I also heard that Locke will be back to his kick a$$ self this season. Can't wait. Locke is my favorite character, followed by Eko and Desmond.
Personally, I think that "The Others" were once part of the Dharma Intiative, and found out about some of the Hanso Foundation's shadier dealings and rebelled. They have been in hiding using the technology gleaned form their experiments to wage a quiet war against the Hanso Foundation.
I think the Losties were brought to the island because of some unknown connection to Hanso/Dharma. But the crash landing was no accident.
added.
I definitely an of the impression that The Others really are good people.