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Sunday, January 11, 2004
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Calling all 'Potter' sites. HPANA is finally gearing up to introduce The Portkey, a comprehensive index and guide to Harry Potter sites on the Internet. We are currently seeking genuine information directly from webmasters of HP sites. The Portkey will include descriptions, site histories, user ratings and more, organized by categories. Non-English sites are welcome (indeed, encouraged) to submit themselves. [Harry Potter Automatic News Aggregator]
7:23:05 PM 
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Twenty Years of Free Software: What Now? -by Richard Stallman. It was twenty years ago on Monday that I quit my job at MIT to begin developing a free software operating system, GNU. While we have never released a complete GNU system suitable for production use, a variant of the GNU system is now used by tens of millions of people who mostly are not aware it is such. Free software does not mean "gratis"; it means that users are free to run the program, study the source code, change it, and redistribute it either with or without changes, either gratis or for a fee. My hope was that a free operating system would open a path to escape forever from the system of subjugation which is proprietary software. I had experienced the ugliness of the way of life that non-free software imposes on its users, and I was determined to escape and give others a way to escape. [GrokLaw]
6:29:05 PM
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40 Government Sites You Can't Live Without. Whether it's a loan, a contract or regulatory information you seek, these sites are just what you need to get acquainted with what the government can do to help you start or grow your business.
40 Government Sites You Can't Live Without: "It seems business owners are forever searching for information. We know this because we read your letters and e-mails imploring us to send you the necessary facts and figures. But because we don't always have the resources to provide you with every detail of business ownership, we have put together a fairly comprehensive list of government resources that will help in your informational quest." [Father Dan]
4:39:19 PM
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Sex and Tolkien. Yes, I went to my local instantiation of the all-three-LOTR-movies marathon on Tuesday, and enjoyed it immensely. The movies were a delight; Peter Jackson's Return Of The King fully lived up to the promise of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. Despite minor flaws and some questionable omissions, Tolkien fans have ... [Armed and Dangerous]
4:38:39 PM
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Try It!.
ASTD's Try It (via elearningleaders): "This is the place to sample training software, calculators, cool Web services, and other helpful workplace tools." Good site to explore for various tools and resources for elearning development - includes tools for SCORM authoring, simulations, blogging, application sharing, eclass rooms, and more.
[elearnspace blog]
4:37:42 PM
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Spinning Yarns.
Spinning Yarns:
Quote: "Storytelling and dialogue is a part of every child’s life. From bedtime chronicles exploring the misadventures of fantastical creatures to the beginning mumblings of a toddler trying to explain her day, storytelling introduces children to the initial stages of communication and literacy, as well creating a bridge between the physical world and an imaginative one... This paper hypothesizes that online forums and virtual communities, including message boards, Weblogs and instant messaging software (IM), allow children important spaces to share ideas and feelings, discuss issues and projects, ask and answer each other’s questions, and promote a prosocial spirit."
Comment: While this paper is an interesting read, I think it's important for promoters of wikis, blogs, social software, etc. to start making a distinction between potential and actual use. The potential of blogs/wikis are that everyone has an equal voice, that ideas flow freely, and that we dialogue more effectively. The reality is that most people are too busy to maintain a blog, wikis are too open for most people to feel comfortable, and people have a strong individualistic component that needs to be considered when tools and programs for knowledge/idea sharing are planned. [elearnspace blog]
4:33:52 PM
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I've posted this before, but it's worth a re-visit every year or so.
Ordinarily I delete most of the mail supposedly for women (ghastly treacle, the lot of it), but this one struck a chord. I don't know who wrote it, but if you contact me, I'll be happy to put your name on it.
Every woman should have:
1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you've come.
2. Enough money in your control to move out and rent a place of your own, even if you never need to.
3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.
4. A purse, a suitcase and an umbrella you're not ashamed to be seen carrying.
5. A youth you're content to move beyond.
6. A past juicy enough that you're looking forward to retelling it in your old age.
7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age and some money set aside to help fund it.
8. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black lace bra.
9. One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.
10. A good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family
11. Eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems and a recipe for a meal that will make your guests feel honored.
12.A resume that is not even the slightest bit padded.
13. A feeling of control over your destiny.
14.A skin care regime, an exercise routine and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don't get better after 30.
15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship and all those other facets of life that do get better.
Every woman should know:
1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.
2. How you feel about having kids.
3. How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.
4. When to try harder and when to walk away.
5. How to kiss a man in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn't like to happen next.
6. How to have a good time at a party you'd never choose to attend.
7. How to ask for what you want in a way that makes it most likely you'll get it.
8. That you can't change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents.
9. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it is over.
10. What you would and wouldn't do for love or money
11. How to live alone, even if you don't like it.
12. Who you can trust, who you can't, and why you shouldn't take it personally.
13. Where to go, be it your best friend's kitchen table or a charming inn hidden in the woods, when your soul needs soothing.
14. What you can and can't accomplish in a day, a month, and a year.
15. Why they say life begins at age 30.
9:29:59 AM
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Keeping Found Things Found: A Research Project of the Information School at the University of Washington
http://kftf.ischool.washington.edu/
Plenty of research has focused on how people find information, but very little on how they keep track of it once they've found it. There are already some papers available here, with more to follow. You can help the research by participating in the survey they're conducting.
[Neat New Stuff]
7:25:21 AM
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The Fishbase. The Fishbase is a web-accessible database of fish information. This may sound somewhat... dull... until you actually start playing with it. With over 28,000 fish listed (including my favorite, the Coelacanth), the Fishbase lets you explore by environmental information, location,... [WorldChanging: Another World Is Here]
7:24:13 AM
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What Is The Law?. "What is the law? (No spill blood.) "Who makes the rules? (Someone else.)" -- D. Elfman, "House of Pain" The Edge, a site run by John Brockman as a forum for some of the smartest/most interesting/oddest folks around, poses... [WorldChanging: Another World Is Here]
7:23:52 AM
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Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics http://intuitor.com/moviephysics/
A fun way to teach physics while undoing the misconceptions fostered by movies. Browse by specific movie reviews, or by the violated physics principles (falls, explosions, scaling, etc.)
[Neat New Stuff]
7:22:12 AM
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Encyclopedia of Television
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/index.html
Courtesy of the Museum of Broadcast Communications. While this isn't a good source for info on current programming (the entry on The Muppet Show says that a new Muppet Show will air in 1995), entries on older programs include the cast list, production information, a bibliography, and an essay on the content and development of the show. Entries on idividuals include an essay, a list of productions, links to related articles, and a bibliography. Browsable but not searchable.
[Neat New Stuff]
7:21:44 AM
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And is this a good thing or a bad thing?
MIT weblog: "Psychology Today tells us that a growing number of people are using The Sims to make sense of themselves and the other folks in their lives." [Scripting News]
7:11:29 AM
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This last week has been incredible. I put up a new application, so many cool people contributed their subscriptions to create a "commons" of unparalleled utility. I found at least 20 good feeds through this community. And even better was developing something that users loved. It's been a while since I've been there. This is the best thing for me, that connection, where I roll out a feature, get feedback, roll out another, etc. Today I tried to write some more stuff, but I was too tired. But it has been an incredible collaborative week. Thanks to all who participated! [Scripting News]
7:09:51 AM
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Technology Review weblog - now with RSS.
Technology Review has a blog. Well, it's 3 months old now, but I didn't know that MIT's Technology Review -- featuring the brilliant Henry Jenkins and the equally brilliant Simson Garfinkel -- had a daily weblog. I've just blogrolled it.... [JD's New Media Musings]
It also now has an RSS feed, although a truncated one with what looks to be the title plus the first 50 characters or so. Better than nothing, but still trapped in the notion that I should somehow be forced to go to the site to extract the full value. [McGee's Musings]
6:49:38 AM
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Freethinking. I still love the idea of the US going from a population of 290 m to well over 500 m in the next 15 years using a work-to-citizenship program. Imagine bringing 210 m of the most motivated, intelligent, and capable people in the world to the US (regardless of proximity to US borders). Our economy would boooooom (can you say double digit growth rates). The social security and budget failures would fade to oblivion as young workers outpace retired workers 15 to 1 (or more). The trade deficit would reverse! Offshoring would disappear. Real estate prices would zoom to provide monster nest eggs for current residents. It would even help the rest of the world as these people flowed back to their countries of origin with money, experience, and connections (to the US). The perception of the US globally would shift mightily in the right direction. [John Robb's Weblog]
6:47:54 AM
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My God...the Bush admin has just come up with a progressive idea...what planet am I on??
Whitehouse.gov: The President proposes that the Federal Government offer temporary worker status to undocumented men and women now employed in the United States and to those in foreign countries who have been offered employment here. The workers under temporary status must pay a one-time fee to register in the program, abide by the rules, and return home after their period of work expires. There would be an opportunity for renewal. In the future, only people outside the U.S. may join the temporary worker program, and there will be an orderly system in place to address the needs of workers and companies. [John Robb's Weblog]
6:41:52 AM
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Doc. New Economy Hack: Turning Consumers into Producers. Want to see results? Check out Bush in 30 Seconds, by MoveOn.org, the left-wing, grass-roots issue advocacy organization. These are first-rate TV ads produced mostly by amateurs, in a short period of time. Regardless of your politics, you have to agree that they're equal in quality to anything put out by a high-priced agency or production house. [John Robb's Weblog]
6:39:40 AM
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© Copyright
2004
Gail Marsella.
Last update:
6/27/2004; 7:20:27 PM.
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