It's also worth noting that "8 cups of water" is probably a bit too much (if we take it to be the default value, given that it IS an approximation), because we also take in water from the food we eat. Chronically high water intake puts pressure on your body because you're giving it too much to process (but we're talking over a gallon daily over long periods).

And, of course, if you have way way too much water, it's called drowning.

Full disclosure: I use McMyAdmin for the server I run for friends, but I have no other connection to PhonicUK.

Consider McMyAdmin? It's got a freeware mode with the only limitations being that you have a max of eight players and it announces itself globally every half-hour or so, and a pro license without the player limit and global chat spam is reasonably-priced. It gives you a web front-end so you can remotely administer it, and it supports both vanilla Minecraft server and the rather popular custom server, CraftBukkit. CraftBukkit allows access to the library of Bukkit plugins (bukkit.org) which go a long way towards enhancing a multiplayer server (and for both creative and survival modes). McMyAdmin can automate backups, and these can be downloaded from the web UI as well as SCP/SFTP/etc. off the file system.

If you're conservative about updating until all the wobbles have settled out between Notch making a point update, and then two or three bugfix releases to patch the problems that don't require a significant codebase rewrite, and then CraftBukkit to update to accomodate the new content and code changes, and then plugin authors to patch any incompatibilities out of their plugins, you should do rather well. I have not had any massive problems with my own server that couldn't be blamed on the hardware. There've been minor glitches, like a bug in CraftBukkit build #1000 (since patched) where signs would just randomly decide to go blank. And then some things are just Notch's unfortunate early design choices coming back to bite him for pushing the envelope too much with new code. In general, once you're aware of the little problems, you can just accomodate for them. The server is pretty self-sufficient, so I felt I had to mention it, since I haven't had any of the headaches you guys up there have had.

These people aren't stupid, and they're on what amounts to be their own home turf.

Hell, the Russians failed to do what America is trying to do.

Quelle surprise.

Mod me flamebait or offtopic of you would like, mods, but I think it's worth the possible karma hit to say this:

APK, shut the fuck up and find a hobby that does not involve the Internet.

*ahem* There. That feels much better.

Have you ever considered that you're a rabid Apple fanboy, and also annoying?

Wait, I'm clearly an Apple Hater, so my opinion doesn't matter. Imma go cut myself now and cry on Steve Ballmer's shoes.

I substitute a different one that, if one were to be uncharitable in a particular direction, could appear on your list:

I don't trust freemium services like this with important things.

If I'm trusting my private data to a company to store, or anything else equally important, I have no problem paying for it, and I don't want to share the service with a trillion and one freeloaders on the Internet that are going to divert my subscription fees away from... well, making sure stuff like this doesn't make it into production. Something like Carbonite or Mobile Me (I know, put the pitchforks down) depends on its paying customers to stay and keep paying. Freemium depends on enticing its free customers into becoming paying customers. These are different priorities.

I do have to admit that I have a LastPass account, but I do pay for the premium subscription, and I only signed up after doing a bunch of research; I'm confident that they've done things right as much as possible. With LastPass, I'm the weakest point in the chain (social engineering, weak master passwords, and physical access to local machines are the easy targets over trying to brute force the encrypted blob LP's servers receive when my vault syncs).

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Carbonite, Apple, or LastPass, okay?

Okay, I like you. :D You have very valid points, and I must concede that I definitely see your point. (Unlike brother SuperKendall who seems to just want to troll.)

No more food for you, jackass.

Yeah, I've noticed that, and that was my inspiration behind my suggestion of making it a mandatory policy, because I appreciate it when app devs do that. Yeah, they could be lying, but I'd prefer to at least get the explanation that "full internet access" is required for the ads rather than it just be sitting there for no apparent reason on an app that is not exactly network-centric.

I stand corrected (by both you and SuperKendall, who might've had problems reading the rest of my post). However, leaving aside bricked phones for whatever reason, I stand by the rest of my point. I believe users should be given the choice between the two (and hide the 'jailbroken Wild West' option where only power users are going to find it if need be) instead of this cat-and-mouse game with every update.

Okay, so you responded to me twice correcting my statement regarding bricking. That's about the only logical thing you said. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn't follow my thread of logic instead of assuming you just didn't even read my post properly or that you're some kind of idiot.

Uhh... no, my entire point is that users should be given the choice of EITHER an Apple-like walled garden OR the life of a jailbreaker... but that Apple (or Manufacturer X, in a broader sense) should respect the choice of people to jailbreak and make it an option. It should be hidden from the casual user (like Firefox's about:config or Android's "allow non-market packages" option), but it should be there. Please re-read that sentence and notice the 'or' separating the two clauses describing the two worlds.

Again, you seem to have misunderstood. I was referring to Android devices that are locked down by their manufacturer. The Android OS itself is designed to allow people to run non-market apps (the 'Wild West') via sideloading, but some manufacturers have restricted this option (and sometimes rooting altogether). THAT is what I was referring to, and I was acknowledging it because these locked-down devices contradict my statement about Android allowing you to run the apps of your choice outside the walled garden.

Not that a closed store stops crap from happening, mind you. Lessens, perhaps, but not stops.

Maybe Google could require an ESRB -style disclosure on what permissions are needed for what (I say ESRB because game developers are required to submit a listing of content that may be offensive/suggestive/etc. with their application for a rating), with real penalties for screwing around. The disclosure could go with the app in the market, putting it up front in a more obvious way that, hey, this Angry Birds level unlocker app requires the ability to make phone calls for ____ reason. Yes, the malware developer could make up reasons and, if they're in, say, China, probably get away without a lawsuit or anything, it should be a red flag to even the least-savvy user. It'd help if it had a timer that prevented you from just rubber-stamping the install buttons without looking in the way that Firefox/etc. have for extension installs.

Remember that the first updates after the first jailbreaks would brick peoples' iPhones. Now, that's arguably a consequence of poorly-made jailbreaks, and I'll concede that, but some people did end up with shiny paperweights, and Apple (rightfully, according to their EULA) did not do much to help them. They also try and lock down any avenues that jailbreaks use to prevent simple re-jailbreaking after an update. Perhaps "actively hostile" was not the best term, but the point is, Apple certainly could facilitate jailbreaking with ease and with little additional drain on their own resources. Instead, they do everything they can (short of becoming a malicious actor and bricking devices when they detect jailbreaks, which would be a PR armageddon for them) to restrict and prevent it with no compromise offered.

I personally choose not to be a part of Apple's annual obsolescence cycle, but if Android didn't exist I'm afraid that I would have an iPhone.