Participants in our Weblog community spoke out on Microsoft's big announcement, the reproduction Altair 8800 kit, using the Internet for personal reasons at work, and foreign workers vs. Americans.

Microsoft's Big Day

FAITH:: "I am happy with XP, I do not see any reason to use Exchange Server and most features of Office are already useless."

Get Ready To Party Like It's 1975

Bob: "Awesome, need to pull out my afro and bell-bottoms to use this bad boy!"

Mark: "It is important for people to learn about the history of where we came from... I always send folks over to the campus of De Anza College down the street from Apple's headquarters to marvel at one of the two original Macintoshes."

Employers, Break Out Web-Use Monitoring Tools; Employees, Watch Your Backs

Tim: "Our acceptable use policy is zero personal use.... IT sees it as a security and support issue.... We expect our partners to maintain safe Web sites and not flood us with spam or pop-ups. Consumer Web sites do not have the same standards."

Wayne S: "Employees should be given no personal time for surfing on company equipment or network connections. The hidden cost to employers is enormous and makes for a less competitive company, thereby hurting the entire enterprise (including all the other employees as well). Why employees don't understand this is beyond my ability to understand."

Joe IT manager: "As an IT professional and manager, I use the Internet at work for personal use and also use the Internet at home for work use. I work more than the required number of hours every week, carry a Blackberry, respond to emails, am 'on call' 24x7. I don't typically complain about after hours support and see it as part of my job. My company doesn't complain about personal Internet usage and I don't abuse it."

Over Thanksgiving Feasts, Frustrated Immigrants Will Mull Pilgrimages To More Welcoming Shores

Dana: "Just got my pink slip yesterday. Naturally, the H-1Bs are staying. Happy Thanksgiving!"