Get your sources straight, from SatireWire the original writer:
"Strangely enow, this SatireWire story lately has been zipping around the 'Net attributed to John Cleese. That's flattering and funny and all, but now I'm getting so many emails asking who "really" wrote it that it will make my life easier to nip it here. I apologize for any disappoinment, but the story was written by Andrew Marlatt. It first appeared on SatireWire on Feb. 1, 2002, and was subsequently published in several major newspapers, including this version still available at The Washington Post. So that's the deal. All the best -- Andrew"
The credit card numbers that are mentioned in the article are the ones being traded to acquire more desirable screen names.
From the Article in Security Focus:
Credit Cards Abused
Hackers initially discovered that they could set uni_next_atom_typed to two blank spaces and create indented screen names on new AOL accounts. When it developed that the same technique could be used to take over AIM accounts, something of a screen name gold rush ensued among a mostly juvenile group of hackers eagerly snatching up the most attractive names, according to Lamo.
Because AOL's sign-up process requires a valid credit card number, many of these hackers have taken up credit card fraud to feed their screen name habit. "People trade desirable screen names for [stolen] credit card numbers, which are then used to make more desirable screen names," Lamo says. "It's a vicious cycle."
For full story visit link: http://www.securityfocus.com/news/119
I do not think you can entirely bring back an extinct specie. Because even though the ones that are cloned may be the exact same in their genetic pool they *will* be different than the original species. This is because they will act different because they have no role model to copy from. They will act different and will have a hard time surviving, that is until the time they develop new surviving techniques, through natural selection, and then behave like a brand new species
Yes, perhaps in some future day titanium could get as cheap as aluminum. But would it transform our everyday life in the same way that aluminum did?
I think the largest influence of the cheapening of titanium is going to be in engineering, and I dont think it is going to be as important as the cheapening of aluminum.
Slashdot Mirror
"Strangely enow, this SatireWire story lately has been zipping around the 'Net attributed to John Cleese. That's flattering and funny and all, but now I'm getting so many emails asking who "really" wrote it that it will make my life easier to nip it here. I apologize for any disappoinment, but the story was written by Andrew Marlatt. It first appeared on SatireWire on Feb. 1, 2002, and was subsequently published in several major newspapers, including this version still available at The Washington Post. So that's the deal. All the best -- Andrew"
The credit card numbers that are mentioned in the article are the ones being traded to acquire more desirable screen names.
From the Article in Security Focus:
Credit Cards Abused
Hackers initially discovered that they could set uni_next_atom_typed to two blank spaces and create indented screen names on new AOL accounts. When it developed that the same technique could be used to take over AIM accounts, something of a screen name gold rush ensued among a mostly juvenile group of hackers eagerly snatching up the most attractive names, according to Lamo.
Because AOL's sign-up process requires a valid credit card number, many of these hackers have taken up credit card fraud to feed their screen name habit. "People trade desirable screen names for [stolen] credit card numbers, which are then used to make more desirable screen names," Lamo says. "It's a vicious cycle."
For full story visit link:
http://www.securityfocus.com/news/119
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Maquina
http://director.chessmasters.com/maquina
I do not think you can entirely bring back an extinct specie. Because even though the ones that are cloned may be the exact same in their genetic pool they *will* be different than the original species. This is because they will act different because they have no role model to copy from. They will act different and will have a hard time surviving, that is until the time they develop new surviving techniques, through natural selection, and then behave like a brand new species
Yes, perhaps in some future day titanium could get as cheap as aluminum. But would it transform our everyday life in the same way that aluminum did? I think the largest influence of the cheapening of titanium is going to be in engineering, and I dont think it is going to be as important as the cheapening of aluminum.