A friend of mine asked: “Do you think there is something different about researching if we will click on more ads, to researching if different types of posts alter our mood Carl…? And does their blanket policy cover both, in good faith…?” To which I responded: I think people in general understand that Facebook wants […]
The article http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2013/0424/Pope-Francis-on-abortion-gay-marriage-priestly-sex-abuse-and-more outlines Pope Francis’ position on a variety of contentious issues. I was asked which ones I disagreed with. So here we go: PRIESTLY CELIBACY – “It’s a question of discipline, not of faith. It could change.” I think this should be changed. Celibate people are ill-equipped, to put it mildly, to offer […]
Seth Godin, asked What’s your filter hierarchy? I thought it a great question. Here’s my ranking: Phone call from your mom I’ll take that call. Phone message from the kid’s principal I’ve had a few of those. They get my attention. Email from your boss Some need immediate attention. Some can wait. Text message on […]
The article is now available at Uses of a private “virtual margin” on public threaded discussions: An exploratory lab-based study What a very nice long weekend present….
Well I’ve finally done it. It’s long over due, but here it is. The source code I used for the virtual margin proxy server is now available here Virtual Margin. This includes the Apache virtual host configuration, the Perl module and the web tree. Everything you need to add virtual margins to your own Knowledge […]
Computing has moved beyond data entry and data processing. However, we still think of computers from that perspective. That’s what we grew up with, it’s what we know. What we also know is that computers are now primarily used as communication devices. We communicate with each other via computers. Not just “a” computer, but multiple […]
Jeff Utecht asks Why do I get a computer? and lists some concerns around this question. I had an immediate reaction to several of his concerns: Will they use it appropriately? ‘Appropriately’ meaning ‘in an acceptable fashion all the time’? The short answer is ‘no.’ Does everyone use their pen appropriately all the time? Should […]
The fundamental problem is that no one can own an idea piece of information. You either keep it to yourself, or you share it. You can’t distribute an idea and keep it to yourself. That is non-sensical. Knowledge as property is just as non-sensical. Property rights are about restricting access. Knowledge is about expanding understanding. […]
This posting put me in mind of this posting. I haven’t been able to get my mind around the idea of ‘the learner is the product of education.’ It seems to me, the product of each grade (from k-11) is students. Each slightly more advanced than the last. The product of grade 12 is either […]
The following is the Study Detail document approved by SFU’s ethics board. I’ve lightly edited it to remove identification of the particular courses my subjects are taking. Outline for Patterns of Virtual Margin usage in semester-long mixed mode courses research proposal Rationale: In the transition from paper based to web based communications we have lost […]