The Silver Lining

A fan-produced Kings Quest sequel is shut down. What a way to treat your brand’s most loyal followers. Recently, however, ownership of the Sierra IP changed hands and became the property of Activision. After talks and negotiations in the last few months between ourselves and Activision, they have reached the decision that they are not…

The Internet Bible: The Fall of Eve

Via Similar:Blender 2.8 Released. Please leave us alone together for a few days.I’ve been using the beta for months, but…CybercultureThe Future of College Is Facebook Meme GroupsInteresting to see how large groups of c…AcademiaDance of "the awkward nerd trying to act really cool" Carolyn (doing a really cool dance m…AestheticsPress X to Teach Ready to…

Doyle Redland Says Goodbye

I’m still mourning the loss of Herman T. Zwiebel.  And now this? Similar:Can you melt eggs? Quora’s AI says “yes,” and Google is sharing the resultGoogle Search is already well-known…CybercultureNewly acquired technology for teaching writing in the age of AI. (Not for high stakes test…AcademiaLocal news is the building block of a national democracy.Yesterday, I asked…

"By Their Sidewalks You Will Know Them"

There are no sidewalks where I live, but if there were, my sidewalk, and my conscience, would be clear. Here’s the first stanza of a five-stanza poem by TImons Esaias. Originally there were eleven CommandmentsMoses, perhaps confused by the unfamiliarsnow, ice, and sidewalk,botched one, and left it out. Similar:I Never Would Have Guessed I Would…

The ABCs of Adventuring

Thanks for this find, Mark Sample (via Twitter). The ABCs of Adventuringby Admiral Jota, Dylan O’Donnell, G. Kevin Wilson, and Dan Shiovitz.A is for Adventure, the first of them all;B is for Brass lantern, so you don’t take a fall.C is for Compass, an unseen one you keepD is for Drinking, eating and sleep.E is…

American History: "Growth of a Nation"

This animated map of the expansion of American territory since the original 13 colonies is a bit cheesy in terms of production values, and not nearly as high-quality as the wonderful animated map of The Civil War in Four Minutes, but still a good resource. Similar:Another visit to downtown Pittsburgh with my history-loving son.CultureJournalists call…

What Makes a Great Teacher?

Gripping story of an effort to use data to predict teaching excellence. As Teach for America began to identify exceptional teachers using this data, Farr began to watch them. He observed their classes, read their lesson plans, and talked to them about their teaching methods and beliefs. He and his colleagues surveyed Teach for America…

Why Google Has Become Microsoft's Evil Twin

Google Buzz combined the openness of Twitter with the “whoo-hoo look at me!” aspects of Facebook. The result? A total face plant. —PC World Similar:In March, 2001, I was blogging about "All Your Base…", digital history, 3D printers, and…In March 2001, I was blogging about …AestheticsBlade Runner | Typeset In The FutureThis is nerd heaven…

Critical Code Studies Working Group — Colossal Cave Adventure Annotation

This week, I’ll be facilitating a week-long collaborative annotation project, as part of the Critical Code Studies Working Group online conference, on the source code to Crowther’s original Colossal Cave Adventure (a classic text-only computer game from the 1970s). According to Donald Knuth, designer of the “literate programming paradigm,” Colossal Cave Adventure is the “ur-game…

Happy V-Day: Valentines for Journalists

Valentines for Journalists. Similar:WTAE-TV's Wendy Bell fired over racially inflammatory Facebook posts I have no particular opinion on her perf…Current_EventsJournalism: Muzzle your biases. Seek out diverse but credible sources. You’ll be criticize…Academia'Thought Leader’ gives talk that will inspire your thoughtsSaving this for the next time I assign a…AmusingEveryone Nov 1AmusingMerry Christmas 2013Current_EventsWhat Is Gamergate, and Why?…

Frisbee inventor dies at 90

Walter Frederick Morrison, the man credited with inventing the Frisbee, has died at the age of 90. —Guardian Similar:Can the multiverse explain human history?Where did this idea of parallel universe…CultureJerz Nerdcation 2013On a visit to the Washington DC area for…CultureSmall Business Social Media 101: How To Get StartedUseful skills for anyone hoping to turn …BusinessFind…