October 11, 2011
Why the Metamovement Will Ultimately Fail
Dave Pollard,
How to Save the World, October 11, 2011.
Dave Pollard explains the metamovement and why - he thinks - it's going to fail. "The Metamovement is in essence a revolt against disempowerment, and, while government is the favourite whipping-boy, there is a growing awareness that globalization has led to corpocracy — concentration of power in the hands of the wealthy multinational business owners, who buy and sell politicians at will and hence control the laws, the regulations, law enforcement and other political decisions including when and with whom we go to war." Fair enough, and one wonders whether things are not yet bad enough (as he says) in North America for the protests to succeed.
Canadian education awaits a hard lesson, watchdog warns
Kate HammerR ,
Globe and Mail, October 11, 2011.
The Canadian Council on Learning releases its final report (PDF) and reiterates its support for a single national vision for education in Canada. It warns that although Canada is doing well, it risks falling behind without such a vision. For my own part, I don't think they've made the case - the comparisons the report makes with other countries are comparisons of structures and programs - see, for example, the table on page 21, which lists indices such as "major review", "system-wide goals", "funding aligned with national priorities" and "national quality assurance". But of all the countries that have these things, Canada trails exactly none in the international rankings. So the question is begged, and repeatedly begged: why should Canada emulate the practices of countries with demonstrably poorer educational outcomes? If there are problems in the Canadian system, they are not caused by a lack of management, but rather, a lack of equity between wealthier regions, poorer regions, and most distressingly, First Nations communities. See also CCL Report and speaking tour.
Addressing the state of econtent
Joe Wikert,
O'Reilly Radar, October 11, 2011.
Summary of a web video interview with Dosdoce Digital Culture's CEO Javier Celaya on the state of the eBook market, with an emphasis on Spain. These points accord with my own understanding:
- Ebooks currently represent about 3% of total sales: This is rapidly changing, though
- single-purpose devices, particularly ones dedicated to reading, aren't likely to be successful.
- Amazon will have a major advantage, despite the fixed-price restrictions
- iPad will remain strong but iBookstore, not so much
- Support for DRM is shifting... mostly at the request of their authors.
- The advantages of direct sales go well beyond the obvious income boost
[Link] [Comment][Tags: Video, Digital Rights Management (DRM)]
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