My biggest problem with this article is that he discounts technologies based on their their most menial modes of usage, e.g. advanced telegraphy wasted on p()rn

My biggest problem with this article is that he discounts technologies based on their their most menial modes of usage, e.g. advanced telegraphy wasted on p()rn. A lot of cynicism is certainly warranted, but he loses some credibility with me by ignoring the higher uses of technology. He brings up Lisp, which was interesting. I learned Lisp from the internet, in less than a month, in my spare time, without taking time away from my work or family. Pretty much all the technical knowledge that I've gained over the past eight years has come largely or entirely from online material, with far less impact on my schedule than graduate school would have had. And I bet that almost every commenter here has had much the same experience as I.