-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- UK Times March 16 2000 UNITED STATES US billionaire to launch free cyber university FROM BEN MACINTYRE IN WASHINGTON ONE of the United States's newest high-tech billionaires will today announce plans for the first free Internet university, offering an "Ivy League" education online to anyone in the world at no cost. Michael Saylor, 35, the chief executive of the MicroStrategy software company, is donating $100 million (about £63.5 million) to start the project, which will eventually expand to include multiple degree courses taught by the "geniuses and leaders" from across the globe. "Done right, this will impact the lives of millions of people forever," Mr Saylor, whose wealth is estimated at about £8.25 billion, told The Washington Post. The project could revolutionise academia, according to Mr Saylor, who argues that, with new technology, "there is no reason someone in a jungle in Colombia couldn't get first-rate exposure to the finest teachers in the world through the Internet". Under Mr Saylor's plan, teachers, leaders and experts will videotape lectures and seminars at a centre to be built in Washington. These would then be made accessible on the Web, along with other academic and research materials, eventually creating what Mr Saylor described as "a Cyber Library of Congress". A course on the Vietnam War, for example, would include not only footage from battles and demonstrations, politicians' speeches and copies of originals documents, but also lectures by key players, such as Henry Kissinger, the former Secretary of State, and Robert McNamara, the former Defence Secretary. The multibillionaire is also urging Congress to make grants that would enable cyber-students to buy the necessary hardware and software to attend classes at the non-profit university. Most universities already have Internet projects under way and several online universities offer degree courses, but the Saylor project will be the first to provide free remote learning on such a huge scale. The computer magnate says that his vision is an intentional but beneficial threat to the traditional concept of a university. "Universities will lose control of knowledge, as they should," he said. "We all share the right to our leaders and geniuses." Mr Saylor is expected to announce his first donation to the unnamed charity project at the Greater Washington Business Philanthropy Summit today. No estimate of the eventual total cost has yet been made. "I'll contribute more over time until it's done. Other philanthropies might want to come on board. If not, I'll do it myself," he said. MicroStrategy sells software enabling businesses to refine raw data and pitch products more accurately. The company's stock, more than half of which is owned by Mr Saylor, has risen from $15 a share last April to almost $300 today. Mr Saylor is not only the richest person in the Washington area, but also one of the most intriguing. Despite his huge riches, the computer magnate lives in a modest townhouse and drives an elderly car, while throwing parties so lavish they have entered local myth: every year, he takes his entire staff on a week-long Caribbean cruise. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
