I’m sure anyone will agree that we need to become and be surrounded by smarter people. That being said, it has come to my attention that many people in this current first world country of mine lack access to scholarly articles. Instead, they are being constantly exposed to unscholarly ones such as magazines, tabloids, and the dreaded yahoo newsfeed. With the use of the internet, databases of academic content have become so much more available and not available at the same time. While you may peruse a forest of academia at a mere whim, if you do not pay to have access to these databases you are essentially cut off from the such knowledge. You cannot develop a voice because the knowledge is only meant for people who can pay for it. Terrible yes, but that isn’t even the worst part. If I wrote something worthy of such a database, (scholarly) I could not view my own work on that database for free. I would still have to pay for it.
Fortunately I’m lucky enough to go to a college where databases are supplied. After college however, will I still be able to function at a hundred percent without the tools I need? Perhaps I’ll find a way. I’d either have find money to pay for it, jump over way more hurdles than necessary, or pirate it. All three of these options are unacceptable to me and should be to you as well no matter what you wish to study. I hope you agree with me internet. Maybe someday we can all be smarter people.
