Cookies and JS were workarounds introduced by Netscape. They helped us jump start e-commerce.
There are certain essential tasks one just cannot do on the web without enabling JS and Cookies. Namely, e-commerce and banking (stateful transactions). This makes a compelling case for turning on Javascript and Cookies.
Unfortunately, users are frequently advised to turn on JS and Cookies for other, non-essential purposes that could be accomplished without them. And we cannot say with a straight face that every use of JS and Cookies today is "essential". These Netscape workarounds have, alas, been greatly abused to the detriment of users.
It's unfortunate we have to have something like DNT. It is the cost of the abusive use of JS and Cookies.
In my experience, at any given non-technical university, the number of students studying discrete maths, or even CS, is a relatively small group. This is relative to other areas of study.
Perhaps the issue is that Thiel's VC recruitment scheme, which is aimed at students who might study CS, delivered under the guise of an argument that "degrees are overpriced", is being broadcast to a much larger pool of students than just the ones you describe.
Perhaps there might be some students who have no intention of studying CS or discrete maths who are now thinking of dropping out or not attending university, based on this idea of overpriced education.
If you disable Cookies and Javascript you will stop probably 90% or more of tracking. How much tracking is done without using Cookies and without Javascript? KISSMetrics? What else?
Because there is ample evidence that good content was available through the internet and later the web, before it was permitted to be used as a commercial vehicle and long before the web became laden with cheap advertising.
Why don't we ask plumbers what they think of a college education? And how it feels to go through life without one.
Do wealthy plumbers want their kids to skip college to become wealthy plumbers?
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There are certain essential tasks one just cannot do on the web without enabling JS and Cookies. Namely, e-commerce and banking (stateful transactions). This makes a compelling case for turning on Javascript and Cookies.
Unfortunately, users are frequently advised to turn on JS and Cookies for other, non-essential purposes that could be accomplished without them. And we cannot say with a straight face that every use of JS and Cookies today is "essential". These Netscape workarounds have, alas, been greatly abused to the detriment of users.
It's unfortunate we have to have something like DNT. It is the cost of the abusive use of JS and Cookies.