Google, digital management systems
One of the things Google has built is the same sort of corporate perimeter and digital management system that you typically find at large tech companies.
This shouldn't be surprising, but I only know about this system because Google offers their system to customers (I have no association with Google, other than being a customer).
More specifically, Google offers this product to children: as a parental control framework for Android and in the classroom.
Google, digital management systems
Chromebooks in particular are a "from the ground up" implementation of this system. They're locked into using it and rely on Google for everything.
This is probably the main reason Chromebooks are so popular in US schools, Google has already done all the work required to lock down these systems as much as possible, so that even someone with physical access will have difficulty hacking into it and taking control of the computer system.
Google, digital management systems
@urusan The difficulty with chromebooks is actually that the “parental controls” are controlled by the school not the parent. And if the school can’t be bothered to block all those stupid JavaScript games that are so attractive to adolescents, well then the Chromebook becomes an attractive nuisance and the schoolwork doesn’t get done.
Google, digital management systems
@acsawdey @urusan I remember when Google had to add the policy to block the "no internet" dinosaur game at the behest of schools.
I was immediately of two minds about it. On the one: obvious and easy request from the customer, nearly trivial to satisfy.
On the other: wow. If the class is *so* boring that kids would rather play the dinosaur game, you are *wasting their lives* and *deserve to be ignored.* Kids' time is valuable too, and their lives just as finite as everyone else's.
