Well, I dunno. I think it's more a question of the size of the organisation in that case. As more people are interested, and larger entities (whether corporate or academic) things will move slower, and slower and slower. And the larger the more "useless" political types, middle managers etc. will be attracted. Like flies... Case in point, remember Usenet before the year "September never ended"? Same effect.

In any case. My main point was that academia is after all at least mostly honest. The corporate players are often openly or covertly malicious. Like Stallman put it (paraphrase), it's not a question of how much faster you can run than your competitors, rather, how much you can slow them down, by tripping them up or shooting at them. And if that makes you stand still, that doesn't matter.

Well having done both big corporate telecoms standardisation and academia, I know which place I rather work in... (And I ultimately put my money where my mouth is. Or rather, didn't put my money as it were, salary not being an academic strong suit).

Sure, the local bike shedding can be tiresome, but our actual work, i.e. research, is cut throat and a model of efficiency and sanity. (Don't laugh. Cry if you have to, but don't laugh). There's very little politics in that side of the "business" and if you think there is, don't ever, for the love of all you hold holy, get involved in the corporate world. That's not just moving to the bad side of town, that's leaving civilisation altogether.

We used to hold the IETF, current warts and all, as the highest standard to follow (pun intended), but also saw where we were headed with the increased pressure, as TCP/IP became important to the political types and not just a nerd affair for sensible, reasonable people any more. You know, the kind of people that can listen to argument, grudgingly realise that another suggestion has technical merit and go along with that, instead of pushing their hidden agenda at all cost, and above all else.

When you've seen how the big boys make their sausage, you'd be as surprised as we were that your phone and mobile internet works at all. It's nothing short of an all out heroic struggle by the engineers in the trenches that makes it so. The rest of the system tries with all its might to prevent that from happening.

That of course depends on the actual scenario, but what you consider your job to be will probably be a luxury that society can ill afford. After the dust has settled, we'll be in a situation where we'll be fighting tooth and nail to avoid complete population collapse. We'll need scores of young people to work us out of that hole, and if you're of child bearing age, you'll bear those children. It's after all a unique skill that very few people can be put to do. (I'd for example be pretty crap at it, as I fall for the simplest and most obvious of reasons, I'm a guy.)

That's not to say that you'll be forced at gun (or club) point, but rather that society will bring down quite a bit of weight on you to "make the right decision". So for example, expect contraception to be made illegal rather than made unavailable, and anybody that interferes with a pregnancy to hang from the nearest tree. (Of course, it'd be the smart thing to do anyway, as we'll spend quite a bit of resources on the pregnant and mothers of young, so "Why would she want to do that anyway?")

After a generation or two (if we make it that far) that'll be the norm, standard, and "the way it always was", like Rob Slade puts it; "Don't go out dear, it's not good for the baby." will very rapidly morph into "Don't go out". And remember this is a good thing. It's what we want to happen, because the alternative is much, much worse.

Now, again, to say exactly how things will play out is difficult, because it depends on the scenario. If the scenario is nuclear Armageddon many bright people spent careers thinking about the consequences, and some of this information is now in the open (see e.g. Rob Slades short introduction: "Nuclear warfare 101-103" http://www.giantbomb.com/fallo... , esp. 103 deals with the aftermath. Another good book about the possible aftermath of an EMP strike is "One Second after." It is based on the US Govt. EMP commission report (and has a wikipedia page). It deals mainly with the immediate aftermath, so it doesn't really reach the "we need you to have kids"-part, but is still a somewhat realistic assessment of what society could be like. (It for example contains a long scene where refugees are triaged according to useful skill. If you're not a doctor or electrical power engineer, take a hike.)

But again. The takeaway is that what you consider your job to be will probably come so low down on the list of things to consider that it won't even make the first chapter. And that in a time when people will be far pressed to make it to the end of the first page.

But don't let that discourage you. My assigned role in such a scenario is realistically to die as quietly, and quickly as possible, so as to not use any resources best spent on the deserving. Preferably without putting any undue stress on them, mental or otherwise. I think a heroic but ultimately futile act to save the needing is my preferred way to go, but even that isn't my call. You get at least to have kids (with great loss of control of your life, but hey, nobody is going to be "in control" of much of anything), I don't get a life at all... (And if you're past the age where child bearing/rearing is a realistic occupation for you, I'll even let you lead me in the charge unto the breech. How's that for an offer you'd probably do best not to refuse?

So on a more upbeat note, lets agree that civilisation is a good thing and make our damnedest to try and preserve it, rather than go stocking up on soap just yet.

The usual suspect is learned helplessness. Or "you can run but you'll just die tired." If you've died tired time and time again, haven't seen anyone that hasn't, and everybody tells you by word and deed, to just die already, because what's the point of dying tired, what are you supposed to think? Or do for that matter?

So the Bible teaches Newtonian relativity. Where's the conflict?

The lawsuit is over, but I'm still waiting to see the director brought up on several charges of attempted murder.

And I'm sure that she is being well paid in a timely manner by the most ethical industry in the world so she will never have to worry about not having a steady income.

It's also a good way to lose your job as a teacher.

There really ought to be a better way to handle this.

And it really should be implemented properly everywhere. Oh, and I want a pony too.

The difference is that the Land Rover has more hours in service than the F35.

Probably more hours in flight too.

And a friend of mine is a bartender. The only difference is that the medicines she dispenses actually do something.

But selling little bottles of expensive water in a way that carefully implies that they do, indeed, cure social problems (while legally not saying anything of the sort) seems to be totally okay with everybody.