rule.

Two perfect examples of this are Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (an amazing game, way more polished and varied than the last two - which were good as well - and it has a multiplayer mode, but the single player campaign is where it's at - I've already got about 60 hours invested and I am still not done) and Mass Effect 2 - two GREAT games.

I like multiplayer gaming when I am in the mood for it, but it's not as immersive of an experience.

This guy is short sighted and is primarily focused on the financial benefits of having a game that can be repeatedly milked with DLC and other such.

Whatever; EA makes some great games, but they sure have ignorant people when it comes to PR of this sort.

Giving it to Obama proved that it's totally meaningless. ....the ironic thing here though, is that it's packed with allegorical meaning in that that prize and the way it was given to Obama is the perfect example of what the US stands for now - a meaningless "peace" prize founded by an arms manufacturer given to the "leader" of a sole superpower country that talks peace more than any other, but does more to create war and show disdain for peace than any other country in the world right now. There's some meaning for you.

Considering that one thing we heard when the decision to give this to Obama was questioned worldwide was that "The decided to give it to him because he ended Bush's reign, and Bush had started 2 wars, tons of illegal prisons, authorized torture, etc - and the funny thing is that despite all of his talk, Obama is doing EXACTLY the same thing.

We'll call it UCANNT *rimshot*

Universal Co-op for Assigned Names, Numbers and Timeservers

Seriously though, I do think a backup system would be a good idea....It's needed in order to stop the growing attempts (that I think we're going to see a lot more of) to control, censor, filter, and police the internet....Due to the practicalities involved in how the system works, I am not certain how plausible it would be to have two competing systems while everything is working smoothly, and there are other points where the system could be messed with, but having a framework in place might not be a bad idea with the political realities we live in...

No.

Speaking for myself, there are only three reasons I don't finish games (and most of the ones I play I finish):

Getting stuck a ridiculously difficult part: If the game is good, then I always finish it unless I get hopelessly stuck somewhere and try and try and try to get past it, but cantt. I then get tired of it and move on to something else, but this hardly ever happens anymore. Now what I usually do is set it aside and come back to it later, with fresh eyes, and that usually works.

Quality issues: If I quit early on, then the game just wasn't compelling or was too boring or had way too many bugs, etc.

Something new and much more interesting comes out and I start playing that; if the initial game I was playing was a quality, compeling game, then I'll return to it fresh....

I can't imagine anyone not finishing a Mass Effect game though, unless the reason is time - those games are so fun and they're quite easy.

the meager sum of 8k dollars.

It has 48k!!! (updated from 32)....I have the original tape drive AND the dual floppy drive, as well as one of those monitors where everything is green.

As well as:

          *Apple Trek (Killing Klarnons is awesome, trust me, when you fire a photon torpedo that looks exactly like this: * and see it shooting across the green screen in 8 bit glory, you'll know that all the money you spent on an Xbox360/PS3 was truly wasted.

          *Mystery House

          *Wizardry (actually, this was a really cool game...when I was 10).

I am certain that Steve Jobs was in the same building that this machine was built in...at some point, or maybe not, but if youre really super 133t you can strip out the chassis and put a mini ATX mobo in there, rig some kind of fan system, install windows 7 and then install an Apple ][ emulator and STILL play all of those great games I just mentioned (oh yeah, plus "The Bard's Tale,").

This is so stupid.

More security theatre. I think the real terrorists work in DC.

Unless it's clearly child porn -

But it's total bullshit if any cops anywhere think they can arrest people for looking drunk, or being seen in a photo with a bottle of booze even if they're underage - or a photo of someone smoking something out of a bong or pipe - there is no way they could prove what the substance was, and while I am not sure about the UK, in the US our legal system hasn't eroded to that point yet, I am sure it probably will as we continue our descent into fascism and away from the rule of law.

it's bad enough that people think that the system works how it oes on TV and it's a hell of a rude awakening when you find out just how ridiculously fucked up it really is as it stands now.

Sounds like something that could be exploited...

It's true. The average gunfight lasts mere seconds...now, what happened an Kent State was anything but average, but still...over a minute?

There are so many things that are wrong with what happened that day, from all of the evidence, it looks to me and many others like this was orchestrated...someone wanted the anti war college students to be fired on, likely within the FBI - cointelpro, etc.