Much as RTM was cut some slack? The thing is there's a key difference. RTM didn't _intend_ to melt down the network, whereas Gene presumbly - hopefully - thought about it for a while before he made his call to inflict severe punishment. Did RTM do something wrong? Absolutely. Did he deserve some punishment? Definitely. But years in jail? Yes, it caused a lot of disruption - but to any one person, not an overwhelming amount. Luckily, the judge was wise enough, and brave enough, to put the sentencing guidelines (and the DoJ recommendation, IIRC) to one side. However, that too was not without a cost; it was one more stone added to what is admittedlyalready a mountain of precedent that judges can ignore the legislature's recommendations - and once one does it, another will feel more free to do so. And so we pass from a government of laws to a government of men. But I don't give Gene the lion's share of the blame: that has to go to Rasch, and his superiors at the DoJ, who were apparently (as best I can understand their motives) willing to crush a young man under a bus to make a point. The power to prosecute and punish is an awesome one, and should be wielded carefully and with judgement, and it was their failure to do so that really was the root cause. Noel