I don’t mean to be a blowhard.

But if you’re going to argue that it does, that you’d send your kids to CourseraU, you are conflating the aesthetic experience of learning with actual learning.

Much like many video games, quite successful ones actually, reenact the aesthetics of work but are in no way shape or form actual work. This may be important for why they are an appealing product but don’t go and argue (as hardly anyone does) that League of Legends is work. That’s why it would also sound absurd to say Coursera is learning.

The University of Phoenix people are total shitbags. Charging for some shit certificate is a complete shitbag move. Just because it’s online doesn’t make it special.

In that sense, yes, expect that ads will happen. I think you’re onto something.