You know, I don't generally approve of AOL throwing its legal weight around.

That's because usually, they're not championing any cause I'd care to see advanced. Sometimes I have no opinion, sometimes they're the "bad guy".

Today, they're most definitely the good guy to me. Spammers deserve to get hit hard in the pocket and AOL has the money and position to take it that far. Keep it up, and may every other significant-sized paid provider join in the fun.

That's good to see. Granted, the money's going to the company and not to the people who got the spam, but the company also had to store and process it. What I care more abuot is that the spammers are being punished in the way they'll best understand - loss of money.

Yes.

A nice Wired article on security holes, vs. actual hacks....

Are our systems vulnerable? Heck, yes, especially if we're running Windows. But for all the problems found, you'd think all our computers would go down twice a day. And (mostly) they don't. Or, to steal a quote (of Mike Sweeney) from the article:

"But, since it's theoretically possible someone might use this flaw as an attack method, it's reported as a 'security hole.' It's like saying there is a chance your car will roll over in a crash, therefore we will report the car as defective and a risk to you. Duh!"

I suppose I could strain the analogy by trying to make something of it (is Windows the SUV of the computing world, very capable but easily rolled?). But that would be tacky. :)