Brave New World for Higher Education

MIT will offer its courses online for free: “This ‘OpenCourseWare’ initiative represents a radically different approach to digitizing, marketing and globalizing education.” —Brave New World for Higher EducationTechnology Review) Similar:Found: Brass Candle SnifterThis was by the teacher’s station in Adm…AestheticsGender and Language — Revisiting Advice I Posted in 1998When I was in college and active…

When Blogging Came of Age

(CNet) :”Sometimes they were raw, sometimes they were pretentious and sometimes they were flat-out wrong–I’d dare say that many times it was all three combined!–but the information was fresh and real and unmediated by any intervening institutions.” Charles Cooper —When Blogging Came of Age Similar:Opinion: Don’t Be Fooled by America’s Flattening CurveAnother example of effective…

Webloggers Offer View Media Can't

(SiliconValley.com) “Via e-mails, mailing lists, chat groups, personal Web journals and non-standard news sources, they received valuable context that the major American media couldn’t, or wouldn’t, provide.” Dan Gillmor   —Webloggers Offer View Media Can’t Similar:Everyone Nov 1AmusingVanessa Otero's Complex vs. Clickbait, Liberal vs. Conservative Media ChartUpdate, June 2020: See Vanessa Otero Ad …CultureBlog RSS Feed…

And the Banned Played On

Of course, you can’t trust everything that you find on the Internet…. weblogs and e-mail chains are also responsible for spreading hoaxes: “Is it true, for instance, that Osama bin Laden profits directly from sales of gum arabic, a food additive? Or that radio DJs are forbidden to play more than 150 popular songs now?” …

Jakob Nielsen Drinking Game

“Every time he excuses his own refusal to observe the rules he dictates to everyone else on the grounds that he ‘knows his audience’, take one drink…. Every time he quotes statistics from an unrelated study to prove a point about Web usability, take one drink.” Jakob Nielsen Drinking Game Not that I’m condoning the…

Front Page News

“In which we take apart the news and put it back together all wrong.” A collection of short stories composed by re-arranging the words found in front-page news stories. Shelly Jackson —Front Page News Similar:My 10yo Created Bookmarks to Express Her Complex Relationship with ReadingMy 10yo has a complex relationship with …BooksMedia Bias Chart 8.0…

Software Development as Community Poetry Writing

Imagine 50 people getting together to write a 20,000-line epic poem, on time and on budget. Software programmers have an added constraint — it has to run! —Software Development as Community Poetry Writing Similar:ā€˜Hunger Games’ to digitally recreate Hoffman filmmakers behind the ā€œHunger Gamesā€ mo…CybercultureHere are some real statements from Pope Leo that many people…

The Warnings Were on Page 1

“These angry radicals who have now declared war on the West emerged from a movement we financed and armed. Then it turned against us.” LA Times —The Warnings Were on Page 1 Similar:ā€˜You deserve that’: Commissioner’s wife arrested after dumping soda over a reporter’s head  It was supposed to be a county…Current_EventsScrape, Scrape, Spam Blog,…

A Punitive Puppeteer?

From the user license for Microsoft FrontPage 2002: “You may not use the Software in connection with any site that disparages Microsoft, MSN, MSNBC, Expedia, or their products or services…” Ed Foster (I don’t have FP 2002, so I can’t check this. –DGJ) —A Punitive Puppeteer? Similar:Sources tell Seton Hill University's Dennis Jerz that TV…

Technology and Pleasure

“The popular image of the computer hacker seems to be part compulsive programmer preferring the company of computers to people, and part criminal mastermind… But this is at best only half the story.” Gisle Hannemyr —Technology and Pleasure Similar:Google, AI Announcements, and the Future of LearningGlenda Morgan does not sound that impres…AcademiaFor years, I’ve tried…

The President's Speech

“By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, Nazism and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way to where it ends in history’s unmarked grave of discarded lies.” George W. Bush —The President’s Speech Similar:'A…

Aboard Flight 564

, the captain gave an inspirational speech over the loudspeaker, and concluded: “Now, since we’re a family for the next few hours, I’ll ask you to turn to the person next to you, introduce yourself, tell them a little about yourself and ask them to do the same.” Wash Times —Aboard Flight 564 Similar:A fleet…

Many modern idioms are mechanical: “she has a screw loose,” or “he broke down crying”. Every culture has its in-jokes and specialized language. The Jargon File defines computing terms such as “404 compliant” and “kluge“. Similar:A big day for our first year writing students! So much energy in the room!   AcademiaMargaret Atwood: English lessons…

Playwright Arthur Miller on Terrorism

“Ever since Stalin and the Nazis, reality has transcended fiction.” (BBC) —Playwright Arthur Miller on Terrorism Similar:Trump Fires Senior Adviser’s Son From Transition for Sharing Fake NewsTrump senior adviser’s son, who used a t…Current_EventsFacebook Removes Human Curators From Trending ModuleToday, Facebook announced that human cur…BusinessThe Missing Will, by Agatha Christie (WAOB Audio Theatre)I had a…

Talk to Me

‘‘Hello,’’ a man’s voice, not my husband’s, said. I had no idea whom I’d called, but I had finally gotten through to New York, to news. NYT Magazine —Talk to Me Similar:Critical Thinking Rhetoric  The IdealistAcademiaMoving from Debate to EmpathyIn my freshman writing class, my job is …AcademiaDress rehearsal for The Nutcracker.AestheticsThe Pentagon has ordered…

Novelist John Updike witnessed the WTC Attack

“The freedom we have enjoyed in the states has been unusual in world history and may be becoming more unusual.” (BBC) —Novelist John Updike witnessed the WTC Attack Similar:SHU Community Lines Up to Honor JoAnne Boyle's Final Trip Up the HillJoAnne Boyle liked talking about traditi…AcademiaJudge: Apple conspired to fix eBook prices.Judge: Apple conspired to…

Another Eyewitness Account

10:19 a.m. To: Dad Call Kozue [my wife] and tell her I’m fine. We evacuated my office and I’m walking somewhere. War zone.  Jonathan Segal —Another Eyewitness Account Similar:The Best Argument for Studying English? The Employment NumbersWhile health science majors and engineer…AcademiaCoronavirus: advice from the Middle Ages for how to cope with self-isolationLike many people,…

www.derrickito.com

Large collection of links to the World Trace Center tributes that have sprung up after the towers came down. —www.derrickito.com Similar:Remember Who The Enemy IsGood article on Catching Fire. (I haven’…BooksYour Students Learn by Doing, Not by ListeningToday one of my students gave a final pr…AcademiaIn defense of the Selfie StickI’m sure there are hipsters,…

The Americans

“Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don’t think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around.” Gordon Sinclair, 1973 —The Americans Similar:And…