I'm not religious, but I think "support" is a bit of a strong word. The Catholic Church never outright supported it, but turned a blind eye to it. Now whether or not that is worse is up for debate...

I can't agree. The network "3" has far less coverage, and many people complain about their customer service too, prices aside.

I think we're going to have to accept that a number of entities are going to have all kinds of information about us. One potential solution is to create meaningful regulations that balance individual interests/rights against those of corporate entities (corporate in the broadest sense, inc. state entities). Perhaps something along the lines of the confidentiality that exists between an individual and various professionals/clergymen.

"Eight armed narcs raided the Dagy home on March 19 and found absolutely nothing. No evidence of pot anywhere, not even stashed in the children's toys. Seems that the coppers mistook the family's constant use of the dishwasher, washer/dryer, three computers, four ceiling fans, and other electronic devices as evidence of a felony drug operation. Oops. The Dagys--Mom's a homemaker and Dad's a general manager of 21 Shell stations--would like an apology from the Carlsbad Police Department. Sadly, we'd recommend that the Dagys not hold their collective breath."

I hate drug cops and homeland security. They keep performing these heinous searches and "eating out the substance" of our citizens

Add up those few bucks a month for a year. Also maybe take into account the benefit to society (and thus to you) from improved grid efficiency and fewer blackouts

Now take the value of stuff you'd lose in a robbery. Multiply that by the probability that someone will steal your electricity usage data and use it to rob your house in the same year.

I'd be pretty surprised if the expected cost of this extremely unlikely hypothetical robbery makes smart meters not worthwhile.

Pay "someone" to autopackage the app.

Just get a Crown Victoria painted in your local police colors, or rent a boom truck and install your own web cam on a convenient utility pole.

Or leave a note on the door for the milkman.

Or maybe the mail piling up is a sign.

Why is it that guys like you claim the whole counter-terrorism thing is a way for the goverment to scare people, when you scare yourself far better? Watch out, I can track your /. account and tell when you are on holiday.

"sudo bash
works for Ubuntu without ever activating root login. It's what I use when I go in to edit .conf files."

Which in turn shows why sudo is not a security tool.