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At noon today (Eastern Standard Time), the long dead ORDB spam identification system began returning false positives as a way to get the sleeping users to remove the ORDB query from their spam filters. The net effect: all mail is blocked on servers still configured to use the ORDB service which was taken out of commission in December of 2006. So if you're not getting any mail, check your spam filter configuration!

Chapter80 writes "Reflecting back on roughly ten years of reading Slashdot, and leaving comments under a variety of nick names, I recall some comments that I left that I thought were particularly insightful or funny. I'd love to read from other Slashdot readers what they think the "Best of the Best" comments are from previous articles, whether they left the comment, or someone else did.

Extra credit for links to the FIRST "But does it run on Linux?" or "I, for one, welcome our ..." comments. They were funny the first time. What was the best comment you submitted or read?"

juct writes "The German security expert Stefan Esser, who declared March to be the Month of PHP Bugs resigns to the new Anti-Hacking laws in Germany and removes all demo exploits from the MoPB pages. In his PHP security blog he explains: "This new law renders the creation and distribution of software illegal that could be used by someone to break into a computer system"."
http://www.heise-security.co.uk/news/94368

Kildjean writes "EDITORS NOTE:

Since the original publication of this article we have been inundated with responses from the public at all walks of life. It is important to note that research is ongoing with DCA, and not everyone is convinced it will turn out to be a miracle drug. There have been many therapies that were promising in vitro and in animal models that did not work for one reason or another in humans. To provide false hope is not our intention. There is a lot of information on DCA available on the web, and this column is but one opinion on the topic. We hope you will do your own research into the situation. So, we have added links to resources at the end of this column.

END NOTE

Scientists may have cured cancer last week.

Yep.

So, why hven't the media picked up on it?

Here's the deal. Researchers at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada found a cheap and easy to produce drug that kills almost all cancers. The drug is dichloroacetate, and since it is already used to treat metabolic disorders, we know it should be no problem to use it for other purposes.

Doesn't this sound like the kind of news you see on the front page of every paper?

The drug also has no patent, which means it could be produced for bargain basement prices in comparison to what drug companies research and develop.

Scientists tested DCA on human cells cultured outside the body where it killed lung, breast and brain cancer cells, but left healthy cells alone. Rats plump with tumors shrank when they were fed water supplemented with DCA.

Again, this seems like it should be at the top of the nightly news, right?

Cancer cells don't use the little power stations found in most human cells — the mitochondria. Instead, they use glycolysis, which is less effective and more wasteful.

Doctors have long believed the reason for this is because the mitochondria were damaged somehow. But, it turns out the mitochondria were just dormant, and DCA starts them back up again.

The side effect of this is it also reactivates a process called apoptosis. You see, mitochondria contain an all-too-important self-destruct button that can't be pressed in cancer cells. Without it, tumors grow larger as cells refuse to be extinguished. Fully functioning mitochondria, thanks to DCA, can once again die.

With glycolysis turned off, the body produces less lactic acid, so the bad tissue around cancer cells doesn't break down and seed new tumors.

Here's the big catch. Pharmaceutical companies probably won't invest in research into DCA because they won't profit from it. It's easy to make, unpatented and could be added to drinking water. Imagine, Gatorade with cancer control.

So, the groundwork will have to be done at universities and independently funded laboratories. But, how are they supposed to drum up support if the media aren't even talking about it?

All I can do is write this and hope Google News picks it up. In the meantime, tell everyone you know and do your own research.

This is a column of opinion written by Printz Executive Editor David McRaney. Comments can be sent to printz@usm.edu

More info on: http://www.studentprintz.com/home/index.cfm?event= displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=c7794f20-d fb1-4494-892d-b529895da103"

An anonymous reader writes "I have been back working for 10 months after taking a one year leave of absence to stay at home with our first baby. I loved it, but also love programming, so I went back to work. Now our second child is here, and I'm thinking about going back to being Mr. Mom for a few years until the kids are in grade school. My question is, if I quit doing software development for 5 years, how hard would it be to get back into it? I have six years experience now and a BS in CSci. Thoughts on what my chances would be of getting a job with a company at an entry level since my skills would probably be out of date? What could I do for a few hours per week to keep my skills at least somewhat up to date? Thanks."

Two Web 2.0 companies' acquisitions were announced today: JotSpot by Google, and Reddit by Wired. hpcanswers writes, "Google has bought JotSpot, a maker of wiki software. From the linked FAQ: 'Google shares JotSpot's vision for helping people collaborate, share, and work together online. JotSpot's team and technology are a strong fit with existing Google products like Google Docs & Spreadsheets, Google Apps for Your Domain, and Google Groups.' The purchase price has not been disclosed." Coverage of the JotSpot deal is everywhere; Cnet's and the AP's are thorough. And MattSparkes writes, "The user-generated news site Reddit has been bought out by Wired's parent, Condé Nast, for an undisclosed sum. As the great big Web 2.0 bubble continues to inflate towards the popping point, and Boston sees a few more young millionaires move west, who will we see bought out next?"