August 2010 Blog Posts (14)

The Internet is coming to be seen as the latest creation of human ingenuity

to extent the reach of human powers and desire which has been central

to the era of modernism beginning in the latter 19th century.



The Internet began as a government military communications project which

was quickly adapted by enterprising technological companies and parts of

the public such as writers and researchers to… Continue

If you are interested in the Open Data (OD) movement but unclear about the issues, or what scientists can do to support the movement, what better way of finding out than by talking to

leading OD advocates Peter Murray-Rust of the University of Cambridge and Jordan Hatcher of…

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In the much-publicized, much-discussed article titled "The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet." in the September 2010 issue of "Wired" magazine, co-author editor-in-chief Chris Anderson writes, "[O]ur tolerance for the delirious chaos of infinite competition finds…

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Efforts to protect net neutrality that involve government regulation have always faced one fundamental obstacle: the substantial danger that the regulators will cause more harm than good for the Internet. The worst case scenario would be that, in allowing the FCC to regulate the Internet, we open the door for big business, Hollywood and the indecency police to exert even more influence on the Net than they do now.

On Monday, Google and Verizon proposed a new legislative framework for…

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A cartoon ridiculing the tone-deaf design of many college home pages, published on July 30 week on the website xkcd and circulated widely in social media circles and on campuses, has highlighted the frustration many people have with what they consider to be poorly designed college websites.

As the social media sphere chorused a resounding "amen," marketing experts weighed in: college home pages have become clogged with useless objects such as mission statements, letters from deans,…

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WASHINGTON, August 9, 2010- Google and Verizon have announced a joint statement of principles on network neutrality and hosted a conference call Monday to outline their effort to the press. Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg announced that this new policy calls for an open and transparent wireline internet with special conditions given to the “burgeoning wireless market.”



This announcement comes after a week of speculation that Google would receive priority… Continue

THE news of the day often includes an item about some development in artificial intelligence: a machine that smiles, a program that can predict human tastes in mates or music, a robot that teaches foreign languages to children. This constant stream of stories suggests that machines are becoming smart and autonomous, a new form of life, and that we should think of them as fellow creatures instead of as tools. But such conclusions aren’t just… Continue

At Rhode Island College, a freshman copied and pasted from a Web site’s frequently asked questions page about homelessness — and did not think he needed to credit a source in his assignment because the page did not include author information.



At DePaul University, the tip-off to one student’s copying was the purple shade of several paragraphs he had lifted from the Web; when confronted by a writing tutor his professor had sent him to, he was not defensive — he just wanted to know how… Continue

Students who use social networking sites don't seem to suffer academically, according to research out of Northwestern University. In a recent paper titled "Predictors and consequences of differentiated practices on social network sites," researchers found that heavy use of sites like Facebook and MySpace doesn't affect college students' grade point averages. In fact, it's the usual suspects such as gender, ethnic background, and parental education that appear to have more of a determining… Continue

Many (most) countries in the world have in the decade just passed,

developed and at least partially implemented what may be called a

“digital development strategy”. These strategies are based on a

perception that the kind of economic activity that has resulted from the

technical/digital development taking place in Silicon Valley and

similar such locales particularly in the US is a necessary element of

the economic development strategy for any/every country… Continue

To all,
I've just received the news that the centre can keep living for another year. Well, just wanted to express my relief. this is really great news!
I hope I can be more active in contributing to the space in the near
future; in all cases, it's been and it's being very helpful to come here
and just 'lurk' and browse among useful insights posted by others.
So, again, very happy that it can keep going!
elisabetta

An e-learning veteran envisions a college campus of the future where physical space, technology, and collaboration blend.

Imagine a college library where books are not the focal point. Instead of sitting behind a desk checking out volumes, librarians have become technology experts who are dispatched to help students and faculty who are in the building. The "No Food or Drinks" signs have been removed, allowing students to move freely throughout the building with coffee cups in…

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Companies located in the United States that performed or funded research and development domestically or overseas employed an estimated 27.1 million workers worldwide in 2008 (table 1). R&D employees (employees who perform or directly support R&D activities) accounted for 1.9 million, or 7.1%, of this worldwide employment. The domestic employment of these companies totaled 18.5 million workers, including 1.5 million domestic R&D employees. 2 Thus, domestic R&D… Continue

To all,

The membership in this blog now exceeds 900. Everyone was invited or requested membership. I am very proud of this group and am impressed by the stature both individually and collectively. I need to know if a significant number of you wish to see it continue. Based on this input, I am going to make a decision as to the continuance of this resource. Whether you recommend the continuance or… Continue