What management actually means by, "We want people who are passionate!" means that they live in a fantasy world where truly passionate people will come work for them for meager pay, lousy benefits, and an average work environment. It's the ultimate delusion of entitlement. Because why should talented people settle for them?

There is good management. But most of the time you see poor management who blame their own inadequate and incompetent leadership abilities on their employees. Many seem to look at subordinates as nothing more than a monkey there to churn out code -- like it's such an inconvenience that they have to deal with actual humans who have like, squishy innards that need nourishment and rest.

Add it to the list...
"Fast paced work environment!" We're understaffed.
"Opportunity for advancement." We have a high turnover rate.
"Flexible hours!" You'll never be able to predict the next week's schedule.

It's not the future.

I know because I actively participated in Starcraft mod/map making for over a decade.

Blizzard is hoping to pull another DotA on the custom designers. That is, steal our work and try to monetize it if the opportunity arises. They wanted to generate a lot of fun custom map stuff for SC2, but with a map distribution system that's bordering on complete useless, an editor that varies from feeling like programming with a fisherprice keyboard to feeling like using a keyboard to play on a fisherprice computer (seriously, there is no cow button on my daskeyboard), and no documentation to be found anywhere.

I dare say MOAR TOOLZ isn't exactly the answer here. Back in SC1 we managed pretty well without tools. We made our own and even managed to force Blizzard to patch the game because we figured out how to create executable programs in their maps.

I still do SC1 stuff, and until Blizzard really offers something substantial for SC2 mappers (not some stupid map payment system), the majority of the most brilliant designers aren't going to be doing anything for them.

The middle one is an easy trip to mental illness.

This all seems like a bunch pseudoscience BS, it's not worth any serious consideration.

I agree completely. I think we should start by replacing expensive American senior executives with foreigners. You know, we don't want to lose our competitive edge.

That would make sense since there are infinities all over the place.

The private sector did build the website.

I guess we can't infringe on tradition, especially if there's money involved. Better go tell those plantation owners they can have their slaves back.

The same could be said of humans.

Yeah that's not true, there's quite a campaign going for sharks. Gordon Ramsay is one name that comes to mind who has actually done work on it.

Dolphins make pigs look like drooling idiots. They're more than just an intelligent animal the same way someone talks about their dog being able to learn tricks. They're the second most intelligent species on the planet, fully capable of empathy, incredible memory, and self awareness.

We're not talking about cattle which can't even remember which patch of grass they were munching on one minute previous. These are creatures that are fully capable of experiencing the psychological trauma being inflicted upon them.

But never mind that. If we're going to justify this to animals, I can only begin to imagine what intelligent aliens might do to us -- or perhaps worse, think of us. And we're so presumptuous to say we come in peace.

And give it all to NASA, pls.

The paleo movement is frustrating for anthropologists. Humans ate pretty much whatever they could get their grubby little hands on: meat, nuts, edible leaves, roots, fruit, etc. We did eat quite a bit of plants, though. Mostly because they didn't run away.

Vegans who insist we're herbivores are equally frustrating, however.

Let me be clear on my position.

Open courses which require a tuition to cover costs is acceptable. Professors and faculty have to be paid and so do we have to pay for the server hosting and etc.

Open courses which are created for profit is unacceptable. This is doubly true when all you receive from the course is a piece of paper that's worthless (oh and knowledge that you learned mostly on your own from reading a book!). It's a dirty scheme.

People who think hospitals, schools, etc. should be run like a business should be slapped silly. They're not businesses, they're basic humanitarian services. Cover costs, yes, by all means; but you have got to be kidding me if you honestly support some guy is getting a big fat check from it. Once you put some CEO at the top with a mantra of, "cut costs and increase profits", everything is going to fall to shit. Yes; ugly, terrible shit.

That's why you see things like people being kicked off of healthcare for pre-existing conditions. Could you imagine if schools were run that way? Sorry your kid requires too much extra help, so we're kicking him out of the whole system. And even if they can't get away with that the business is going to find some other way to screw it over for quick buck.

$495 for a certificate of accomplishment?

Come now... I'm not going to pay $500 to read a textbook and get a piece of paper that means nothing.

Prestige, mostly. I don't deny it. It's the only reason to go there, really. That and research opportunities. A degree from MIT is worth more than the same degree from my state university. I could know the exact same things, have done the exact same research, and published the exact same papers. All things being equal it still comes out that way.

Cost has nothing to do with it (although going to school for free is a sweet deal). If I truly wish to accomplish something I'll find a way, regardless of cost.