I am taking an online course in--well, it doesn't really matter what the topic matter is. There is an instructor who communicates with us via a webcam and microphone, and a chatroom in which the students ask questions.

It depresses me very badly to notice that no one else appears to have the faintest interest in the subject matter. They're in the military and new regulations said they had to have technical training in this field, and their commanders told them they had to do it in order to keep their billets. Or they're some other kind of government worker.

And the questions they ask in class, when they can be bothered to notice or take part at all, are generally terrifyingly stupid and indicate to me that they do NOT belong there.

But let me give you an example. Imagine that it's a class for auto mechanics. And there's one guy in the back who keeps interrupting the instructor to say "But I want the car to run on orange juice, isn't there some button I can push to make it do that?" And "If I paint the car a different color that will make it able to fly, right?" And "What's a wrench?" and "What are wheels?" Half the students in the course are asking questions like that. I'm facepalming so hard I now consider myself lucky I didn't accidentally shove my entire arm through my head up to the elbow.

How did they get into the class? I don't know, but the online school is taking the money and cashing their checks just like anyone else's. This makes me wonder whether my certification will be worth anything to any employer when I mention the school.

I'm depressed now, /dqn/.