3 ms·

I'm also realizing the enshitification of school, but as a student. For example, I'm currently worried I might fail my Python class because I'm waiting on tech

I'm also realizing the enshitification of school, but as a student. For example, I'm currently worried I might fail my Python class because I'm waiting on tech support for this stupid product the school bought so the teachers wouldn't have to teach. I asked the instructor for help and his response was basically "well shit, hope you get it working because if you don't you fail the class, good luck" So, what now? Because of their incompetence, because they're too lazy to teach, I'm a failure? Makes no sense at all.

Loughla 3y ago
If the technology doesn't work, and you didn't wait until the last possible minute to do it, file an appeal with the department or Dean. This is how it works when you have a shit faculty. Now. If the technology doesn't work because you aren't following the required specs, or you waited until the last minute to do anything, you're fucked. Source: I teach in higher ed, but I do not use third party software because it's all trash.
paganel 3y ago
My comment it's not going to help you by any means but it reminded me of how I was incentivised to learn Python on my own as a student more than 20 years ago because I had found Matlab and the whole process of trying to make Matlab work on my then home computer so, so dreadful (I had to use Matlab for some school-related projects, switching to Python during my free time made me saner). If the same thing is now happening to Python then the academia-related enshittification that you mention is indeed real.
- mnky9800n 3y ago
  I used to work in a German research lab around the time Germany declared that all government software should be FOSS. Maybe half the research staff were over 35 but under 55 so of course they were the matlab generation. To prevent a revolt they retained 50 licences that could be checked out from the licensing server. This was for around 750 total scientific staff. So someone made a listserv that you could email to request that someone give up their licence if they weren't using it. This listserv probably generated around 100 emails a day.

Loughla 3y ago

If the technology doesn't work, and you didn't wait until the last possible minute to do it, file an appeal with the department or Dean. This is how it works when you have a shit faculty. Now. If the technology doesn't work because you aren't following the required specs, or you waited until the last minute to do anything, you're fucked. Source: I teach in higher ed, but I do not use third party software because it's all trash.

paganel 3y ago

My comment it's not going to help you by any means but it reminded me of how I was incentivised to learn Python on my own as a student more than 20 years ago because I had found Matlab and the whole process of trying to make Matlab work on my then home computer so, so dreadful (I had to use Matlab for some school-related projects, switching to Python during my free time made me saner). If the same thing is now happening to Python then the academia-related enshittification that you mention is indeed real.

mnky9800n 3y ago
I used to work in a German research lab around the time Germany declared that all government software should be FOSS. Maybe half the research staff were over 35 but under 55 so of course they were the matlab generation. To prevent a revolt they retained 50 licences that could be checked out from the licensing server. This was for around 750 total scientific staff. So someone made a listserv that you could email to request that someone give up their licence if they weren't using it. This listserv probably generated around 100 emails a day.