Stephen's Web

OLDaily

by Stephen Downes
July 11, 2007

The Party Train

Monday night the entire conference population took a right up the lakeshore on this train, an event that reminded me of the FLNW train ride in New Zealand. I tell anyone who will listen that Moncton should have a train connecting the world's highest tides at the Rocks in the Bay of Fundy through Hillsborough to Moncton and thence to the beaches at Shediac. This train is an example of what I mean. Stephen Downes, Flickr July 11, 2007 [Link] [Tags: Flickr] [Comment]

Google Vs Everyone: 10 Markets Where Google Wants to Win
Interesting list of ten major technology applications - from search to video to social networking - describing Google's application in the area and then a list of the competition. This is true: "Google is the 600-pound gorilla: the company that no one wants to see build a competing product." Adam Ostrow, Mashable! July 11, 2007 [Link] [Tags: Networks, Video, Google] [Comment]

Universities, Not Facebook, May Be Facing Collapse
Now this is how to start a blog post: "When I wrote my post on Facebook WILL Die I never expected to read a headline article on the front page of the Guardian which gave a Secret List of Universities Facing Collapse. But that was the headline of Saturday's Guardian (7 July 2007)." Brian Kelly, UK Web Focus July 11, 2007 [Link] [Tags: Web Logs, Books] [Comment]

One Identity, OpenID, and Social Network Fatigue
Sat in on a nice e-portfolio presentation this morning (Kenneth Chapman and Matt Fisher). The product will do everything you want, as well as unplug the kitchen sink. But I feel like the author of this post: "Creating a new 'self' every time we join a social network is a pain! Todd calls for a 'portable profile' that includes a suggestion by Tony MacDonnell for a 'portable friends system'." Yes, you can import your LMS ID into an LMS e-portfolio. And maybe I can carry the portfolio out into the world with me. But can I use the same profile on MySpace, Facebook, and in my school LMS? See also Tony Hirst on the portability of identities in Facebook plug-ins. Karoli, odd time signatures July 11, 2007 [Link] [Tags: E-Portfolios, Networks, Books, Schools] [Comment]

It'S Not Plagiarism, It'S an Easy Essay
Leigh Blackall was offered money to link to this essay service, Custom Writing, from his blog. The service offers essays for sale to students - "the papers we provide are plagiarism free – neither TurnItIn, nor any other plagiarism detecting software cannot find any plagiarism. Papers are 100% custom written." He linked all right - for free - and as a bonus tossed in an interview with the service's representative, Andrew Schwatz. The result is a fascinating discourse on the mechanics of testing. The position taken by the company is that essay writing is not an accurate assessement of student performance, that they are essentially a waste of students' time, and so the service helps them get past an unreasonable and unfair hurdle. "When it comes to applying for a job – experience and testing conducted by a hiring company – is what does count, not educational credentials. From this perspective, companies like ours only help – we spare the time for students to develop in the field they chose to, which will then be their career path." Leigh Blackall, Learn Online July 11, 2007 [Link] [Tags: Cheating, Experience, Web Logs] [Comment]

A Web of Connections: Why the Read/Write Web Changes Everything
Wiki pages used by Will Richardson to support his talk from yesterday here in Duluth. Link that got the biggest chuckle from me: this page detailing errors in a physics textbook. And this one. Will Richardson, Website July 11, 2007 [Link] [Tags: none] [Comment]

Resources for Technologies for/and/by Communities
Wiki resource site for Nancy White's talk today at the D2L conference in Duluth. The site includes her slides (embedded via Slideshare) and supporting links. The talk focused on the nature of different types of communities for different types of organizations - see especially the diagrams on slides 25, 27 28 and 29. Nancy White, Website July 11, 2007 [Link] [Tags: none] [Comment]

 

This newsletter is sent only at the request of subscribers. If you would like to unsubscribe, Click here.

Know a friend who might enjoy this newsletter? Feel free to forward OLDaily to your colleagues. If you received this issue from a friend and would like a free subscription of your own, you can join our mailing list. Click here to subscribe.