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Stanford profs from DB & Machine Learning class are founding a company Coursera

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Re: Stanford profs from DB & Machine Learning class are founding a company Coursera

#21

Post by unignorant »

endtime wrote: post #20
unignorant wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, both are for-profit. This caused a bit of a stir among their fellow academics.

Seriously? At Stanford? Every professor other than Daphne (I believe) at the AI lab has worked for Google at some point and Stanford is the last place where CS profs look down upon starting companies.

Starting a company wasn't the issue. It's more that for-profit education has a bad reputation (think University of Phoenix). There was some initial concern/confusion.

Re: Stanford profs from DB & Machine Learning class are founding a company Coursera

#22

Post by waterlesscloud »

fooyc wrote: post #11

This is awesome. I guess this is why the 2012 ML class is delayed; I'm wondering if it will still happen :(

Yeah, I'm starting to think none of them are going to happen now.

This article seems to hint that the Stanford administration isn't all that gung ho about the whole thing. http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/01/23/145645...

Re: Stanford profs from DB & Machine Learning class are founding a company Coursera

#23

Post by codeonfire »

kunj2aan wrote: post #8

It's surprising that they wouldn't collaborate with Sebastian Thrun (AI), who I think is also founding a company.

It's not surprising if you understand academic politics. If you go to many research presentations, you'll be amazed to see people openly deriding the presenter's work to their face. Collaboration is something valued by people who greatly depend on others. So it's normal for most people to think that collaboration is something that is desirable, and it is for the average person. If you are trying to be the world's leading expert in something that no one else understands, depending on others will be an avenue of attack for your detractors. It is far better for a very capable person to take on market forces rather than internal politics.

Re: Stanford profs from DB & Machine Learning class are founding a company Coursera

#25

Post by endtime »

unignorant wrote: post #21
endtime wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously? At Stanford? Every professor other than Daphne (I believe) at the AI lab has worked for Google at some point and Stanford is the last place where CS profs look down upon starting companies.

Starting a company wasn't the issue. It's more that for-profit education has a bad reputation (think University of Phoenix). There was some initial concern/confusion.

How is Stanford not a for-profit institution? I'm not trying to be argumentative, I think I must just be missing some distinction.

Re: Stanford profs from DB & Machine Learning class are founding a company Coursera

#26

Post by binarysolo »

kunj2aan wrote: post #8

It's surprising that they wouldn't collaborate with Sebastian Thrun (AI), who I think is also founding a company.

Hearsay: there was some competing visions on how they wanted to scale online education in the School of Computer Science as well as the School of Engineering.

Re: Stanford profs from DB & Machine Learning class are founding a company Coursera

#27

Post by mikek »

endtime wrote: post #25
unignorant wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Starting a company wasn't the issue. It's more that for-profit education has a bad reputation (think University of Phoenix). There was some initial concern/confusion.

How is Stanford not a for-profit institution? I'm not trying to be argumentative, I think I must just be missing some distinction.

Non-profit organizations are registered as so to the IRS in the United States:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonprofit_organization

Re: Stanford profs from DB & Machine Learning class are founding a company Coursera

#28

Post by madelfio »

endtime wrote: post #25
unignorant wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Starting a company wasn't the issue. It's more that for-profit education has a bad reputation (think University of Phoenix). There was some initial concern/confusion.

How is Stanford not a for-profit institution? I'm not trying to be argumentative, I think I must just be missing some distinction.

It's a 501(c)(3) like most private American universities. This means there are no "owners" who make money if it brings in a profit, but conversely allows it to accept tax-exempt charitable donations.

Re: Stanford profs from DB & Machine Learning class are founding a company Coursera

#30

Post by euccastro »

nchuhoai wrote: post #24
nchuhoai wrote: post #3

I don't get why they would cooperate with the dude from the ML class

Sorry I meant to say wouldn't. I'm sure they could together create a bigger impact then seperate

Andrew Ng is the dude of ML Class. Do you mean why wouldn't they collaborate with the dude(s) of AI Class?
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