academia is much much more than teaching also, and my post is about much more than web programming. tbh is not at all about web programming or web-anything.

(update: in fact, in my opinion, after years teaching web technologies, webdev is perhaps the most boring area you may decide to advance into... sorry, fellow webdevs, but i really believe it)

academia is not about programming at all.

but when people start consuming/exchanging academic thoughts via media, which the academia (itself) does not acknowledge, well then academia becomes just a road to universal income, rather than driver of technological advance.

besides, most significant research nowadays is supported/enabled by large corporations, no matter if you or myself likes it. meanwhile academia is ran the way it was ran 200 years ago when it was more a retreat for theosophy and contemplation.

fact is that students don't understand the very fundamental reason to be in academia - to collaborate. you may want to tell me why is that, i have several ideas most of them related to the fact that we all are so alienated with this constant man-machine interface that we forget the pleasure, the joy of exchanging knowledge live, staring at the same blackboard or piece of paper. we are in constant arguing on social media, forums, etc.

and finally - teaching a class to people is only possible in 2024 when you have a reversed classroom, where the teacher is a host/curator/enabler, and the people put their research abilities to work. otherwise ... well you lose them 5th minute into the class, because they all ADHD into X, FB or even HN...