I wasn't aware that hardcore playing required common courtesy or morals.

I would be a bit skeptical. When the last expansion hit, you had players who had play-tested the beta and hit the ground running to go from 80 - 85 in ~5hrs. 1 - 80 in ~19hrs might be possible. But in any case - we're talking experienced players running a strategy as efficiently as possible.

When I run new characters for fun, I hit 10 in about an hour. Usually hit 20s on the 2nd day. But I've been playing since the start. I understand the mechanics of the game. And occasionally, I gift my lowbies with gear. I would expect casual players just starting out to get a good several days if not weeks of poking around before they hit the cap. More so if they try out different character classes.

As for advertisements - bah. You might not have noticed, but occasionally /. talks about games and has been talking about WoW in various ways since before it was first released. Arguably, before it was even WoW.

Well - to be fair I don't think we've really progressed to that point. I think there's a perception issue. My point being that Android is closer to general purpose computing than other smartphone environments and within that context, there's a lot of options.

Eh. Geeks and nerds; not always the best communicators.

Amazing. We've gone from general purpose computing with hundreds of thousands of stores all providing software to if it's not in one location, it doesn't exist. All within a generation.

I suspect those who know what a torrent is and how to use it will have no problem changing a setting and checking a bookmark.

Most Android environments do not require the Market to install apps (I say most because inevitably someone's customized Android environment will force you to use their market).

When we get to that point, then sound the alarm. As it is, we're not there yet.

I find it to be less of a reason to try something out and more looking for insight from others. I can look at a toolbox and bang around with a few tools on my own. But I might overlook the finer points of a particular tool. If someone has a better understanding of those tools and can point out some great uses, then that will certainly give me something to look out for when poking around on my own. I may not find things to my liking. But hopefully I won't be missing something that I would have found really useful.

It stops being funny when people truly believe - much like Scientology.

The article is over five years old, but I think it still is quite applicable today: The Submarine. The trick seems to be having awareness of this manipulation, looking for it, and being able to communicate those findings. Politics breeds that kind of watchdog (especially in the current environment). But I don't think you'll find it in every arena on every issue.

That's not to say your view lacks insight. I suspect there is a lot of news that is news because it was in the news - especially within tech. But I also suspect that simply leaves tech news wide open to manipulation either by priming the pump or providing information to feed the cycle beneficial to your message. And unlike the political arena, tech watchdogs rarely become the news which greatly reduces the effectiveness of uncovering manipulation.

Only if consumers are buying an Android phone. The advertising I see usually pushes the carrier or the manufacturer. Android is a bullet statement. For example, driving in to work I heard an Ad for Cricket offering the Ascend phone "powered by Android" (manufactured by Chinese company Huawei - I suspect this is right in line with the subject at hand). Which leads me to wonder what name will come to mind if the consumer looks at their device and decides it's a crappy phone. Will they blame Cricket, Huawei (which doesn't even get air time - maybe consumers will identify it simply as the Ascend), or Android?

I stopped using Debian mostly because it was too slow to update.

I both envy and loathe you. More envy. When are you outfitting your roadster with a custom engine tone?

Because the tech they were selling at $120k is not the tech that they're selling at $50k.

No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.

I'm sure the RIAA would prefer you to simply delete everything and buy it again. Just to be sure. Remember... these are the folks who swore it was illegal to rip your own CDs and firmly believed you should have an individually purchased copy of media for each individual player you used.