If you're streaming 10hrs a day of music 7 days a week at home, you need to go get a job.

You know, I don't have to be on the computer for it to be streaming. Computers are amazing devices that do work for us. One of the things mine does is near-constant uploads to a remote backup site... while I'm at work.

even claiming that the current rules are costing jobs to truck drivers delivering CDs and DVDs.

You know what costs jobs? Technological change -- it's a good thing.

Just like the way they all switched to Latin before, which was the common language of higher education on the continent 200 years ago, or to Frankish, which was the lingua franca of 1000 years ago (the term is even derived from it), just like the way all of eastern Europe switched to Russian in the 20th century? You monolingual and monocultural thinking people can't seem to imagine that there has always been a difference between the language you speak at home and the language you speak to outsiders without everyone inevitably having to become the same.

I'm not arguing that languages don't change, I'm arguing that as a function increased time and increased interconnectedness the number of languages decrease.

I don't think that's an unreasonable position. It has nothing to do with being 'monocultural' or 'monolingual'.

How about thousands of years? Almost every country in Europe has its own language. That can't last long, I'm sure they're all about to switch to English any day now.

Firstly, the countries in Europe aren't enclaves -- none of them are completely surrounded by hundreds of miles of English speakers, as Quebec is.

Secondly, they're switching to English anyway. As someone who has lived in Europe for the last six years I can say from my own anecdotal experience that the more the world gets connected, the more people speak English. (I predict that we'll end up in a world not too linguistically different from Firefly)

Language enclaves generally don't last very long.

Don't want to have people seeing your private shit? Don't keep it out in the open, in public view. Don't want interlopers driving through your community? Make it gated and pay for your own maintenance instead of expecting the local government to take care of it for you.

No kidding. Britain's response to Google's Street View has been crazy.

I think this should be filed under the general maxim that happier workers are, generally, more productive workers.

Plus, so many jobs now expect you to be working to some extent while you're at home (checking email, etc). If an employer wants an employee to work while at home, then it's reasonable for the employee to do some personal web surfing at work.

A German engineer, a French airline pilot, and four Russians walk into a bar. The bartender says: ...

Long live Esperanto!

Hell of an astroturf campaign to sign up for slashdot that many years ago, using my real name, just to pimp a book now

Whoops.

::tucks tail and looks shamefaced at the 3 digit UID user::

Plus, the book is an easy, engaging read that makes a lot of sense even the first time through. Highly recommended

That sounds astroturf-tastic!

Skype will only use the WiFi network, not the 'unlimited' ATT data plan so you will only be able to use it while tethered to a local hotspot, not out roaming in the wild.

You've got to start somewhere. Telcos are not easy companies to change. But if Skype gets a small toehold, people will get used to their free phone calls on their mobiles. Soon, when the market penetration gets high enough, they'll start complaining about being tethered to one spot. Hopefully, that will forces the telcos to (slowly) change.

Why should I care if you sue me in a UK court? You could get a court order entitling you to a million pound. How would you collect? Ask me to send you a cheque from the US?

True, but just don't ever travel to Europe. Chances are you'll transfer at Heathrow...

The UK must not be in Europe then.

Ask any British person, and they'll tell you it isn't.

I guess my question is really what do VoIP applications like Quetcom or Twinkle have that Skype does not? Give me a good OS-X-vs-Windows-Vista reason why they are superior. I'm genuinely curious and would switch if there's a good reason to do so.