An Educational Revolution

    Wikipedia was first created on 15 January 2001, two days after the domain was registered: to this day, it remains the primary open-source encyclopedia. Even though it has gained far more respect than it maintained in its early years, there is still "criticism towards its content, its community of established users, and its processes". ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Wikipedia )

    It is interesting that we are still speaking about a "chip shortage" as of 9/22/2022: it is true that demand is outstripping supply for certain specialized chips, which is what a "shortage" is--according to the most basic economic definition; however, it is important to keep in mind that demand for computers has skyrocketed--even though the supply of computers has also skyrocketed over the past 20 years. Despite the chip shortages of today, computers are still extraordinarily more affordable than they were in 2001. An article from CNN.com from 2001 highlights this simple fact: "Case in point: Within weeks of the 1.7-GHz P4 launch, Dell was offering a well-appointed 1.7-GHz P4 system with a 19-inch monitor for $1798". ( http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/ptech/05/31/pc.prices.idg/index.html ) .

    Today, much more powerful budget laptops can be found for under $200--with a built-in monitor. And yet, we are also talking about inflation that is "out of control" in 2022! The minimum wage was $5.15/hr for all covered, nonexempt workers in 2001. Today, it is $7.25/hr for all covered, nonexempt workers; in many states, however, it is much higher than this: the minimum wage in California is currently $15/hr for employers with 26 or more employees, and $14/hr for employers with 25 or less employees--that is nearly THREE TIMES the wage of a worker from 2001, even though a computer can now be purchased for under $200 instead of $1798! ( https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/history/chart ; https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_minimumwage.htm ). California is important to speak about, after all, as that is where many of the technology companies are based. The cost of entry for computing is insanely low in California in particular in 2022 than it was in 2001--even though it is also much lower for the rest of the country. 

    In any case, considering Wikipedia was first created in 2001--and given the extremely low barriers to entry in 2022, why is there not a certified and freely available online encyclopedia for different educational levels that is written by members of the academic community, which students could use as valid source material when they are working on their various assignments? This could even be funded at a national level by the Department of Education and through local state governments. After all, Wikipedia itself is now subject to diminishing returns ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminishing_returns ) . It would be far more productive for licensed and educated teachers to come up with such a system, and it could even be written at different reading and educational levels for elementary students, young adults, and early college students. Not only are computers insanely cheap in comparison to 20 years ago, but there are numerous websites available that actually teach coding! Furthermore, the digital storage fees and bandwidth costs of providing information in 2022 are insanely cheap in comparison to 2001--especially for centralized institutions with large amounts of resources. 

    That is only the most basic of ideas--this is not even discussing the fact that there could now be completely free online degrees in 2022 that incorporate virtual reality: this would even make medical lab work possible from home in some respects. Students should only need to be going to school for field and lab work when hands-on experience is absolutely necessary, and with all of the extra real estate available from the lack of in-person classes, we should have far more medical schools and scientific labs available--especially now that we are able to convert all of the older institutions and buildings that were previously used for in-person learning. I myself have a degree in economics UNLV from 2008, and I can assure the reader that all of that could have been accomplished online and at home in 2022 for practically no cost whatsoever in the modern world.

    The pandemic showed us that working from home is possible--and that was at a time when society was panicking. Obviously, it was not the best solution at the time, and social interaction is needed (we endured nearly two years with practically no social interaction whatsoever); however, the pandemic should have at least opened our eyes to the possibility that all of these cars on the road are not necessary. All of the gasoline and high interest rates are not necessary--even electric cars are not necessary. What can we accomplish if we try and work and learn from home with some planning and with some honest leadership at the helm--especially once all of the hysteria finally dies down from the Russian invasion? What can we accomplish if we work together instead of bickering over nonsensical matters that were settled over 50 years ago with little argument for decades (such as Roe v. Wade)? It will not be long until the "chip shortage" is over--it will not be long until Internet speeds are 10 times faster than they already are. This will likely happen within the next two to three years. What are we going to finally do about it? It seems that Americans are more concerned with simply being argumentative and aggressive than productive and compassionate. This needs to stop. It's time to move forward.