They used state of the art simulation software, of course.

The PS3 used to be able to rip Bluray DVDs merely by using dd. I assume that Sony put a stop to that, however.

So how often do you download a package from somewhere, unpack it, and go line by line through the source to make sure it's safe before installing it on your box? Probably not very often, because that would be a huge pain and even most Linux users won't be able to understand the code well enough to make a good judgment. On a server box, you'll likely stick to production repositories direct from your vendor, so the risk of malware is low, but I'm sure most people have downloaded packages from third parties for their desktop systems and run them without being absolutely sure they were safe. With Linux, you can get away with this because none of the malware writers care enough about Linux to port their software to it, but they certainly would if it gained significant market share.

Well, yes, but how important is the choice of metal when you're not actually dueling to the death?

That would be all well and good if the application of law was actually clearly dictated to solve a problem.

However, if you've ever watched a court case involving a victim (or a victim's family), especially one with a jury and ESPECIALLY one involving the media, the closing statement is always hinged on "help the victim feel that justice was done". And inevitably, the jury decision hinges strongly on the victim (and family) on the stand, crying about how they won't ever feel whole until this crazy man is locked up forever.

On the macro and philosophical level the justice system may be about solving a problem, but on the micro psychological level, it's about revenge and retribution.

While I don't necessarily disagree with you, I just want to make sure you understand that when you consider both sides.

The device should be fused internally at an appropriate amperage(i.e. just a bit more than it is expected to draw at maximum load; but less than the current that would render it unsafe).

If it isn't, your next of kin can use the life insurance money to buy a better one.

The new controller for mature games would need to have force feedback and be waterproof and washable.

That's a pretty good analogy. And, taking it further, IQ has no capability whatsoever of measuring the effectiveness of recursive comedy.

Videotron does the same thing. Even though downloading content is (currently) legal in Canada (we pay a tax on storage media). I can download for about half an hour before my entire connection dies, requiring a reboot of my modem. Not throttled - killed.

Ahh! If I've just been exposing on personal responsibility, I probably don't plan on collecting social security (I don't; I don't even plan on retiring in the US in 30-40 years). My first comment also covers your second argument.

It's never been an issue for me, and out of my approximately 15 years in IT, I've spent about 10 of them working for gaming or wagering companies. If anything, gaming or wagering companies seem to prefer people with experience in that industry, so in effect you are probably creating more opportunities for yourself down the track rather than less.

Oh, and if you're getting into a highly regulated area such as slots or table games, you'll find that you'll have no choice but to gain skills in careful attention to detail in areas like version control, configuration management, hardware control, and security. That sort of rigour in those important things will serve you well no matter what your next role.

Yeah so we've known for some time that running a file sharing site for illegally redistributed content is bad news from a legal liability standpoint ... but I am still surprised by what kinds of activities in our modern age get you jail time.

Is the fundamental issue "loss of money"? Well, the executives of the big banks in the world -- men like Charles Prince (Citigroup), Angelo Mozilo (Countrywide - collapsed), Alan Schwartz (Bear Stearns - collapsed) -- have lost far more money. They have lost money for investors, customers, and more recently taxpayers and even your children and your children's children. The damage caused by the systems they were responsible for is far greater han any of these file sharing misdemeanors. This is like comparing an out of control leaf fire in someone's backyard to the carpet bombing of a city.

But what happens to investment bank executives who lost ridiculous sums (we're talking trillions) and ruined the lives of many? Probably nothing... hell, the previous Goldman Sachs CEO was put in charge of the US Treasury Department (Paulson) where he proceeded to redistribute public money to colleagues. Some may argue that men like Paulson, Greenspan, and Bernanke are committing acts of treason by taking money out of the national treasury and diverting it into the hands of the wealthiest elite, the top 1% of society.

But don't expect to see any of these men in jail any time soon. Because in this world, the people who commit the grandest acts of financial theft and destruction are rewarded with lavish salaries and pensions, while the jails are filled with pot smokers, shoplifters, and guys who run file sharing web sites.