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OLDaily

by Stephen Downes
June 29, 2007

Namibian Schoolnet: Open Source for Education
"Namibia's open source based SchoolNet project provides computer labs to schools all across the country. Some are in very remote locations that are not traditionally suitable for this type of technology. It has been quite successful and has won many international awards." Lexa, eLearning across the globe June 29, 2007 [Link] [Tags: Schools, Open Source, Project Based Learning] [Comment]

Nintendo to Open Up Wii Console
How much sense does this make? All the sense in the world. ""Independent developers armed with small budgets and big ideas will be able to get their original games into the marketplace to see if we can find the next smash hit." I'm waiting for the same protocols to be used to support Wii-like browser controls. Unattributed, BBC June 29, 2007 [Link] [Tags: none] [Comment]

Prince to Launch New Album As Free Newspaper Giveaway
I've been laughing all day about this. Music for free - a full album of ten songs - if you buy the mail or if you attend a Prince concert. The record lables are not pleased. As one commentator on Metafilter says, "The comments in that article seem to be one step below threatening to break his legs." The industry's thuggish behaviour - which has also seen them sue tens of thousands of music fans - is not lost on the performers. It will be the industry's downfall - a downfall that is already evident. Textbook and academic publishers, take note. Anyhow, I'm cheering for Prince - he has been consistently one of the most innovative artists out there for more than a decade now. Katie Allen, The Guardian June 29, 2007 [Link] [Tags: Books, Academia] [Comment]

When Pay Ruins Everything
This post talks about 'money markets' and 'social markets', making the point that tying pay for specific work can actually lower motivation in some people (for example - if someone paid me specifically to publish OLDaily, I wouldn't feel the same attachment to it that I do). It suggests a work environment in which "you would be paid for being there, for being you, and your task load would be determined by the interplay of personal, interpersonal and team commitments. You would also have a context within with to distinguish yourself by the quality or quantity of your output." I think, in addition to economic markets and social markets there are also personal markets - the things you do to satisfy your own feeling that there are some things that simply need doing. Neil LaChapelle, EDUCAUSE Connect June 29, 2007 [Link] [Tags: Books, Quality] [Comment]

Canadian Library Association Moves Open Access
The Canadian Library Association will make available "virtually all of its intellectual property free of charge, in digital form, online and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions." Via Michael Geist. Heather Morrison, The Imaginary Journal of Poetic Economics June 29, 2007 [Link] [Tags: Patents, Canada, Copyrights, Patents] [Comment]

Project Gutenberg Canada Launches On July 1st (Canada Day)
I spent a good part of today reading Anne of Green Gables. Never read it before! Why read it now? Because "Michael Hart, the founder of Project Gutenberg (some 36 years ago, who says book digitization is new) sends along a note that Project Gutenberg Canada will go live on Canada Day, this coming Sunday." Anne of Green Gables - along with a number of other Canadian classics - is available, for free, online. Not an e-book, but a book that is online. Gary Price, Resource Shelf June 29, 2007 [Link] [Tags: Books, Canada] [Comment]

 

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