School bells will once again be ringing in the very near future. These days, kids of all ages need to have the best tools, gadgets and software to help them be a success. Over on Lockergnome, PixelPirate asked what types of school software is recommended for Linux. That, of course, made me think of students using all types of operating systems, and the types of software they may soon need.

One service (or software, depending on which version works best for you) that I keep hearing recommended is DropBox. I actually use this myself to get videos and documents to my assistant when she needs them. It’s a great way to help you sync data between computers at little to no cost. Beyond this, everyone seems to have a different opinion.

What software (or service) do you feel students today MUST have in order to help them do their very best in their classes?

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You can always grab the hottest software titles available – at the hottest prices – from our download center.

What Back-To-School Software do You Need?

Attending college is insanely expensive. Add the cost of books to your tuition and you’re likely having panic attacks on a regular basis. Lawmakers sympathize with you and have created a new law (effective July, 2010) that will help you save money when buying all of the texts you need. The law requires colleges to list the course materials (including retail pricing and ISBN numbers) for every class in their online schedule. In order to give you more options, many schools are offering textbook rentals and eBooks instead of traditional hard-cover tomes you have to purchase. However, not all colleges have made this leap as of yet. This is why CampusBooks is going to be a lifesaver for you this semester – and beyond.

You can choose to use the web interface, iPhone app or the Android application to help locate all of your books at the best prices possible. Using CampusBooks, you can compare prices on inventory at local bookstores, college campus bookstores and libraries. Using any iPhone or Android powered device, a student can scan the barcode of a textbook, then use the phone’s geo-location features to find the book’s price and availability at bookstores and libraries in their immediate area.

“Our students want choice, it is that simple,” says Jeff Cohen, CEO of CampusBooks. “By partnering with local bookstores, students are no longer confined to only considering online options. Those who prefer the convenience, easy return policies or need to get their books immediately can now find the best prices at local bookstores and even find out if their textbook can be borrowed from the library for free.”

When you type in a book’s ISBN number, CampusBooks will give you a summary of the lowest prices in each category – including international editions, eBooks, used, new and even rentals. You’ll find the seller information, price and shipping cost. The application will then redirect you to the vendor’s site when you are ready to purchase (or rent). The application (and web interface) is exceedingly easy to navigate – you won’t end up lost in never-never land while looking for that obscure book some English instructor is requiring.

Hey… we all need to save money these days. College students likely need to cut corners more than any other group I can think of. This service (and the apps) is completely free, so why the heck haven’t you tried it out yet?

Let CampusBooks Find the Best Prices on College Texts

This is a guest blog post written by my assistant and Community Manager, Kat Armstrong.

After spending the past few days writing about the new iPhone, my brain was absolutely shot. Approximately 90% of what I write every day deals with technology news, gadgets and companies. About an hour ago, I hit a brick wall. I had zero ideas floating around in my noggin. I couldn’t bring myself to write about the iPhone yet again. I sat here staring at the screen as I frantically casted about for a subject – any subject – to talk about next.

I decided to fire up my handy-dandy TweetDeck application. Reaching out to my followers, I asked for ideas. One good friend suggested I talk about the uses of social media in education. That sounded interesting, and my mind began to churn. I fired off another tweet, asking “STUDENTS: How has/does the use of social media help your education (NOT your social life!)?” I also repeated the question in Chris’ live chat room.

The replies poured in, and I was dismayed. I heard from nearly one hundred students of all ages and education levels. I haven’t done the math, but I’d feel safe in guessing that approximately 5% of those answering claim that they make use of social media in their educational lives. The rest of them said they only use it to catch up with friends, chat about their day and play games.

In the age of Web 2.0, why aren’t students using social media in the classroom? We already know that Twitter is the fastest way to find information on breaking news stories. Blogs can be used to encourage creative writing and proper grammar skills. Cramster is a Q&A board much like our new Lockergnome site. However, its sole purpose lies in bringing together pupils of all ages to help each other with homework and research. Sites such as Box and Dropbox allow learners and educators to share files together quickly and easily.

At the very least, sites such as Twitter, Facebook and even (*shudder*) MySpace can be used to create discussion in the classroom. Teachers can pull news stories from any of those sources. Students can ask questions and facilitate deeper discussion after reading something on one of the thousands of SM sites. Professors can institute peer reviews on writing projects. Kids can locate an expert in a field they are interested in, and “shadow” them on the Web. Geotagging can be used to target and find information about places that are being studied.

The possibilities are, quite honestly, endless. I certainly hope that my quick Twitter poll is not indicative of the use (or rather – the lack) of social media in an educational setting. Will someone prove me wrong? I’d love to hear your stories of how your school or college has been incorporating the use of social media into the curriculum.

Kat can be found in any number of places around the Web. You can catch her on Twitter, Facebook, and of course on every site in our community. If you’re lucky, you may even find her occasionally rambling about something on her personal blog.

Social Media in Education

If I had a nickel for every time I was asked this question, I’d have paid off my student loans 10x over:

My Name is Daniel, but go I by the name Nico. Everyone asks me how i got that nickname but i honestly do not know why my percents started calling me that. I am Filipino, currently living in the Philippines, and a senior in high school. I’ve been watching your videos for a long time now, and what you do really interests me. I, like you, love technology.

I am going to the US for college to take up industrial design. I’m emailing you because I was hoping you would be able to give me some advice. My parents are spending almost double for my college tuition than what they spent for my older siblings for their college education – and I really want to figure out a way to help pay for it, or find a way to pay them back eventually. There will be added costs as a need to purchase a laptop, hopefully a Mac, for the major I’m planning to take, and I think I’m going to constantly buy materials for my classes. I really, really want to pay for as much of all of this as I can.

One thing that I think I have some talent with is photography, and this may be a way I can generate some money. I am very passionate about photography. I post some of my photographs on my flickr. I take photos of almost everything. I’m heavily involved with my school yearbook, both as a photographer and a layout editor, and the school magazine. I’m hoping to eventually make some money with my photos, but don’t know how to start. It would be great if you could give me some tips on maybe starting my own website and how to generate some money out of it. Any other advice on selling photographs online would be great. I’m not expecting to make tons of money, and I don’t expect it to happen overnight, but I am willing to work hard and be patient for it.

Let me first say that I’m impressed with your ability to communicate in a fairly coherent fashion; 90% of the emails I receive from U.S. students are sloppy (not to mention, beyond illegible). I’m not sure if English is your primary or secondary language, but your literary skills will be what spells success in your initial and continued endeavors.

Hell, most American adults can’t even grasp the concept that Apple’s “Mac” computer isn’t written as “MAC” (which is a store brand for cosmetics).

That, and your personal responsibility for finances should also be a lesson to the lazy.

You likely have a certain set skills which are valuable to others. It’s now your responsibility to find the intersection between what you can do and who can pay you to do what you do. You’ll figure out the “how” after seeing what works (and, more importantly, what doesn’t work).

There are near-infinite ways for you to make a Web site and countless opportunities to sell your photo work. Remember, however, that tools are merely the means to an end – and you’re not the only person using them to achieve your goals.

The information is out there on how to do anything – but nothing will ever teach you as much about a task as figuring it out for yourself. If I have a single tip for you, it’s simply: DO IT.

You’ll figure “it” out.

Of course, I’m sure people will have specific recommendations for you – but good advice is relative, and (still) only valuable if you apply it to your set of circumstances.

College Advice

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The job market is always changing. Computer program majors often find themselves having a tough time after graduation. It may sound insane due to the number of computer-related fields that are are there. Much of it depends on where you live, and what your exact area of focus is.

You cannot possibly try to get a “general” computer degree anymore. Pick a specific area that you are good at or interested and focus on that. If you’re a developer, go develop! If you’re more of a networking whiz, you know what you need to do. There are SO MANY hundreds of possibilities. Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face by choosing too broad of a major.

A consulting route isn’t a bad idea, but you honestly have to be REALLY good at what you’re trying to do. However, becoming a developer is where it’s at right now in MY mind. The other areas won’t disappear any time soon, no. But look at all of the dev opportunities out there right now. That’s the hottest and most in-demand area.

Network like crazy every chance you get. I say that about pretty much any type of career, but it holds even more true of us Geeks. Social connections enable you to find the path before the path is eliminated.

Most importantly, love what you do. Don’t choose an area of study just because you think you’ll make good money. Sure, that’s an important consideration. You have to support yourself. But if you hate what you do, you’re not going to do it for long. Know where your passions lie, and choose your path based off of them.

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Do Computer Majors Mean Anything Anymore?

I was happy to read on Geeks today that community member Steve has obtained his GED. I’ve often talked in the past about how important an education is. These days, you cannot get any type of job if you’re over 18 years old and don’t possess a high school diploma or GED. There are college graduates who hold a Bachelor’s degree competing for the same entry-level positions that everyone else is hoping to land.

The economy sucks, plain and simple. People who have had job security for many years are suddenly finding themselves at the front of the proverbial unemployment line. These are hard working people who have many years’ worth of experience doing whatever it is they do. Yet, they’re out there pounding the pavement because their company – and job – has dried up.

Having an education is more critical now than ever. Even if you feel you aren’t the “school type”, I urge you to go. Get a degree. Research what jobs are hiring in your area, and focus on that. Look at what types of jobs are trending in the country you live in, and build on that (and your talents!). Whatever you do – stay in school, or get your GED.

Congratulations, Steve! Our whole community is proud of you.

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The team in our downloads center have come up with some excellent deals on programs for Windows today! Make sure you check back daily to see what they’ve uncovered next!

Education is the Key

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Not only is tuition insanely expensive, so are the books you need to buy. I remember when I went to college, I had to take out student loans, just to pay for all the books and manuals. Then, of course, you go to the bookstore to try and sell them at the end of the semester. You’re lucky at that point to get a couple of dollars for each book. They’ll claim the book has writing in it, or that it’s now out-of-date! Argh!!! We all know that when you’re going to college, every single penny counts.

I wanted to tell you about a site that can help you save big money on textbooks! CampusBooks is a site that can help you locate and buy your books for a fraction of what it would normally cost you on your physical college campus.

CampusBooks compares textbook prices for new and used textbooks including tax, shipping, coupons and promotions from dozens of bookstores. They make it easy for you to buy college textbooks and make sure that you get the best deal for the upcoming term. Some books can be bought for up to a whopping 90% off of the normal list price!!!

It’s so easy to start saving money with CampusBooks. Simply type in a book title, keyword(s) or even the ISBN number and search. You’ll be given a list of books, places to buy from, prices with tax and shipping and more!

Alternately to searching, you can follow @campusbooks on Twitter. Send them a DM with the ISBN number of the book you need, and they’ll send you a DM back with a link to exactly where you can buy your book for the best price!!! Word has it they’re also busy working on an iPhone App!

You can also sell your used books, as well! Simply register for the site and start selling. You’ll make more money than you would by “giving” them back to your campus bookstore, that’s for sure.

Shop easy and smart this year. Save yourself a wad of money, and don’t use it all on pizza!!

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Where to Buy College Textbooks

Earlier tonight, I uploaded a video where I discussed the advantages of homeschooling, and the K12 program in particular. The response has been overwhelming in a very short time. For instance, my assistant Kat homeschooled her daughter last year for a semester. She researched tons of different programs, and ended up creating her own. You see, homeschooling using an accredited course is quite expensive. Her daughter returned to public school this year to attend 8th grade. However, they’ve been looking and researching ways to homeschool again through high school. K12 offers her a perfect way to do so! Kat was really excited by this, knowing this is a great program and something she can afford.

This raises the question of why she is so set on homeschooling. Why are so many thousands of others turning to non-traditional means of education these days? In many cases, it’s not a matter of the public schools not being up to par. It has to do with the fact that the schools and teachers are limited in what they can teach, and for how long. There are strictures placed on kids who learn slowly – and ones who are much faster. There isn’t always an “accelerated” or “gifted” program available in smaller, rural communities.

So, we turn to non-traditional means. I’ve always been able to learn better and more outside of a classroom environment than in it. I know there are thousands and thousands of other kids who are the same way. I was forced to start thinking more about whether attending a traditional school is a must after receiving this email tonight from Om:

I am 18 years old, and I dropped out in grade 10. I have never been happier in my life. I now run my own business as a technical support guy – and am doing great! Since I started my business, I have been offered a job by an ISP and another computer repair company.

I have heard a thousand times from friends and family members that I “need” to go to school or I will end up with a bad job. Had I finished school, I wouldn’t have started my own business – and would not be living the almost perfect life (not to brag).

Now I’m not saying that traditional schooling is bad. I just think that is certainly isn’t for everyone. I also believe that traditional schooling needs a lot of redesigning. They’re still teaching the same basic courses that they did some 300 years ago. I think a class on how to run a computer would be more important that something like history or grade 12 math.

So my advice now to people is, instead of going to school and then figuring out what you want to do – figure out what you want to do, then go to school if you find it fits your needs.

What’s your thoughts on this? Is it imperative that kids attend a “traditional” school? If so, for how long? Do you believe that some non-traditional methods just may be even better for them in both the short term and in the long run? Let’s hear what you have to say!

Is Traditional School a ‘Must’?

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I was a college student once, but I don’t think I would want to repeat the experience now as an adult. I’m learning so much at this point on a daily basis, I don’t think I’d learn as much in a classroom. But if a college degree is important to you, it doesn’t matter what age you are. You should go for it. Chat member TuxedoJericho recently did. He started back to college at the age of 31, and sent these tips to share with all of you.

• Do not be afraid to ask questions – If you don’t understand, don’t feel embarrassed to ask a question. The younger people in there, think that if no one ask questions, they can get out of class early. They love it when someone else ask the questions about things they don’t know, but they don’t want to do it themselves.
• Do not fall into the trap of the computer labs or rec rooms – Those two things can derail a youngster, fresh out of high school, quicker than a train. Just imagine if it were to happen to you.
• Professors love to help, when they can – If you know your professor is not teaching a class, go to them and ask for their help. They love to help, and love it more when students come to them. It shows you want to learn, and trust them enough to let them help you, even when you have free time.
• Don’t fret if you are the oldest person in your class – In high school, that was a mark of dishonor, but in college, the younger students admire their older counterparts for saying, “I’m doing it! I’m doing to get my degree!” They know it’s harder for the older folk to grab ideas, but when you show that you know the info, they admire you, and might even ask you for assistance at times.
• Don’t feel bad when an instructor is younger than you are – Just like students, they admire you for trying college, and trying to make a better life for yourself. If you show that you are attentive in class, they are going to be ready to help you if they know you need it.
• Bonus Tip! If you are in a computer class, and you have the excessive need to ask the people who are next to you for help, just don’t be annoying about it. If they are busy, don’t keep asking them. if you are polite and unannoying, they are more apt to help you. Also, if you are taking a Windows Server class, and you don’t know the fist thing about how to hook up a USB hard drive, you may be taking the wrong class.

So there you have it… some tips on how to help you settle into college as an older adult student. If you have the desire, you WILL succeed.

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How Young Were You When You Finished College?

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The best day out of school in the entire year is the last day. It’s that feeling of freedom. Here are some excellent tips sent in to help you get to (and stay IN) school when you need to.

• Set your clock ten minutes fast. This will make you think you may have overslept, but will instead give you a few extra minutes to get woken up.
• Get your backpack ready the night before. Most people wait until the last minute. By packing your bag at night, you’re more careful and tend to not forget things.
• Get your clothes ready the night before. You’ll know you have clean clothes ready, and will increase time for other things in the morning.
• Do what you need to do first. Don’t go check your email until after you have done the essential things.
• Keep track of time. This may seem simple, but is not for some people. Try to put your watch on first thing in the morning, and have an alarm set on it to let you know when it’s about time to leave.

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Stay in School

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Recently, I did a video with tips on note taking during class. Here are some tips for getting your homework done, as well as some for getting good grades.

Tips for Getting Homework Done!

• Make sure all of all of your materials are at home or with you, for example bring all of your books home to ensure that your work is done correctly. I also recommend that you keep a drawer, shoe box , or any organized space full of things that may be necessary to do your work. You may want to include pencils, rulers, calculators, colored pencils, paper, scissors, and even a stapler.
• Don’t sit or lay on your bed for homework, as you may get “to comfortable” to work or fall asleep. Your computer desk is another bad place to do homework because you could get distracted.
• Do your homework right after school. I know as a student myself that some people have extra activities to get to before you even get home.
• Take all the time you have to do your work in class. For instance, if you have a test that you might get done with early… take your stuff from the class you have homework in with you.(I absolutely don’t recommend doing your homework in the middle of class when your teacher is giving a lesson.) Also, use all of your study hall time to get it done. I have often found that I can get my homework done during study hall. This way, I don’t have to deal with it at home.
• If you get home and realize you don’t understand something, go in to that class next morning before the start of school and ask for help. (I am not sure if this would work in high school or college but if not call a friend, and if you don’t have friends, sorry you are out of luck.)
• Take occasional breaks! This will help to concentrate more as you do it.

Tips for Getting Good Grades!

• Turn in all homework when it’s due. As you advance in your schooling, teachers will become more picky about this. It’s imperative to your grade that you turn in all your homework on time.
• Ask if you don’t understand something. If you get home and realize you don’t understand the assignment try to get ahold of that teacher before the assignment is due and talk to them.
• On open-ended or response questions don’t just say nothing if you know a lot about that topic already or don’t know anything about it. Put the answer to the question and then expand on it.
• Save all papers. At the end of the semester there will be semester exams… these exams are usually cumulative meaning everything from the beginning of the year till present. Unless you are a genius, you probably won’t remember everything from that far back so save everything to review from. If you’re like me, you may have switched organization methods and such throughout the year and may not have all your notes in the same notebook. Always keep all your notebooks in your locker or wherever you keep your school things. This way, when exam time comes type up all of your notes this also may help refresh your memories of those topics.
• Be nice to your teacher, He/She has a lot of stuff to deal with during the day. During class, don’t talk when he/she is talking and don’t be doing other things during class. When it comes to grading time, if you’re on the edge between someone who is between one grade or another if you’re nice, do your hw all the time, and are always on time and prepared for class the teacher will usually give you the higher grade.

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How to get Homework Done

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High school and college aren’t easy for most people to fly through. Here are some tips sent in by regular community member Snakeyes. He is a college student, and wants to share his tips for study and information retention.

• Go to class and be prepared, don’t show up with nothing to write with. What I see a lot, is students go to class with no paper or pen/pencil. It may also help to bring more than one writing utensil. You may want to bring a highlighter and some extra pens. If you use a laptop to take notes make sure the battery is fully charged, or find the closet outlet. Be sure to save previous notes and study them every day. You never know when there be a pop quiz or a test. Don’t save your homework till the last minute. Read your assignment and do your work before it’s due.
• Have a conscious effort to listen and be attentive. Sometimes students will ask off topic questions and you get bored and you fall off topic. So always be prepared and stay attentive. Be prepared to be Adapt to whatever direction a lecture takes. When a lecture takes an unexpected detour, say a student asks a question you aren’t particularly interested in, students have a tendency to “zone out.” Before you know it, the lecture got back on track five minutes ago, and you missed crucial information that should have been noted. It’s very easy to get off topic, If YOU do miss anything that day in class ask a friend or someone else for notes. If you were sick one day are you come back to class to then realize your having a test, don’t blame the instructor for planning the test on that day, always ask someone for notes when you were sick so you can write them down.
• Use a method that works for you. If you are a big fan of two column notes than use that method. Be sure to also start each lecture on a different page and make sure you date and label all your notes. Don’t use the same notebook for each class. Use a different notebook for each one. You don’t want to be writing notes for your history class in your math binder. Make sure you always keep your notes dated and put them in order, this will help you study for tests and final exams. It’s always important to Develop a system of abbreviations and symbols you can use wherever possible.
• Pay close attention to content. if something is written down on the overhead or the chalkboard write down, even if you think it’s not important. Write down definitions to words that are listed. Make sure you write down anything that is repeated or spelled out, Usually when my teacher writes something down multiple times I know it’s going to be on a test later on.
• Last step, Review your notes. Re-read/study at least 24 hours later to make sure it’s still fresh in your mind. Be sure to Edit for words and phrases that are illegible or don’t make sense. Write out abbreviated words that might be unclear, so that you have a better meaning of the word. If you need to make corrections or would like to edit your notes, choose another color to determine what u actually wrote in class and what you just edited. If key words and questions are still unclear to you look go back and re-read the chapter and fill in the definition in the left column. If you are still unclear circle it or underline it and ask the professor or teacher. Fill in anything you may have left from the textbook as well make sure the textbook and your notes match.

Kat was on the Ventrilo server with me during this video, and wanted to add a tip she used in college.

When taking notes, I wrote absolutely everything down. I began college at the age of 29, as a single mom who worked full time. Since I had been out of school so long, I was concerned about information retention and studying. After class, I would then go through all of my notes, and highlight the important areas. Then, I would get fresh paper, and make myself an outline for that day’s class. Once I found how easy this made it for me to remember things, I made it a practice for every course through my entire college career. It certainly helped me to graduate Summa Cum Laude, with dual degrees.

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Take Notes at School

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Brian emailed me to ask my advice on getting into a Technology career. He states that he doesn’t have the capacity to learn physics and math in order to get a degree in Computer Science. He is wondering about possibly programming, networking, or even system building.

I’ve talked with several friends who are in the Technology field before about this same thing. All of us say the same thing to each other: College helped us get to where we are, but not in a classroom capacity. It’s the things we learned outside of the classroom that helped us the most. My degree is actually in English Education. I had planned to become an English teacher. One day when I was student teaching, it just suddenly hit me. I said out loud “what am I doing? I should be working with computers”. My seventh-grade class sitting in front of me were all like “DUH!”. I was the last to know.

You are your own person. Follow your heart. Take small or temporary jobs, and see what just clicks for you. If your dream job doesn’t exist, then create it. Will that be easy? Of course not. But in the long run, it’ll be the most rewarding path, trust me on this. I cannot tell you what to study, or even where and how to study it. That has to come from within yourself.

If you’re interested in programming, though, I’d like to recommend Squeak. Squeak is a modern, open source full-featured implementation of the powerful Smalltalk programming language and environment. Squeak is highly-portable – even its virtual machine is written entirely in Smalltalk making it easy to debug, analyze, and change. Squeak is the vehicle for a wide range of projects from multimedia applications, educational platforms to commercial web application development. It’s an excellent beginning point for learning programming, aimed at kids and teens. Don’t want to learn something for “kids”, eh? Remember… start slowly. Baby steps are key.

If you have OS X, another good program to try out is Automator. Start creating workflows more easily than ever. Starting Points automatically displays a sheet in new workflow windows, from which you choose categories representing the things you want to do. Then select options from contextual pop-up menus.

I’m not the person you should be asking for career advice. The person you should be asking is the one you look at in the mirror. Take control of your future, and your destiny.

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Technology Career Advice

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Kat came across an article regarding file sharing on college campuses and the possibility of the schools losing all funding from the Government as a result. As you will see, she got pretty heated in her argument against this. SC_Thor and Wirlesspacket chimed in with us on this, as well. You’ll have to excuse the times they appeared to “talk over” me. I sort of kept forgetting they can’t hear me unless I push the keyboard shortcut I set up for Ventrilo.

According to BroadbandReports.com:

Democrats are pushing a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would force colleges to not only deter p2p use on campus, but also offer students alternative options. The proposal, obviously supported by the entertainment industry, threatens to pull federal funding from schools if they fail to implement “technology-based deterrents to prevent such illegal activity.” As you might expect, schools aren’t so keen on risking billions in funding just because they aren’t running their networks the way Hollywood would like.

I know that piracy is rampant, and colleges are breeding grounds for this. Heck, Napster was started in a college dorm room. But is this going too far? More information from CNet:

The U.S. House of Representatives bill (PDF), which was introduced late Friday by top Democratic politicians, could give the movie and music industries a new revenue stream by pressuring schools into signing up for monthly subscription services such as Ruckus and Napster. Ruckus is advertising-supported, and Napster charges a monthly fee per student.

According to the bill, if universities did not agree to test “technology-based deterrents to prevent such illegal activity,” all of their students… even ones who don’t own a computer… would lose federal financial aid.

The prospect of losing a combined total of nearly $100 billion a year in federal financial aid, coupled with the possibility of overzealous copyright-bots limiting the sharing of legitimate content, has alarmed university officials.

Kat feels this is way over the top, and looking at it more, I have to agree. Most likely, this will never pass. If it does, it could very well cause a lot of students to end up not being in college if schools refuse to implement this, and lose their funding. On the other hand… I can foresee quite an uproar if this passes and schools DO comply. Students who don’t own their own computer, or who actually follow the law already… will NOT be happy to be “punished” and charged fees for things they don’t use.

Edit to add excellent comment from Chris Clemons:

Hey Chris. I almost lost my mind reading this post. I was completely unaware of this problem until now and I’m floored by the ridiculousness of it all. If an educational institution wants to get overly political and jump on the bandwagon by further bridging the gap between real life and Hollywood BS where lots of money is still not lots and lots of money and force students who are already hitting up their parents for upwards of $20k a year for more, I don’t think I can watch it happen. Now, I know it is a Democratic issue being passed down to our schools, but something as ludicrous as this should never have even made it past the head of our nation’s most overpaid political celebrities. I truly believe the educational systems should stand up for this debate.

Another edit to add a story and recommendation from MArk:

Hey Chris,
Spring quarter, I was downloading a torrent at school and had some other software apparently still sitting in my queue seeding. One of these was a Norton Ghost bootable image that i didnt even realize was sitting there. Anyways, I get a nasty email from the school saying that I was sharing illegal files that they would turn off my internet access… and that I had to meet with a Dean or some academic affairs committee.

I met with the Dean and he explained to me that there’s an outside agency sitting right on the other end of the school’s internet connection monitoring all the bits and pieces of data, searching for their client’s packets being illegally shared. Yhey saw me sharing Norton and told the university. Basically it resulted in a written acknowledgment that I wont do it again and will remove the offending material.

It was a first offense… of course subsequent offenses would be more severe. The file pretty much just exists for their reference but will never go outside that office if I dont ‘offend’ again.

Also, our school offers a free (to students) music/video subscription service. Ruckus is a site that you just register with your school email and you have access to most hits and almost anything you can think of. It’s a very quick download. It uses wma copy protection and allows you to keep the license for each song for a month after which you (right click) renew it for another month. There’s no limit on the amount of songs you download, and since this option is legal, I was doing downloading at school.

I don’t know. What do you think? What other alternatives are out there? Do you feel this is the answer? Leave me a follow-up comment to this video, or email me at chris@pirillo.com

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File Sharing at College and the Repercussions