15 points pseudolus 1 hour ago 10 comments

pseudolus 1 hour ago | parent

jareklupinski 1 hour ago | parent

> For individuals, this access to education promised more money, more status or both. But for governments, it also offered political stability — a way to convince people to buy into society as currently structured, by promising the potential for advancement to the underprivileged without ousting those who had wealth and power already.

were the trying to sell the promise that two objects can occupy the same space at the same time? XD

starting to realize that the more a government has to incentivize you to do something (govt loan for school, govt assistance for mortgage, govt subsidies for cars), the worse the thing is for the individual (and by extension society as a whole) in the end, with the actual long-term benefit seeming to go to an entrenched party (executives, landlords, automakers, respectively).

a good tell is that they did not already have a compelling argument to get you started on their thing, before offering the "help"

_override 1 hour ago | parent

The older and more experienced I've become the more I've realized that knowing the right people is often significantly more important than your education, your credentials, your career history, and your problem solving abilities in your professional domain.

It obviously isn't always the case, but at least where I live knowing the right people is extremely important if you want to get a job in the IT/software industry. I wish the importance of networking and getting to know the right people was stressed a lot more during my education and formative years.

Avicebron 1 hour ago | parent

It is taught, but not everyone can just snap their fingers and get access to the "right network". Which dulls the sheen of meritocracy and democratized opportunity.

220hertz 27 minutes ago | parent

Not just in software. This exists in every type of profession and has forever. If you've ever met someone who just seems to fail upwards all the time, remember that it's who you know that counts.

chownie 15 minutes ago | parent

This is partially why autistic people cannot pull ahead at work, the meritocracy of networking is petit nepotism/cronyism by another name.

rickydroll 10 minutes ago | parent

aka winning the birth lottery. Who your parents are, how many resources can they expend on you, who do they know that can introduce you to other resources. The birth lottery has the biggest effect on your outcomes in life.

jeisc 50 minutes ago | parent

an unlocked gift article it needs a free account: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/13/world/europe/education-me...

xqcgrek2 22 minutes ago | parent

AI is only going to obviate universities more

vkaku 9 minutes ago | parent

Work hard, not smart .... no career, no economy, no society.