I’m just going to steal the response I read years ago.
“I possess a device, in my pocket, that is capable of accessing the entirety of information known to man. I use it to look at pictures of cats and get into arguments with strangers.”
I’ve started l to realize that actual information worth reading is not available. Like I cant access in depth medical course or text book in engineering. Lots of beginner tutorials marketed as 7 minute abs.
Information is valuable and nobody gives it away for free. We have access to a worlds worth of crappy, unvetted trash information. But the vast majority of the good stuff is still locked away as it always was.
Like I cant access in depth medical course or text book in engineering
Why not? The common ‘hack’ is to join the wifi at your local uni if you don’t have the necessary subscriptions for the platform but lots of stuff is open-access
That’s true but what I meant was that when I went to school it opened my eyes to how there is internet information and then there’s this other academic information. My own opinion is that I see a distinction between what I can learn online vs what I can learn with a text book. The internet is good at making me think I’m getting this massive access to knowledge when its really more superficial factoids rather than actually knowledge. And that’s because knowledge is sold like anything else
Since you mentioned you went to a school already (and assuming you meant some kind of post-secondary school); I do think it’s outrageous that some schools limit full library access to only the time one is completing their studies. Lots of former students would benefit and since anyone with access through their employers is likely using the employer’s library access, I can’t imagine former students would significantly increase the cost of maintaining database access…
I got lucky and still have access through the alumni association at my uni, but I don’t believe that’s true at all schools.
depends a bit on the text book and library, but yes. that’s kind of the point of university libraries (which you normally can also visit, as far as I am aware)
In fact, I just checked: my local uni library will give you a membership card for only a handful of bucks a year
This does make me think. I remember the days where I would turn up at the library to read books. With my phone, I can read and learn but instead I doom scroll.
I find I’m involved in a combination of doom scrolling and reading through my digital books. They’re not academic in nature but they bring me joy… I also leverage my device for googling the answer to any one of the thousand questions my offspring will ask daily.
Ah a mistake. The thing is that in the 50s it was believed that earth wouldn’t be able to feed more than 1 or 2 billions people. They didn’t imagine a city dozen million people either.
I don’t know if the Internet has made folks dumber per se. What we may be experiencing is the visibility of semi anonymous unfiltered thought. I’ve had conversations with individuals online who have made claims that are egregiously incorrect and will defend those claims to the death but when discussed in person, they are amenable to discourse and can change their opinions.
I’m not saying this is true for all cases but I think the is a lot more going on here in our digital age.
Nah, I’m sure it hasn’t. It just seems like it has.
Part of it is the fact that it’s easier for people speak freely to an audience, and…maybe some of them shouldn’t…
There’s also the fact that it’s a lot easier to consider oneself an expert. For better or worse, respect for authority has plummeted, and there’s so much information that anybody can find citations for just about any claim.
If you don’t believe me, I can link you to some articles about it…
I’m just going to steal the response I read years ago.
“I possess a device, in my pocket, that is capable of accessing the entirety of information known to man. I use it to look at pictures of cats and get into arguments with strangers.”
I’ve started l to realize that actual information worth reading is not available. Like I cant access in depth medical course or text book in engineering. Lots of beginner tutorials marketed as 7 minute abs.
Information is valuable and nobody gives it away for free. We have access to a worlds worth of crappy, unvetted trash information. But the vast majority of the good stuff is still locked away as it always was.
deleted by creator
It’s available if you set sail…
Argghh
SciHub + https://annas-blog.org/backed-up-the-worlds-largest-comics-shadow-lib.html
Try google scholar.
Between Libgen and SciHub I’m interested in hearing an example of what you can’t find out there.
Those aren’t technically legal and because of that I’m excluding them.
Why not? The common ‘hack’ is to join the wifi at your local uni if you don’t have the necessary subscriptions for the platform but lots of stuff is open-access
That’s true but what I meant was that when I went to school it opened my eyes to how there is internet information and then there’s this other academic information. My own opinion is that I see a distinction between what I can learn online vs what I can learn with a text book. The internet is good at making me think I’m getting this massive access to knowledge when its really more superficial factoids rather than actually knowledge. And that’s because knowledge is sold like anything else
I mean sites like library exist and provide large amounts of academic texts for free.
Can you get academic text books from a public library?
Since you mentioned you went to a school already (and assuming you meant some kind of post-secondary school); I do think it’s outrageous that some schools limit full library access to only the time one is completing their studies. Lots of former students would benefit and since anyone with access through their employers is likely using the employer’s library access, I can’t imagine former students would significantly increase the cost of maintaining database access…
I got lucky and still have access through the alumni association at my uni, but I don’t believe that’s true at all schools.
depends a bit on the text book and library, but yes. that’s kind of the point of university libraries (which you normally can also visit, as far as I am aware)
In fact, I just checked: my local uni library will give you a membership card for only a handful of bucks a year
Not my cancer research niche textbooks.
deleted by creator
This does make me think. I remember the days where I would turn up at the library to read books. With my phone, I can read and learn but instead I doom scroll.
I combine the two. I doomscroll looking for things to read and learn about, which enhances the doom significantly!
One of us, one of us!
I find I’m involved in a combination of doom scrolling and reading through my digital books. They’re not academic in nature but they bring me joy… I also leverage my device for googling the answer to any one of the thousand questions my offspring will ask daily.
We can’t use oil or gas anymore.
Also, there are 15 billions people on earth.
deleted by creator
Ah a mistake. The thing is that in the 50s it was believed that earth wouldn’t be able to feed more than 1 or 2 billions people. They didn’t imagine a city dozen million people either.
“It arguably made us all a lot dumber…”
I don’t know if the Internet has made folks dumber per se. What we may be experiencing is the visibility of semi anonymous unfiltered thought. I’ve had conversations with individuals online who have made claims that are egregiously incorrect and will defend those claims to the death but when discussed in person, they are amenable to discourse and can change their opinions.
I’m not saying this is true for all cases but I think the is a lot more going on here in our digital age.
Edit: removed an embarrassing typo.
Apologies if annoying to point out, but it’s “per se”. It’s latin.
Whelp, color me embarrassed. Don’t mind me as I go to edit my comment.
Nah, I’m sure it hasn’t. It just seems like it has.
Part of it is the fact that it’s easier for people speak freely to an audience, and…maybe some of them shouldn’t…
There’s also the fact that it’s a lot easier to consider oneself an expert. For better or worse, respect for authority has plummeted, and there’s so much information that anybody can find citations for just about any claim.
If you don’t believe me, I can link you to some articles about it…
You don’t use it to get into arguments with strangers.
…that’s not an argument; that’s just contradiction…
No it’s not!
I came here for a good argument.
Well played…
And porn! So much porn!
I mean, Avenue Q said it best.
I dont think that is imdifficult to explain…
But HOW it works… ¯_(ツ)_/¯