raph writes: "I just flat-out don't agree [that kids should be sent to traditional school]. Realistically, the chances of Alan becoming a corporate drone are much lower than, say, making a living writing poetry. Why not prepare him for the latter, then?"

Yes, yes, yes! As an unconventional schooler myself, I can attest that my years in traditional school were simply torture (and I went to an elite private school that wasn't supposed to have these problems). Raising children in a dictatorship is hardly a way to develop young questioning minds, and I am so thankful for having computers, the Internet and a rich home life to keep me thinking and growing. Without them, I don't know how I would have survived -- let alone learn and grow -- all these years.