I know it's a stereotype, but "YES," my personal contacts with an AOL email address all generally seem to be computer illiterates.

Oh great, the next big thing is vehicle exhaust that smells like fermented baby diapers.

Trolls shouldn't be able to patent laws of motion or gravity, established math or physics relationships, or natural biological sequences like DNA. Merely expressing established ideas as computer functions or models is stiil nothing more than a model, not original. If you discover a new short-cut method of computing pi, you can publish, not patent, and expressing it software adds nothing but speed and convenience. Hopefully, this will curb some of the more absurd patents granted by a Patent Office that seems to be in it way over its antediluvian head.

Google is wrong. In matters of collision avoidance, safe navigation and busting regulations, one human is always designated as captain of the ship, pilot in command, or driver of the car. He or she is responsible for monitoring even the most highly automated systems, and for overriding them if necessary. Saying the company manufacturing the vehicle should get the speeding ticket is like saying Smith and Wesson should do the time in homicide convictions.

'People do bring it up every now and then.' Yep, and somebody brought it up again today.

Keplier-186f is 500 light years distant. I wouldn't worry about it unless alien civilizations have time travel, hyperdrive and worm-holes. If so, maybe they have a quick cure for global warning that we can live with. Sometimes worrying about hypotheticals we can't resolve seems preferable to solving the problems we can actually do something about.

From my years in QA, I'd add: "It should work now. Try it again."

'I think it's a tribute to the agency that we're not hiding this stuff, that we're actually out trying to do our job,' says William Gerstenmaier

Gee, look at me! I get to spend 96 hours a week helping thousands of us build our Pharaoh's pyramid. I get all the millet I can eat. I will be provided for, and history will remember and honor my family. It's all about me, and no one will remember the pyramid.

One instance of the use of one word in a game gives them a monopoly on "Candy?" What are the trademark folks smoking? That's Candy-ass.

"At long last a judge who is not impressed with the corporate idea that adding the phrase "on a computer", "on a cell phone", or "on the Internet" to a hundreds year old idea magically makes it a totally new, never thought of before idea." That's the best comment I've read on the subject of patentable work that I've read in years. The patent system is totally out of control. Thanks.

Is the airline pilot still responsible for the aircraft when it's put on autopilot? Who is liable when a firearm of theirs discharges?

Neither the problem nor the solutions are really new to the Internet. Honoring advertised prices is generally the law, though details could vary by state. In California in the 1970's, newspaper typos happened too. Honest businesses generally honored the prices because "false advertising" was bad business. Businesses could get around this by taking out a price correction ad immediately, and prominently posting a copy of the correction notice and corrected pricing near the sale merchandise.

We've heard it all before. Yes, Jobs was brilliant. Yes, he was great pals with Ellison. But it's still the tired old "There will never be another Harry Truman" line. "England has gone to hell in a hand-basket since the passing of Sir Winston."

If you're looking into reducing light pollution (not to mention courtesy to your neighbors) that's all good. Security lighting can be put on a motion sensor. It is not needed 99% of the time. Outdoor lighting should have reflectors and or hoods to keep the light out of the night sky and out of neighbors' windows. Efficient lighting directed only where needed is also less expensive. If you have ever gone out to try to see the Big Dipper or Milky Way, and couldn't find it, you're beginning to appreciate why most city dwellers have no clue what a dark night sky even looks like. Amateur Astronomy sites have copious information on practical lighting. One of the biggest selling points for saving the night sky is having commercial and residential lighting pouring in your own windows at night. It's particularly annoying when it's shining UP at you.