The only way to correct Wikipedia is pretty much the same way to correct politics. Sweep in with an enraged mob and hang 'em all from the lampposts.

Eve was the second thing I thought of. The first thing I thought was, "That outfit doesn't look at all like Sailor Moon!"

I believe that's not quite true. The rule is that packages over 13 ounces (they changed it in January 2010 to 13 down from 16 ounces) that only have postage stamps on them to pay for postage, must be taken to the counter. If you use one of the Automated Postal Center (APC) units that most post offices have in their lobbies, you can purchase postage for the package there, pay with a credit/debit card, put the printed label on the package and drop it in the collection bin. Supposedly by paying with a credit card, there's increased security because they can track the owner of the card.

Do you really want pig farms to move in next to you? How about a slaughterhouse?

Farming isn't all beautiful waves of grain and rolling meadows with horses frolicking. Some things need to be out in the middle of nowhere. But those places also need to be connected to the rest of the country -- that is, after all, where the food comes from.

Just like all the other humans on the planet are?

I don't understand it either. You'd think that the people running the company were far more interested in having control over their customers than in having their customers' money.

Can't someone in marketing break into a board meeting and explain to these cretins that the more versatile a product is, it is usually more attractive to a wider segment of the potential customer base, which tends to result in more sales.

Life ain't fair.

But don't worry, you are not required to realize that. It just means you're far more likely to exit life quite soon. We'll laugh at the very surprised look on your face as you leave.

I'm just glad it doesn't flush while I'm still going.

Are you being deliberately obtuse?

If you own a Windows computer, you are free to write, use, sell or give away applications with zero involvement from Microsoft other than your initial purchase.
If you own an iPod/iPad/iPhone, you are required to interact with Apple to do any of those things.

You need to use their tools to write an app.
You need their permission to distribute an app.
You even need their permission to receive an app.

That's the difference.

Well, nothing electronic defines that. I guess you can go out and play badmiton in the back yard, though...

http://www.hotelchatter.com/special/2010-WiFi-Chart

Indeed, I was trying to work out exactly what information the angle of the bars is conveying. The apparent answer is nothing, but on reflection that might be an overestimate.

Come again?

You mean Google is running on Microsoft Windows' code ???

No, I ain't trying to be funny. I just can not put the 2 and 2 together.

Having Windows code is one thing, cracking Google is another thing altogether.

The Free Market assumes people are educated enough to make informed decisions. The thread's grandparent is saying that most people don't understand enough about computer networking to say "Hey, I should buy a PC game instead so I can play it whenever I want". Admittedly this is a trivial example of this kind of free market failure . I'm sure you could find better examples in the recent economic meltdown over CDOs.

If it's a commercial application, it's typically as simple as running the installer script or binary provided for the vendor (uh...just the same as Windows...)

Errrrr, no it fucking isn't.

and if the vendor has done their job right it should just work out of box with a wide range of Linux versions.

There are no development APIs for developing and installing third-party applications quickly and easily as there are on Mac OS and Windows, and as such, Ubuntu and other Linux distributions have no applications of note written for them. It's at this point that the market share bullshit is wheeled out, but we're talking about even the smallest of applications you find on Windows and OS X rather than the large well known ones. There is no effort whatsoever to create an application base of any kind. Ergo, no one but geeks living in a fantasy world (surely this is the release that will finally do it?!) ultimately finds Linux desktop distributions, especially when compared with the hype behind Ubuntu, useful. Beyond the stuff in the package repositories there is sod-all you can do with it, and if you want to update to a nice new version of an application that happens to be in the 'official' repository somwehere, sorry, but you'll have to upgrade. No one wants to put up with that shit.

It's already written into the bill... they need a REALLY good reason to suspect you; they are not allowed to "suspect" you do to skin color, race, or country of origin...

Now proving what their suspicion was in court may be difficult, but you'd better believe it'll be the first question out of the court appointed lawyer's mouth.