Who needs social networks online?

Facebook solves a very serious problem. Are you too happy? Is it uncomfortable being happier than everyone else? Facebook is the answer. Read Facebook use predicts declines in happiness, new study finds. Or download the scientific paper.

Uh, no. 'A significant hike in the minimum wage' would mean those jobs would be automated away, too.

Yes, exactly. Their reply to my comment ignored the content of my comment that they were replying to. I don't get it, either.

Still, the 6502 is simple enough that we'll probably be able to 3D print them soon :).

Hey! No "your mom" jokes here!

But ... who should back it, and why? Who has a financial interest in you actually retaining a figment of privacy?

What you just said is for the average computer user about on par with using a JTAG interface. If you can't walk it's moot whether you should climb 2 or 20 stairs.

Umm... how do these forged drivers get the blessing from MS to be considered drivers that you can install without clicking through half a dozen "this is not the driver you're looking for" screens?

Android is all about tracking everything you do to send you ads, so I doubt it's doing the same. I should check mine sometime.

None of those examples are obvious 'make-work' jobs. They're jobs that haven't been automated away, but they're jobs that need doing for the company to function.

Make-work jobs are jobs which exist soley to employ people, like getting one guy to dig a hole and the other to fill it in. Or where any sane company could have automated the job away, but they refuse to do so just to keep people employed.

You said 'no (private, US) company is wiling to' do large scale chip fabrication.

So what do you call Intel?

I think you mean "superior to", because "better than" is based on a judgement by others. You could make an objective judgement based on numbers of some sort, there.