Re:The role of universities is changing
on
Is The Term Paper Dead?
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· Score: 2, Interesting
I am with you. Original thought requires that we think, speak, be opinionated. Not many want to risk that when they have $120k debt riding on getting the right answers. I was lucky, I'm in a CS type field, but when I should have gone to college the information that was available has LONG since been lost or deprecated. I know the same or more than college grads now, and I use the Internet as much of my resource. In fact, with experience I know more than college graduates.
There was a time when you had to go to college to garner that information, but now you can join a group on the internet and learn how to design ASIC chips. The information age has surpassed the learning institutional system by leaps and bounds. I no longer feel that a college education means something. My military background and ability to learn from the Internet makes for a strong ME. No class ring required.
My step daughter is taking a class in biology. The first quiz is a bit of a doozy when tasked against my own knowledge, but it did bring out an aspect of this story. Today's kids are tasked with finding answers in what equates to an ocean of information compared to what was available when I was in school. Plagiarism is not good, but in this 'ocean of information' it is difficult to know what that really is. When studying, an answer from wikipedia is as good as one from another paper available on the Internet.
I think it leads to lax standards as to where the answer came from when the point is to find the answer. Term papers and those efforts required of students that require actual personal thought and effort are not dead, they simply need to be pressed with more effort. Finding information is no longer the problem that it used to be. Expressing your own thoughts on the question at hand is a skill that many people never learn, never mind figure out how to express when they are 18-ish.
It is problematic to discuss things in a black and white manner as this story seems to. The issue is not plagiarism or term papers, it is expression of thought, and that is what is endangered most by the 'ocean of information' that is now available to us all.
Lets just get rid of, as in incinerate, the dept of homeland security and the problem, as such, will just go away. Then we can all get back to what needs to be done.
I seriously don't think that $10 per day for WiFi connection will satisfy the stockholders/investors. $4,500,000,000 - At only $100k per plane x 4500 planes that fly in the North America area. (guess) $xx millions - Wireless spectrum
Well, even with simplified math, that works out to hundreds of millions of user-day revenue just to pay back infrastructure investment. Where is the business plan for that?
I use adblock too, and have to stop and think about it when people complain of ads. I just don't see them anymore. For the most part, network television convinced me a LONG time ago that if it needs to be advertised there is a >90% chance that you don't need it. I'm tired of people making up diseases to sell me shit http://www.havidol.com/.
I pretty much not only ignore advertisements but put those items on my 'not going to buy it' list.
funny... but the point is still salient. The fact that there is illegal downloading is not the sole reason that software businesses are suffering declining profits. We'll see if there is more of a causal link if EMI starts turning a profit with their new DRM free deal.
I do pay for software, donating to OSS as well. I pay for my music, donating to Internet radio stations I like as well. Still, I'm not spending money on MS, PaintShop, and other expensive programs when there is an alternative that works as well for me. This makes me believe that the current decline in revenues is more to do with other things than downloading where people can afford it. Note, the RIAA/MPAA only get money for my entertainment when someone buys me a gift from their products... and that doesn't even happen often.
As was pointed out much piracy occurs because of the pricing structure used in some countries. The try before you buy thing is quite handy, and being able to get just the songs you want rather than the whole CD including the crappy songs are strong motivators. As much as the **AA don't want to admit it, they are woefully behind the times and creating the biggest part of their mess. I give EMI and Apple some respect for trying things the 'new' way.
I will NOT believe any company that claims P2P or downloading has caused their company damage because it simply is impossible to determine where their previous revenue stream has gone, whether that is to F/OSS, other competing products, simply gone away (not upgrading), or lost to file sharing. Additionally, it is impossible to determine the difference between losses via the Internet and losses via sneaker-net. There has ALWAYS been piracy. The Internet simply made it possible to do so on a larger scale. The claim that P2P has hurt their businesses just is NOT provable.
Well, got another scenario for you... As a legal *OWNER* of PaintShopPro 7, when it came time for a new version, I'd already switched to Linux and now use the free software that is available. In this case, neither of them got my money. So how did the existence of TPB deprive them of anything?
In the case of music, you might have a point, but mine is that no one can prove that anyone has lost money, only that it looks like it. If in fact there were no free downloads of any kind I wonder what they would blame their declining profits on?
I don't want to seem like I think you are ignorant, but could you please point out, in great and precise detail, how TPB has *ACTUALLY* deprived an artist, or group of artists (name them all) of money they would have received if TPB did not exist, and exactly how much money that would be?
Your comment is as much crying wolf as that of any RIAA lawyer.
this has got to cause some flying chairs in Redmond.
Arguably one of the most important repositories of information in the U.S. is about to be available via OSS software and not MS products. For all the efforts that MS put out in Mass. this has got to be a kick in the face! Just wow!
IANAL, but just because an armed robber lives in the same town as a relative, and they both have cars, and are close, doesn't mean there is need, or cause to search the relatives car for evidence of the crimes committed by the armed robber. Yes, I know that might not be the best analogy, but where is the judge to stop? Can the RIAA look at her neighbor's pc? Can the RIAA request that all her friends computers be searched? If there is no evidence of infringement, well, then there is no evidence. Going fishing in the computers that she might have had access to is just that, fishing.
Well, that sounds like you are saying that the only people really put at a disadvantage by WGA and anti-piracy measures are honest users that weren't pirating software anyway?
We can draw from several possible conclusions from such numbers:
1 - WGA is actually working, and the 20 million people who actually DO want to pay for windows have bought their copies (note, I have no stats to back up that statement)
2 - People really aren't convinced that Windows Vista is the answer to their software woes
3 - It just fscking costs too much to upgrade from an OS that seems to be working just fine right now.
4 - Too many people are trying to consolidate bills after the holiday seasons to spend more money.
5 - Businesses are waiting for SP2 (I think they should have just launched with Vista SP2)
6 - Statistics and studies only show you what they want you to see
7 - Viola! Windows Vista pretty much sucks... - this one seems quite plausible?
I sort of agree with you. This story should be labeled as politics and the discussion should be about separation of church and state. The only link that has to news for nerds is how it might affect the scientific community at large.
Thankfully, no fundamentalist has declared MP3s the work of the devil!... yet
I think that you are confusing "has character" with "is a character." In some ways he seems like a class A jerk, but I respect him for funding EFF even if he does not always agree with him. I agree
I also like the idea of a nerd owning jocks (except for the racial overtones). I hope you get modded funny for that!
stands on various arguments, but overall, I like him. I don't think that he is the best example of how to be a businessman, but he does have character. I think that he is just savvy enough to pull the truth out into the light for people to look at it while he is making money off of it somewhere else.
YouTube definitely has the benefit of the safe harbor provision of the DMCA and a well versed bunch of lawyers.
WRT to Cuban, well, everyone knows that cars are used to deliver drugs, both locally and across state and international borders... we should ban all cars! His argument is pretty weak for someone that seems to be as intelligent as he does.
As a mathematician, I'm always surprised by people who think that 4 and 4.0 should not be equal. Well, one is just a number, the other is the SP version identifier that tells you when its safe to upgrade to a new version of windows.
Not sure why you got modded as Offtopic? As pointed out, all currency is basically virtual. If Canadian Tire opened a SecondLife store maybe you would have been modded up? I know a kid that bought his bicycle with Canadian Tire Dollars.
It is fact that in the U.S. just about anyone can print currency as long as it's in Dollar denominations and $1 of your dollars is valued/redeemed at $1 USD. The fact that the Federal version of the Dollar is the one most widely accepted doesn't mean that another currency can't be valuable.
I wonder what US courts will decide when it comes down to treating virtual currency in regard to actual currency. Should you be able to buy $200 worth of virtual currency for $20 USD? Or will it have to have a redemption value ratio of 1:1?
The 'learning something new' part is not meant as an argument against OS X, simply a statement of required efforts. When switching from Win98 to XP 'learning something new' is required as well. I'm sure that there is some learning involved in switching from XP to Vista also, though I hope to never really have to worry about it.
Hopefully it didn't sound like I was saying something against OS X, rather I meant that while there is a workable FREE alternative, that is what MS should worry about.
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I am with you. Original thought requires that we think, speak, be opinionated. Not many want to risk that when they have $120k debt riding on getting the right answers. I was lucky, I'm in a CS type field, but when I should have gone to college the information that was available has LONG since been lost or deprecated. I know the same or more than college grads now, and I use the Internet as much of my resource. In fact, with experience I know more than college graduates.
There was a time when you had to go to college to garner that information, but now you can join a group on the internet and learn how to design ASIC chips. The information age has surpassed the learning institutional system by leaps and bounds. I no longer feel that a college education means something. My military background and ability to learn from the Internet makes for a strong ME. No class ring required.
I took me reading it twice, but you are right, that's fucking funny!!
My step daughter is taking a class in biology. The first quiz is a bit of a doozy when tasked against my own knowledge, but it did bring out an aspect of this story. Today's kids are tasked with finding answers in what equates to an ocean of information compared to what was available when I was in school. Plagiarism is not good, but in this 'ocean of information' it is difficult to know what that really is. When studying, an answer from wikipedia is as good as one from another paper available on the Internet.
I think it leads to lax standards as to where the answer came from when the point is to find the answer. Term papers and those efforts required of students that require actual personal thought and effort are not dead, they simply need to be pressed with more effort. Finding information is no longer the problem that it used to be. Expressing your own thoughts on the question at hand is a skill that many people never learn, never mind figure out how to express when they are 18-ish.
It is problematic to discuss things in a black and white manner as this story seems to. The issue is not plagiarism or term papers, it is expression of thought, and that is what is endangered most by the 'ocean of information' that is now available to us all.
by your definition #2, a hacker that is concerned about cost of the software qualifies... at least I think so
isn't it ironic that even hackers don't like the high cost of MS software?
FTFA: "The researchers say the only reason they didn't do it on Vista final was cost."
Lets just get rid of, as in incinerate, the dept of homeland security and the problem, as such, will just go away. Then we can all get back to what needs to be done.
The whole thing makes the 'upgrade' to Linux (pick your distro) a whole lot more palatable!
Seriously, while this suit might be a bit stupid, it sure makes F/OSS sound damned good!
I seriously don't think that $10 per day for WiFi connection will satisfy the stockholders/investors.
$4,500,000,000 - At only $100k per plane x 4500 planes that fly in the North America area. (guess)
$xx millions - Wireless spectrum
Well, even with simplified math, that works out to hundreds of millions of user-day revenue just to pay back infrastructure investment. Where is the business plan for that?
Not to burst your bubble, but your humor is drier than the British, or you didn't realize that was a joke site..... hmmmm
I use adblock too, and have to stop and think about it when people complain of ads. I just don't see them anymore. For the most part, network television convinced me a LONG time ago that if it needs to be advertised there is a >90% chance that you don't need it. I'm tired of people making up diseases to sell me shit http://www.havidol.com/.
I pretty much not only ignore advertisements but put those items on my 'not going to buy it' list.
funny... but the point is still salient. The fact that there is illegal downloading is not the sole reason that software businesses are suffering declining profits. We'll see if there is more of a causal link if EMI starts turning a profit with their new DRM free deal.
I do pay for software, donating to OSS as well. I pay for my music, donating to Internet radio stations I like as well. Still, I'm not spending money on MS, PaintShop, and other expensive programs when there is an alternative that works as well for me. This makes me believe that the current decline in revenues is more to do with other things than downloading where people can afford it. Note, the RIAA/MPAA only get money for my entertainment when someone buys me a gift from their products... and that doesn't even happen often.
As was pointed out much piracy occurs because of the pricing structure used in some countries. The try before you buy thing is quite handy, and being able to get just the songs you want rather than the whole CD including the crappy songs are strong motivators. As much as the **AA don't want to admit it, they are woefully behind the times and creating the biggest part of their mess. I give EMI and Apple some respect for trying things the 'new' way.
I will NOT believe any company that claims P2P or downloading has caused their company damage because it simply is impossible to determine where their previous revenue stream has gone, whether that is to F/OSS, other competing products, simply gone away (not upgrading), or lost to file sharing. Additionally, it is impossible to determine the difference between losses via the Internet and losses via sneaker-net. There has ALWAYS been piracy. The Internet simply made it possible to do so on a larger scale. The claim that P2P has hurt their businesses just is NOT provable.
Well, got another scenario for you... As a legal *OWNER* of PaintShopPro 7, when it came time for a new version, I'd already switched to Linux and now use the free software that is available. In this case, neither of them got my money. So how did the existence of TPB deprive them of anything?
In the case of music, you might have a point, but mine is that no one can prove that anyone has lost money, only that it looks like it. If in fact there were no free downloads of any kind I wonder what they would blame their declining profits on?
I don't want to seem like I think you are ignorant, but could you please point out, in great and precise detail, how TPB has *ACTUALLY* deprived an artist, or group of artists (name them all) of money they would have received if TPB did not exist, and exactly how much money that would be?
Your comment is as much crying wolf as that of any RIAA lawyer.
that we can sue Morfik? /sarcasm
this has got to cause some flying chairs in Redmond.
Arguably one of the most important repositories of information in the U.S. is about to be available via OSS software and not MS products. For all the efforts that MS put out in Mass. this has got to be a kick in the face! Just wow!
IANAL, but just because an armed robber lives in the same town as a relative, and they both have cars, and are close, doesn't mean there is need, or cause to search the relatives car for evidence of the crimes committed by the armed robber. Yes, I know that might not be the best analogy, but where is the judge to stop? Can the RIAA look at her neighbor's pc? Can the RIAA request that all her friends computers be searched? If there is no evidence of infringement, well, then there is no evidence. Going fishing in the computers that she might have had access to is just that, fishing.
they need to add to the sound track ... things like:
Hey, you make a better door than window...
Do I have to clean my room NOW?
well, you get the picture
Well, that sounds like you are saying that the only people really put at a disadvantage by WGA and anti-piracy measures are honest users that weren't pirating software anyway?
We can draw from several possible conclusions from such numbers:
1 - WGA is actually working, and the 20 million people who actually DO want to pay for windows have bought their copies (note, I have no stats to back up that statement)
2 - People really aren't convinced that Windows Vista is the answer to their software woes
3 - It just fscking costs too much to upgrade from an OS that seems to be working just fine right now.
4 - Too many people are trying to consolidate bills after the holiday seasons to spend more money.
5 - Businesses are waiting for SP2 (I think they should have just launched with Vista SP2)
6 - Statistics and studies only show you what they want you to see
7 - Viola! Windows Vista pretty much sucks... - this one seems quite plausible?
I sort of agree with you. This story should be labeled as politics and the discussion should be about separation of church and state. The only link that has to news for nerds is how it might affect the scientific community at large.
Thankfully, no fundamentalist has declared MP3s the work of the devil!... yet
stands on various arguments, but overall, I like him. I don't think that he is the best example of how to be a businessman, but he does have character. I think that he is just savvy enough to pull the truth out into the light for people to look at it while he is making money off of it somewhere else.
YouTube definitely has the benefit of the safe harbor provision of the DMCA and a well versed bunch of lawyers.
WRT to Cuban, well, everyone knows that cars are used to deliver drugs, both locally and across state and international borders... we should ban all cars! His argument is pretty weak for someone that seems to be as intelligent as he does.
Not sure why you got modded as Offtopic? As pointed out, all currency is basically virtual. If Canadian Tire opened a SecondLife store maybe you would have been modded up? I know a kid that bought his bicycle with Canadian Tire Dollars.
It is fact that in the U.S. just about anyone can print currency as long as it's in Dollar denominations and $1 of your dollars is valued/redeemed at $1 USD. The fact that the Federal version of the Dollar is the one most widely accepted doesn't mean that another currency can't be valuable.
I wonder what US courts will decide when it comes down to treating virtual currency in regard to actual currency. Should you be able to buy $200 worth of virtual currency for $20 USD? Or will it have to have a redemption value ratio of 1:1?
This is obviously not the case in China.
The 'learning something new' part is not meant as an argument against OS X, simply a statement of required efforts. When switching from Win98 to XP 'learning something new' is required as well. I'm sure that there is some learning involved in switching from XP to Vista also, though I hope to never really have to worry about it.
Hopefully it didn't sound like I was saying something against OS X, rather I meant that while there is a workable FREE alternative, that is what MS should worry about.