OLDaily

Marc Meola[Edit][Delete]: Collaboration, Copyright, and Reclusive Math Geniuses, ACRLog [Edit][Delete] August 23, 2006

[link: Hits] I am not a reclusive math genius, but I share some of their properties: "Perelman did not feel the need or obligation to participate in the traditional peer-review process, believing instead that anyone who wanted to look at his work could do so. For whatever reason, Perelman has decided to opt out of most of the social rituals of his profession, yet open access publishing has enabled him to at least share his work with the world." I think this is an important point. A lot of people think of 'collaboration' in traditional terms. Especially in the sciences and universities. [Tags: Open Access] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Doug Belshaw[Edit][Delete]: EduPress is Dead! Long Live, er... Wordpress and pPugins, teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk [Edit][Delete] August 23, 2006

[link: 2 Hits] Doug Belshaw is ending EduPress. "EduPress was a welcome diversion at the time, but now it's a bit of an albatross. So here endeth the EduPress project. At the end of the day it was merely a customised version of Wordpress, so it's easy to replicate given the right tools." [Tags: Project Based Learning, Customization] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Alfred Essa[Edit][Delete]: Blackboard's Reverse Rent, NOSE [Edit][Delete] August 23, 2006

[link: Hits] It conjures up images of your big smelly uncle moving in with you and then shaking you down for 'rent'. "Blackboard Inc. has ripped off ideas from the Intellectual Commons -- ideas small and large contributed by a community of inquirers and practitioners -- made it their 'intellectual property' and now want to charge everyone reverse rent for it.... In the meantime they have filed for other patents. What do these patents cover? Whose ideas are these? And whom will they sue next? Are you in their bullseye?" Also, Essa reminds us of the social networking patent filed by Friendster.

You know, as we follow the Blackboard case, it's worth asking how well the company has done when compared to these important principles of successful business:
# Be worthy of trust.
# Everyone knows that you are smart -- don't try to prove it.
# You are there to help, not to be right.
# Be a concierge - if it needs doing, do it.
# Develop services and products that are worth paying a premium price for.
# Do business as if you were working with a good friend
[Tags: Blackboard, Copyright and Patent Issues, Networks] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Various authors[Edit][Delete]: EduTools ePortfolio Review, EduTools [Edit][Delete] August 23, 2006

[link: 1 Hits] Nice. "WCET released the results of their first round of ePortfolio product comparisons." Itr's a bit hard to find from the main page; click on the Product List link (upper left, in a menu bar) and then select some products to see the comparisons. [Tags: E-Portfolios] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Joan Vinall-Cox[Edit][Delete]: Flock - Outside (and Above) the LMS Patent, Joan Vinall-Cox : Weblog [Edit][Delete] August 23, 2006

[link: 2 Hits] A nice look at Flock, the browser that acks like a... well, maybe not like an LMS, despite what I said, but perhaps the think that replaces the LMS. For the better. Joan Vinall-Cox writes, "It is the Web 2.0 browser, aimed at the social user, perfect for a variety of communication tasks." [Tags: Web 2.0] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Dave Warlick[Edit][Delete]: Getting Right Down To It, 2 cents Worth [Edit][Delete]2 Cents Worth [Edit][Delete] August 23, 2006

[link: 4 Hits] Dave Warlick posts a "Student and Teacher Information Code of Ethics." I personally think that a code of ethics is not useful, because if one believes in the ethics, the coded is not needed, and if one doesn't, the code will not be followed. Moreover, there is no need, again in my view, for an "Information" code of ethics - the basic principles apply in all areas of life: be honest, and take care not to harm others. And some of the specifics of this proposed code are, in my view, just wrong. To sample a few: "Always question the sources' motives?" No, because the motives are often irrelevant. "Consider all possible outcomes to the information you express?" Nice, but requires omniscience. "Encourage the information consumer to voice grievances about your information products?" Ack, ack ack! "Never use information from another person without proper citation and permission?" A bad principle; I would not be able to criticize most people and companies. [Tags: Information] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Adam Clare[Edit][Delete]: All You Wanted to Know About Green WiFi, August 23, 2006

[link: Hits] Green WiFi is "a system that uses a solar panel, a charge controller, a battery, and a generic router to create nodes that cost around $200." The idea is that the internet signal travels from one node to the next, through a mesh. Because each node can be stand-alone, and does not depend on any other node (or even a power supply) the network can grow organically. I would like to see a similar set-up, though, with WiMax. [Tags: Networks] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Douglas J. Fisher and Graham Osteen[Edit][Delete]: Hartsville Today -- The Cook Book, Common Sense Journalism [Edit][Delete] August 23, 2006

[link: Hits] I hope this item inspires some people to create their own community newspapers (especially in my home town!) but I'm sure it will be of use to educators as well. This cookbook (link to a 1m PDF) offers a comprehensive guide with useful, practical advice. Advice that wears the badge of experience - for example, the authors advise that the best means of promotion is in person: "Speak to civic and community groups, Scout troops, neighborhood groups and churches. But don't stop there; basic shoe leather is still an effective recruiting tool. If you confine yourself to the 'known suspects,' you are likely to have a site that reflects the local establishment - often white and older - and risk not connecting with everyone in your community, especially the younger audience you need for the future." [Tags: Books and eBooks, Experience] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

I want and visualize and aspire toward a system of society and learning where each person is able to rise to his or her fullest potential without social or financial encumberance, where they may express themselves fully and without reservation through art, writing, athletics, invention, or even through their avocations or lifestyle.

Where they are able to form networks of meaningful and rewarding relationships with their peers, with people who share the same interests or hobbies, the same political or religious affiliations - or different interests or affiliations, as the case may be.

This to me is a society where knowledge and learning are public goods, freely created and shared, not hoarded or withheld in order to extract wealth or influence.