Digital diploma mills: A dissenting voice

Abstract

Professor David Noble's series of three papers, which appeared in 1997-98 under the uniform title, Digital Diploma Mills, has provoked widespread debate and controversy. Noble contends that technology in general, and Internet/Web-based technologies in particular, are instruments of social control that neither faculty nor students want. Noble is leading the battle to wrestle technology from the grips of conniving university administrators and greedy corporate CEOs. Is Dr. Noble right? Partly. While I support his defense of faculty rights, I challenge his biased and ill-informed opinions about distributed learning technologies and I worry that he may be alienating potential faculty and student allies. Professor Noble seems convinced the battle is won. In my view, the victory parade is premature.