Slash and burn astroturf? That's a new one on me. I mean, people aren't stupid: if they figure out that someone they respected is shilling to them, they're likely to disengage-- and messily. Rebuilding that credibility won't be fast or easy, and if they're checking prospects 'engagement' rates then they're probably keeping tabs on employees' rates over time, too...

Dude, there are nerds who are still convinced that the Amiga could make a comeback. Irrational fixations transcend population boundaries.

Given that this will inevitably be hooked into G+, which will never, ever be rid of its requirements for real names and summary deletions for refusal, 'safe' is the last word I would use to describe this in the context of anyone with a desire or need for privacy.

"Overspecialization? Meet Planned Obsolescence. I'm sure you two will get along famously."

People who say 'Foo_City, I am in you!' will be charged with sexual harassment of a municipality.

Yes, but would you be prepared if gravity reversed itself?

Wow. Starbucks is really taking the piss now.

4D? Oh Jesus, and people thought the networks and studios shrieked about timeshifting before...

Libraries typically have a limited number of copies as well. That's theoretically much less of a problem with e-books, even with DRM, if the library can have a non-limited number of e-copies in circulation at once.

The local city-wide library uses (or used-- I haven't buggered with it in a couple of years) some obnoxious Adobe program that basically loans out a license to a title for a limited period, and marks that license as 'checked out' on their back end until you check it back in or the loan expires. The documents are encrypted, of course, and can't be easily read without the license key.

For a moment I was worried this would be the old chestnut about Santa bursting into flames a second after he takes off, because of air resistance and the speeds necessary to deliver toys to every child on the planet. This, at least, I can fill a stocking to.