Computer 
stuff then: The first thing that caught my attention was the ‘FizzBizz’ discussion (started here). The main point of discussion is how to filter out programmers from not-programmers by asking them to write a simple program. I’ve got a better idea: why not ask new hires for their math grades? That would take care of the whole problem!1
T
he other thing that caught my eye is the EssJay problematique: What to do with a person who misrepresented himself and the organization that is unwilling to see the ethics problem. Maybe it’s time that Wikipedia (the organization) takes a critical look of itself. (via Burningbird, which has excellent links to commentaries to both Seth Finkelstein and Cadenhead).
Oh. And your computer doesn’t like you.
I didn’t realise that Wikipedia relied on degrees that much. I thought the whole idea was to redistribute authority and by so doing ‘democratize’ knowledge. I guess even Wiki needs *some* gatekeepers. I still think it’s an interesting experiment though. Which is not the same as saying that I think academic/intellectual elites are anything like, say, political elites. (Though I seem to be in the minority in North America when I suggest that intellectual elites are not the same kettle of fish as political elites. It’s very much in vogue to suggest that all power=fascism).