03-07-2012, 11:18 AM
(03-07-2012, 02:01 AM)Ben Johnson Wrote: Someone might like to eat in a $100 restaurant. If they do not have $100 they do not starve. They might go to a $3.95 restaurant or anywhere in between.
Yes, but if that same person roots around in the dumpster out back, he/she might eat, but that doesn't make the dumpster a restaurant.
Quote:Someone who is challenged by academics and does not have $50,000 for a doctorate, might opt for the $5 - 10,000 doctorate. The academic world has mileposts and lack of ability to physically attend of afford the tuition shouldn't be a big sin.
Except this isn't about a sliding scale. All over the world there are standards for what is and is not a university. Lower costs do not change that--degrees from unaccredited schools don't become better because they are cheaper.
The $50k figure you cite is misleading; there are many accredited options available for much less money.
Quote:In case you hadn't noticed a whole whack of people do not attend school to get a job so utility is somewhat of a red herring.
Fine, but that cuts both ways. The reasons for purchasing such a credential do not have an impact on whether it is better or worse--it is what it is.
Quote:Although they are indications accreditation is no guarantee of quality and lack of accreditation does not guarantee lack of quality.
This polarity is a function of weak logic-making. It isn't "either/or," but instead "yes, and." No "guarantees" on either side. But assurances? That's another question. There is simply no way a lack of standards (in the unaccredited world) provides a comparable level of insight into the quality of said schools. No way. You always know what you're getting with an accredited school. The same is not true with unaccredited schools--even if there are a few exceptions.
Also, the dichotomy is imbalanced: no one ever went to jail because they operated an accredited school. No one ever lost a job because of a true claim of an accredited degree. No one was ever sued because they had credentials from an accredited school. It is a false equivalency.