Digital dissent

I do love irony.

I have come to the conclusion that this year I will be mostly posting about stupidity and futile jesture.

Today's case in point is Tara Brabazon, Professor of Media Studies at the University of Brighton (or Brighton Polytechnic as I knew it). I do get her point, I really do .. but how can she possibly think that banning Wikipedia and Google is the right approach? The best part is, of course, that this is now recorded .. on Wikipedia (where else?)

Given that she is recorded as being a "digital dissenter" we can perhaps forgive the naiivity of not forseeing the entire internet now being full of this news. As a learned subject expert, however, she really should show more understanding of the cultural shifts being driven by new media. Surely, the better approach would be to ensure students do more online research - not less. And, yes, back up this research with other media.

The conclusion I have to draw is that this move is an example of elitism. She evidently disregards her chosen subject as having little or no worth. On this basis I must disregard her opinion as irrelevent.