Should Learning Management Systems be considered harmful? The vanishing dream of an open cultural exchange

Support to e-learning activities has undergone a transition from simple web-based solutions to complete and integrated Learning Management Systems. Such transformation had an important, maybe unwanted and probably almost unnoticed side-effect: the closure to the outside world. We discuss why that happens and whether it is a desirable or necessary feature. We outline the consequences of such fact on e-learning in general, and on the dream of an open society in particular. Finally, we propose some solutions that allow keeping the necessary protection features while allowing for a more open sharing of learning resources.