by Stephen Downes
October 17, 2008
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Yahoo Users Befuddled by OpenID
I've been recommending OpenID for some time. Not because I thought it was better than my own mIDm - I don't - but because I thought it was the distributed identity system with the most traction. But now a Yahoo usability study casts doubt on that assumption. More from Yahoo. And a commenter on Simon Willison's post says "Keep an eye on IDIB (Identity in the Browser). It sounds a lot like your mIDm concept."
Adam DuVander,
Monkey Bytes,
October 17, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Usability, OpenID, Yahoo!, Research]
[Comment]
Learning From the Mistakes of the Music Business
Pretty basic, but my money's still on publishers making exactly the same mistakes the music industry made. So - still knowing they will ignore it - here's the advice for publishers, from Peter Suber:
1. An iPod for Books Will Change Everything....
2. Think Beyond DRM....
3. If You Help Us, We Will Buy
4. Don't Be Afraid of Free
5. Find Out What Your Customers Want
Peter Suber,
Open Access News,
October 17, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Digital Rights Management (DRM), Apple Inc., Books]
[Comment]
A Disrespect for Knowledge
Deborah Meier taps into the malaise of contemporary society: "They're the 'best and the brightest' with generic smarts and a willingness to ignore the 'special interests' of labor and management, not to mention parents and kids-a new breed with nothing to learn. History can teach them nothing.... They represent a mindset that has been a disaster for American economic prosperity, for the auto industry, the banking business, the publishing industry, not just schooling.... Short-term greed trumped long-term wisdom in American industry just as it is increasingly trumping wisdom in classrooms and schools across the country."
Deborah Meier,
Bridging Differences,
October 17, 2008 [Link] [Tags: United States, Schools, Books]
[Comment]
mLearn08: Keynote Diane Laurillard On Mobile Learning Methods
I've seen a lot of coverage this week from mLearning 08, which appears to have been quite a good conference. I'll lead here with this summary by Ignatia of Diane Laurillard on mobile learning methods. We also have Steven Johnson on the sleeper curve in culture and education, danah boyd on learning from young people using technology, and Laurie O'Donnel' on different ways of evaluating success in education systems ("Finland: how safe do you feel on the streets, how healthy are your people, longevity, how many people do you send to jail? It goes way beyond improving test scores or training productive workers"). Many of these have links to audio and video recordings.
Inge de Waard,
Ignatia,
October 17, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Ubiquitous Internet, Audio, Online Learning, Video, Portable Computers]
[Comment]
Android: The Good, the Bad and That Pesky Kill Switch
Looks like Google is no better than Apple when it comes to control of the platform. If you've purchased one of Google's Android Phones and have installed an application that violates Google's Terms of Service (or maybe just competes against Google) then ZAP! Google will kill it. I can see why content producers and software companies would want to build a monopoly into their hardware, but I don't see even for a minute why people would support that.
JR Raphael,
E-Commerce Times,
October 17, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Apple Inc., Google]
[Comment]
Quick Audio Trick - Dive Under a Blanket
A great audio trick when you're on the road and need to record (or conference) in a noisy hotel: dive under a blanket. Presumably this works at home, too, though you'd probably be joined by your cats.
Betsy Weber,
TechSmith Blog,
October 17, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Audio]
[Comment]
Sun Shines On Learning
So how rapidly is e-learning being developed these days? So rapid, it goes directly into the 'cloud' - Harld Jarche quips, it's "evaporative e-learning". Yes, I agree, you may want more than just a video of some guy talking on a stage, even if it is Jay Cross. And so that production takes a little longer. But if catching the interaction between Jay and the others on stage is all you really needed for this event, then this is just the ticket. Not exactly cheap, though.
Jay Cross,
Informal Learning Blog,
October 17, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Online Learning, Video, Interaction]
[Comment]
Opening the Ivory Tower
Interesting article looking at how Harvard University is bucking the trend toward open access - mostly, suggests the author, so it can continue to charge ridiculous fees - and how some Harvard students are bucking Harvard, distributing class notes through sites like Finalsclub.org, "a Facebook-meets-Wikipedia Web site meant to meet all your study needs." The site was closed when Harvard threatened the students with expulsion, but has been revamped and reopened (it may be blocked again or lagging from the widespread exposure). Via Mike Caulfiel.
Julia S. Chen,
Harvard Crimson,
October 17, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Wikipedia, Open Access]
[Comment]
A Periodic Table of Visualization Methods
Fabulous interactive graphic, posted by Rod Lucier in the CCK08 course. It's a periodic table of visualization methods. The entires are divided by type of visualization method, and rolling over each 'element' opens an example of the visualization method in question. There's a wealth of ideas here - but oddly, the periodic table does not have 'periodic table' as one of its types of visualization method! More visualization maps from visual-literacy.org.
Ralph Engler and Martin J. Eppler,
visual-literacy.org,
October 17, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Visualization]
[Comment]
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Copyright 2008 Stephen Downes
Contact: stephen@downes.ca
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