Compare and contrast the works of Adam Curry and David Winer.
What has been their contribution to development of online communities?
Adam Curry and David Winer have come from different background, but they have both made major contributions to the development of online communities. Together they have been recognized for their contributions in developing, podcasting, web logging and Really Simple Syndication (RSS), which are a family of data formats used to publish frequently updated works. During their careers they have worked independently and collaboratively to design digital media files that have given them International recognition as leaders in enhancing web technology media.
Adam Curry became a high profile presenter on MTV in the 1980s and his interest in web technology media came from being a user. In the early nineties Curry started his own web-portal design and hosting company, OnRamp Inc . Curry sold and established two other companies during the nineties (Wikipedia, 2009). It was in 2004 when collaborating with David Winer he helped to develop the podcast (Curry, 2005). His high profile and the development of his podcast company known as Daily Source Code enabled him to promote the podcast to the point where his is sometimes called ‘podfather’ (Wikipedia, 2009).
David Winer came into web technology media from a different background to Curry, he started his career as a computer programmer in the late 1970s (Winer, 2005). During 1997 he developed an outliner, which was a tool for organizing outines, which could serve as an index on the database (Winer, 2009). The Company Personal Software was interested in his outline and he was contracted to develop a product called VisiText (Winer, 2009). This was the start of Winer being recognized as an outlines expert, he founded Userland Software in 1988. He went on to develop xml, which is a way of creating file formats and RSS which he published a version on the Userland website in 2001. His knowledge in developing RSS bought him together with Adam Curry to develop an RSS with enclosures that would have a set of subscriptions that are checked regularly for updates and instead of reading the feeds on your computer screen (Webopedia, 2009).
Both Curry (2005) and Winer (2005) have stated that it has been a great benefit to their work in developing their technology when they have looked at the work they have been doing from the other standpoint. Curry (2005) stated when he and Winer swapped roles when they were developing the format used for podcasting it enabled both of them to realize the frustrations each other were experiencing in their roles and this provided the ‘light bulb’ moment that enabled them to successfully complete the podcast.
Winer & Curry are both widely published as they have both used the Internet to communicate their ideas widely. Curry has recorded 821 podcasts with his business Daily Source Code and he presented a keynote address at the Gnomedex 5.0 in 2005. Both Winer and Curry have given interviews and they use blogs and website to self publish their work, but Curry’s presence on the Internet is more extensive over the past 5 years (Curry.com, www.dailysourcecode.com,DaveNet.com , davewiner.userland.com/).
Both Winer and Curry have contributed significantly to the development of online communities and it can be stated that these two men have driven the Internet and the way we use it forward greatly. Curry and Winer have been agents of change as they have shown persistence in overcoming the obstacles they faced during the development of their products. Winer in an interview in 2005 (Nerd TV)was talking about the importance that RSS can't be owned, he said it's power is that it creates a level playing field for bloggers and big news corporations alike. Being an open source means everyone can use it and it can be modified to benefit the users of online communities.
References
Curry, Adam. June 2005, Keynote address, Gnomedex 5.0
Daily Source Code, 2009, www.dailysourcecode.com
Curry, 2009, 11 Sept, Curry.com
Webopedia, 2009, podcast, www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/podcasting.html
Winer, David, 2009, David Winer’s personal website http://davewiner.userland.com/outlinersProgramming
Winer, David, September 2005, Interview Nerd TV, Father of RSS & Web Logging, http://cnettv.cnet.com/nerd-tv-episode-6-dave-winer/9742-1_53-13054.html
Winer, David, 2004, DaveNet.com
2009, last modified -4 September, Article - Adam Curry, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Curry
Monday, September 14, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Social architects and online games
Jim Channon calls himself a social architect and he sees his role as designing spaces for people to socialise. which helps them develop a bigger sense of life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOYGdnOCimk
This is only relevant when the spaces are considered important to the end users.
Social Networking Sites
It took some deliberation to place some of these social networking sites into these categories, in the end I decided that while most of the sites had potential the challenges were greater and there were probably better sites to use. I ended up putting Facebook into both categories for Learning, because while I acknowledge the education value of the discussions, I wonder if people would be better off using other forums. I note that Bourgeois, Glaude and Morrow listed sites such as delicious as side dishes, which helps justify their inclusion.
Hosting good conversations: House Rules!
Three ways of providing users with more control in an online community.
1. Ensure the rules are explicit and easily accessible.
2. Fostering a strong connection between participants, e.g. providing a welcome email and encouraging contributions from members in a non-threatening environment.
3. Offering users the opportunity to provide feedback and to contribute easily.
Three interesting Rules written by Howard Rheingold in the Art of Hosting Good Conversations Online 1998.
1. Enable people to make contact with other people. In this course of study we have been visited many online meeting places where we are encouraged to make contact with others, this is especially true in the CSU Interact Forum.
2. Create conditions for ongoing collaboration that return individual effort with a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. This course of study encourages people to share what they know and their thoughts about their learning in online meeting places. Ultimately we will all benefit as we are learning from each other.
3. Make newcomers feel welcomed, contributors valued, recreational hasslers ignored. When we first went online we were encouraged to introduce ourselves this is a great ice breaker as we can all see what we have in common and all our contributions are valued or at least it appears that way.
Rules for social enganement and document sharing.
I think that the rules need to be very closely aligned. It is important to not harass people, be offensive, copy people's work without permission and publishing private documents in unintended places. When it comes to stalking and spoofing I think it would be more applicable to online games and forums that in documents.
1. Ensure the rules are explicit and easily accessible.
2. Fostering a strong connection between participants, e.g. providing a welcome email and encouraging contributions from members in a non-threatening environment.
3. Offering users the opportunity to provide feedback and to contribute easily.
Three interesting Rules written by Howard Rheingold in the Art of Hosting Good Conversations Online 1998.
1. Enable people to make contact with other people. In this course of study we have been visited many online meeting places where we are encouraged to make contact with others, this is especially true in the CSU Interact Forum.
2. Create conditions for ongoing collaboration that return individual effort with a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. This course of study encourages people to share what they know and their thoughts about their learning in online meeting places. Ultimately we will all benefit as we are learning from each other.
3. Make newcomers feel welcomed, contributors valued, recreational hasslers ignored. When we first went online we were encouraged to introduce ourselves this is a great ice breaker as we can all see what we have in common and all our contributions are valued or at least it appears that way.
Rules for social enganement and document sharing.
I think that the rules need to be very closely aligned. It is important to not harass people, be offensive, copy people's work without permission and publishing private documents in unintended places. When it comes to stalking and spoofing I think it would be more applicable to online games and forums that in documents.
Blog Design
Blog Design
I think the most important thing to consider in a blog design is usability. It needs to be designed so that the colours and format make it appealing and easy to read. It is also essential that titles are explicit, as this assists a visitor viewing the blog to read entries that they are interested in and they are relevant.
Blogger.com as viewed in relation to the ‘Nine Design Strategies suggested by Kim (2000a, 2000b).
The purpose of the community in which I am using Blogger presently is to record my reflections, opinions, intellectual growth and answer questions posed by my course coordinator. In essence the groupware makes the establishment of our learning community easy, although while I follow some of my ITC peers I have not been able to easily follow those who chose to blog with another blog product. I have found that I have been able to seek assistance from those who have blogged before to sort out small issues I have had with formatting and set up and this has been greatly appreciated. I can't say that in my small connected blog group a leader has been fostered, this may be because we are really only fulfilling the requirements of our study rather than following people out of choice. Community rules have been established in a silent and probably obvious way, because this blog is related to study, all our comments are related to study and there are few personal details shared.
I think the most important thing to consider in a blog design is usability. It needs to be designed so that the colours and format make it appealing and easy to read. It is also essential that titles are explicit, as this assists a visitor viewing the blog to read entries that they are interested in and they are relevant.
Blogger.com as viewed in relation to the ‘Nine Design Strategies suggested by Kim (2000a, 2000b).
The purpose of the community in which I am using Blogger presently is to record my reflections, opinions, intellectual growth and answer questions posed by my course coordinator. In essence the groupware makes the establishment of our learning community easy, although while I follow some of my ITC peers I have not been able to easily follow those who chose to blog with another blog product. I have found that I have been able to seek assistance from those who have blogged before to sort out small issues I have had with formatting and set up and this has been greatly appreciated. I can't say that in my small connected blog group a leader has been fostered, this may be because we are really only fulfilling the requirements of our study rather than following people out of choice. Community rules have been established in a silent and probably obvious way, because this blog is related to study, all our comments are related to study and there are few personal details shared.
Online mobile games & social network access
I looked at this topic of discussion considering wireless technology: issues and opportunities for improved workflow.
The use of online mobile games and mobile social networks as a tool in education is in its infancy. With the advent of the Smartphones and improved 3G networks the possibilities of using mobile media have been greatly enhanced. The potential of new pedagogies are apparent and with easier access to the Internet using mobile phones will influence a new paradigm in education.
Mobile online games are/will be developed to assist students to be active learners across all key learning areas and social networks will provide forums for discussions and collaborative work in the creation of products they care share with other students anywhere in the world.
ComScore Inc. reports that in the US, for the 3 month period to January, o9, 35% of mobile phone consumers use mobile media (this figure excludes those who only use texts), that is they use their phone to browse, download or use an application. They also report that users are steadily growing, with nearly 50% of US users who have a mobile device that is 6 months old or less now use mobile media.
Speed is an important factor and 3G networks have gone a long way in addressing this. Also as the networks grow more people will have access to it. I live in a rural community and we have had great problems with mobile reception, but the 3G network has started to turn this around. A big advantage I can see in using online mobile media is that as unlimited usage costs become cheaper they will become an affordable option.
Logistically I can see that schools, especially those who are in low socio economic areas will be able to provide each student with a Smartphone and access to the mobile wireless network at a far cheaper cost than buying a laptop and connecting through a traditional network. Our school is currently planning to upgrade cabling in our school and the projected costs are looking like we will be spending $20,000 dollars.
Like with all new technologies being integrated into the school curriculum online mobile games and social networks need to be substantive and encourage higher order thinking to be a valuable tool in education.
The use of online mobile games and mobile social networks as a tool in education is in its infancy. With the advent of the Smartphones and improved 3G networks the possibilities of using mobile media have been greatly enhanced. The potential of new pedagogies are apparent and with easier access to the Internet using mobile phones will influence a new paradigm in education.
Mobile online games are/will be developed to assist students to be active learners across all key learning areas and social networks will provide forums for discussions and collaborative work in the creation of products they care share with other students anywhere in the world.
ComScore Inc. reports that in the US, for the 3 month period to January, o9, 35% of mobile phone consumers use mobile media (this figure excludes those who only use texts), that is they use their phone to browse, download or use an application. They also report that users are steadily growing, with nearly 50% of US users who have a mobile device that is 6 months old or less now use mobile media.
Speed is an important factor and 3G networks have gone a long way in addressing this. Also as the networks grow more people will have access to it. I live in a rural community and we have had great problems with mobile reception, but the 3G network has started to turn this around. A big advantage I can see in using online mobile media is that as unlimited usage costs become cheaper they will become an affordable option.
Logistically I can see that schools, especially those who are in low socio economic areas will be able to provide each student with a Smartphone and access to the mobile wireless network at a far cheaper cost than buying a laptop and connecting through a traditional network. Our school is currently planning to upgrade cabling in our school and the projected costs are looking like we will be spending $20,000 dollars.
Like with all new technologies being integrated into the school curriculum online mobile games and social networks need to be substantive and encourage higher order thinking to be a valuable tool in education.
Google Wave
Over the last couple of days I have watched the video about Google Wave, all I can say is, "WOW, it looks great, I can't wait!" I also noted that they said that it only took 5% extra engineering for it to be able to be used on mobiles. It is fabulous that they have made it an open source so it can be used with other wave networks. It won't be long and we won't know how we managed without this form of communicating and collaborating. I love the extension APIs, e.g. spell checker, translator, games.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Battle for Wesnoth
I'm heading down to a friend's place on the weekend to learn all about this game as he is an avid player and has been for a long time. I thought I might get a better perspective of it from someone who dedicates a lot of his time to this game.
Update: I visited my friend today and I saw how involved he was with this online game he has made friends with many people and he plays regularly with them. I kept thinking it was all too time consuming for me. He plays most days. His set up is amazing he has his large screen situated up high with a reclining chair. Being a player in this game is a real part of his life. All I can ask myself is, "will I ever have time to get involved?"
Update: I visited my friend today and I saw how involved he was with this online game he has made friends with many people and he plays regularly with them. I kept thinking it was all too time consuming for me. He plays most days. His set up is amazing he has his large screen situated up high with a reclining chair. Being a player in this game is a real part of his life. All I can ask myself is, "will I ever have time to get involved?"
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
My online persona
Currently my online persona is the real me. I like to be me on Facebook as it is a great way to keep in contact with friends and family. These days I am in touch with a whole lot more people than I was in the olden days when we mostly wrote letters or talked on the phone. The comments are brief and informal, which is a social way to keep in touch. I do lie about my birthday as I worry about identity fraud, but my made up date is close to my real age.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Online Identity & my State of Presence
Sarah introduced me to bubbl.us. I like it,above is a map of my online presence.
phishing - is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to capture information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. (http://en.wikipedia.org). My bank regularly sends emails and lists on its website that that they will never ask for passwords or pin numbers to be verified online, this is because customers have given this info out to criminals.
pharming - redirects users to false websites without them even knowing it. It is done by interfering with a webpage IP address which means people are redirected to a false page. Hence they can collect personal information from them.
privacy invasion - is the intrusion into the personal by someone/s, without just cause. It includes Internet privacy, data collection, and other means of disseminating private information.
identity theft - is when someone uses a persons personal information to pretend to be them in order to steal or commit a crime.
for a better look at my State of Presence online.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Second Life
My Avatar is Ruby Bestijl and I am very trendy. I enjoyed creating my character, but I can tell this virtual environment will not suit my real life personality, but I will give it the designated hour and report back.
I had no trouble downloading Second Life, bandwidth was fine. I had to change my display settings, but that is easily done.
Now that I have had time to think about Second Life, I will make a few comments about why this type of online community is not for me at the moment. For starters just like in the real world you need time to establish relationship in a virtual world and at the moment I don't have time to make new friends in any world. I just like keeping in touch with people I know with brief text messages, commenting on my wall or some friends wall in Facebook or twitter. Maybe one day I will have time to jump into a different me and play in an imaginary place doing things that are only possible in a virtual place.
I know when my children were teenagers they enjoyed being part of virtual games both online and offline. The thing they had in their favour was time to immerse themselves into learning how to get along in these worlds.
Learning all new aspects of technology takes time and as a busy person I have to choose to immerse myself into learning the things that will directly assist me with my life and work, other things have to wait.
I had no trouble downloading Second Life, bandwidth was fine. I had to change my display settings, but that is easily done.
Now that I have had time to think about Second Life, I will make a few comments about why this type of online community is not for me at the moment. For starters just like in the real world you need time to establish relationship in a virtual world and at the moment I don't have time to make new friends in any world. I just like keeping in touch with people I know with brief text messages, commenting on my wall or some friends wall in Facebook or twitter. Maybe one day I will have time to jump into a different me and play in an imaginary place doing things that are only possible in a virtual place.
I know when my children were teenagers they enjoyed being part of virtual games both online and offline. The thing they had in their favour was time to immerse themselves into learning how to get along in these worlds.
Learning all new aspects of technology takes time and as a busy person I have to choose to immerse myself into learning the things that will directly assist me with my life and work, other things have to wait.
Social Cognition & Visual Cognition
This is how I understand Social & Visual Cognition
Social cognition can be described as the thinking behind the way people understand and deal with each other. This varies considerably between cultures, as educators we are consistently being reminded of respecting these differences. Understanding the social rules of engagement is critical in establishing social relationships with people and this is why people with autism are often misunderstood as they can’t pick up on the nuances of social engagement, e.g. facial expressions, body language and personal space.
Online communities such as Facebook require social cognition as people are involved in activities that require a set of rules. People will block those who become an online nuisance.
Visual Cognition can be described as the thinking behind the way people see each other or the environment. We recognise these people or things through memories, which allows us to make inferences between what we know and what we see. For example If I meet a new person and I see they are in their early 20s I will relate to them in a different manner than I would if they were in their 80s.
As we know people can easily create an avatar online, so what you see may or may not be reality.
Social cognition can be described as the thinking behind the way people understand and deal with each other. This varies considerably between cultures, as educators we are consistently being reminded of respecting these differences. Understanding the social rules of engagement is critical in establishing social relationships with people and this is why people with autism are often misunderstood as they can’t pick up on the nuances of social engagement, e.g. facial expressions, body language and personal space.
Online communities such as Facebook require social cognition as people are involved in activities that require a set of rules. People will block those who become an online nuisance.
Visual Cognition can be described as the thinking behind the way people see each other or the environment. We recognise these people or things through memories, which allows us to make inferences between what we know and what we see. For example If I meet a new person and I see they are in their early 20s I will relate to them in a different manner than I would if they were in their 80s.
As we know people can easily create an avatar online, so what you see may or may not be reality.
I have been a member of Facebook for a few months. I really enjoy the brief comments and chats people have and it is a quick way to keep up-to-date on what people are doing. I have been able to get in contact with old school, uni and social friends.
I must say that some of my kids friends, who are in their 20s are at times a bit doggie and I don't like the language they often use, but I mostly ignore it. I have ignored requests from people who have (in my eyes) inappropriate homepages and I tell them if I run into them in the real world why I ignored them. As I live and work in a small community I have friends who are parents of the kids at school, so I need to be very mindful of the content and contacts on my page, but so far all is going well.
I am not into all the quizzes and game stuff people play on Facebook and I mostly ignore them. Even though I do chat with people I tend to avoid chats if I can.
Just a bit more to add, I actually would not want my school kids to access Facebook at school and I'm glad it is blocked. There is often inappropriate language and pictures being posted.
While I think there is value in learning how to communicate online with each other and learn about online social etiquette and we do need to cover these things as part of a values framework in school. But we don't have time to do this comprehensively in school and I actually think the teenagers learn these skills by participating in their own time outside of school. My kids have managed to make many friends through online games and social networks with very little guidance from us. We only guided them in understanding about giving out personal information that might put them in a risky situation.
I think the best thing about learning how to get along online is that if you get it wrong you can reinvent yourself and start a fresh. This is not so easy in the real world.
I must say that some of my kids friends, who are in their 20s are at times a bit doggie and I don't like the language they often use, but I mostly ignore it. I have ignored requests from people who have (in my eyes) inappropriate homepages and I tell them if I run into them in the real world why I ignored them. As I live and work in a small community I have friends who are parents of the kids at school, so I need to be very mindful of the content and contacts on my page, but so far all is going well.
I am not into all the quizzes and game stuff people play on Facebook and I mostly ignore them. Even though I do chat with people I tend to avoid chats if I can.
Just a bit more to add, I actually would not want my school kids to access Facebook at school and I'm glad it is blocked. There is often inappropriate language and pictures being posted.
While I think there is value in learning how to communicate online with each other and learn about online social etiquette and we do need to cover these things as part of a values framework in school. But we don't have time to do this comprehensively in school and I actually think the teenagers learn these skills by participating in their own time outside of school. My kids have managed to make many friends through online games and social networks with very little guidance from us. We only guided them in understanding about giving out personal information that might put them in a risky situation.
I think the best thing about learning how to get along online is that if you get it wrong you can reinvent yourself and start a fresh. This is not so easy in the real world.
LC Moo
I had a go at LC Moo,
I didn't know just what to do.
The dialogue grew and grew,
All I said was "how-do-you-do".
I didn't get the clue
about who drew
the place to store the brew.
I now read I can't say, "whew,
What's next, whereto?"
As we have to do
more work in LC Moo.
It's a challenge I will pursue,
With the view
to know it through & through.
I will now say adieu,
I have lots of work to do.
Toodle-oo!
I didn't know just what to do.
The dialogue grew and grew,
All I said was "how-do-you-do".
I didn't get the clue
about who drew
the place to store the brew.
I now read I can't say, "whew,
What's next, whereto?"
As we have to do
more work in LC Moo.
It's a challenge I will pursue,
With the view
to know it through & through.
I will now say adieu,
I have lots of work to do.
Toodle-oo!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
LC_MOO Who?
I have had a look in the Casurina Conference Room, I don't understand where we get our password from or even where we use it to log on? I have copied the how to pages and will read them sometime in the next 24hrs. I hope we don't have to program to speak as I had a look at how to program and my head is spinning.
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