I've heard the same story as most...fish left the seas to spawn amphibians, reptiles, and other land animals.
Such stories never address invertebrates. If, as the headline suggests, all land animals come from fish who left the water, does this mean insects and other land invertebrates evolved from fish?
And if you're using email to transfer a 10M file, you should be banished frmo the internet.
If they're insistent there's a way for an occupant to take "immediate physical control", why do they allow current cars on the road?
I'm not sure about steering, but certainly for acceleration and braking there's no way for drivers to take physical control of a modern automobile. Anything we do with those pedals on the floor sends a signal to a computer. The computer then decides what actions to take--open the throttle or apply the brakes.
There's a person initiating those functions, but the person does not have physical control.
On second thought, google it yourself.
Worst. Ask Slashdot. Ever.
The code groupies you hear about.
Not true.
Is it pure risk for the backers? e.g. if they make a product, they get something they bought, but if the product flops, they loose their money.
And now if the product makes a fortune, they only get their product they bought.
In other words, is kickstarter just a pre-order sales website?
It's zero risk for the kickstarter backers. There is zero chance they will lose more than they pledged through kickstarter.
Product? They didn't buy any product. Kickstarter has been quite clear, it is not a pre-order service. Anything offered in return for a kickstarter pledge is essentially a thank-you gift. Like all gifts, you're shouldn't demand one or complain when you don't get one.
If a kickstarter campaign fails (that is, raises the requested funds, but never manages to complete the product), the backers get nothing and have no recourse. I don't see how it would be any different if the campaign succeeds, as it did in this case. (Other than for P.R. reasons)
So back to the question of risk, once the campaign reached its funding goal, that money pledged was gone. Not a risk, but a certainty. It's like asking, what is the risk if I drop $5 into a Salvation Army bucket? No risk--you're just out $5.
Don't you just love how the Facebook login page will volunteer the name and linked account for an email address, if someone's registered it?
Real Programmers don't eat quiche. They eat Twinkies and Szechwan food.
