[ExI] RES: mit's answer to the stanford ai class

[John Grigg]

Spike wrote:
I have extracted a better education hanging out on the internet than I did
in college.  I can't even say it was because I wasted my time in college: I
didn't.  I was a geek, studied constantly, learned a lot there, consider it
a most worthwhile, if expensive exercise.  We didn't even have beer at that
college, or if so I don't know where it was, and I had only one girl.  But
when I later went primarily to internet learning, I had far more control
over the direction and pace.  That aspect of internet learning is an
important point in this discussion.
>>>


Spike, I suspect you are among a small minority that really uses the
internet to learn and develop yourself, but then you are a bright and
scientifically educated person.  I believe the majority of folks
utilize it mainly to learn the latest about the Kardashians and other
celebrities, look at porn, follow sports, or engage in some shopping.
I do learn things from this list and the popular science articles I
love to read, but I admit to not pushing myself to really stretch my
intellectual horizons at near the level I would if taking challenging
college classes for credit.  At least for me, learning can at times be
like doing push-ups, which is not always so much fun.


John


On 12/24/11, Adrian Tymes <atymes at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sat, Dec 24, 2011 at 7:38 AM, Jeff Davis <jrd1415 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> In the old paradigm business model the product or
>> service provider controls the price:don't have the bucks, don't get
>> the goods.  In the internet (information) model the buyer controls the
>> price.  Which is to say the buyer will pay whatever he or she is
>> willing to pay.
>>
>> Old paradigm thinking holds that given the choice between getting
>> something for free or paying, people will universally and always opt
>> for free.  I disagree.  I think it is in the nature of people to seek
>> social acceptance, and the drive for that will always make people want
>> to "do the right thing", which means paying that (small) amount that
>> balances the need for social acceptance and the constraints of
>> personal economic circumstances.  The poorest of the poor then, will
>> access the information services for free, but once they derive an
>> economic benefit, I predict they will chip in.
>
> A nice theory, but it falls through when getting stuff for free becomes
> socially acceptable - and there seems to be inherent pressure for that
> to happen, if allowed.  Take something for free because it's useful to you
> and you didn't have money to spare?  That's always understandable -
> and so tolerance is given, and then more people do it, and then it
> becomes the norm.
>
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