But what I think you are missing is the upgrade option that pops up in your dashboard. Yeah, there are some downsides, like security. I just chown the file tree to the webserver user for as long as it takes to do the upgrade and then back.
I'm sure the algorithms for time stretching and the effects have been tweaked over the years, but the core principles of snipping wav files, sequencing on multiple tracks and adding parametrized effects are the same.
I'd love to see someone reconstruct some other tracks (like Public Enemy's "Fear of a Black Planet", 1989) with readily available consumer software like Apple's GarageBand.
"Cloud Servers" = 256MB for ~$10/month which is a great price - but it looks like a plain old VPS. I could set it up, but there's no "friendly" way to administer it.
"Managed Servers" are starting at $100/month, which is way too expensive.
Cloud Sites (which is $100/month) is a clustered, high availability hosting platform. I haven't personally used it, but based on my great experience with Cloud Servers, I'd expect it to be worth every penny.
Still looking for something as simple as a shared webhosting (mail and webserver work "out of the box", easy control panel) but with better performance.
RackspaceCloud.com sites is exactly this. You create sites, they come with uber-simple control panels, stats, email and databases. I really think you should look again at RackspaceCloud.com sites.
Summary: We have no data about this problem, nor our proposed solution.
"In most cases, however, users will appreciate getting clear-text feedback as they enter passwords."
If Nielsen had a mockup or something that we could all clearly see was a huge improvement, then sure, let's do it. A UI change this drastic should have an order of magnitude gain to it. Otherwise, move on to bigger fish.
You might like the more rational grid approach to web design. Once you familiarize yourself with it, you'll start seeing it everywhere... A good place to start is: http://960.gs/
