Blog Post 3: Kevin, the Ironically Rebellious Joiner of Others' Arguments

Nial said it pretty well; I too wish we could "rebuild the in the organic splendor of open-source and creative commons models." Also, like Nial, the most resonating reading thus far has been Dalton's "A System Destabilized: Scholarly Books Today." The idea ultimately behind the selection of data available for research is too often the idea behind education in general (as well as the idea behind healthcare, food production and safety, and a litany of other necessities to the human condition)...money.

The capitalization of necessity is dirty game of elitist pool. The Invisible College becomes an askew game of telephone among the plebes and only represents a useful resource within the physical university because fellow academics have access to "the right information."

Of course, vetting sources on the basis of accuracy and/or practical use to a given field would remain a crucial clamp for the pipeline of misinformation. Such vetting would just be extended to those who do not have access to expensive databases and print sources.

Aside from soapbox wishes, I have found all the tutorials practically useful; I do feel my toolbox has become more efficient by way of a better understanding of the tools available at VT.