No, the developers aren't doing everything they can - filesize filters aren't the hardest things in the world to incorporate into a program, (according to someone I asked who does a fair bit of programming) and doing so would eliminate the spam problem virtually overnight. Unless the spammers are clever enough to spoof the size of a file, there wouldn't be any way to get their crap past the filter without uploading very large files in place of the ones they currently send. Not very a cost-effective money making scheme.

As for iPods, I have numerous reasons for hating them. They're cheaply made, they break if you so much as look at them the wrong way, they're ludicrously overpriced, and all the ones I've heard skip all over the place if you move with any kind of speed.

Since they're basically glorified portable hard drives, there's also mechanical failure, (Google for common hard drive failures, and you'll see what can go wrong with a hard drive if you don't already know) decreased battery life due to powering the motor, and the risk of data loss and physical damage to the platters if the read heads make contact with them.

Then there's the fact that I really don't like sticking those bright white headphones in my ears and instantly becoming a mobile advertisement for Apple. If they want to advertise, they can do more TV ads.

I have a flash MP3 player that doubles as a pendrive - a 1 gigabyte capacity, 24 hour (continuous) average battery life at high volume, no moving parts other than a couple of buttons, easily concealed pretty much anywhere, and it plays all of my tracks beautifully. And I didn't have to hack the living crap out of the firmware to make it play tracks I've ripped from my own CD collection, unlike the iPods I've seen.

But my biggest reason for hating them is that I can't open my email or browse a website without getting some kind of iPod spam shoved in my face. The internet is so completely saturated with the damn things that numerous otherwise normal sites have recently posted 'news' articles that typically began with a statement like "Now I don't normally get involved with these free iPod schemes, but...." and ending with something like "So just go to this site, fill out the questionnaire, sign up for their newsletter, and help me get a free iPod!" Yay for the 21st century equivalent of the pyramid scheme. =/

I'm sick of hearing people talk about them as though music has never been portable before, too - I've been able to walk down the street listening to music for most of my life. The only real 'new' thing that was introduced by portable digital music is the amount of tracks that can be carried at one time.

If you like your iPod, all I can say is that I'm glad for you. Of the two people I know offline and three online who have iPods, they've all had to take them in for repairs more than once. It's good to know that they turn out a decent until every now and again. However, I don't like iPods at all - they are, in my opinion, the worst kind of disposable designer junk, and the sooner we see the back of them the better off we'll all be. The current problem with LimeWire is evidence enough to back up that statement.

And one last thing: Only A Hobo, this wasn't a personal attack on you, this is just how I feel about iPods. I'm honestly glad you haven't been screwed over by Apple's sub-standard manufacturing practices, and I know that everyone has their preferences. Yours is iPod, and mine is more or less anything but. No offence intended, so I hope none was taken.