It appears that I am part of the generation that is being discussed here, so I figured I would drop in my own personal examples (both good and bad, but all honest). Before you start reading, please take into consideration that this is what I have seen and done myself, and
try to refrain from flaming me because of it. This is just a look into my slice of the world, and how I view it.
This type of self-entitlement appears to be endemic in other areas of life such as education. The students seem to think they are entitled to good grades for showing up to class and handing in their assignments on time. http://www.nytimes.c.../18college.html?_r=1
-herneith
In my experience, that
totally "wouldn't" be because
every single one of my high school teachers thus far has said "If you show up in class and turn in [most of] your work, you will pass" or "As long as you show up and turn in your work, you're almost sure to pass" or "As long as you don't sleep, and you turn in your homework and pass the tests with Cs or better, you will pass"...
That isn't an assumption at my high school - it is told to us as fact. Naturally you're going to carry that with you to college/university because you have been told by a certified person, with a degree (!), that you can pass by sitting in your chair and doing the majority of your work.
Uneasy ground (piracy and the like):In reference to the initial post by Josh, I have no problem admitting that I have downloaded things off the internet that are copyrighted and whatnot (not that I am proud, but at least I don't cower about it), and the FBI probably should have been at my doorstep ages ago (one of the reasons I support free/donationware - gives me a reason to pay without requiring me to [pay or pirate]). My mom even found I pirated "Quantum of Solace" on DVD because it was still in theaters when I somehow was watching it on our HDTV during dinner. However, you look at me versus the other 2,500 kids at my school, and I suddenly become insignificant. Kids left and right use "Kazaa" and "Limewire", "music store hacks" and even "pass-around" methods (someone buys or downloads & burns a disk/flash drive/etc, hands it out in class - it is then spread out via school-provided network drives, flash drives, the computers' C:\ drives, and more). Even the school ITs themselves (in their 20s and 30s) install pirated copies of Windows XP on
ALL SCHOOL COMPUTERS. (
Proof from my Business Foundations class computer NSFW!)
Seeing as everyone is probably about to jump all over me, I should point out that we (myself, and the people I know) still DO buy software. Lots of kids play World of Warcraft, and buy the expansions + paying for the monthly subscription. Last Friday I overheard two Mac kids in my English class talking about the girl's new "copy of iLife '09 in a bundle with Leopard." In regard to myself, a good example is that I have purchased
every copy of Need for Speed I have in my possession (Undercover was not worth it though
).
That argument likely warrants nothing more than "I have bought ALL my software though - what does SOME mean in comparison?!?!" - While you have a point, there is a saying that my dad uses a lot, and it applies to the topic of downloading/uploading/sharing digital content as well.
Locks keep honest people honest, nothing more
If someone has the determination, the skills (or connections, no pun intended
), and the desire to,
they are going to get what they want, at the price they want (even if that price is nothing).And it is not that I, nor most (not all) of my classmates and friends believe that we are
"entitled" to what we may download, copy, and otherwise "obtain" through shaky means, but that
we can. For example, if I went and asked a random adult here (30+ for means of example) at DC the question:
If there was a brand new car parked outside a dealership, with the title and all other needed paperwork inside along with the keys, would you take it?
I am certain the immediate answer would be "No!"; however, you ask most of those I know that are of driving age (16-mid 20s), and the response makes no difference - it is the guaranteed pause while they coin the idea that counts.
For the technology portion: More security, tighter security, and more laws won't stop people. Only people will stop people. And people won't stop until they can afford their usual real life luxuries, plus their virtual ones, with money to spare. And that doesn't look like it is going to be anytime soon.
(Let the flame wars commence!)
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) FTP/web space server system that he will host for free for you
), but it would keep the heat down and isolated. I'll try that out in a bit.
). Dunno if a span of a few months is sufficient, though.
)