At your fingertips.

Do you remember, back in school, when you had to research a subject -- find all the details, ins and outs, in order to compile a "research paper" or "term paper"? Do you remember reading books and discussing them in classes with professors and other students, going only on what you glean from the book itself and your ideas? What if you had to write a paper on a particular book or theory...research was done at the library, from reference books or periodicals...Remember when they were called "periodicals?"

Today I was doing some quick research on "Siddhartha", by Hermann Hesse. I wanted to know the real Siddhartha's relation to this book -- trying to figure out how fictional the book is, its relation to Buddha, etc., etc., etc. Basically, Todd and I had lots of questions about it and needed to do some research.

Anyway, I came across tons of commentaries, study guides, synopses, you name it. If I were in school, I wouldn't have to actually read anything! There would be no need to generate a thought of my own because all thoughts from A to Z are right there on the Internet! How easy it must be to be a student of literature or other social sciences these days. Really, students don't actually have to touch a real life book if they don't want to.

Cliff and his notes...That was nothing compared to the Internet and all its scholastic homicide.

I'm worried. I'm devastated. This is truly troubling me. As if I need something else to keep me up at night.