It's not a question of systems of servers going down, it's a question of overloading the targets data transmission capability. If the attacker can push move data down the line than the target can handle, then even if none of the targets systems go down, you've still disrupted their ability to do business. Even if they only are able to send 50% to 75% of a targets capacity, they have still reduced the overall effectiveness of the target and have disrupted their ability to conduct business as usual.

I've replaced burned out PCB's a few times on critical data drives, but it requires finding another drive of the exact same model and if possible nearly the exact same production year and month and sacrificing it. Once the PCB is swapped out and the drive is accessible, get the data of of it immediately. I normally use Ghost to clone the drive and then wipe it before disposing of the previously failed drive.

If anything else goes wrong with a drive I'd either just toss it or send it to a data recovery professional. As has been stated before, opening the case requires a clean room.

Um, the article actually says "Aquasar system pumps water directly over the microprocessors" not "dumping water directly on"

Can't agree with this more. The Tom Swift books were (and are) great reads!

My standard policy is "bug fixes indefinitely", modifications or edits are at standard hourly rates. Of course most of my projects have been very small scope and thus very few bugs.

I second this (as I sit and enjoy a brew at 5am)

Actually there is /r/suicidewatch and at least one other subreddit specifically geared towards helping people through suicidal thoughts. If this story is indeed true, then unfortunately he either didn't know about them (in which case a more experienced redditor should have pointed him in the right direction) or he was already at the point of no-return and there was nothing that anyone could have done to help him.

Looks like the sister is just throwing it all at the wall and seeing what will stick. The post indicated that the family would be suing the ex-wife and a number of others, 3 of which have been identified as people on Reddit by a private investigator. I expect that this will get no further than the ex-wife before legal fees kill the lawsuit.

Just to clear up my viewpoints, I in no way am trying to defend Megaupload nor any other organization that is financially based on piracy. I used them because had SOPA been in effect, Megaupload.com (by name) would have just dropped off the internet without any legal action or any easily obtainable public record of them being removed. At least in this case, it was a legally obtained, legally executed international search and seizure warrant (it seems).

I don't like the guy nor do I agree with most of his viewpoints, but even a broken clock is right twice a day.

CNN had an article, as did my local News website. AlJazeera.com had a bit on it.
BBC.com has an article entitled "Congress Halts Anti-Piracy bills" that discusses it.
USAToday.com has a short article about it. It seems that most news agencies are bundling it as a blurb in articles about the bills being pulled.

Why is it not your business? Anything that involves US copyright eventually involves everyone on this planet (Re: Megaupload). While I'm not sure that it will even allow you to sign it, you should at least make the attempt.

I use audiobooks on road-trips, but that is pretty much the only time I will listen to them.

You know I had a teacher when I was in grade school make this sort of statement to me (a book or more a day for 6 months straight, preposterous!). She decided that as I could not possibly have read all of those books, she was going to only give me credit for 1/2 of them, until I started summarizing each book randomly and giving a functional synopsis (plotline, major characters, major events, etc.) of whatever book she asked about in the list. She was really unhappy when she got to "The Complete Works of Shakespeare" (I was in 4th grade) and I started quoting obscure parts of the stories / plays. Never had any problems with her (or any other teacher for that matter) regarding what I had and had not read.

I have a library of approximately 800-1000 hardback first edition books, with a paperback reading copy for every one of those. When I buy books I look for used book stores that are trying to liquidate inventory and buy by the box-full. If I were to sit down and actually count every book I have in my collection (first ed. library, reading and in storage) I am probably at 4000 to 6000 of which I have read all of them. I am 39 for point of reference.

For some of us, paper is not dead, it's just taking a short vacation. I personally cannot read a book in PDF form, nor am I fond of audiobooks. There is just something about the feel of a good book in the hands that makes me comfortable.

It's not just Slashdot. Reddit, Digg, Kotaku, 1up and a slew of other websites are all linking back to PA. Effectively it's an unintentional DDOS.