``....Massachusetts Institute of Technology plans to make the materials for nearly all of its courses freely available on the Internet over the next 10 years...
...MIT's decision is a shot across the bow of those in the higher education establishment, including within the University of California system, who have been working to keep academic materials, including in-class lecture notes, off the Internet...The fear, of course, is that colleges, universities and professors will lose control over their intellectual property if they make it freely available. ''
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Lean to read. Learn to read between the lines. Learn to read betwen the line the hard way.
In other words, the fear is that the UC Regents would not be able to extract profit from the productive labor of its hirelings---quite as well as one of its arch rivals, MIT. Like IBM getting into Linux, there has to be a Trojan horse in there somewhere, so let's find it.
See, I don't believe it. I mean, I want to believe it, but somehow, there has to be a catch in there somewhere. A fee, some bullshit hoop to jump through---and here it is, (I think):
``....The availability of top-level academic materials online will soon make it possible to bring the cost of a self-directed income-boosting college education down to just a few hundred dollars a year, or even less, within a decade. '' ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A subscription or access fee? That's the ticket. Well, either its free or it isn't free. So let's be clear. It isn't free. In other words it costs money. And education isn't a degree, so the degree of course will cost extra. Or, education for a fee, degree not included. Hmm.
So we return to the opening sentence, ``...plans to make materials...freely available...'' Ahh, now I get it. Freely available. Yes, quite. After all MIT courses are freely available to anyone with $18k+ per year now, right? Or is it 20k something these days?
You have to read this shit like HMO policy coverage clauses. The unprecedented step that challenges privatization of knowledge turns out to be a store wide sale, discounting many of its major brands. Bogus assholes. The only reason Cal should be pissed, is it didn't think of it first.
After digging up the so-called Fact Sheet I still can't figure out if it is free (as in costs zero) or not:
<http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/nr/2001/ocw-facts.html>
But here is a nice little thought, ``...These projects are stimulated and supported by MIT's Council on Educational Technology and by Project I-Campus, a collaboration between MIT and Microsoft Research...''
The whole fact sheet, has that microsuck slime wording sound to it. For example, listen to this, ``...Building on the experience of other universities, TEAL will merge lectures, recitations, and hands-on laboratory experience into a technologically and collaboratively rich experience...''
Now, what the fuck does this mean? Just exactly what is a collaboratively rich experience? Possible translation: stealing materials from everywhere else, TEAL will sell you an edu-tainment account at MIT for only $99.99 per semester. Hurry while supplies last. (Fine print: only works on Explorer, only major credit cards accepted, no refunds, all sales are final. Offer not available in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam and Wisconsin. Offer is nontransferable and not redeemable for cash. May not be combined with any other discount or offer. Limit one per customer.)
I can not figure out if it is free or freely available. I mean diamonds are freely available. You just go buy them. In other words, does it cost money or doesn't it cost money dammit all? Until that is discovered to be a true and factually rich statement or not true, and therefore a less than factually rich statement, until that day, then, I think I will remain extremely skeptical.
In the meantime, go to the book store or the library and do it the old fashion way. Jerks.
Chuck Grimes