Technically the benefits were already loosed. Now we're losing them.

How old does one have to be to use the phrase? Back in the day, one had to be talking about the Great War, or prohibition to use the expression. But since the dawn of internet time, when discussing "back in the day," I take it to mean about 20 years ago.

Not that anyone cares, but this marks 20 years since I wrote an op-ed piece for Computerworld, titled "Ban Business Use of the Internet." It was on the eve of commercial interests being allowed onto the internet, and just after Canter & Siegel inundated Usenet with their Green Card Spam (look it up, kids). While I don't agree with every word I wrote, I think there were certain points I made which have come true. I wrote about corporate interests sponsoring university net feeds, and the speech restrictions that would come with it. Parallel that with the witchhunt of Aaron Swartz and his subsequent suicide.

I was going to scan in the entire text, since it's not available on the web anywhere (that I can find), just to see what others thought about how I was right and how I was wrong about the corporate "invasion" to academia.

This wouldn't even be an issue if the damn local news didn't report on it. 3 cars?! A night of drunken stupidity. Now it's going to be trending.

Both you and AC articulated what I was starting to *feel* regarding beta. I have so many users who rebel against upgrades just because they're different; I just wanted some good reasons why the beta sucks.

As I use it just a little bit, the UI was obviously designed by blind monkeys, or perhaps just committee. I have to scroll and scroll and scroll, and yet there is so much wasted space around comments. Add to that the fact that replies don't load automatically, and I have to populate the reply subject. I see nothing good about this "upgrade."

Now I see the problem. My 7 digit UID doesn't show up! How else can I prove my old-timer cred?!

Perhaps I don't visit Slashdot as much as I used to, but I just looked at the site through beta to see what the fuss is about. Perhaps my eyes don't move in the right way, but is it the additional ads that I ignore on the right-hand side? I'm not defending beta, I'm just asking for additional education about what makes it so bad other than being different.

I actually own a Windows phone, and it sucks that Google's acting like jerks. But really, what goes around, comes around.

You are using slavery as your example? Are you a refuge from a special ed class or what? That was resolved a long time ago, don't you have something to go color with crayons?

He's probably quoting the Traitor in Chief when he mentioned how he thought the Constitution was outdated and such.

Of course you can't fight them straight up, it's the most advanced police state and military in the world. Of course discussing revolutionary tactics will most likely get you a free trip to a more temperate climate for a contest of how well you can breath with a towel over your face and water being poured on it.

I would say joining the board of an anti-gay marriage group would qualify as "actively campaigning." I have many opinions to which I do not contribute my time or money.

You can build underground here and not worry about heat problems. In fact if you don't insulate right, you will be quivering for heat. Also, wind and solar here are easy to farm up. They make giant wind generators here, they are amazing to see the parts for them being shipped across the highways.

Latency here is good, I can use either coast's servers without hindrance to game play. Most of our rural areas have decent Internet connections, so that you can work at a high tech place, yet have a home in "Smallville" Iowa that you can upload work from or to. High tech meets antiques. My computer desk is an old beater roll top desk that I have adapted a monitor on an arm for. Best of several worlds.

Sure, the pigs smell, but unless it's a corporate farm, the hog farms aren't that big and you can pass the smell fast enough if you have to pass by one. The industrial lots on the other hand....don't be near one.

Sure we have some fat girls, but who doesn't? We also have some very athletic farm girls who are gorgeous and could probably kick your ass and out shoot most of you "city slickers." That's extreme too, but we do have some fine women. Any university town will have your head on a swivel.

Republicans probably gave away the farm in tax breaks to lure them in. The trickle down effect is better than no effect. The economy is a knife fight here if you aren't a farmer. It's a gun fight if you are a farmer.

We also have the best tasting pork or beef you will ever sink teeth into and for us locals it's cheaper and fresh. When we grill here, it's nothing short of magical. If you go to the Iowa State Fair and try some of the State's finest grilled meats, you will be ruined for life, nothing else will be that good. Stand there, with a cold beer and cry as you enjoy it, you know there will be nothing that good pass your lips again lest you return once again. There should be a law against how good it is.

We have rivers, lakes, hunting, fishing, camping all in pristine condition, with air crisp and clean.

Now if only we had government that would legalize hemp/weed we could kick start some new industries. Iowa could grow the finest hemp/weed in the universe. If you ever see a picture of it growing wild here, the hippie in you will flip out. Think Christmas tree size only 3 times as big. Hemp production alone could produce an absurd amount of hydrocarbon, the seeds from it could be like grapes that squeeze out oil, literally. It would make a great green project. I'm shocked Iowa hasn't taken the lead in strides in this aspect. We're talking a combination petroleum and fiber industry infusion into the State. Because it's so vulnerable, they could tax hell out of it and pay some bills. They don't have to beg it in like Microsoft.

This looks like as good of place as any to post this link to a really interesting post on Reddit. I normally don't link stuff, this one was kind of bone chilling and relevant.

For your reading pleasure: http://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/1fv4r6/i_believe_the_government_should_be_allowed_to/caeb3pl?context=3

Things that make me go "Hmmm...."

P.S. it's the highlighted post.

No reason? There was plenty of reason. These were malcontents, disorderly and disobedient peasants who needed to know their place. Examples had to be made, after all, we couldn't have an "American Spring" where "Occupy Wall Street" morphed into "Burn Wall Street." Peaceful protests are dangerous, what if those lemmings knew just how hard they are being fucked over, they would hang each and everyone of us in power. We can't have that now can we?

No no, it's much better that those vocal few and their entitled thinking of "freedom," real freedom, not the fake stuff we peddle them to keep them under control, are crushed under the jackboots of thugs, than our precious system that we have crafted to our liking be threatened. Not to mention they might hang us all if they really knew what we do in secret. That stuff ever getting out makes me really nervous. We had better get our lackeys at the NSA to keep track of any such uprisings in the future, especially with the "system" being threatened perhaps in Turkey. These elements might encourage our "elements" and we need to keep them under surveillance just in case we need to kill them off to head off any more trouble. We almost had to kill their leaders here before with our FBI snipers, but that would have inflamed things.

We'll be steps ahead of them this time. No reason indeed, pardon me while I and my cohorts laugh over our single malt scotch at that one.