Maybe because it was a big thing in 1960

So next week is graduation of my class. For me it looks like everyone is making such a big deal out of it. Like a celebration of some sort. Is it just me, or did graduating from college (especially undergrad and lower institutions) not feel like an accomplishment at all? Like what's the fucking big deal, everyone graduates sooner or later. Fuck, I don't even want attend my graduation.

Matter of fact, Bachelor's degree is just like a High School diploma these days. Well, it does mark an end to a significant portion of a person's life; namely, the decision to either stop learning, or become an expert in the field of your choice. I am attending the commencement just because my parents will be there. To be honestly going to the ceremony was more for my parents than me. All the same, I would have skipped it, but the parents came and wanted to see me walk, etc. Getting myself a PhD or Graduate from Med School or some shit and then I may not whining about celebration.

Does it really bother that people do such things to get enjoyment?

A lot of Open Source enthusiasts talk about how pirating is in fact counter to central ideals of open source. Someone in my class routinely preaches to me about it. We had a discussion recently that went like this:
Me: I believe knowledge and the means to operate it should be acquired for free, but Open Office seriously sucks. Instead, I pirate Microsoft Office.
Him: This is not sustainable, and actually hurts the mission of open source, which relies on a community that is committed to development and improvement.
Me: Open Office needs a lot of work, man.

I was thinking about this warez and pirated copies of things. The amount of effort that goes into creating these bootlegs is often staggering: tables of contents, crystal clear quality, subtitles, the whole works. Clearly, there is no monetary incentive here. In fact, the marginal utility lost in terms of time is itself quite large. Beyond seeking enjoyment, it's about a question of how to spend your time. Humans are horrible at this. Who is to say that they make rational economic choices? An economic profit is not the same as an accounting profit. Economic profit takes into account all costs and benefits, both seen and unseen.

It has a lot to do with the premise that information which many feel includes software in all it's formats including pirating of things should be free, and anyone and everyone should have access to it regardless of monetary value. Basically, people want things. To get those things, they have to do some things. Sometimes, money is involved; but it needn't to be. Money is simply a tool to gain pleasure. Pleasure is the goal. Benefit is benefit. People don't maximize income, they maximize utility. Thus, economics.

I had a professor that would routinely upload Microsoft and Mac OS among many other things on mininova. He was a programmer and believed in 'open source' all the way so he did that shit during class. One time he made a video loop of Willy Wonka in the Chocolate Factory. It was just Gene Wilder saying "You lose! Good day sir!" about 1000 times. He literally had it on full volume the entire class period, drinking tea, uploading illegal software onto the internet. Kind of a hero.