K-12 CS Framework Draft: Kids Taught To 'Protect Original Ideas' In Early Grades 132
theodp writes: Remember that Code.org and ACM-bankrolled K-12 Computer Science Education Framework that Microsoft, Google, Apple, and others were working on? Well, a draft of the framework was made available for review on Feb. 3rd, coincidentally just 3 business days after U.S. President Barack Obama and Microsoft President Brad Smith teamed up to announce the $4+ billion Computer Science for All initiative for the nation's K-12 students. "Computationally literate citizens have the responsibility to learn about, recognize, and address the personal, ethical, social, economic, and cultural contexts in which they operate," explains the section on Fostering an Inclusive Computing Culture, one of seven listed 'Core K-12 CS Practices'. "Participating in an inclusive computing culture encompasses the following: building and collaborating with diverse computational teams, involving diverse users in the design process, considering the implication of design choices on the widest set of end users, accounting for the safety and security of diverse end users, and fostering inclusive identities of computer scientists." Hey, do as they say, not as they do! Also included in the 10-page draft (pdf) is a section on Law and Ethics, which begins: "In early grades, students differentiate between responsible and irresponsible computing behaviors. Students learn that responsible behaviors can help individuals while irresponsible behaviors can hurt individuals. They examine legal and ethical considerations for obtaining and sharing information and apply those behaviors to protect original ideas."
Re:I feel so conflicted... (Score:5, Insightful)
This crazy overreach with indoctrination in schools is unsettling. Apart from the pledge of allegiance, it was pretty subtle and frowned upon when I was in school. I think most teachers actually cared about teaching and kept the crazies who wanted to use the position to indoctrinate in check.
Now it's the other way around.
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Where are my mod points when I need them! I set out to mention indoctrination, and there you've already gone and done it for me.
I admire your sangfroid - you find the indoctrination 'unsettling', whereas I find it downright disturbing and more than a little bit scary.
Obligatory John Taylor Gatto quote: "...school has become the replacement for church, and like church it requires that its teachings must be taken on faith".
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I admire your sangfroid - you find the indoctrination 'unsettling', whereas I find it downright disturbing and more than a little bit scary.
Too much passion in a statement tends to alienate people who might otherwise be receptive; however, I do find the situation deeply disturbing.
What's more unsettling is how there are active campaigns to ban homeschooling and limit access to private schools, even though outcomes for both are almost always better than public schools. Couple that with the ideological takeover of education and it makes you fear for the future.
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America is one of the only countries with a fascination with homeschooling and private schools. The benefits from homeschooling are erased when adjusted for income (that is, yes, homeschooled kids do better than average, but worse when you compare them to kids who have parents with similar incomes and educations), and on top of that you often end up with children who are brainwashed and socially awkward.
Homeschooling is filled with far more faith and indoctrination than public schooling. That's the entire
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As a home schooler I'm interested in some of your claims. You have actually had contact with home schoolers? Their children? If so, how many? Was it just in a small area? Or spread out? You make some broad claims without any citation and it seems rather unlikely that you have broad experience on the subject.
First, lets take your claim that it "comes out equal" when "adjusting for income". Some home schoolers I know are well off (middle class), but most are -- at best -- in the lower portion of the middle cl
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Nothing to do with what he claimed.
It seems homeschoolers either don't learn reading comprehension or don't learn statistics.
They're not so hot on punctuation either.
Re: I feel so conflicted... (Score:2)
Go to the public schools and you will be around far more conservative christians than the home schoolers.
My ex and I homeschooled I precisely because the local public schools were staffed by evangelical illiterates; hell, they even keep the Ten Commandments up on the walls...
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America is one of the only countries with a fascination with homeschooling and private schools.
Individual liberty is a (or was) a core American ideal. We're also one of the only countries to enshrine into law the ability to speak one's mind without fear of oppression and to our ourselves to defend against oppression.
The benefits from homeschooling are erased when adjusted for income
...you often end up with children who are brainwashed and socially awkward.
Care to cite your sources? This is literally the opposite of almost every single study that's been done. Here's a good area to start: Wiki [wikipedia.org].
Homeschooling is filled with far more faith and indoctrination than public schooling. That's the entire reason most people homeschool. So they can enforce their worldview on their children to the exclusion of all others. In most countries in the world, homeschooling is heavily regulated or even banned, and their public education is better for it.
This very thread is about public school being used to indoctrinate kids! They don't even try to hide the fact they're trying to push a left-wing
Re:I feel so conflicted... (Score:4, Interesting)
Do you think they could have mentioned "diversity" a few more times? After all, $4 billion dollars should be able to buy a lot more content-free baffle-gab.
$4 billion of subsidies for a "Don't copy that floppy!" lesson plan ...
First they came for the tape decks, but I didn't say anything because I had a cassette recorder.
Then they came for the cassette recorders, but I didn't say anything because I had already switched to a vcr.
Then they came for the vcr recorders, but I didn't say anything because I had already switched to a dvd.
Then they came for the dvd recorders, but I didn't say anything because I had already switched to flash storage.
Then they came for the flash storage, but I didn't say anything because there was just nothing worth recording any more.
This is what happens when you over-play your hand.
Re:I feel so conflicted... (Score:4, Insightful)
I know this will get me labeled as a right-wing crazy (even though I'm not, I'm equally disgusted with the political-right), but this is such a perfect microcosm of what the Democratic Party actually pushes vs what they say they want to accomplish:
1. Push diversity in a field that is already pretty diverse (unless you exclude Asians, which these people always do).
2. Switch the focus from technical knowledge to social grouping (they tried this in Math in the 90's with obviously poor results).
3. Don't pirate movies or music! Those are our biggest campaign donors^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H ethical concerns!
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The way they teach math now is so stupid and intentionally non-intuitive that it's no wonder kids can't do simple tasks like make change.
Could you please explain what your are talking about? I have two kids in public schools, and the math instruction is pretty much exactly what it should be. They focus on the basics, include real world applications (including "making change"), and allow smart kids to move ahead at their own pace on the computer.
Perhaps you are talking about New Math [wikipedia.org] which was introduced in the 1960s, and then abandoned by 1970. That was five decades ago.
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The problem isn't that it uses real world examples (those are excellent in teaching the "why" instead of just the "how"), it's that there is also an emphasis on group participation and strange unorthodox methods that aren't necessarily better.
As for "New Math" being five decades ago... I've seen some relative's kids' homework that is required to be solved in strange w
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he/she might be referring to programs like CPM [google.com]
CPM is a middle and high school program, when kids should be far beyond the ability to "make change". It is also specifically targeted toward college bound kids, where a more theoretical approach may be justified.
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he/she might be referring to programs like CPM [google.com]
CPM is a middle and high school program, when kids should be far beyond the ability to "make change". It is also specifically targeted toward college bound kids, where a more theoretical approach may be justified.
You have obvious stopped paying cash for goods. There are plenty of cashiers who, when the total is $18.25, and you give them $20.25, give you back your 25 cents, and then another $1.75, instead of just giving you two bucks.
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You have obvious stopped paying cash for goods. There are plenty of cashiers who, when the total is $18.25, and you give them $20.25, give you back your 25 cents, and then another $1.75, instead of just giving you two bucks.
If you really want to throw them for a loop, hand them $20.30 and watch them call the manager to figure out how to give back $2.05 in change. This has gotten so bad that I use only whole dollars at the stores and dump all the change into a jar at home. Coinstar does a better job counting change than these kids!
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You have obvious stopped paying cash for goods.
Some cashiers can't make change today. Some cashiers couldn't make change in the 1950s. Do you have any evidence that the problem is getting worse, or that it is in any way related to how the schools teach math?
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Perhaps you are talking about New Math [wikipedia.org] which was introduced in the 1960s, and then abandoned by 1970. That was five decades ago.
When I was in college during the 1990's, Harvard Calculus became the new thing in teaching introduction calculus. The textbook had only word problems from "real life applications" with none of the problems demonstrated in familiar mathematical symbols. Even the instructors had problems trying to translate the word problems into mathematical symbols on the blackboard. I gave up the class after a few weeks. The university gave up on the courses a few years later.
http://www.math.harvard.edu/~knill/pedagogy/ha [harvard.edu]
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I think GP is referring to Common Core
That makes no sense, since CC does not specify any teaching method, only objectives.
Most people opposed to Common Core have little idea what it actually is. Democrats tend to oppose it because they oppose anything that may lead to accountability. Republicans tend to oppose it because, although it was their idea, Obama is now for it, so that means they have to be against it.
Besides, I doubt if there are many cashiers, competent or not, that were educated in arithmetic under Common Core, which has only been
Re: I feel so conflicted... (Score:1)
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My fist thought was that a tape deck is a cassette recorder.
You must be reely reely old.
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Before any "original thinking" indoctrination, I think that the young inventors of the world need to be introduced to the "Melancholy Elephants" http://www.spiderrobinson.com/... [spiderrobinson.com] - there are Billions of educated people who have come before you, and independently developing an idea is far different from developing an original idea that _should be_ eligible for protection as intellectual property.
Independent creation is a defense (Score:2)
independently developing an idea is far different
In theory, independent creation is not infringement. In practice, good luck proving that.
A successful copyright infringement suit requires the copyright owner to show evidence of three things: the plaintiff's ownership of the copyright in suit, the alleged infringer's access to the plaintiff's work, substantial similarity between the plaintiff's work and the alleged infringer's work. The alleged infringer's defense can include evidence against these three elements, such as independent creation, or it can in
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You might want to consider the inevitable "mission creep." In the long run, it is further conditioning a newer generation to unquestioningly accept demands bestowed onto them by Powers that Be(tm).
Sure, you could argue that the Law and Ethics section will be full of balanced (snort) and logical (snort) approach that will outline current issues with patents (snort) and other forms of IP protection (suuure) as much as underline the need for some form of them and explain why that need is beneficial to society
Need the part where the artest gets nothing and no (Score:2)
Need the part where the artiest gets nothing and no rights to there own work.
With the Hollywood accounting, very inflated studio fees, etc that shows we lost money on your work.
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They are not too many original ideas anywhere.
However part of accademia is the ability to site ideas that you have collected. However using a collection of preused ideas usually creates something that is unique and original.
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There. Not they.
Academia. Not accademia.
Cite. Not site.
Oh, and what "usually" happens when you you use a collection of preused ideas is that you create something that is unoriginal, at best. Though I must admit that your spelling is original. Perhaps that's what you were talking about?
On giants' shoulders since the 1150s (Score:2)
what "usually" happens when you you use a collection of preused ideas is that you create something that is unoriginal, at best
True, standing on the shoulders of giants [wikipedia.org] is unusual, as Isaac Newton wrote about it in 1676, and Bernard of Chartres five centuries before that.
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"Revoke monetization" in what manner? (Score:2)
Creators should have the right to pursue (or revoke) monetization of their efforts.
My answer depends on what you meant by "or revoke". If you meant that a work's author should have power to grant a royalty-free license to the public, I'm all for it. But if you meant that an author of a published work should have power to take it out of print entirely, acting like the proverbial dog in the manger [wikipedia.org] toward historically significant films such as Song of the South and toward fans' ability to participate in culture, that's where I have to disagree.
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Except, as you have admitted, the creators' entitlement complex has expanded far beyond what is beneficial to society. Today, we have creators who decide that they don't like a particular use of their work and use computers, the net, and extra judicial methods to ban, and prevent that use. Even if that use is not illegal, or even beneficial to society. (Format shifting, derivative works, etc.) These creators also desperately try at each opportunity, to expand what is considered illegal use. Along with incre
Design-arounds are fine when there's no thicket (Score:2)
They want the ability to use the idea how they see fit. Restricting that prevents society from generating new ideas, works, and research. In short, restricting ideas leads to a halt of human advancement.
The common counterargument to that is that copyright and patent encourage exploration of a larger fraction of the hyperspace of ideas. Patent design-arounds [wikipedia.org] lead to alternative designs that are often more fit than the originally patented one. For example, PNG is more efficient rate/distortion-wise than still GIF, as is Vorbis than MP3. Copyright workarounds likewise lead to the development of more distinctive art styles.
The tragedy of the anticommons [wikipedia.org] that you describe comes into play when there is a thicket [wikipedia.org]
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If there are no 'original ideas' (what an idiotic concept) then there is no point in teaching anyone CS since everything has already been done. And if that is not the case, then why are the new things not worthy of protection? Just because someone else 'could have' done it, but couldn't be bothered to?
Good news! (Score:5, Insightful)
Kids will learn to protect original ideas.
So they'll learn not to protect unoriginal ideas like 99.9% of software patents.
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apply those [responsible and irresponsible] behaviors to protect original ideas.
That sounds a lot like kids will learn to protect the original ideas of others, in other words to respect the stakes driven into the ground by the incumbent corporations in prior intellectual land-grabs. Sure, if you come acros an original idea yourself, you might be able to stake your own claim, but most of these "ideas" are already locked up tight.
You got the point! (Score:3)
It is not about protecting "their" ideas, it's about brain washing people that it's okay to own an idea. This already happens today, but we sure don't hear any debate about the Government fixing patent trolls and the laws that allow abuse. In reality, that is small potatoes. Big players own all the big ideas. No need to troll is involved.
The brain washing will stop us peons from challenging the status quo.
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It's brain washing.
By deliberately using an overreaching definition of what can be legally, ethically and morally protected.
Specific implementation of ideas are protectable by patents.
Specific performances of ideas are protectable by copyright.
Ideas themselves cannot be protected.
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Yet what counts as "specific performances" can be considered fairly broad, as in the case of Tetris [slashdot.org].
Re: Good news! (Score:1)
I'm sure the government school's ethics class will be as philosophically rigorous as the folklore they teach as history is factually accurate.
And that it'll err o
Re: Good news! (Score:2)
@whipslash - mobile is dropping content.
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@whipslash - mobile is dropping [strong]seditious[/strong] content.
FTFY.
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The kids won't be learning to protect their own ideas. They'll be learning that all of their ideas were already thought of by some big company, so they shouldn't try to fight the inevitable patent lawsuit and just settle out of court.
Brainwashing 101 (Score:3, Insightful)
get them while they are young.
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For me this sort of thing backfired. Growing up I was repeatedly told about America the free, America the brave, etc.
Now as an adult, I actually value freedom and bravery, and am disgusted by virtually everything this country does. A brave country doesn't piss itself over statistically insignificant acts of terrorism (whether Islamic or homegrown gun violence), a free country doesn't spy on its own innocent citizens or systematically disenfranchise the poor.
Sounds like a pretty good argument... (Score:4, Insightful)
Sounds like a pretty good argument for taking the federal government out of education entirely.
Centralized mind control through propaganda; acculturation of our nation's youth to silence, oppression, and acquiescence to authority; normalization of the police state; blind nationalism through a fantastic daily "pledge." All of these things are strong counterarguments to the "fair and equal opportunity/better education for all " kind of rhetoric that comes out of Washington.
Seriously, think of the children. Think of all the misguided ideas their heads will be filled with. Think of the cultural values they will be taught to cherish and those they will be taught to revile. Think of the world they will grow up to accept or even create.
Whatever happened to civics class?
Teach your children well... and keep them far, far away from federally funded schools.
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Whatever happened to civics class?
I'd say it has "evolved", but too many schools would come at me with pitchforks screaming "burn the witch" for using that term, even in scary quotes.
They should really call it "How to be PC when using a PC" and be done with the pretense.
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Federal standards for education are a good thing and should be STRENGTHENED because:
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Interesting that sentiment starts with "Let's" and then immediately paints another view as regressive and bad, then shouts a call to arms. Reminds me of the guy in the movies waving the torch and urging on the mob.
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"Sounds like a pretty good argument for taking the federal government out of education entirely."
Do you think the states would be any better? Or local?
Or even private schools - that just results in the parents sending their child to a school dedicated to raising miniature clones of themselves.
Children will be indoctrinated. That is their nature. You cannot teach them without forcing ideas upon them, because they instinctively mimic the society to which they are exposed.
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a) The President cannot unilaterally create a Cabinet-level department. In addition, all Cabinet member appointments require Senate approval.
b) The Department of Education Organization Act merely split Education from Health and Human Services, which were previously one department.
c) The earliest Department of Education was created in 1867, somewhat before Jimmy Carter took office.,
FFS Storm in a teacup (Score:3)
The full quotes from TFA, Law and Ethics section
K-8 Progression
In early grades, students differentiate between responsible and irresponsible computing behaviors. Students learn that responsible behaviors can help individuals while irresponsible behaviors can hurt individuals. They examine legal and ethical considerations for obtaining and sharing information and apply those behaviors to protect original ideas. As students progress academically, they engage in legal and ethical behaviors to guard against intrusive applications and promote a safe and secure computing experience.
9-12 Statement
Laws impact many areas of computing in an effort to protect privacy, data, property, information, and identity. The legal oversight of computing involves tradeoffs; such laws can expedite or delay advancements and infringe upon or protect human rights. Ethical concerns also shape computing practices and professions. International variations in legal and ethical considerations should be examined.
So based on 3 words in a DRAFT statement of a section that considers Laws and Ethics, you want tar and feather the whole course? Where the fuck do you consider legal aspects of computing if you don't do it here. And FFS this could easily apply to GPL or any other such license that relies on the legal framework to enforce its restrictions.
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The GPL is about implementations. So is any other license as that is the domain of copyright. The concept of "original ideas" is fundementally flawed and doesn't even match up with any existing form of "intellectual property". It is inappropriate in scope from a purely legal point of view. It's a pro-corporate distortion of the current legal framework.
From an academic viewpoint (as in University academia), then entire notion of "original ideas" in computer science is laughable. Computer science is full of r
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So based on 3 words in a DRAFT statement of a section that considers Laws and Ethics, you want tar and feather the whole course?
Wakey, wakey, there was already more than enough justification to tar and feather the businesses pushing this latest boondoggle. Way more than enough. They should be charged with conspiracy to defraud.
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"...if there's one thing education is about, it's ensuring ideas are never shared with others."
Seems like it. The whole point of education is to learn from what others have already figured out, and move forward from there. But if all ideas are owned and guarded, then there is nothing to learn from.
What will be in the CS textbooks: Algorithms, Data Structures, Numerical Recipes, Networks, Operating Systems, Architecture, ...? They can all be replaced with a list of patent numbers owned by huge corporatio
Keep job when boss gives night or Sunday hours (Score:2)
young new drivers aren't buying cars since they aren't getting drivers licenses at a young age [...] Its cheaper to public transportation
Until they find that they can't keep a job when employers are unwilling to accommodate the limited hours of operation of public transportation, with no service at night or on 58 days per year of scheduled downtime [fwcitilink.com]. Is "Reason for leaving: Poor schedule fit" valid?
or ride with friends
Until they find that friends also "aren't getting drivers licenses at a young age".
protect? (Score:2)
the only way to protect and "original idea" is to not share it with anyone. this seems like an idea that microsoft should be protecting/not sharing instead of spreading like a cancer.
Microsoft: 'Original Ideas' is Our Business (Score:2)
From Microsoft's latest 10-Q SEC filing [shareholder.com]: "Even as we transition to a mobile-first and cloud-first strategy, the license-based proprietary software model generates most of our software revenue. We bear the costs of converting original ideas into software products through investments in research and development, offsetting these costs with the revenue received from licensing our products."
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We bear the costs of converting original ideas
Let me FTFY: "We bear the cost of stealing (Stacker, etc), buying out (Powerpoint, etc), and locking out (Java, IE, Word formats, etc) via incompatibility other's original ideas to pursue our god-given right to do whatever the hell we want to."
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The typical big company model is indeed to acquire new/original ideas from smaller companies - and these often do not come cheaply. So, next time you're hit up with $100 fee for a copy of your operating system, feel good about the hundreds of "little guys" who landed multi-million dollar buyout deals from the big fish, and try not to think about the billions being hoarded in offshore tax havens.
what a relief! (Score:4, Insightful)
I was worried for a moment that generations of elementary school children would be forced to suffer through actual computer science content, like programming, sorting, assembly language, and computer architecture. I'm relieved that my worries were unfounded: they just seem to be forced to suffer through the same social activist crap they already have to sit through, except instead of the penguin getting along with the lion, it will now be expressed in the more kid-friendly terms of "inclusive design" and "team diversity". Yay!
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...they also won't have to worry about learning what the hell Open Source is, how it benefits humankind (and indeed the big corps too), how they can contribute and be useful, and how it has it's own legal framework that's remarkably easy to stay comfortably inside if you have half a brain. They'll be far too busy trying to learn about imaginary property, non-transferable licenses, annual subscriptions and contract lengths.
All sounds great to me ;-)
Indoctrination? Good luck with that. (Score:5, Interesting)
Here's the full quote:
"In early grades, students differentiate between responsible and irresponsible computing
behaviors. Students learn that responsible behaviors can help individuals while
irresponsible behaviors can hurt individuals. They examine legal and ethical
considerations for obtaining and sharing information and apply those behaviors to protect
original ideas. As students progress academically, they engage in legal and ethical
behaviors to guard against intrusive applications and promote a safe and secure
computing experience. "
What these Kings of the Universe don't realize is normal people don't share and will never share their Ayn Rand -cocaine-driven amphetamine-fueled vision of extreme indivuduality at the expense of the health of society (which is the bedrock upon which protection of individuality rests).
So, sure, go ahead promote those discussions. The more discussion there is, the less well it goes for software patent lawyers like Brad Smith who, readers should know, basically originated the idea of using software patents as an offense weapon to supress innovation while he was at M$:
http://arstechnica.com/busines... [arstechnica.com]
http://archive.fortune.com/mag... [fortune.com]
which directly led to all other tech companies following suit and finally the fantastical, supernatrual prosperity of every Chinese take-out in Tyler, Texas.
All that's going to happen is they're going to find out no one shares their idea of societal good and justice. Every survey finds that young people are far more concerned with creating an fair, free and egalitarian society that benefits everyone, rather than the winner-take-all psychopathic shithole that is America at this particular tick of the clock.
Not everyone blew their brains out snorting coke while reading Ayn Rand in the 80s. That's a particular generation and they have a particular , uh, "view" of what the goals laws of society should support. Going on 40 years later now, it's getting to be old-man-dying-time for this particular strain of sociopathic, societal predators. Can't happen too soon for my money. Here, take it with you; fuckin' see ya later.
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Sadly, this Randian generation you speak of may be the first to significantly extend the lifespans of their most rich and powerful - for all our sakes' lets hope Kurzweil's time frame is as fantastical as it seems to be.
Huh? (Score:1)
Can anyone tell me what "fostering inclusive identities of computer scientists" actually means?
Re:Huh? (Score:4, Funny)
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Can anyone tell me what "fostering inclusive identities of computer scientists" actually means?
What you're supposed to think it means: "Make it so misogyny, racism, and homophobia that pervades computing (and only computing) doesn't make women and minorities feel unwelcome in tech jobs."
What it really means: "White, heterosexual men are bad and keeping others from competing. The only reason there are fewer women and minorities in computing is because the evil White-Patriarchy makes off-color jokes occasionally, not because of any personal choices, lower socio-economic status, or education."
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Can anyone tell me what "fostering inclusive identities of computer scientists" actually means?
1. Induced Multiple Personality Disorder.
2. Cross-gender hormones. LOTS of them.
3. Mandatory physical mutilation so they can understand what the "differently enabled" go through.
4. Obligatory classes on becoming part of the Borg.
5. Removal of the funny bone so that they can't tell jokes that might offend someone.
6. Learning the proper newspeak, where "diversity" always really means politically correct conformity.
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When does the video... (Score:2)
Tell you what... (Score:3)
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You keep paying my salary for 70 years after I'm dead and I'll consider paying for your fucking IP.
There are life insurance companies that offer this service.
no more blame for the dog (Score:2)
Yes Miss Berthnal, I did my homework.
No, I didn't hand it in. It is being reviewed by my attorney. You'll likely get it in 6-12 months, although it may be a bit longer. There were some excellent concepts there that he says need protection.
This will last about 2 days... (Score:2)
Then, Mommy (or your best friend, or your Dad, or whoever) is going to show you how to download all the torrents of your favourite show!
And guess what?
- If Mommy does it, it can't be all bad.
- If you can get High-Def versions, it's actually real cool.
- If, during recess, you can swap all those episodes of your show for other shows that are also real cool, you make other people happy.
- And, later, you realize you can relive a bit of your childhood for cheap, since you don't have to buy the DRM Digital versio
Hey, "Narc on your Parents" worked great for DARE (Score:2)
http://www.theagitator.com/201... [theagitator.com]
And there it is ... (Score:2)
There is is ... the indoctrination aspect of this to ensure the kids are all fully compliant digital citizens. This shit is exactly what happens when you let corporations drive the curriculum.
This is just more bullshit control being exerted on our lives by asshole corporations.
I weep for humanity, because the next generation is being raised to be good little fucking corpora
Sucks for those who prefer to work alone (Score:2)
As a very introverted child, this sort of curriculum would have turned me right off from programming. I was attracted to compute
so...that whole "teach everyone to code" thing... (Score:1)
which involved the biggest, most-privacy-robbing corporations getting in bed with a massive central government went a little fascist....who'd a thunk it?!?!?
Stupid ignorant morons who refuse to study history and willfully ignore nearly everything America's founders wrote are likely to be surprised. The rest of us: not so much. Part of the basic idea of human civilization is that each generation ought to learn the lessons of their predecessors; it saves lots of time and pain to dodge the pain of errors by r
The best way to protect ideas (Score:3)
The best way to protect ideas is to copy them as much as possible. Protecting the "owner" of an idea is a different story. This involves restricting use of an idea only to people that have paid for the rights to the idea.
Do we need intellectual property laws? Probably, but what current intellectual property laws do is more like protecting young girls by ensuring they can only marry who pays their father the most money.
Protecting that which can not be protected (Score:1)
So why teach kids not to use that which is lawful use?
because Mickey is an IDEA (says Disney)