"gotten" instead of "contracted", perhaps.

I tried Ceph at around 5 computers for two weeks and experienced dataloss (reported the bug). They have probably fixed it by now.
After that, I switched to MooseFS, which works great (although it's not as advanced as Ceph). MooseFS has done a great job for a year now.

Only package maintainers should have to care about the underlying directory structure. Developers provide autoconf/scons/cmake/... scripts. Users can use the GUI and store their documents in their Documents folder. Never mind the Powerusers, they will always feel that things are either too advanced or too dumbed down, until they become Developers (tm).

Not true anymore with ssd drives around. Would agree in 1997.

It wasn't me, it was my hand.

It's ironic how the law system in "the land of the free" is all about money.

In reference to "if the other guy compiles and doesn't challenge them", I think you meant complies. Compilation is fun too though:

gcc -funroll-loops