The shift seems to be happening so quickly. Even my mother, not exactly a computer expert, has given up on the TV and watches shows through the BBC iPlayer. I'm not sure the BBC had any idea the site was going to be that successful.
The fact that you can get the gist of the course from reading the online materials is free-riding of another sort. When universities post their course material online and professors write about their latest ideas on their blogs, one would think it reduces the value of attending a top university.
I wonder how 17% compares to fraud in other contexts - % products shoplifted, % insurance claim fraud, etc. - is it any different?
This technology has really come on in leaps and bounds, an old friend of mine did his Phd on stuff like this a decade ago and some of the equipment you had to wear looked painful. That headset looks almost normal. I wonder if they've done PET scanning of the brain and typical internet usage?
I tried to read from somebody's Kindle over the summer. I think it would strain my eyes after a while and I'd never dream of reading a whole book on a screen. I think that will never be solved. Also if the book is really bad I can just throw it against the wall in frustration, not sure the Kindle could take that kind of abuse.
I would echo Paul's point, that 'free' is a genie that can't be put back into the bottle. Michael Hirschorn, in the Atlantic, says that the New York Times could go bust by May or fire 80% of their journalists, because noone is prepared to pay for news anymore. Its sad to see quality newpapers diappears at the hands of Google and the Metro. As Chris mentions 'free' is anything but, and there are unanticipated costs associated.
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