Monday, November 10, 2003

On the record, Penn State says it's funding the program by tapping into its IT budget, which includes a $160 per semester fee paid by each student. [The Register] It's unlikely, but shouldn't the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania look into possible conflicts of interest, mismanagement, and unfairness at its flagship state school? Let's see: Why should students who do not download illegally be required to pay for a service intended to save those who download illegally from themselves? Is it educationally and ethically sound to tax everybody to pay for the misdeeds of some? Or to shelter adults from the legal consequences of their choices? Should Linux and OS X users have to pay for a service unavailable to them? Should a taxpayer-funded college serve as a billboard for commercial interests? Will Pennsylvania follow the lead of its college and become equally lenient regarding other "victimless" infractions? Is Penn State's IT organization incapable of managing its network to avoid sharing-induced overload? If so, should it not be using those funds instead to train its staff better ? 10:40:24 PM