Those seem like two unrelated questions.

Anarchy could "work", yes, but it would be very unpleasant. Communism I don't know enough about to be sure. I don't think anybody knows enough to be sure. But from all I understand about it, it's a practical guide to Marxism with a complicated requirement - a benevolent dictator. A nice way to fix society's ills.. if you can manage a less-mortal Lenin or two.

I also think it's a bit old-fashioned these days, at least for the Western world. Everybody's middle class now, or so they tell us..

Microsoft is very confused, and they continue to be muddled up by the Windows Everywhere Steve Ballmer disease.

That said, I think Windows 8 tablets are going to be the first real competitors to the iPad. Windows 8 seems to be competitive with iOS for touch screens, and I think if they get prices down low enough, you'll see a lot of people actually using them.

I think Windows 8 on the desktop is going to be a debacle, though. No matter how good Metro is with a mouse, the dual-mode compromised approach MS has taken with Windows 8 means that most people are going to see it as "Windows 7, but with this stupid splash screen I have to exit out of when I turn the computer on."

I did back in the early naughties, when I was a teenager with a lot of time. Once, and only once! It was kind of an interesting process, but so much fuss and bother was involved that I can't imagine doing it today.

The thing I enjoyed most about it was that I made it operate very quietly. This was a challenge and required a lot of shopping for high-end fans and special giant heatsinks, and at one point I even made an electronic circuit to turn the power supply fan on and off depending on temperature. However, my thrill was in the completed product, not the frustrating process of getting there.

i have been rendered speechless by veronica's horrible response

(i don't actually know! i don't like cookies or milkshakes much!)

Have I ever.

Well, there's the standard "are uncreative critics a worthwhile thing to have" argument we could trot out, but I think this one is different...

I think it's very hard to take humour criticism seriously from those who aren't humorous themselves. It's an unusual skill, to be funny - by understanding whatever makes for good humour, you become able to make it yourself.

So I'd say the reason I am happy to call something unfunny is because I think I am funny myself. Not enormously so, not expert or famed for it, but I have a sense of humour that pleases myself enough for me to feel like I can articulate an argument for or against instances and types of jokes.

So If you don't think I have a sense of humour, you shouldn't pay much attention to what I say about humour. We're mismatched.

I don't think "being mean" is something with a universally agreed meaning. I think about it as being "unnecessarily negative", so no, by definition it's not beneficial to anyone! You should never say anything harsh to anyone unless there's a good reason!

I think open source people are good at writing boring server-side stuff and terrible at writing exciting user-facing stuff.

I've always looked to Linux(-based operating systems) as a go-to example of how _not_ to write usable software, and even in the age of Ubuntu and Android it is a powerful rhetorical device.

I used to be proud to have nothing Linux-based in my life, but now we have a TiVo and Kindle the dream is dead. :(

That sort of stuff isn't very big in Australia. Even if I went to stay in a dorm (which few people do AFAIK, unless they come from outside of a major city) I don't think there would have been as much of that quasi-official hazing stuff going on.

Overall I think it's bizarre and old fashioned. SKULL AND BONES! ALPHA BETA PHI GAMMA! FREEMASONS! STONECUTTERS! Who needs to spend time on this?

yeah whatever

Bronies are the most interesting internet thing I've seen in the last few years. I wonder how long it'll take to fizzle out.

You're referring to me saying "artists are the worst, they're almost always shortsighted and petty and horrible", or something to that effect.

Obviously I was referring to other things than IQ, so I'm not sure why you're talking about da Vinci. I was lamenting (and generalising while doing so) the kind of temperament creative types have. To be honest, I'm not sure what stimulated me to say it, but it probably had to do with somebody flipping out at being criticised or whining about their moral rights or something.

Better than answering Formspring questions of the day lonely lonely no friends

Even worse. It's an unfunny, pretentious cartoon and nobody should watch it.

no no shhhh the zionists run formspring it isn't safe

We will do preorders. A lot of the decisions for the book have already been made, it's more a matter of when Veronica has time to do her share of the work (which is obviously a lot, being the artist.) When she's done some substantial work on the book (like a cover, so we can show off how the cover looks) then I think we'll take preorders.

Um. I don't tell people my password?

Wow, somebody notices this stuff?

I pick jpeg where it makes sense. It made sense for this one. You'll notice a lot of older colour chapters (like most of the birthday ones) were jpeg too.

Am I supposed to spin this into a useful question? Of course I'd say yes! I did it, after all.

I should really update it, right? To be honest, no, i don't, but I want to keep it a little bit up to date. People still use my Di Gi Charat site, Opera page, etc. I just need to make sure it's clear that some pages are abandoned.