Why do some people use false names when travelling? Is this legal? I'm interested in the history of people using noms de voyages, people who do it now, attitudes towards them, and what practical difficulties there are and were.
posted by westerly on Nov 28, 2009 - 9 answers

What, exactly ARE the conventions when translating familial honorifics in Chinese? You can't go around calling EVERYONE in the story aunt and uncle. [more inside]
posted by saysthis on Jun 1, 2009 - 22 answers

Longshot filter: Sometime in the mid-90s, Big Brother magazine ran a photo of a male skateboarder sitting on a bench or concrete wall, skateboard in hand, and a female next to him, kissing him on his cheek. Is this photo online? [more inside]
posted by nitsuj on May 23, 2009 - 3 answers

What resolution would the Hubble Telescope be able to discern, if we pointed it at my back yard instead of into the stars? Would it be able to pick up individual blades of grass? Would it be able to see bacteria or anything not visible to the naked eye? Could it see the illuminated dial of my watch at night? [more inside]
posted by crazyray on May 12, 2009 - 19 answers

Help me choose a VPN provider. [more inside]
posted by blacksky on May 3, 2009 - 4 answers

My son’s elementary school Internet policy has some fairly objectionable provisions. How common are these terms, and can/should anything be done about it? [more inside]
posted by QuantumMeruit on Dec 17, 2008 - 25 answers

Can FaceTime IM monitoring read the traffic on googletalk when it's being run via the browser? [more inside]
posted by Jase on Aug 28, 2008 - 5 answers

Why haven't (or to what extent have) prisons embraced video technology? [more inside]
posted by greytape on May 21, 2008 - 13 answers

Why was I asked for my zip code when I payed at the pump? ID verification? [more inside]
posted by gauchodaspampas on Feb 5, 2008 - 30 answers

I'm considering becoming a Big Sister. I know that it's a real commitment, and I have an idea of the individual, group and school programs that are available, but I'd like to hear about your experiences as current or former Big Sisters/Big Brothers anywhere in Canada or the States. (If you were a Little Sister or Brother, I'd like to hear from you, too.) What should I expect? What went well? What didn't go well?
posted by maudlin on Aug 5, 2007 - 16 answers

How can I watch the big brother 7 (US) season finale? Its mysteriously missing from the internet. [more inside]
posted by illegiblemess on Sep 25, 2006 - 3 answers

I've spent the last couple of weeks reading Everyware: The Dawning age Of ubiquitous computing, 1984 and Brave New World and now I'm in full-on tin-hat mode. [more inside]
posted by TheDonF on Aug 30, 2006 - 8 answers

Clearing up the sound on a low quality avi recorded with a Casio EX-Z57? [more inside]
posted by nthdegx on Apr 28, 2006 - 7 answers