Tag: Digital Culture

An overview of their Five Weeks program (that, btw, was phenomenally good and wonderful and made of win and awesome)

Meredith showing examples of blogs used in class situations, as a CMS instead of WebCT or Blackboard.

“The best way blogs can be used is in reflective learning” – Meredith

They set their presentation up on a wiki! Cool! Visit it here….http://michellemeredith.pbwiki.com

Language learning is the killer app for blogging and education.

Blogs v. Wiki: FIGHT!
Timeline vs no timeline
Ownership of posts v. collaborative knowledge

After Mer goes through the goodness of blogs/wikis, Michelle takes over to talk specifically about 5 weeks.

Great examples of the participants in 5 weeks struggling with the new technology, and working out their thoughts inside the system on their blogs. Great reflective learning.

Michelle says “Fabulous!” a lot

The peer learning was the most valuable part of the program to the users, but the content is now there, and available for anyone to re-use.

While flying back from Detroit on Monday, I snapped this picture of the TSA security gate. I would have used a better camera, but of course I had that packed away so I wouldn’t have to put it in a bin. The phone captured the moment, though:

If you can’t make it out, here’s a closeup:

Yep…that’s a windows memory error screen on a TSA monitor. The irony of this knows no bounds.

Talk about cool data visualization! I’m delighted by interesting ways to present data, and this one is just great…it’s a video of housing prices from 1890 to present, graphed, and then turned into a rollercoaster. Yes, a rollercoaster.

Huh.

So I noted yesterday that I had attended Wrestlemania 23. I took a bunch of photos and a handful of video at the event, as cameras were allowed at the venue. In order to share the videos (two of them) I uploaded them to YouTube. The two videos were < 30 seconds long, and were taken from my seat, faaaaar up on the second level of the arena. Not 12 hours later, I recieved a DMCA takedown notice for them. My question now is: are they actually a violation of copyright? I'm not certain...I checked the back of my ticket for a contract notice, and found this gem: "By using this ticket, the ticket holder agrees that he or she will not directly or indirectly transmit or aid in transmitting any picture, account or description (whether text, data, or visual) in any media now or hereafter existing of all or any part of the football game or related events." I didn't see a football game, nor any events related to one...but I suppose there is an argument that this is a general prohibition for "events at Ford Field." But that is not what it says. As well, as I read it, that agreement prohibits everything...even talking about the game afterwards with your friends. As I noted, cameras were allowed at Wrestlemania...they even sold cameras at the merch tables. So clearly that can't be the case for still pictures. There is also the warning they broadcast inside the venue before the show...which I didn't see. We didn't arrive until a bit after the first match, so I missed it. However, there's a photo on flickr:

But that is the warning that is intended for the viewers-at-home so to speak…and again, they clearly allowed for photography within the arena.

So, copyright peeps: did YouTube (and thus Google) jump the gun on this? I think they did, and my inclination is to send a counter-notice to them. What say you all?

Just a question for the intertubes: is anyone else having problems with Firefox and Flash on OSX? I’m having this REALLY weird issue where flash content (Youtube, blog badges, etc) doesn’t display except when it is near the top/bottom of the Firefox window. Yes, you read that right…if the content overlaps the bottom/top edge, it displays. Get off the edge, and it doesn’t display (the content just goes invisible, it doesn’t un-render or anything, just goes away/becomes invisible).

WTF?

I am so outing myself right now.

Hi…my name is Jason, and I watch professional wrestling.

Not only do I watch pro wrestling, but I have for years. I even do some work for a company that makes the WWE Collectible Card Game. I realize this ups my geek-score into the stratusphere, but I can no longer commit this lie of omission to you, my readers.

So, I spent this last weekend helping to run the 6th World Championship of Raw Deal, and then went to Wrestlemania 23 on Sunday, April 1. Had a phenomenal time, got to see a ton of friends I only see once or twice a year, but am now so far behind I can barely see the horizon.

If there’s radio silence the rest of the week, that’s why. In the meantime, enjoy this wonderful youtube video.