[talkingtab]

Exactly right. We think this is the time of AI, but it can and should be the time of collaborative intelligence (CI). The internet is exactly the tool that could, but does not currently enable this. You disagree? Well you certainly can follow someone on Twitter, but where can you start a discussion among equals? Blogs, you can comment on someone's blogs, you can like things but can you participate? As an equal.

But grad school? Our education system is built on learning to think like someone else. It is the Twitter of Education where you can follow and repeat back what you hear. But for Original Thinkers and Collaborative Intelligence it is a mistake I believe.

[rajansaini]

I'd like to play the foil to enrich the discussion.

Our instincts force us to seek validation and approval from others as individuals. I wonder if the success of blogs, Twitter, and academic research stems from incentivizing people to maximize that self-centered sense of ownership. For example, being first author on a well-cited paper is a powerful motivation to produce better research, which in-turn benefits the community and strengthens the institution.

[talkingtab]

I completely agree that we seek validation from others. I believe that I have underestimated my own "schooling" behavior, imitating minnows, as well as that of others around me. So yes, seeking validation is a strong force, but one that can limit our ability to adapt and be creative. I mean this honestly, my own instinct is to go with the crowd even when I am perplexed as to what the heck is going on.

The question of being the first author is interesting. Here is a question, or a poll: would you rather be the first author of a well-cited paper, or would you rather be a member of a group that created powerful new concepts and ideas?

And yes, I do think it is a binary choice. My own recent experience is that the ideas produced are better when "my" thinking is done in a group of thoughtful original thinkers rather than on my own.

Discussion enriched (imho).

[jackyzhao]

I would argue that the internet nowadays feels very one-directional. You intake information but individuals rarely have influence over the future direction of that information. It's more of a lecture than a dialogue. Of corse, many internet forums like HN or Twitter serve as counter examples but the vast majority of content like blogs are like that.

I think the main value I see in grad school is the community of learners rather than the actual knowledge imparted itself.