Do you really believe the carriers will put up with reduced profit? Remove their massive SMS income and other prices will rise to compensate. So I'm hoping Beluga doesn't catch on big time.

I talked him into it because I own a bullwhip factory. Now I should start to cash in big time - but I won't because I'm going to give them away.

It doen't even matter if it's a massive painful fine - it all gets passed on to the customer, you betcha the management and shareholders won't suffer when averaged out over the next few years. At the worst one scapegoat will get the sack.

Ohhh, so wrong - your license plate number does have a value. If you have the same make/model/colour vehicle as me I clone your plate and drive through speed cameras with impunity. I don't even have to know your name and address unless I'm stupid enough to get stopped. It's happened over here in blighty, you try proving to a copper with camera evidence of the rear of your car only that it wan't you driving. It proved difficult! Parking fines? Hehehe a thing of the past.

I hear what you say and in the areas you discuss I agree. However there are times I still find the ability to 'think as the computer does' can be a real advantage. However writing maintainable code is IMHO frequently more important than most else - especially given the magnificent increase in computing power over say, a 6502 or an 80186. The fact I have that understanding does, I hope, improve my abilities.