[Edu-sig] re: OT - Disney Learning - again

[Arthur Siegel]

>From what I understand, Kay was recruited 5 years ago specifically to
>promote Squeak and computer education for kids.  This was probably part
>of Disney's big Internet push back when it seemed that everything and
>everyone was going online.

Edu-sig has demonstrated that how one defines "computer education for kids"
comes in many flavors.

Happens my flavor and what I sense will inevitably come out of Disney
are not very reconcilable.

Hoping for a level playing field would not be unrealistic.  But a distortion
of the field on the scale that Disney is able to accomplish  -  $billions if
they are so inclined -  is not something I can calmly contemplate.

>According to a New York Times article on 6/13/2001, Alan Kay is leaving
>Disney and taking the Squeak group with him as "Disney has scaled back a
>number of its ambitious Internet plans."  Kay and his team reportedly
>volunteered for the recent company-wide layoff.

That's good news.  If Alan Kay wants to pursue his ideas on the merits,
great.  The Disney thing I feared was not playing fair. And I'm sure he had
to be embarrassed enough on his own account at some level.

>I'm not sure what relationship Kay had with disneylearning.com.  It
>seems the advisory council is made up entirely of people outside of
>Disney and primarily from various universities.  They seemed to have
>made a number of grants in 1999 but nothing since then.

Small grants - puny relative to the amount they have spent announcing
that they have made them.

The fact is that a few bucks one can get the attention of the entire
K-12 establishment.

Any reasonable sense of decorum and corporate responsibility has
been thrown to the wind by Disney in handling this.  Because they
can reasonably be seen to be self-interested - all the more reason
to handle it with dignity.  But a few $billion in the bank, does breed
arrogance and does make friends.

There is no reason I should feel like I am pissing in the wind by
expressing outrage. Nonetheless, I do.

ART