Angelina Jolie is suspiciously absent...

I think you underestimate society's use of the internet and networks. It is far more than being able to browse Slashdot and play Farmville. The internet is responsible for financial transactions, shipping management (particularly food sources, oil, etc), power management, etc. If the internet went down, would it be the end of the world? I don't particularly think so. Would there be a whole heap (and I mean A LOT) of problems from the result? You better believe it.

Actually, Google is bringing Programming by Contract to Java. Design by Contract is trademarked by Eiffel Software (and Bertrand Meyer).

I'm not a Catholic, but, to be fair, spending money on yourself is not necessarily incompatible with religion. Yes, it does say in the Bible that it will be "easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven," but it's not because the person is rich. (For those who don't know, Jesus makes this statement after a rich man asked him what he needed to do to enter heaven. Jesus told him to go and sell his possessions and then follow Him. The rich man went away pretty discouraged.) The real incompatibility is when possessions become first over your love for Christ. That is where a lot of people get the common phrase incorrect. Money is not the root of all evil. It never says that anywhere in the Bible. No...instead...it says THE LOVE of money is the root of all evil.

If that person with the iPhone driving the $80,000 SUV is using that SUV to take a lot of food to homeless shelters, or perhaps the driver helps cart animals back and forth to the elderly to cheer them up, or perhaps a million other reasons - then there is absolutely nothing wrong. Heck, even if that person is driving that SUV because they liked all the cupholders it had and it was comfortable for them - then good for them! As long as they don't love it more than they love God, that is a good first step. (And, I know people who love far more worthless things which would fall into the same category.)

Of course, it's easy to judge those who have more (because someone will always have more than you). But, you see, by judging them (something we shouldn't be doing) and jumping to conclusions, you're stepping very close to that "do not covet" law that is pretty excellent as well. Really, a big portion of the "rules" of the Bible are, "Mind your own business unless you're doing good for someone else." Funny enough, people are VERY bad at minding their own business.

No...they just simply...fade away.

One of the most insightful statements I have read here on Slashdot. We often forget that we are so focused on technical needs that we miss what "real people" really need or want.

Well...now...that's just blasphemy. :-p

Seriously, though. Excellent post. Technology is fun, but it's not everybody's (most people's) cup of tea.

Genghis Kahn? Huh...I tried to look him up, but couldn't find anything out about him. Lots of information about another guy called Genghis Khan, though. But...that's probably just a coincidence.

Actually, many of the Netflix streaming movies are now offering options of CC. Not every movie, but I'm seeing it pop up more frequently lately.

I did like crazy at one point in my life. Now I don't interact with my ex-wife anymore.