I believe id is using the web browser/plugin for a couple of reasons. First, they want to efficiently simplify the updating system. Once you login, it always checks and updates files in the plugin to make sure they're up to date. It will also update in-game ads use. Today, this is often done by yet another program to run in the background of your computer (jusched.exe comes to mind).

The second purpose is to unify the user experience. Since Quake Live is designed to be an on-line "community", they want the forums, chat boxes, user profiles/stats, and game searches to be in a single interface. Even if you play the game in full-screen, once your match is completed it takes you back to the "lobby" which is just a nice web page, complete with ads and instant updates.

It does seem silly on the face of it to think that the plugin is large enough to be a stand-alone download, but there are some legitimate business and technological reasons for making it the way they did.

A clever group at H-P made a scanner that when powered up while holding the "Scan" button and the SCSI address at zero would play Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". The motor's drive speed determined the pitch of the note played. I loved showing that one off to my friends that were lucky enough to own one, especially because I didn't.

Wow, what a wonderful idea for a community/national non-profit; create a LUG technical support system that is approved or recommended by businesses. Buy a gOS machine from Wal-Mart? Call the enclosed 800 number to contact your nearest LUG, or call Wal-Mart and get the direct line in your area. "Operators are standing by!" I know much of the Linux community is either; (a)fixing their own machine, or (b)writing/updating software for everyone else's, but I'm sure there are some volunteers available to get folks like this at least STARTED on the right path.

I know there are for-profit systems like Shuttleworth's, but there MUST be room/money for this type of "pro-bono" work.

The mandated cut-off was also created to "encourage" stations to build on the new digital infrastructure. It's costing them millions per station for the transition, and they likely wouldn't do it if they knew they didn't have to.

The FCC knew more stations could fit into a smaller section of radio spectrum, so to move everyone over to digital would free up more frequencies. There is considerable pressure to find long-range spectra for new wireless technologies, and this is a major step in that direction.

Personally, I like my analog TV. No buffering, elegant failure mode, and less technology to interpret the signal. I do understand what they are trying to do, however, and I was impressed with reception in rural areas.

This is a very valid point, and one which I've been casually warning people about since I saw the movie Gattaca. Since then, I've developed a new saying:

Guns don't kill people, databases do.

Since when did farmers abide by a "work day" or a "work week"? Daylight Saving doesn't magically SAVE any amount of daylight, it doesn't change when the animals stir (like the rooster crow or the cows milking), nor the crop growing season.

DST is quite the opposite of a "stone age" concept, because DST requires a CLOCK.

Can you imagine shifting all the rocks at Stonehenge 15 degrees, twice a year?