Actually no.

Both Scratch and App Inventor provide a visual programming environment. Whereas Scratch is self contained (you run your programs "in Scratch"), with App Inventor you create Android Applications which you can package and distribute as any other Android program.

-Jeff

Disclaimer: I am a member of the MIT App Inventor development team.

Another vote for Linode from me. I have been using them for years. I send mail from my linode and haven't had a problem with being on anyone's spam list.

I am someone who has responded to law enforcement requests. The process is pretty cumbersome. They deliver a piece of paper to you (since 9/11 they can fax it to you, before that it generally had to be delivered by hand).

You then do the search (after the attorneys tell you the request/demand is legit) and have to negotiate with them as to which format they can accept and you can produce. All very time consuming.

I believe what is being asked for here are two separate things:

1. Longer and standardized record retention. I'm not addressing that here.
2. An electronic way to send a subpoena and receive the results. Normally people might think "e-mail", but I suspect they (correctly) fear the lack of security of e-mail. So how about a website run by the ISP where the law enforcement types upload the subpoena (and perhaps answer some standard questions to help categorize the subpoena) and where the ISP can place the data once it is available.

This is very different then a web portal back door! Now I am sure that there are some folks who would want that, but that isn't what is being asked for here! Btw. I suspect that those who want the "spy" portal are not law enforcement. Law Enforcement wants to receive information that is squeaky clean. If they violate the law in their gathering of information, they can lose their case. They want information so they can prosecute someone, and they want that prosecution to be strong, not weakened by poor evidence gathering.

So please don't confuse a spying backdoor with a request for a better way to communicate. When you do, it weakens your argument and makes it easier to label you a crackpot!

Yes, that's all true. But a new government here in the USA is going to look pretty much exactly like the current one, because this is the government the voters want.

Republics only work well when the voters are smart enough to make decent choices. Our citizens are so uneducated and lacking in critical thought that they can't do this.

In my opinion, the best thing the USA could do to have fewer problems and have a government that more closely follows the will of the people is for it to break up into smaller countries. Large countries don't work well as republics; they're too big and diverse, and no one can agree on anything. Notice how Europeans don't complain too much about their governments; it's because people in France don't have to come up with agreements on every little thing with people from Italy, Germany, or Kosovo (such as the headscarves/burqa issue that's in the news lately); they live separately, and only cooperate on monetary policy and trade. We should be more like Europe: separate into smaller countries or regions (like northwest, southwest, southeast, northeast, and midwest), and then only have an economic union like the EU so we can share a currency and have free trade between the members. Then, the people in the southeast and southwest can have lax gun laws while the people in the northeast can ban them all, some parts can have lots of welfare and high taxes while other parts have less welfare and lower taxes, some parts have no regulation of banks and have mortgage meltdowns while other parts have more regulation and a steadier economy, etc.

There's also the drop in touchscreen prices.

I can buy a decent tablet now for $500. When tablets were released there was a $1500 PREMIUM on top of the normal laptop price.

You left out the part where you can sue your insurance company. What do you do when a bureaucrat who was appointed by another guy you didn't elect refuses treatment? You die before anything is done.

Is it windy in here or did something just fly over my head?

Bingo! The one area where I really support regulation is full, clear disclosure. Require that, and then enforce the contracts. If people are too lazy or unconcerned to read the contract, that is NOT the fault of the other party, nor should the government come in to rescue them from their foolishness or laziness.

The key is requiring that the terms be laid out plainly and clearly. A table showing total cost of the contract (less any add-ons that you might make such as buying things with your phone, etc), the termination fees, the end date, the minutes/quantity of service and the overage charges would be a good start. And then a simple, clear paragraph stating how cancellation works, complete with phone numbers, address, etc, and exact procedure to follow.

At that point, if you sign the damn thing, you're bound by it and have only yourself to blame. caveat emptor

Wow youve never worked in a self-destructive company.

Assumption. WRONG.

They are not going to write any policy, they are just going to assign it to someone downstream, namely you.

I didn't say "make them write the policy". I said "involve them in it".

Also, I am, unfortunately, familiar with the "it's my stuff, but if I fuck it up it's your fault".

In those cases, I make sure that the person STILL participates. Even if minimally, and signs off on everything appropriately then try to find ways around their stupidity.

Oh, did I mention that I'm fully conversant in "cover your ass"?