I've been reading Slashdot prettymuch since day 1. I was one of the resistors of the (then new) login system, and when I finally capitulated, several thousand people were onboard. That's when I really understood how many (and diverse) people viewed this site daily. Recently, I've not been around as much. Mostly reading, almost no commenting, but /. has always had a place in my heart.

I remember going to one of the first Linuxconfs in NYC, where /. had their hangout area. Hemos had logged into the /. back-end on one of the floating laptops, then left the area. I happened to pick up the laptop, and saw /. from "the other side". It was like seeing the code stream in The Matrix (although many years prior to the film). (I logged him out immediately). When he eventually came back, I informed him what had happened, and we chatted for a brief time. Rob and Jeff fostered a community, and while the community has changed, it's still strong.

Rob, /. will miss you, but it'll keep going strong, thanks to your help. May your Karma always be Excellent!

Your premise is wrong. You assume that the entrance essay is "graded". It's not. It's meant to give the admissions board more information about your character as a student, and insight into how you express yourself in the day-to-day.

While the essay isn't graded, it is *judged*. It is judged based upon your ability to convey your thoughts and ideas (along with your test scores, 2ndary school grades, extra-curricular activities, etc), and whether that type of expression fits into MIT society.

They can't actually do this in the US.

They can refuse a warranty if the 3rd party part was shown to be the cause of the problem (ECU remapping, for example), but it doesn't go beyond that (they can't refuse the seat mounting rails warranty coverage).