Goodbye academia, I get a life
February 22, 2011
Commentary by Stephen Downes

I can't say the description of academia is inaccurate. It has indeed been set up as a type of pyramid (or 'ponzi') scheme, based mostly on selling your theory and earning acolytes. " In general, science career is a race, where three people go to the podium and all the others sooner or later will go back home (See also this article from the Economist on the problem). The competition for funding and positions means that not only the hopes of getting a job are really lousy, but that people become nasty. Like, really nasty.

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Re: Goodbye academia

siemens2, February 22, 2011

Hi Stephen - the problem, as you note, is that a few win big and most go to oblivion. Even history is remembered this way - the solo genius, the superstar CEO. For all the attention being paid to networks today, the notion of networked credit and recognition hasn't caught on yet... [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]



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