This is especially true when you aren't paying for it! But even if you paying for a service you are ultimately responsible for backing up your own data - with a focus on the information that is critical.

I am thinking about the small business that I run the IT department at. We use shared hosting and use paid online off site backup for our internal servers. I still make it a point to back up critical data daily and everything else at least once a week. Storage is cheep and it is not like there is not options. You can be reasonably safe anywhere from $80 for an external hard drive to your high end tier 6 or 7 disaster recovery solutions.

Now do I feel sorry for these people - yes. Is AOL being a jerk - maybe. Should you back up your data - hell yes!

Maybe we can relocate the politicians and investment bankers to Yellowstone. If it blows a major part of the problem will be eliminated and maybe some common sense can prevail in the recovery.

I just have this to say. Lets do if there is a good business plan that is in place where value can be added with out never ending subsidies to keep this service running. I get the feeling we want to do this to be green. I know I am playing the role of the evil capitalist, but I like being green only when I can make money doing it.

Be careful what you wish for, they might do it with the detainees inside...

Well that is our government for you... go ahead and do activities (wiretaps, searches) that can be very questionable. But we will wait until how long to start writing simple and cheep bots that go out and look from information that might be readily available on blogs. Then again cost is never really a consideration with government (they just say it is).

I would agree the thought that the Republican party would kill to protect the secrets of an out going administration with a lot of people who's future is not the speaking and book tour I think is a little outrageous. I will say this (keep in mind I am a registered Republican) I would like to know what secretes died with him, or if what was lost was a valuable IT mind. Of course I will say with the way that Republicans used technology, it may be time for some new blood in that department. With that being said, no one wants to see anyone die, my prayers go out to his family.

I have to agree with this. The bottom line here is if you are going to start an equal partnership with a friend, ask your self if they are more valuable as a friend or a coworker.

When a relationship will get strained is when someone feels they are out preforming the other and not receiving the correct compensation. An other source of contention is typically when do you take money out of a company.

Bottom line be prepared to buy them out, do not hesitate to make business decisions, do not let friends ship get in the way. If you are going to play in a capitalist's world be prepared to play by their rules.

Now it is not all negative, yes there is the potential for profit, but I am not going to look at that. Some of my best friendships are with clients or suppliers. I am not a friend of anyone in my company though, I am not an enemy either. I am a boss and an owner.

I have been in business for over 10 years, started out with a 4 way partnership. One is sitting in jail for embezzlement, one got bought out, and the other one retired (technically bought out too, just not hostile). What I am getting at here is, do what you want. Just remember a smart man will learn from their own mistakes. A genius learns from the mistakes of others.

Good Luck.

I do find it interesting that dell has ditched the overly conservitive look... but maybe they are just figuring out that looks do sell. Then again this might be what you get when you Put a designer from Nike and a 25 year veteran from wireless industry in the room to build a computer (Ed Boyd and John Thode).