Better Ideas From China: Ban Computers on Campus

It's for their own good, of course. China seems to be very concerned about the psychological welfare of its post-secondary students.

China.org.cn explains: "To prevent students from playing too many video games, some universities have banned freshmen from owning computers - stirring up quite a controversy in the process.

Schools including Zhejiang, Nanjing and Shanghai Jiaotong universities instituted the ban with the start of the new semester in September.

They said the measure will help freshmen avoid becoming addicted to computer games."

Elsewhere, you'll see headlines like "Chinese universities: no PCs, gaming for freshmen" and "Computers Banned in Chinese Universities!."

Maybe I'm cynical, but I am open to the idea that there's more to the Chinese ban than concern over how much Frogger the best young minds of China get exposed to.

And, to get on my soapbox for a moment: The next time you run into someone trying to Save the Children From Internet Porn, or Defend Our American/Environmental/Curling Rights From Unregulated Web Traffic - think! Do you really want some bureaucrat, censor, or holier-than-thou type to decide what you can and cannot read?

More ideas - good, dubious, and strange - at "Better Ideas From ... "