I’ve always had this fantasy that everything will collapse and those who survive will be those who can turn the detritus of production of an earlier civilization into useful tools for sustenance. Of course my fantasy also includes living inside an abandoned and well stocked library with a member of the opposite sex who finds me inexplicably irresistible and a pet bear named Gomez.
I think you and @Elusis make the same mistake in assuming I’m evaluating these things. I’m not. I’m prognosticating. What I think doesn’t matter. What you think doesn’t matter. What the whole of Boingboing thinks doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if we value the humanities or think MOOCs suck, or are great, or need mustard. The people who ultimately end up having the power to make these decisions will do so largely despite any objections we may have. I think MOOCs will iron out enough of their own problems to become a viable and possibly common form of education. It doesn’t matter if they have problems. I’ve never seen a business let perfect be the enemy of good (left-wing activists are another matter, sadly.) If you look at how our society values anything, all that matters is that it’s business-friendly. Again, I’m not being prescriptivist here, just descriptivist.
I’m not here to say it’s right, or good, or awesome. I’m only here to tell you it’s coming, gird your loins because it’s gonna be one hell of a ride. Throw a wig on me and call me Cassie if it helps you to understand the point I’m trying to make here. See, from my perspective, we’ve already lost some of these battles and can’t fight yesterday’s battles unless we’re prepared to lose tomorrow’s.
Can’t. Don’t have a degree yet. It might be a while before I can pay for one too. The irony.
