I thought "Basil" was the dealer's name... :P

Algorithms may be racist, depends on the sample data you feed it. If the dataset is biased, the result will be biased.

Math may be racist, Statistics, Surveys, Engineering, Business. Because the problem design, layout, definition is done by people.
- Oh, and don't even get me started with the Humanities...

That would make a great fashionable T-Shirt.

The thing about food quality is that it's related not only to consistency but also to taste. In the name of efficiency, high yield and uniformity, all these industrial settings are squeezing out the taste from whatever they're producing.

Heck, the hydrophonically-grown butter lettuce I'm buying from Costco tastes like sh*t compared to something grown in real garden soil.

So no, this is not quality, unless we're talking about specialty plants, such as maryjane.

Tip of the iceberg.

Even if you have all the files on hand there's still a really REALLY long process involving the installation of sometimes hundreds of patches requiring a varied number of reboots along the way generating multiple system restore points, and then filling your Windows installation with several gigs of rollback information, uninstall information and other associated cruft that can only be partially removed by running the Disk Clean-up tool with administrator privileges (which for some reason even with an SSD takes about 20 minutes).

I'd be happy with more regular service packs, or even a rolling service pack, like a single download that packages all updates in one single install that runs once, reboots once and then gives the user the option to remove all trace of itself.

Given that there is little to no change from the current practice, that you still can install patches at your leisure when you want;
And that they will NOT share your WiFi password unless you specifically opt-in on the device;

I'm going to call your complaints mindless hyperbole, or anti-MS FUD. Take your pick.

The problem is fundamentally Microsoft tried to introduce a game changer into the market. They can do it, but as history shows they are only able to do it slowly forcing it by rote. Apple revolutionises the industry overnight, Microsoft revolutionises it by pushing shit uphill (Windows 95 being about the only exception to this rule).

Windows tablets are either horrible or expensive. People's impression of tablets is one of a consumption device rather than a working device. This is fundamentally incompatible with the horrible or expensive model as people either expect good things from cheap devices or don't want to pay good money for a device they see as a purely consumption device.

This is slowly changing. Just like MS took a major loss on the original XBox, the 3rd generation Surface devices are finally the ones that are taking off. So as to your original comment I would rewrite it as "The Tablet did take off. Just not Windows Tablets. ... yet"

I see more and more Windows tablets in people's hands, but if you compare it statistically to the Android / iOS tablets instead of laptops then Windows tablets have abysmal market share and growth.

Normally products are released Open Source as that they are not part of their business model.
If your business model is based on consulting, then for the most part it makes sense for most of your products that you make to be Open Source as you are not expecting to make money selling software, but consulting services.
Even if your model is selling software, particular tools that you make are outside of your sales area. Say if you make Electronic Health Records as your core business, your Web Framework that you made, or tools that you use for searching data etc... You might want to Open Source.
There is some advantages in Opening Source such systems.
1. You might get some support outside the company to fix bugs, make improvements etc...
2. Your company will get some good will for releasing the free tool.
3. Your code may create a workforce trained in your system, so there is less training for new hires.
4. You may be able to become the standard, vs trying to deal with a large sets of different methods all closed and expensive. You could kill your competition from you pet project.

Yep. Reddit isn't serious about anything until she's gone.

Anyone who ever subscribed to Star Wars Galaxies experienced this exact kind of management. SOE endlessly would apologize for their "lack of communication" then proceed to continue on their destructive changes no one liked not altering their course one degree.

Ah. You mean like regulations have eliminated torrents and drugs, right?

I've been dabbling with standing desks a lot, and am getting to really like them, except that I find standing for extended periods considerably more uncomfortable than walking. I've considered doing the treadmill-desk thing, but don't really have the space for it. What I did find helps a lot is "rocker-bottom" shoes with thick curved soles such as Shape-Ups. The instability encourages me to be constantly moving and flexing my knees, drastically reducing the discomfort of standing still without requiring any expensive space-filling treadmills.

How is 3D printing enabling anyone?

If you wanted to make your own gun. Any Joe Smo with a garage workshop could make one, even without a 3D Printer. A bench drill, with a metal drilling bit, and some metal cutting and welding tools. is enough for someone to make their own gun. And just like a 3D printed model. It may not be the safest or relabel gun. But it can get the job done.

Or in America. In rather liberal states like Vermont we can get guns at the local Walmart.

Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT.

While Windows XP had a 64bit version the 32bit version was still popular, as PC's at the time were still mostly under 4 gigs of ram, and most were 32bit processors.
XP lasted too long. There was too much effort in Vista, they wanted to make an ultimate OS, thus failed miserably, a system designed to take advantage of many of the next generation Ideas, that was not implemented.
Windows 7 "the new golden age of Windows?" really took the fact that there was competition with Mac OS and Linux seriously and made one of their most Solid Consumer OS, they fixed Vista's features that were over engineered and made it work well again. Windows 7 was good enough to put an end of the "I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" commercials. Windows 7 is also when people started switching seriously to a 64bit OS. And actually loosing compatibility with many of the old 16bit apps.
Windows 8 and 8.1 isn't that bad. However they tried to make a tablet and PC OS. By in turn making a system that isn't optimal for both. Granted now with the Ultrabooks with touch screens getting more popular, the interface changes are paying off a bit more, however we are missing what we need for a good workstation OS.
Windows 10... From what I have seen so far they seem to be going back to making it more of a workstation OS, with touch capabilities. The Tablet never caught on as well as people hoped. It didn't send the Desktop/Laptop into a doom spiral. However it changed that nature of the desktop to a smaller market share. Those who need to do real computing still needed these systems. And the new Ultrabooks convertible systems have caught on.

Now what about Linux and Macs?
If you don't like windows, there isn't anything wrong with Linux or Macs, so even if Windows 10 is a huge success... It doesn't mean it will kill your favorite OS as I am sure they will be around for decades to come.