And Now for Something Completely Different

Amazing Images. I am working waaay too hard this week. Looking at these was the break I needed, along with some music playing. The importance of visual, audio -- I need to keep paying attention to this online.

[via Orcmid]

Reviewing a Conference Blog

I think I mentioned this site a while back - a conference that actively encouraged blogging as part of the whole experience. Now we can read back and see what they created together. Building Learning Communities 2004:

"This site serves as a multi-author weblog highlighting sessions, activities and events from the Building Learning Communities 2004 Conference. We are blogging sessions, workshops, meetings, and social gatherings to share our perspectives, ideas, resources and thoughts on the conference.."

Surrealist and other beautiful games

I have been diving into games and improvisation in my work lately. While browsing last night, I came across [Purse Lip Square Jaw] Surrealist and other beautiful games. I have not joined any of the games, but there are a lot of great ideas here for those who interact online.

Automatic Enkoderform - The Little Things that Matter

Today David Weinberger blogged the Automatic Enkoderform. I like this. Free, easy. Lovely. Am I missing a downside? I am so sick of spam - filtering, sorting, white listing, black listing. Blech.

"Posting your email address on a website is a sure-fire way to get an Inbox full of unsolicited email advertisements. The Enkoder protects email addresses by converting them into encrypted JavaScript code, hiding them from email-harvesting robots while revealing them to real people."

Curiosity, Knowledge and Uncertainty

This is simply a lovely piece from Anne Galloway:

"I genuinely believe that the pursuit of knowledge is never done. This is, in part, related to my understanding that there is no absolute, determining, objective truth in the world - a position which obligates me to continue asking questions and forces me to acknowledge that no knowledge is neutral or impartial.

If the best we can offer is subjective, multiple, and partial truths, then learning and understanding requires critical thinking, the questioning of assumptions, self-reflection and self-awareness. In a world that doesn't want to 'waste time' with things other than 'the facts,' it turns out that these inter-related practices are, by far, the hardest ones to teach. And I can't help but to believe they are the most important."

[via Jim McGee]

A Hurricane Blog

OrlandoSentinel.com: News has a weblog which looks to be made up of posts from citizens. They are lovely, short slices of life.

Wondering Who Reads What Where

My mother has started blogging, which is so wonderful. She leads a non profit group called San Jose Linus which makes blankets for kids in the hospital. One of the other volunteers helped her set up a blog. (Side comment: who ever said older folks don't use online tools -- well look again. My mom uses a tool that her webmaster set up so she can update the website, she uses Craigslist for getting volunteers and donations and is one of the more prolific email respondents in my email address book. She's cool!)

When my mom was visiting, she asked me how she would know how many people were visiting her blog. I started telling her about RSS and how people use readers and aggregators so that even if there was a site meter, it probably would not reflect at all the number of people reading.

So then she asked me, how do I know? How do I know who reads my blog and through what channel.

I have no freakin idea.

So I thought I'd ask you, the readers. I'd appreciate it if you would post a comment telling me if you read the actual blog or through a reader. If you are a wise-tech person, how does one have a sense of who is reading and how? Then I'll pass it along to my mom. (I know I should probably figure out how to insert a little poll. I've seen Judith do it, but I have too much work to do today to go learn. So be it!)

We are all learners.

The Ethics of Video Game-Based Simulation

The E-Learning Queen posts a thoughtful essay on The Ethics of Video Game-Based Simulation. Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D., in her new, tasty blog, shares.

While video game-based simulation is gaining ground in interactive, multi-user distributed online learning, underlying ethical and philosophical issues remain unaddressed. These are, in some cases, quite troubling, because learner lives can be at stake. In other cases, profound issues dealing with instructional strategies and design are often only tangentially touched upon. This article identifies the ethical issues involved in using simulation in education and training, explores some of the conceptual and philosophical bases, and proposes ways to address the problems and adjust instructional strategies.

Specifically, this article examines the role of video game-based simulation used to prepare members of the military for combat situations. As opposed to the simulations of the past which focused on driving fast cars and piloting aircraft, the new generation of video game-based simulations focus on player-player interaction, and derive much from first-person shooter games. In contrast with the earlier versions of games, in which the goal was to accumulate enough points to go to different worlds or 'levels,' the new games combine the 'sim' world-building experience, with customizable avatars to reflect the player's constructed persona, weaponry, and team members. Incorporating artificial intelligence, the game allows computer-controlled soldiers the ability to respond to student commands from a matrix of possibilities, each selection weighted via algorithms that build in probabilities and randomness."

I wonder where there is a nexus of conversations about the ethics of any type of online interaction? I think of my work in 2/3rds countries where I think there are both generative and destructive outcomes of starting and supporting online interaction.

What is the ethical code of conduct for an online facilitator?