Despite the fact that WardCunningham discouraged commentary on his 'political planks' on his home page, some people couldn't resist...

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* ''Someone else who either hasn't read, or failed to understand Orwell's ''1984.

* "I really agree with you."

* ''I really think your platform, particularly your first and second planks, would do a large amount of harm to this country, and that your third plank is simply nonsense. How are we supposed to measure mastery of the material without any form of testing?''

* ''I was inspired by your Run-For-President page (so I gave it a shot on my own page). It would have been entertaining, and would have shifted the mindset of those inspired by politics to one of greater community participation and interaction. The only 'traffic' added would be to personal Home Pages and the simple listing of participants. Maybe there's a good WikiWay to do this. Thanks for your ideas and your note... and of course, this incredible construct. -- ChristopherGaltenberg''

* ''It seems strange to me that someone who found a way to apply technology to live out a libertarian ideal of allowing individuals to collaboratively communicate and be creative without artificial restrictions, fantasizes about using the government to centrally dictate collective behavior based on his own ideals. -- TC''

As a LawrenceLessig fan, I am for government that is useful and effective. You are right, though, that my thoughts above are a pure flight of the imagination that would never work. So we muddle on. -- Ward

* ''I am interested in the relationship between "redefining want" and "favoring distribution of that which is easily duplicated, and conservation of that which is not." Can you elaborate it more? -- HC''

* ''"redefining want" was the central idea behind the thinking of Sayyid Qutb and we all know how naughty his followers have become.'' JB (see http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1253796 for a short bio of Sayyid Qutb.).)

* I would vote for you, not because I agree with your planks, but because I have the confidence that once you were actually confronted with applying your program you would drop it and do something that makes sense.  As for student testing, how does any well-engineered system work without a feedback loop? -- TWC

* Reading WardsPlanksDiscussion I continue to be astonished at how much easier it is to propagate stupidity and fear than calm and gentility. I would worry about this, but it is better to let karma take its course. Ward calls for a human fundamental commonplace among civilized countries - free public health care. And some privileged numbskull calls that harmful. He calls for deprivatization of google and related monopolies on essential information services. And some nitwit calls that dictatorship. He calls for the deconstruction of the disinformation industry - advertising - and some ninny thinks that's terrorism. Well you felchers, history is about to serve up a steaming plate of hard lessons for your soft heads. Our rights are gone, our economy is gone, our army is gone, our world standing is gone, our environment is gone, and we are in the process of experiencing the world's largest mass swirly at the hands of the world's champion fratboy. Enjoy.

* As a recovering valedictorian, I feel the need to point out that your point on testing isn't just a point, it's a bullseye.

* I am deeply saddened by your policy ideas.  They are humane, rational, and technically feasible.  But they are impossible.  They serve only to emphasize the injustices of power.  By the way, if you're not familiar, check out Sudbury model schools.  Our only hope is to create alternative institutions.  Those extant cannot be reformed.

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''I continue to be astonished at how much easier it is to propagate stupidity and fear than calm and gentility.'', and then, ''Our rights are gone, our economy is gone, our army is gone, our world standing is gone, our environment is gone, and we are in the process of experiencing the world's largest mass swirly at the hands of the world's champion fratboy.''  Am I the only one who sees the irony in this juxtaposition?