I agree with you mostly, we don't need to be finding any little "flaw" with anyone and then giving it a name, blowing it out of proportion, and calling it a disease.
I just wanted to write quickly to reply to your first line, where I DO disagree. The only thing I personally have ever been addicted to is computer games (specifically, Everquest, Civilization, and a really old game whose name I cannot remember). Never sex, never narcotics, never books. I would play Everquest and by the time I finished for the "day" (it was tough to tell night from day) end up more frustrated than when I'd begun, yet wanted to keep playing but stopped for need of sleep. No drug has ever taken such a strong hold of me...
You bring up some good reasons for the navy wanting a patent. I think there might be something more "banal" that drives the desire for a public employee to get a patent -- ego and individual recognition:
o Many engineers and scientists list their patents pretty high on their resume, as something to (often rightfully) be proud of and brag about. If an individual was shunned from patenting things when joining the military, or other public office, this is yet another disincentive for highly creative and talented engineers and scientists to join such public offices. The navy might be doing this patent, or similar ones, simply for the benefit of the authors of the patent, or at least mostly for that reason.
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I agree with you mostly, we don't need to be finding any little "flaw" with anyone and then giving it a name, blowing it out of proportion, and calling it a disease.
I just wanted to write quickly to reply to your first line, where I DO disagree. The only thing I personally have ever been addicted to is computer games (specifically, Everquest, Civilization, and a really old game whose name I cannot remember). Never sex, never narcotics, never books. I would play Everquest and by the time I finished for the "day" (it was tough to tell night from day) end up more frustrated than when I'd begun, yet wanted to keep playing but stopped for need of sleep. No drug has ever taken such a strong hold of me...
You bring up some good reasons for the navy wanting a patent. I think there might be something more "banal" that drives the desire for a public employee to get a patent -- ego and individual recognition:
o Many engineers and scientists list their patents pretty high on their resume, as something to (often rightfully) be proud of and brag about. If an individual was shunned from patenting things when joining the military, or other public office, this is yet another disincentive for highly creative and talented engineers and scientists to join such public offices. The navy might be doing this patent, or similar ones, simply for the benefit of the authors of the patent, or at least mostly for that reason.