Thursday, November 17, 2011

yum


 <a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4426861/DigitalTech"
          title="Wordle: DigitalTech"><img
          src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/4426861/DigitalTech"
          alt="Wordle: DigitalTech"
          style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"></a>

<a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4426861/DigitalTech" title="Wordle: DigitalTech"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/4426861/DigitalTech" alt="Wordle: DigitalTech" style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"></a>

Digital Technology Wordle

 A link to a Wordle I created for random digital technology words and terms

digital technology Wordle

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Last Posting for CI 5530 Class

This post will wrap up my blog activity for my CI 5530 class. I'll still keep the blog since I have it. I might make some changes or use it for something else. I've enjoyed the experience learning about blogging and checking out the blogs of my classmates. I will say that I've just about run out of things that are remotely interesting to talk or write about. Below is my last video. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

New Media Applied Knowledge to Date

Well I'm getting pretty close to being wrapped up for this semester. I've had the opportunity to use some of what I've learned from this class in my professional life. I'd like to give a brief update here.

I'm currently involved with a team at work tasked with helping employees understand and accept that the role of our site in the corporate network has changed and the site will have roughly 50% the staff it has now. Combined with that is the mission is to also have engaged upbeat attitude employees as well. Not a short order by any means.

Our approach so far has involved starting blog on the corporate intranet and sharing some frank dialogue and commentary. From the onset our strategy has been to take a viral approach as opposed to a top down approach. I had the opportunity to speak at a department meeting Thursday and share some insight into the power of social networking. I referenced the recent events taking place in the Middle East and North Africa and the dramatic change underway in part enabled by social networking tools.

I hope all of you have a great summer. I know some of you are in the same class I am in this summer. I hope to see all of you online.

Kind regards,

Ray

Monday, April 25, 2011

How Font Size Influences Learning

Have you ever increased the font size of a key point in something you wanted someone to learn? Maybe bolded a word or two to provide the proper emphasis? Maybe next time you should consider putting these important points in a small font or some unusual font if you really want them to remember.

One of my colleagues sent me this article from the NY Times basically stating that if you have to work harder or concentrate more on the words or passage you are more likely to retain the information. I can't count the number of times I've underlined, bolded, or otherwise provided some form of emphasis to a piece of text in the hope someone will retain it. At the end of the day the amount of effort we put in will normally equate to the result.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Digging Out After the Storms Last Weekend

As I speak to more people and go about my daily life I see more and more devastation resulting from the storms last Saturday. My family and I were very fortunate in that the two systems pretty much went up either side of us. It was scary enough as it was.

If I learned one lesson it would have been that even though the odds are slim, it pays to be attentive to emergency procedures and be aware of what your responsibilities are during this type of disaster. The people at the Lowes store in Sanford would have been far worse off had store employees not known what to do and where to go. The destruction was almost beyond belief.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Observations From Our Recent Bad Weather Experience

In the aftermath of our recent tornado experience I combined my own experiences with those of others I talked to and I developed a couple of observations.
  • When the meteorologists say bad weather is approaching pay attention
  • When the power goes out your DSL internet access is useless
  • Your TV is useless too (see above) 
  • Smartphone batteries go really fast when you use the internet to follow the storm
  • Accept that the best tool you may have is a battery operated radio tuned to an AM station
  • Make sure you have batteries (see above)
Luckily for us the worst it got for us was that we spent some time in the dark listening to AM radio broadcasting an up to the minute report on the storm movements. After the danger passed the sun came out and we went out and checked everything out. Nothing more than limbs and twigs for us. In times like these we have to remember those who weren't as lucky and be there for them. 

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Watch Out for Copperheads

This week my video focuses on the likelihood of being bitten by a snake in North Carolina. Our state ranks near the top with Georgia, Florida, and Texas for the number of snakebites in our population each year. The snake that bites the most of our neighbors is the copperhead.

Be careful when you are working in your flowerbeds and garden. This is the time of year when we like to be active outside and coincidentally these snakes are getting active with the warm weather also. Pay close attention to where you put your hands and feet. Keep an eye on pets as well.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Disengaged Employees Part II

I just wanted to circle back and report on what my colleague and I found when we went down to Greenwood SC last week to provide some training to members of their staff. If you recall I was concerned that their people would be distracted with the recent news they were being acquired by an investment firm. Anyone who has done standup training knows what a bummer it is to train a class to a group of zombies.

I'm happy to report that everyone I encountered was upbeat and ready to take on whatever faced them. It was actually one of the most enjoyable training experiences I've had in a while. I was thrilled to see the pride all of them demonstrated in both their jobs and their site as a whole. I'm certain that the organization acquiring them will be pleased with the assets and potentials these guys bring. I wish them the very best of luck and success.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Fooling Around With Screenr

 Messing around with a piece of social media I found online scouting around. Below is a link to a video I made fooling around with some trail camera photos. Trying to learn how to use the tool in order to pull of a quick tutorial on some of the features.

Screenr video

Monday, April 11, 2011

Geotagging

I dropped a handful of pics from a couple of sources on my map. The pics were a mix of some pics I took of the family dogs, a couple pictures from a ride on the parkway last fall, and some pictures I took of some wildlife I took with a trail camera. The game pictures cam from here at my home here in Wake county and our cabin in Watauga county. This is kind of a weird mix but it was a combination of things I have on my camera chip and these are the things I love to mess around with.

Using the tool was fairly straightforward although the map was noticeably slower than Google Maps when I was working with it. It was particularly slower when moving images around and changing your zoom. I was pleased with the level of detail on the map when I brought it in close. I tagged my photos asuweb20. I searched up asuweb20 and saw a bunch of photos from my classmates.
 
It would be kind of neat for a camera to store the location where a picture was taken. It would make things a lot easier than trying to remember or trying to make notes. I kind of like that idea. The ideas and technologies set up to search and parse through photos are amazing. Everything from pure artform to use as a crimefighting tool.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Coyotes in NC

This week my pal Minnie joins me to warn you about some neighbors you may not be aware that you have. Those would of course be coyotes. Take a look at this discussion forum by citizens of our state along with this article by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Bottom line: be aware that coyotes inhabit all 100 counties of our state. Keep your pets safe by keeping them close and under your control if you think you have coyotes in the area.

Non-copyright Content

I found a source for non-copyright books. The sight is Authorama listing a number of books in the public domain. On several occasions I have looked for books online to see if there was a particular publication available for free. I never did any good finding what I was looking for. I was actually surprised to find anything in terms of books when I started researching this topic. The site is nowhere near your public library in terms of the titles available however, there are dozens of titles several of which I recognized.

When I was looking at what was available I came across two authored by Mark Twain. One titled Quips and Quotes piqued my interest because I like quotes and anecdotes from wise men of long ago. I have used quotes and expressions on a number of occasions to open classes in the form of icebreakers etc. Other times they can be fun to toss out as a source of humor. The site would also be useful for someone teaching a literature class that required reading one of the books provided. A free book is particularly important in these times of rising tuition costs and class cancellations. This is pretty dry but the truth is that printed books and literature still provide a fundamental basis for all levels of learning.

The books are completely free without restriction. The site asks that if you want to help out provide a link to Authorama and tell other potential users about the site.

Wish Trip Map

I set up a map on Google Maps for a motorcycle cruise I'd like to take in the Boone area sometime this spring.

We'd start at my cabin in Deep Gap sometime in the mid-morning. Up the hill to get on the parkway and head east to Laurel Springs. Lots of stops for pictures and sightseeing along the way.  Rhonda H who I have attended a few classes with told me about the restaurant at Laurel Springs called Freeborns. We'll have a good lunch and see if we can run into some other bikers enjoying the day. From there we'll move onward to West Jefferson to check out the cheese factory and the local sightseeing and shopping. Then we'll make an easy cruise to Blowing Rock for an afternoon meal at Woodlands BBQ. Finally we'll cruise through Boone on the way back to the cabin. We'll probably gas up in Boone on the way to the cabin to be ready for the next day.

Below is a screenshot of the map.

I was not able to insert images at my stickpins I put into the map. I need to play with this some more to see if there is something I'm just not doing. Here is a quick link to my map.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Disengaged Employees

I'm sure all of us have experience working with fellow employees who just were not into their job or what they were doing. Some may have been mad with the government, the company, or a family member. There are any number of reasons to have a bad attitude. Have you ever wondered what it costs the company you work for when there are a group of negative personalities about?

An HR Professionals site claims actively disengaged employees cost employers approximately $416 billion in 2009 in lost productivity. These figures come from the Gallup Organization's employment engagement surveys.

The reason I'm writing about this today is because I traveled today to a sister site in South Carolina that was just sold to an investment firm. The deal is scheduled to be complete later this year. My task is to provide training to a group of employees over the next couple of days. I wonder what kind of vibe will be in class over the next couple of days. Any of you who have been involved in a merger or takeover as I have know how goofy and uncertain things can be for a period of weeks or months. Then when the new owner takes over it continues and often gets weirder. The link above provides some insight into what leaders can do to affect the mood and help with the transition. 

Monday, April 4, 2011

Final Project Activity

Created my blog I'm going to present my final project on tonight. I've been looking at a number of web postings from multiple sources. I've read a number of articles and viewed numerous You tube videos. More stuff get published every day. When I finish what I will write it will be obsolete because of the fluid nature of the conflict and the flood of information available via digital sources. My project will be a snapshot at best.

What is going on in the Middle East fascinates me in the idea that the people of multiple nations are revolting against various forms of oppressive rule. In my mind I keep asking why now? What made thousands of people turn the corner and say "no more"? Do they know what they are taking on? They say they want freedom and democracy. I hope they realize how messy the task is they are taking on. Bottom line: people have to fight and die for freedom. I wish it wasn't so but this is just the beginning of the fight.

I look forward to the challenge of publishing this project and capturing a moment of this conflict in time.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Copperheads - Don't Tread on Me

I just read an article in the April 2011 Wildlife in North Carolina magazine titled don't tread on me. The article is about all of the species of poisonous snakes in North Carolina. By far the poisonous snake you are most likely to encounter is the copperhead. At least that is what the statistics seem to indicate. Here are a few of the stats from 2008 by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC).

In 2008 the AAPCC reported 3,192 snakebites in the US of which 509 occurred in NC. During that year the Carolinas Poison Center (CPC) in Charlotte reported envenomations from 233 copperheads, 15 cottonmouths, 17 rattlesnakes, 73 unknown pit vipers (rattlesnakes, copperheads, or cottonmouths), and 5 exotic snakes kept as pets. Statistically NC comes in  with approximately 5.5 snakebites per 100,000 people. At this rate our state comes in as one of the most likely locations to have an unpleasant encounter with a poisonous snake (likely a copperhead). We're right there at the top with Texas, Arizona, Georgia, and Florida.

This time of year is when we all venture out to enjoy the warmer weather, work in the garden, and any number of other outdoor activities. As a resident of this state with a long history with copperheads I advise that you please be careful and pay attention when you might be in a potential scenario for an encounter. It can be as simple as moving some stuff around that has been stored outside or slipping outside in the dark barefooted to let the dog out. Please pay attention and put your shoes on. 

Introduction to My Best Friend Minnie

This video introduces all of you to my best friend Minnie. Minnie is a 3 year old American Labrador Retriever. Be sure to take good care of your best friend and they'll take care of you.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Brewery Locator

Well Lauren,

I hope you don't mind. When I read this article in the N&O yesterday you were the first person I thought of. It turns out a couple of guys from Raleigh have developed software using mapping technologies to locate breweries. At this point they're working with a database with over 1,500 breweries and 8,000 beers from around the world.

This is totally Web 2.0 in that there is a group of people working on the software and the brewery database allowing the contribution and development to be open source and organic. I wish them nothing but success.

Cheers!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Fun Group Project

It looks like we have a plan to work together on a cooking type of project. I'm looking forward to the idea and I feel like I need to research and learn a bit about Top Chef. I haven't watched the program so i need to bring myself up to speed. I'm in it for the fun and the experience.

I thought about something along a similar theme. A group could have a limited number of words per participant and each teammate would tell a portion of a story. Same basic idea using storytelling as the theme as opposed to a song or a cooking activity.

We'll have fun regardless of what we choose.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Project Planning and Brainstorming


1) a simple, fun, individual project. One of my favorites is the "Where the Hell is Matt?" videos.

·         >A photo/brief video montage on a sharing site with a theme like "all the things I love" or "my favorite things".
·        > Maybe something on video with my dog.

2) a whimsical fun group project (google "I want it that way lip synch office youtube" (last time we all did "don't worry be happy") 

·        > Some sort of goofy video project would be fun although I'm not sure what the editing would look like if we were going to splice snippets from various class members together.
·       >  I liked the idea of making something together. Again I'm not sure what the editing would look like if we were going to splice snippets from various class members together.

3) a personal, in-depth project (some sort of thing that demonstrates you know your stuff, and that you can show to others in the future as part of your portfolio. This should take one or more issues and demonstrate or examine things in detail. It could be a white paper, a prototype application, a research document, or even some sort of website. 

·        > I'm really interested in learning more about the origins of the turmoil in the Middle East and the  relationship social media had on the strife in the region. I'd like to research the topic in search of pertinent print and video materials and create a blog dedicated to this topic.

4) An in-depth team project.

>A blog dedicated to a particular subject or learning objective  with a team assigned to contribute             content to the topic. Contributions could/would be research, writing, instruction,  video etc.

Resume Promo Blurb

I'm  a Web 2.0 savvy person prepared to inspire a group of followers to your site and your services. You need someone who never tires of Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to promote your efforts. I am fully capable of maintaining a blog and listing comments on other blogs pertinent to this of community and industry. I live to communicate with others and generate buzz for good products and worthwhile initiatives. I have experience working with staff and management that are not on the cutting edge of Web 2.0 while also pressing the envelope to the leading edge of Web 2.0 thought with business leaders. In my previous position I acted as a catalyst to move staff members to employ more Web 2.0 technology (blogging, tweeting, online forums) from a grassroots level.  This approach was endorsed by leadership after recognizing the level of disengaged staff members throughout the company.  Within 9 months engagement survey results were within a successful bracket and rising. I also made recommendations and planned strategies to sustain and maintain the momentum.If your business requires this type of energy and experience please don't hesitate to contact me.

Maybe Online Language Isn't So New After All

I caught an amusing article in the N&O I wanted to share with you guys. I thought terms like LOL, or LMAO were recent products of the internet and text message era. What I saw today indicates that some may be but others may not. An example of OMG (oh my God or on my gosh) was confirmed in use in a letter from 1917. Since these types of written communication were less public in earlier times it is obviously harder to verify these types of synonyms or abbreviation were in use. Another term in use today that did not originate in an online fashion is the term WAG for wives and girlfriends. This one was first used to describe the female partners of the English soccer team in 2002. Today it is used to describe the female partners of male celebrities.

I just found it to be a an amusing read providing some insight into things that are less contemporary that we may believe. I checked the N&O site and the Associated Press and couldn't find a link to the article in either place. You'll have to take my word for it this time.

Why to Clean Your Motorcycle

This weeks installment provides a reminder for why it is a good idea to give your bike a good cleaning periodically. Aside from the obvious, when you give your bike a thorough cleaning you have to be close to all areas of the machine and are likely to notice any leaks or damage that may be there that you were unaware of. This could be the difference between an unplanned stop (or worse) and an enjoyable ride. Take the time at least a couple of times a season to give your bike a thorough cleaning. Enjoy the ride.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Objectives Gaps

Below are my original objectives for the course:
  • Make the most of my exposure to and experience with new IT/Internet experiences this class offers.
  • Develop my own ideas as to how these technologies can be applied to a training/educational setting.
  • Finish all assignments completely and on time.
  • Provide and receive useful feedback to/from my classmates.
To this point I think I've done a pretty good job of getting experience with the tools and sites we have had assignments to interface with. A large portion of what I've worked with this semester I didn't even know existed. Each assignment brought its own set of challenges and frustrations. An example of first experiences includes uploading video to Youtube, Twitter, Second Life, and Classroom 2.0 to name just a few. This is also my first and blogging experience.

I'm currently putting to use some of what I have learned this semester in the form of starting a blog at work to tie in with some of the transformational work we're doing around workplace culture. I'm also interested in applying some of the ideas from this class in the form of Youtube videos to generate a viral type of buzz to help change our culture also. I'm also generating some thoughts about how to use these same types of ideas for more conventional training or education opportunities.

I'm not completely sure I've completed all assignments on time or otherwise. It seems there are so many small assignments week to week in addition to blogging etc I can't guarantee I've done it all. To close that gap I'll pay particular attention for the remainder of the semester and do my best to deliver on time and at par with all remaining assignments.

I hope my feedback and responses to classmates have been both uplifting and useful. I certainly have enjoyed and appreciated all of their support and feedback. I have enjoyed looking at everyone's blog and seeing what people like to do in their spare time.

Are/were these objectives appropriate to Web 2.0? I think they are were based on what I understood that to mean and what I understand that to mean now. Moving forward I'll continue to put myself out there and continue to try things and in turn look for ways to use the tools for educational opportunities.

Moving forward I'm going to focus on my comfort level with how this class works and try to embrace abiguity. I'll continue to look for ways to apply what I'm learning for application in my current job and potential opportunities.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Mindsets and Behaviors

I'm working with a cross-functional team at work right now that has the mission to shift the culture in our workplace to a more positive disposition. The team has representation from training, production, maintenance,  quality, and technology. The highest level of management on the team is a couple of front line supervisors. The members were selected for their ability to build consensus and communicate effectively. The team has worked for several days on a diagnostic to assess the conditions and the mood across the site. From the diagnostic we have formed a project plan to work to the end of the year.

The background of the site and current conditions are as follows. There are currently about 700 people at the site with the goal of taking on a new role in the corporate network and dropping to a site of about 350 employees. The site role will change from that of a commercial manufacturer to a scale up site for products in the final stages development. The attributes of employees and managers will need to be different than those of employees at a commercial facility and we need to begin curing some of the negative attitude at the site now. There are a number of current employees and managers who will be needed to stay. The job of this team will be to present a clear picture to the site of the attributes and behaviors of dream colleagues and leaders.

The best part is the approach on the table for endorsement. This movement is to occur in a viral fashion as opposed to a program. Basically the initial approach is to attack the problem one conversation at a time. I can't help but make a direct connection to this class and some of the discussions we've had. I also can't help but think of the power of the movements underway in the Middle East. I'm very hopeful we'll be successful.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Project Planning

I haven't seen a lot of chatter yet about project ideas. I've done a little scouting for a couple of things.
  •  For a simple fun individual project I think I'll do a photo/video montage using Flickr. I've never done anything with Flickr before and I think I could have fun playing around with some photos and short videos. Probably a visual representation of who I am and what gives me joy. 
  • As far as the whimsical group project goes I'm pretty much down for anything. I checked out the lip sync videos and thought they were a riot. If we elect to do something like this I'm sure it will be a hoot for all. I've been trying to think of a good short song that would be good for all of us to work with.
  • For the personal in depth project I think I'll pull together some research and put it out on a website. My current dilemma centers around what exactly the subject of the research should be. 
  • Finally he in depth group project. In short I have no clue what this should be. I have the same attitude that most people have about group projects. Each time I'm involved in a group project it starts with a bit of dread combined with anxious anticipation. In the end it all works out. This time will be no different. Again I'm down for anything. I look forward to working with some of my classmates and embracing the challenge. 
My two cents worth. 

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Supermoon Tonight 03-19-2011

I wondered if any of you guys caught the news about a supermoon this weekend. It was especially interesting to me since we all demonstrated how much we know about planetary movements etc. If you get an opportunity go outside tonight and maybe you'll get a glimpse of it. We know there will be higher than normal tides as a result of the moon being abnormally close to us. Some say there may be pending natural disasters pending as a result. What do you think? I say get out and take a look.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

PPM Trainer Certification

Three of my colleagues and I finished the last leg of our PPM author training qualification last week. PPM's are a document format designed to prevent human errors and make these types of documents useful. The PPM software and methodology is the intellectual property of Talsico.

PPM's are part of a multi part strategy to prevent human errors. Our site will convert the majority of our operating procedures over to PPM format over the next two years. The goal of the project is to make the documents easier to use and remove physical and cognitive barriers. Click here to take a look at a sample PPM at the Talsico web site.

Couch Surfing

Well I got signed up with couch surfing. I had heard about the site but I had never looked at it until I got the assignment. Quite honestly I'm not sure I'm (my wife) is down with the idea of having someone we don't know as a guest at our house. Need a little time with that one. Same situation with staying at a strange person's house also. I know the majority of people are good wholesome people etc. I'm just old school and kind of old too.

I did join the South East USA Motorcycle Riders group and met a guy named David from Jackson Tennessee. Maybe sometime we'll run into each other and have the good fortune to ride together some. That would be cool. Here's a link to my CS profile.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

What Happens to Our Digital Selves When We're Gone?

I have to admit I haven't considered what will happen to any e-mail accounts, Twitter accounts etc when I'm gone. It seems obvious that these need to be shut down when we die. Do you have instructions written up for the executor of your estate yet? Me either. I read an article in the N&O this weekend about just this subject. The link below takes you to a site for a company called the Digital Beyond set up to help deal with these issues. As we continue to get older and more socially active online we all need to consider what we leave behind. Interesting dilemma that didn't exist 25 years ago.

http://www.thedigitalbeyond.com/

Monday, March 14, 2011

Moon Phases and Seasons


Well I guess I blew that one pretty badly. The original questions are listed below. Never mind my answers.

What causes the seasons/temperature differences on earth through the year?

What causes the phases of the moon from new moon to full moon?

I guess in some ways this reinforces all we've been hearing about our education system not teaching the sciences or mathematics very well. I did find it interesting that a person could be educated in East Tennessee and North Carolina (me) or in an Ivy League school and be equally incompetent. What a proud moment! I hope I don't actually need to apply this knowledge.

Is this the type of material for an online learning module? Would that work any better? You might assume the face to face method has not yielded stellar results. This activity showed me how little I know about this area of science. I hope the people I need to know this are good at it. I wonder if the moon is out tonight?

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Daylight Saving Time

So I guess we'll be one more hour sleep deprived this week since we've switched back to daylight saving time. Don't get the wrong idea, I like having more daylight. I pulled together a short video speaking about daylight saving time and some stuff I learned reading an op/ed piece in the paper recently.Some interesting trivia regarding the US getting on a uniform time standard. The link to the article is here.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Glad to See Some Rain Finally

We finally got some appreciable rain today. The entire state is in some form of drought or excessively dry condition. After I filmed this video clip I saw on the weather that we got about 3/4 of an inch today. I honestly cannot remember the last time we had some decent rain.


Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Human Error Reduction Training

I attended some training earlier this week on human error reduction. The class was put on by a colleague from another site as part of a certification process to train these materials. The materials are the intellectual property of a company called Talsico a recognized authority on the subject of human error reduction and studies. I've attended some overview type classes and I'm in the final stages of being certified to train Process Picture Map (PPM) authors. Our site has hundreds of procedures and job aids that we will be converting to the PPM format over the next couple of years. The science and research behind it that I've seen so far makes so much sense.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

New Application From a Raleigh Startup

Take a look at this article I looked at yesterday in the N&O. This is startup in Raleigh named Earthmark putting together an app that combines social networking, geo-location, photos, and YouTube clips. It seems sort of early for these guys but it sounds promising for them. A big part of innovation in the world isn't always a new invention so much as a new way to apply existing technologies. Pretty cool stuff.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Classroom 2,0

I opened my CR 2.0 account and set up a few things on my page. I put the video I made a few days ago speaking about banning cell phone use in cars along with a picture of my pal Minnie. I also made a blog post on my CR page. It seems to be an interesting site with a lot of worthwhile resources. I look forward to scouting around and learning more.

Creative Commons Licensing

I think if I were to creatively churn out my ideal "license-able" item it would be some sort of image similar to the Nike swoosh. Something super simple yet easily recognizable and associated with a particular application. My image or "logo" would be licensed with an Attribution + Noncommercial (by-nc) Creative Commons license. This logo would be associated with education or learning. It would be great for people like us to promote our efforts provided these efforts were education related and not raising profits for a corporation or for profit endeavor. 

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Wikimedia Review


The two Wikimedia projects I reviewed are listed below:
Wikiquote - I was drawn to the Wikiquote project because I enjoy reading quotes from various people especially when I can read them or use them in a situation to make a point or create a comparison.  There are several sites where you can get hundreds of quotes. In many cases the quote I'm reading may be from someone who I know nothing about. I think what I like about this is that the person who said what is quoted is cross referenced in Wikipedia so that I can learn more about the person who made the quoted statement. 

Wikimedia Incubator - I was also interested in the Wikimedia Incubator project. This project allows the different language groups to have their own Wikipedia sites to aggregate knowledge from their culture and I assume the conversion or translation of knowledge items from existing sites to the new language version(s).  I hope that as these sites grow that the knowledge from the new sites also gets translated to the more established sites to spread the variety of knowledge globally.