If they'd just quietly used javascript to track external clicks would anyone notice/care? Sounds like Twitter will have a new database filled with personal data that's worth a lot of money to the right people - but a PR shenanigan from doing it discreetly might stop people from spilling all their data into Twitter's company value. Where's the 'game change'?

An interesting point (especially the last line) - I agree that one extreme is certainly misleading. However, to the same point, an original concept may not necessarily require the moderation of an alternative entity to be delivered in its ideal form (as you mentioned is the case for a small minority of director's cut films). Considering the examples you give, I see two possibilities; either the numbers are in favour of most artists (ranging in skill) usually requiring additional moderation for a finely-honed final product, or most artists lack the skill to sufficiently hone their own product. Personally, I am of the opinion that Tom Clancy, JK Rowling and Stephen King aren't particularly seminal writers, and Michelangelos are as rare in the realms of digital art as they are in the realms of fine art. On a positive note - should he/she ever appear, I don't think the restraints of corporate ideology would be sufficient to hamper their final product.

You should patent that first algorithm, then sue everybody that sues anyone else. Follow your patented algorithm too - so only sue them once they've finished suing whoever they're suing. That should keep them busy while we develop some software.

If the 18% share Vista enjoys shifted to Mac, I'd consider the cause lost. Evidently that share hasn't yet worked out how to switch on the monitor.

Perhaps a little unwarranted? Poor jwilhelm only peed in the sewage.

Perhaps if children were taught at school (gasp) to use computers for tasks besides word processing; some rewards might be reaped. If parents and schools throw machines at children as a replacement for tutoring, then the child will apply the same method and use the machine as a replacement for TV. An introductory IT syllabus (one completed before a child reaches tertiary education) should start with electrical signals and hardware, progress to operating systems and I/O, then finish with multi-level programming and networking. The current widespread syllabus of copy/paste and formatting in MS Word, then finish with further miscellaneous software experience is an insult and injury to modern society.