[dingo_bat]

I wonder where we'd be today if all this effort was focused on something like automatic cars. Instead of spam.

[CalRobert]

Good question. I graduated college and desperately wanted to work on renewable energy research. After scads of rejections I quit ignoring the expressions of interest in my programming abilities.

I still wish I were doing something that actually bettered the world, but I have bills to pay.

Then again, maybe ensuring people graduate in debt is a great way to ensure we as a society do what folks with cash want us to instead of what we feel we ought to be doing.

[sebleon]

"The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads" - original FB data scientist

[klokoman]

Because it is one of the few sectors where you can be a little creative and not obey the rules set by corrupted bureaucrats decades ago

[chii]

And instead follow rules set by investors or corporate vested interests.

[ISL]

Spam, spam, spam, spam, cars, spam, and spam.

There's not too much spam in it.