HarÂvard UniÂverÂsiÂty has now released verÂsion 2.0 of OpenÂScholÂar, an open source softÂware packÂage that lets scholÂars build perÂsonÂal and project-oriÂentÂed web sites in a matÂter of minÂutes. It’s a quick, easy, and free soluÂtion (minus one meanÂingÂful caveat below) that allows acaÂdÂeÂmics to build an online home for their “CV, bio, pubÂliÂcaÂtions, blogs, announceÂments, links, image galÂleries, class mateÂriÂals,” and even subÂmit pubÂliÂcaÂtions to online reposÂiÂtoÂries, such as Google ScholÂar. You can see an examÂple of OpenÂScholÂar in action here.
Now here’s the one imporÂtant rub. Before a prof can start using OpenÂScholÂar, someÂone on his/her IT staff will need to install the softÂware on their uniÂverÂsiÂty’s servers. HarÂvard doesÂn’t host the soluÂtion. The video above and Wired CamÂpus offer more details …
ProÂfesÂsors are increasÂingÂly sourÂing on stuÂdents bringÂing their lapÂtops to class. Some are banÂning them. (The WashÂingÂton Post has more on that.) And some are banÂning them emphatÂiÂcalÂly. Like the physics proÂfesÂsor from the UniÂverÂsiÂty of OklaÂhoma. (Watch the video above.) What’s the soluÂtion? Maybe this stuÂdent has the right idea (said in jest).
A recent FrontÂline docÂuÂmenÂtary, DigÂiÂtal Nation: A Life on the VirÂtuÂal FronÂtier, asks just this question–particularly with regard to eduÂcaÂtion. SubÂjects include attenÂtion span, mulÂti-taskÂing, and the doubts of one-time techÂnolÂoÂgy evanÂgeÂlist DouÂglas Rushkoff. But while some see techÂnolÂoÂgy as an obstaÂcle to clear thinkÂing and human interÂacÂtion, othÂers see it as essenÂtial to conÂtemÂpoÂrary eduÂcaÂtion.
I have to say the whole subÂject resÂonates with my own ambivaÂlent technophilÂia. You can watch the docÂuÂmenÂtary above or here (and the trailÂer folÂlows), but don’t forÂget to check your news feeds, twitÂter, and faceÂbook while it’s on in the backÂground.
Wes Alwan lives in Boston, MassÂaÂchuÂsetts, where he works as a writer and researcher and attends the InstiÂtute for the Study of PsyÂchoÂanalyÂsis and CulÂture. He also parÂticÂiÂpates in The ParÂtialÂly ExamÂined Life, a podÂcast conÂsistÂing of inforÂmal disÂcusÂsions about philoÂsophÂiÂcal texts by three phiÂlosÂoÂphy gradÂuÂate school dropouts.
10.) Books with graphÂics. Many books conÂtain phoÂtos, graphÂics and diaÂgrams that the KinÂdle does not hanÂdle well, if at all. When peoÂple realÂize that the iPad will do this flawÂlessÂly, they’ll head in that direcÂtion. ExamÂple: while readÂing the new CarvÂer biogÂraÂphy on my KinÂdle, an expeÂriÂence that I loved, I had to miss out on all of the picÂtures colÂlectÂed from Carver’s life. Once you take into account newsÂpaÂpers and magÂaÂzines, there’s even more weight on iPad’s side.
9.) Cost: SeriÂousÂly, AmaÂzon realÂly overÂstepped their boundÂaries when they set Kindle’s price at around $300, as they did. If they had made it $100 or less, they would have probÂaÂbly have sold 4 or 5 times the numÂber of devices, hookÂing more readÂers to their bookÂstore and their device. Look at Gillette as an examÂple: which costs more—the razor or the razor blades?
8.) “I love my KinÂdle!” – less than two milÂlion peoÂple have bought the AmaÂzon prodÂuct. By comÂparÂiÂson, over forty milÂlion iPhones and iPod TouchÂes have been sold. No one knows how many folks will rush out to buy an iPad, but if preÂviÂous iPhone sales and the buzz around the iPad are any indiÂcaÂtion, this is going to be anothÂer big win for Apple.
7.) iPad is a KinÂdle: just use that free KinÂdle app on your iPad and you’ve got the whole KinÂdle store wide open to you. You can even take your whole KinÂdle library right over to Apple’s iPad with the KinÂdle App.
6.) Cost, again: with iPad comÂing in at a low $499 for a device that’s much betÂter made and feaÂtures much more capaÂbilÂiÂty than the KinÂdle, with at least four times the memÂoÂry… well, you get the picÂture. Oh jeez… I just found out the KinÂdle DX goes for $489. Oh, Mr. Bezos… what are you thinkÂing?
5.) CapaÂbilÂiÂty. PeoÂple don’t want a dedÂiÂcatÂed readÂing device: if you can carÂry around a device the size of your e‑reader, but also use it to check email, surf the web, watch TV and movies, lisÂten to music, use office-type apps, etc. then that’s going to win in today’s econÂoÂmy.
4.) Book pricÂing. It looks like Apple, the diaÂbolÂiÂcal pricers of all songs at $.99, might wind up being the pubÂlishÂers’ darÂling in the e‑book marÂket by pricÂing their titles highÂer than AmaÂzon has been. So far it looks like ibooks will be closÂer to the $14.99 price point that pubÂlishÂers like. Right now, as evinced by this past weekend’s squabÂble between AmaÂzon and MacmilÂlan, pubÂlishÂers appear to be fed up with Amazon’s pricÂing stratÂeÂgy. Apple may just become pubÂlishÂers’ white knight. (more…)
Nina Paley and Jaron Lanier are facÂing off in a friendÂly, pubÂlic radio smackÂdown, debatÂing the pros and cons of open/free culÂture. (LisÂten to the audio below). As a quick refreshÂer, Nina Paley got a good amount of press last year when she creÂatÂed Sita Sings the Blues, a prize-winÂning aniÂmatÂed film, and then released it to the pubÂlic under a CreÂative ComÂmons license. Jaron Lanier, meanÂwhile, is often called the “father of virÂtuÂalÂiÂty,” and his new book, You Are Not a GadÂget, takes a fairÂly hardÂline stance against Web 2.0 and the free/open culÂture moveÂment it engenÂdered. And now the debate recordÂed by WNYC in NYC:
NOTE: You can find Sita Sings the Blues (and 125 othÂer films) in our colÂlecÂtion of Free Movies Online.
The ChiÂnese lanÂguage has tens of thouÂsands of charÂacÂters, and many have conÂsidÂered it nearÂly imposÂsiÂble to fit these charÂacÂters onto a sinÂgle workÂable typeÂwriter. But that hasÂn’t stopped invenÂtors from tryÂing … and, to a cerÂtain degree, sucÂceedÂing. StanÂford hisÂtoÂriÂan Thomas MulÂlaney is now writÂing the first hisÂtoÂry of the ChiÂnese typeÂwriter, and he has found eviÂdence for numerÂous patents and proÂtoÂtypes that incorÂpoÂrate the most comÂmonÂly used charÂacÂters. In addiÂtion to makÂing a politÂiÂcal impact in ChiÂna, these machines have also potenÂtialÂly influÂenced innoÂvaÂtions in modÂern comÂputÂing. You can read more about MulÂlaney’s work on StanÂford’s Human ExpeÂriÂence webÂsite, and also watch him disÂcuss his work in this YouTube clip.
All too many of today’s InterÂnet buzzÂwords— includÂing “Web 2.0,” “Open CulÂture,” “Free SoftÂware” and the “Long Tail”—are terms for a new kind of colÂlecÂtivism that has come to domÂiÂnate the way many peoÂple parÂticÂiÂpate in the online world. The idea of a world where everyÂbody has a say and nobody goes unheard is deeply appealÂing. But what if all of the voicÂes that are pilÂing on end up drownÂing one anothÂer out?
Lanier goes on to make the case against Web 2.0. Using “crowdÂsourcÂing” to build free prodÂucts (think Wikipedia), Web 2.0 ends up proÂducÂing infeÂriÂor conÂtent and softÂware code. It slows down innoÂvaÂtion. It destroys intelÂlecÂtuÂal propÂerÂty and the finanÂcial strucÂture that incenÂtivizes creÂative indiÂvidÂuÂals and instiÂtuÂtions. And finalÂly it disÂemÂpowÂers the indiÂvidÂual, the real source of innoÂvaÂtion. (Lanier says, “I don’t want our young peoÂple aggreÂgatÂed, even by a benevÂoÂlent social-netÂworkÂing site. I want them to develÂop as fierce indiÂvidÂuÂals, and to earn their livÂing doing exactÂly that.”) If you think this sounds like Ayn Rand phiÂlosÂoÂphy (see vinÂtage clip) graftÂed onto tech talk, you’re probÂaÂbly right. And from here, you can decide whether you want to buy the book or not.
On a perÂsonÂal note, I find it amusÂing that “Open CulÂture” qualÂiÂfied as an “InterÂnet buzzÂword,” accordÂing to Lanier. As you can imagÂine, I track the use of the expresÂsion fairÂly closeÂly, and quite frankly, it didÂn’t regÂisÂter on any radar until Lanier’s piece came out (and we got a simulÂtaÂneÂous menÂtion in AARP’s magÂaÂzine). All you have to do is look at this Google Trends chart. It maps the usage of “open culÂture,” and you can see how it goes from nowhere to verÂtiÂcal in 2010, right when Lanier’s op-ed gets pubÂlished. So what can I say to Jaron Lanier, but thanks (in a thanks, but no thanks kind of way) and may you sell a milÂlion copies of You Are Not a GadÂget…
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