Official Google Blog: Wi-Fi in Mountain View: "There have been reports that Google plans to unwire the world with free Wi-Fi. In fact [the plan is] to provide free Wi-Fi to the city of Mountain View, where [Google] is headquartered. . . . It's actually a community outreach program."
Perhaps the City of Carbondale could make City Hall and the Civic Center wireless -- a community outreach program.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Saturday, December 03, 2005
No such thing as free Breakfast
Due to "constraints of budgets and personnel," the quarterly "Carbondale to Cyberdale" breakfast seminars will be discontinued, it was announced last week. Southern Tech will continue to have periodic forums and educational seminars that will be held through the various programs via the Office of Economic and Regional Development (OERD).
Thursday, November 03, 2005
The Age of the Page
Google's digital library of books has just gone live. Of course, you can't actually read the books online. But you can search them. And search for them.
For example, I found the play Carbondale Dreams, by playwright Steven Sater. I searched inside the book, but couldn't find any Quatro's references. Nor SIU.
Part of the play takes place in a home "set beside a lake on the outskirts of Carbondale, Illinois." That's ALMOST MY HOUSE!
For example, I found the play Carbondale Dreams, by playwright Steven Sater. I searched inside the book, but couldn't find any Quatro's references. Nor SIU.
Part of the play takes place in a home "set beside a lake on the outskirts of Carbondale, Illinois." That's ALMOST MY HOUSE!
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
When Virtual Environments Collide
This fall, I'm taking a class online about taking classes online. (Next up for me? Writing a book about writing a book, and recording a podcast about recording a podcast.) It's being offered through ION (Illinois Online Network). ION's a great source for educators accross the state (in business and institutional environments). They are leading the way in the maturing area of online learning.
Recently, in the class I'm taking there's been some discussion of the merger of the online education environment companies WebCT and Blackboard and what this merger might mean for online educators. Both companies are in the business of creating online classrooms. They give you the basic stuff you need -- chat rooms, test editors, discussion boards, assignment submission tools, student tracking, etc -- and you, the educator, arrange it all to suit your classroom goals. Then students log in with a password to access the class. Online education has come a long way from the time when someone c0uld throw a few links up on a webpage and call it a resource.
ION itself uses Moodle (The Moodle link takes you to a page which is itself an example of what the moodle environment looks like), which is from neither. Moodle is open source, which basically means the software is free and you are free to change the it's code (assuming you know how). So you can see how the war between the VLEs (Virtual Learning Environments) is getting complicated.
With education budgets shrinking, colleges and university have to take a long, hard look at open source solutions to online course management. SIU uses WebCT, but I've heard that they are looking at other options. Are they going open source? I don't think so, but it's not because those alternatives aren't there.
Recently, in the class I'm taking there's been some discussion of the merger of the online education environment companies WebCT and Blackboard and what this merger might mean for online educators. Both companies are in the business of creating online classrooms. They give you the basic stuff you need -- chat rooms, test editors, discussion boards, assignment submission tools, student tracking, etc -- and you, the educator, arrange it all to suit your classroom goals. Then students log in with a password to access the class. Online education has come a long way from the time when someone c0uld throw a few links up on a webpage and call it a resource.
ION itself uses Moodle (The Moodle link takes you to a page which is itself an example of what the moodle environment looks like), which is from neither. Moodle is open source, which basically means the software is free and you are free to change the it's code (assuming you know how). So you can see how the war between the VLEs (Virtual Learning Environments) is getting complicated.
With education budgets shrinking, colleges and university have to take a long, hard look at open source solutions to online course management. SIU uses WebCT, but I've heard that they are looking at other options. Are they going open source? I don't think so, but it's not because those alternatives aren't there.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
SouthernTech Seminars
Two SouthernTech lunchtime meetings of note this month. Tomorrow is a discussion of Intellectual Property with a lawyer from St. Louis. (I hope they cover the creative commons copyright!) And on the 27th of this month is a meeting covering "financing technology development". That one is being led by a program manager from MoFAST (Missouri Federal and State Technology assistance center). Do they still finance dot coms? I wonder.
As always, pre-registration is required.
As always, pre-registration is required.
From Where He Blogs
Southern Illinoisan news reporter has a promising new blog: From Where I Blog. In his initial post Jim Muir writes, "As I move forward with this I will be posting my columns on this site and also talk about the news of the day (local, state, national and international.) I also plan to kick the crap out of some of the politicos that need it from time to time."
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
When Authoritative Voices start Blogging *
Can blogging be used to express an institutional point of view? The University of Chicago's law department faculty aim to find out. They've started a group blog that purports to be merely an extension of that university and that department's tradition of "lively conversation". Anyway, you be the judge (and jury! and litigant!).
Of the recent posts, I was especially interested in Professor Cass Sunstein's description of "group polarization". This is a phenomenon in which " like-minded people, engaged in discussion with one another, tend to go to extremes". So if you've got a group of self-avowed liberals given the task to make a statement about a social or political issue, they are more likely to make a statement that is more on the extreme end of the liberal spectrum than they would if the group were comprised of liberals and conservatives. Or than individuals within the group would likely make on their own.
Interesting concept. Question is, will this group blog bear that idea out? Will the mostly democratically-leaning law faculty of U of C express individual voices or will they coalesce into a more extreme collage of attitudes? Or will this experiment prove that technology trumps groupthink? And that the Internet is the new frontier for the lone individual voice?
Regardless, their blog is definitely worth an RSS feed.
* This title is a quote from the Institute for the Future of the Book's blog entry about the Chicago law faculty blog.
Of the recent posts, I was especially interested in Professor Cass Sunstein's description of "group polarization". This is a phenomenon in which " like-minded people, engaged in discussion with one another, tend to go to extremes". So if you've got a group of self-avowed liberals given the task to make a statement about a social or political issue, they are more likely to make a statement that is more on the extreme end of the liberal spectrum than they would if the group were comprised of liberals and conservatives. Or than individuals within the group would likely make on their own.
Interesting concept. Question is, will this group blog bear that idea out? Will the mostly democratically-leaning law faculty of U of C express individual voices or will they coalesce into a more extreme collage of attitudes? Or will this experiment prove that technology trumps groupthink? And that the Internet is the new frontier for the lone individual voice?
Regardless, their blog is definitely worth an RSS feed.
* This title is a quote from the Institute for the Future of the Book's blog entry about the Chicago law faculty blog.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Bricks vs. Clicks
Apropos of nothing in particular, a curious juxtaposition:
On the one hand, as part of the remodel and expansion of Morris Library, university officials open a time capsule originally placed in 1955 and find, among other things, three issues of Time magazine.
On the other hand, not long ago Time magazine put all of its back issues online in a searchable index available free to subscribers.
On the one hand, $41 million is the projected cost of the renovation that led to the discovery of three old issues of Time magazine
On the other hand, $15.12 is the cost of a six-month individual subscription to Time magazine, giving you unlimited access to their archives during that time.
On the one hand, you can now see the actual magazines retrieved from the capsule resting securely behind the glass of a display case in the library.
On the other hand, you can go online and read every article from those issues, as well as every other article from every other issue, at Time.com.
By the way, if you want to see an interesting example of an online time capsule, go to the Business Plan Archive and read all those overly ambitious business plans from the early dot com era, a time when nerd was undisputed king.
On the one hand, as part of the remodel and expansion of Morris Library, university officials open a time capsule originally placed in 1955 and find, among other things, three issues of Time magazine.
On the other hand, not long ago Time magazine put all of its back issues online in a searchable index available free to subscribers.
On the one hand, $41 million is the projected cost of the renovation that led to the discovery of three old issues of Time magazine
On the other hand, $15.12 is the cost of a six-month individual subscription to Time magazine, giving you unlimited access to their archives during that time.
On the one hand, you can now see the actual magazines retrieved from the capsule resting securely behind the glass of a display case in the library.
On the other hand, you can go online and read every article from those issues, as well as every other article from every other issue, at Time.com.
By the way, if you want to see an interesting example of an online time capsule, go to the Business Plan Archive and read all those overly ambitious business plans from the early dot com era, a time when nerd was undisputed king.
Fast, Cheap and Under Your Control
MIT's media lab released photos of its proposed $100 laptop computer, which is designed for flexible use and durability and aimed at widespread distribution in developing nations and educational environments.
By the way, the computer will have a hand crank for emergency use in environments without electrical access. What's not cool about that?
By the way, the computer will have a hand crank for emergency use in environments without electrical access. What's not cool about that?
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Zone of Recrimination
I wish I could regularly attend the Carbondale to Cyberdale meetings, if only to help justify the name of this blog. In particular, I would have benefited from yesterday's discussion. (In the absence of any published proceedings, I am just assuming that it wasn't postponed or cancelled and that the topic remaind VoIP [Voice over Internet Protocol].) VoIP, in spite of some continued concerns, has been revolutionizing the telcom industry. The most notable of these concerns has been access for VoIP customers to adequate 911 service. Providers are evidently working quickly to resolve this issue because new FCC regulations have essentially forced them to do so. Point is, VoIP may not be fully a replacement for traditional phone service yet, but it may be very soon (but only for those lucky enough to have [both geographic and budgetary] access to a high speed internet connection).
Perhaps meeting participants also discussed the recent purchase by Ebay of Skype, which the Washington Post calls in a recent article, "the world leader in telephony on the Internet". I mentioned having tried skype in a comment to Dave's post about the meeting ( and no, grammar nerds, I wasn't literally trying out skype in the comment itself. However, if this aside is confusing to you, consider yourself lucky: you are most likely NOT a grammar nerd; your life is likely a full and rewarding one; and I must therefore apologize for this needless aside.), so I can acknowledge that the software at least works. In addition, because it wasn't a U.S. company, the FCC's new rules don't apply. Does it make a difference in terms of those rules that skype is now owned by Ebay? I have no idea, but would be curious to find out. Bottom line is, an essentially free product like Skype undermines the business models of the VoIP companies that were in turn undermining the business models of the traditional telcoms. (Crazy, isn't it?) Heck, you can now even make free skype calls from your cell phone (allegedly).
The larger point about VoIP and about Ebay's purchase of Skype seems to be that here is the bleeding edge of the current trend towards the flattening of the business world because it is getting cheaper and cheaper to connect even geographically far-flung workers. This means an exponential increase in global competition for even the most highly technical and creativity-intensive types of work.
And the iterations are almost infinite. You've already outsourced your business to an Indian tech company? Well, why not outsource your life? That's the service being offered by YourManInIndia. It's called GetFriday, and it allows you to have someone else handle those pesky "non-essential time-consuming tasks" that clutter up your mundane existence. For a recent article in Esquire Magazine, writer A.J. Jacobs did precisely that and seems to have started a trend.
But what if I outsourced my life and discovered that those non-essential time-consuming tasks were the only thing holding my fragile self together? What if I discover once I remove the quotidian that all I have left is something that even Nietzsche's abyss can't look at for very long without become depressed, if I discover that - in terms of me - there's never been a there there? What if I finally got a lever that was long enough and found a place to stand, but didn't have anything that needed moving?
Perhaps there really are some problems that still can't be solved with technology. Therapy, maybe, but not technology.
Perhaps meeting participants also discussed the recent purchase by Ebay of Skype, which the Washington Post calls in a recent article, "the world leader in telephony on the Internet". I mentioned having tried skype in a comment to Dave's post about the meeting ( and no, grammar nerds, I wasn't literally trying out skype in the comment itself. However, if this aside is confusing to you, consider yourself lucky: you are most likely NOT a grammar nerd; your life is likely a full and rewarding one; and I must therefore apologize for this needless aside.), so I can acknowledge that the software at least works. In addition, because it wasn't a U.S. company, the FCC's new rules don't apply. Does it make a difference in terms of those rules that skype is now owned by Ebay? I have no idea, but would be curious to find out. Bottom line is, an essentially free product like Skype undermines the business models of the VoIP companies that were in turn undermining the business models of the traditional telcoms. (Crazy, isn't it?) Heck, you can now even make free skype calls from your cell phone (allegedly).
The larger point about VoIP and about Ebay's purchase of Skype seems to be that here is the bleeding edge of the current trend towards the flattening of the business world because it is getting cheaper and cheaper to connect even geographically far-flung workers. This means an exponential increase in global competition for even the most highly technical and creativity-intensive types of work.
And the iterations are almost infinite. You've already outsourced your business to an Indian tech company? Well, why not outsource your life? That's the service being offered by YourManInIndia. It's called GetFriday, and it allows you to have someone else handle those pesky "non-essential time-consuming tasks" that clutter up your mundane existence. For a recent article in Esquire Magazine, writer A.J. Jacobs did precisely that and seems to have started a trend.
But what if I outsourced my life and discovered that those non-essential time-consuming tasks were the only thing holding my fragile self together? What if I discover once I remove the quotidian that all I have left is something that even Nietzsche's abyss can't look at for very long without become depressed, if I discover that - in terms of me - there's never been a there there? What if I finally got a lever that was long enough and found a place to stand, but didn't have anything that needed moving?
Perhaps there really are some problems that still can't be solved with technology. Therapy, maybe, but not technology.
Friday, September 16, 2005
The New Book
It looks like the new TK3 is still about a year away from its release, if a November 2004 article by Bob Stein, the mastermind behind the revolutionary e-book authoring environment, is to be believed. Stein writes:
If its true that the future of our personal tech devices will be about combining all of the functions we want into one device with a single, simple interface, why can't we imagine that educational media will undergo a similar consolidation?
If tk4 proves to be as useful as it promises, there is no reason why we can't.
Recently, the Mellon Foundation made a $1.4 million grant to the Institute for the Future of the Book, co-located at the University of Southern California and Columbia University, to develop a completely new version of the TK3 software. TK4 is planned for release in the fall of 2006. It will be completely open source and free to educational institutions, so users can extend the features of TK4 as needed.If I were an educational institution, and you know that I am, I would be lining up now to get in on the testing phase of this software. Here we have a potential revolution that is about empowering students, not simply upsetting the status quo. Its about learning as creating as collaborating as film as text as audio as integrating knowledge.
If its true that the future of our personal tech devices will be about combining all of the functions we want into one device with a single, simple interface, why can't we imagine that educational media will undergo a similar consolidation?
If tk4 proves to be as useful as it promises, there is no reason why we can't.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Voices from the Commons
For anyone interested in creating, remixing or just plain consuming media from the web, this goofy-but-great cartoon explains the basics of the creative commons license.
Budding local podcasters looking for music to include in their programs can go to Magnatune, a record company for the digital age (motto: "We are not evil"). They specifically allow much of their artists' music to be used free in podcasts (with some attribution, of course).
If you are using Windows 2000/XP, you can also attend the Pawtucket Film Festival's filmcast. They are releasing some of the festival's films online for free viewing one film at a time throughout the festival. I'm using Windows ME so can not download Quicktime 7 and cannot watch the films (or I'm simply too lazy to look for another way to watch them). Of course, being that it is a filmcast (and not simply streaming or downloadable-files-on-a-server), you can subscribe to a feed which will bring the films to your computer as they are released. Just another new wrinkle for our local artists, filmmakers and festival producers to consider. I wonder if the Big Muddy knows about this?
Budding local podcasters looking for music to include in their programs can go to Magnatune, a record company for the digital age (motto: "We are not evil"). They specifically allow much of their artists' music to be used free in podcasts (with some attribution, of course).
If you are using Windows 2000/XP, you can also attend the Pawtucket Film Festival's filmcast. They are releasing some of the festival's films online for free viewing one film at a time throughout the festival. I'm using Windows ME so can not download Quicktime 7 and cannot watch the films (or I'm simply too lazy to look for another way to watch them). Of course, being that it is a filmcast (and not simply streaming or downloadable-files-on-a-server), you can subscribe to a feed which will bring the films to your computer as they are released. Just another new wrinkle for our local artists, filmmakers and festival producers to consider. I wonder if the Big Muddy knows about this?
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
This is the Way a Blog Ends
...and so Jim Syler's experiment in first person narration of a country's response to disaster ends with a whimper (but with pictures!).
Slipping through our Grasp
Dave says it's all coming together. But is that a good thing? Not necessarily, argues writer Michael Joyce. Academic Commons prints the text of a talk Joyce gave at U of Wash in which he argues that our lives are actually lived in the spaces between things. (If you want to listen to a stream of the talk, go here.) You thought you were wasting your time driving to attend the city council meetings in person? Nope. You were just exercising your consciousness in the interspace. Turns out, the instant-on, google-powered internet - for all its apparent utility - may actually be a form of false consciousness perpetuated by the international corporations who would like us to imagine ourselves existing in a space minus distance, where everything we want (to buy) is no farther from us than the ends of our fingers. By the way, what's a false consciousness? I don't know. I was hoping you would. Or at least that you wouldn't ask about it. Give me some interspace, please.
And this relates locally because...
It relates locally because I've been trumpeting the benefits of bringing the community together online as a way of breaking down barriers, increasing knowledge and understanding, of forging those mysterious habits of the heart that make us so dependent upon each other. And soon peace and love reigned throughout the land.
I guess I feel that online apps and tools that make us feel less alone in our offline space -- and educate us about the outlines of the larger space we all share -- are good (for lack of a better word). The part of the nets that encourages us to forget about our realspace or encourages us to be alone, but with our consumer toys is - at best - a mixed blessing.
So Carbondale's streaming of council meetings is a net good (and is part of the good net), while Walmart.com's fun and easy-to-use tool for uploading your photos for having them printed cheaply at their stores is a wash, netishly speaking. And anyway, where at Walmart.com will you learn that Mayor Cole needs a new credenza or that Counselwoman (Counselperson?) Simon likes to buy her furniture at flea markets and yard sales? Seriously, you cannot buy that kind of local insight.
And this relates locally because...
It relates locally because I've been trumpeting the benefits of bringing the community together online as a way of breaking down barriers, increasing knowledge and understanding, of forging those mysterious habits of the heart that make us so dependent upon each other. And soon peace and love reigned throughout the land.
I guess I feel that online apps and tools that make us feel less alone in our offline space -- and educate us about the outlines of the larger space we all share -- are good (for lack of a better word). The part of the nets that encourages us to forget about our realspace or encourages us to be alone, but with our consumer toys is - at best - a mixed blessing.
So Carbondale's streaming of council meetings is a net good (and is part of the good net), while Walmart.com's fun and easy-to-use tool for uploading your photos for having them printed cheaply at their stores is a wash, netishly speaking. And anyway, where at Walmart.com will you learn that Mayor Cole needs a new credenza or that Counselwoman (Counselperson?) Simon likes to buy her furniture at flea markets and yard sales? Seriously, you cannot buy that kind of local insight.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
haven't you heard . . . the City Council meeting?
Have you seen the list of public meetings now available on the City of Carbondale web site? The mayor recently issued a press release announcing it. In small part, this is due to prompting by the authors of this blog, but mostly through the efforts of Mark Jones, the city's technical guy, who's been capturing the audio portion of video recordings of meetings and transferring them to digital format -- either .mp3 or .wma. (As I type these words, my old computer is downloading the .mp3 version on a high speed connection. Estimated 11 minutes. Dialup would be much longer -- probably too long?)
While waiting, I've been following Rob's suggestion (below), reading how "TK3 Author" and "TK3 Reader" can be used to write interactive e-documents, such as the "blook" (blog-based book) I'm writing about Carbondale. The program also requires buying and learning QuickTime Pro. It looks promising. The next step might be to interview prominent persons in the community . . . on the record about local matters. "Podcast" files that can be included in the blook with the help of TK3.
Haven't you heard? It's all coming together.
While waiting, I've been following Rob's suggestion (below), reading how "TK3 Author" and "TK3 Reader" can be used to write interactive e-documents, such as the "blook" (blog-based book) I'm writing about Carbondale. The program also requires buying and learning QuickTime Pro. It looks promising. The next step might be to interview prominent persons in the community . . . on the record about local matters. "Podcast" files that can be included in the blook with the help of TK3.
Haven't you heard? It's all coming together.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
The Postmodern Book
I've been playing around with tk3, which is authoring software that allows you to create - with very little fuss -- functionally deep and content-rich e-books. I myself used the tk3 software to create an e-book of the first year of my daughter's life. It was a simple, little book that included photos, text, a few annotations, a couple of links and some short videos shot with a digital camera. However, the potential for this software is much greater than that.
In fact, for me its greatest potential is in education. Even teachers with limited computer experience can use it to make "personalized" textbooks for their classes, textbooks that can include audio, video, photos, weblinks and text in a single, simple interface. Students can use tk3 to create media-rich, interactive projects on topics that range from the personal to the political and beyond. For the reader, Tk3 has a powerful set of built in functions that allow you to highlight, annotate, bookmark and otherwise deface your book as you see fit and as fits your particular learning style.
But even more exciting is that a group at USC is creating an open-source sequel to tk3, a sequel they call Sophie. I've been having some trouble finding out exactly when Sophie will be made available (The original, proposed timeline suggested the first version would be out this August). As an open-source sequel, I assume it will be available free for download, ala Firefox (although "open-source" and "free" are not necessarily synonyms).
In any case, I will be tracking the development of Sophie very carefully. But in the meantime, I recommend that educators, artists and writers with a high-speed connection (and all the people looking for a way to create a different kind of family album) go to the Night Kitchen's website and download the trial version of tk3. You can also download the tk3 reader for free and download sample books (click on the "education" section at www.futureofthebook.org) created using the tk3 authoring software.
Perhaps Dave can create an e-book version of his new book?
In fact, for me its greatest potential is in education. Even teachers with limited computer experience can use it to make "personalized" textbooks for their classes, textbooks that can include audio, video, photos, weblinks and text in a single, simple interface. Students can use tk3 to create media-rich, interactive projects on topics that range from the personal to the political and beyond. For the reader, Tk3 has a powerful set of built in functions that allow you to highlight, annotate, bookmark and otherwise deface your book as you see fit and as fits your particular learning style.
But even more exciting is that a group at USC is creating an open-source sequel to tk3, a sequel they call Sophie. I've been having some trouble finding out exactly when Sophie will be made available (The original, proposed timeline suggested the first version would be out this August). As an open-source sequel, I assume it will be available free for download, ala Firefox (although "open-source" and "free" are not necessarily synonyms).
In any case, I will be tracking the development of Sophie very carefully. But in the meantime, I recommend that educators, artists and writers with a high-speed connection (and all the people looking for a way to create a different kind of family album) go to the Night Kitchen's website and download the trial version of tk3. You can also download the tk3 reader for free and download sample books (click on the "education" section at www.futureofthebook.org) created using the tk3 authoring software.
Perhaps Dave can create an e-book version of his new book?
Monday, August 29, 2005
CTS on 9/21
At the last Carbondale to Cyberdale meeting, it was announced that Carbondale to Cyberdale would be going to a quarterly format instead of the existing monthly format.
The next Carbondale to Cyberdale meeting will be on Wednesday, September 21, 2005, where the tentative topic will be VoIP. The presenters of the topic will be Warren Heuman, Data Manager and Ann Smith, Sales Engineer, both of CTS.
“Business should only invest in technology if it can increase profitability and increase competitive advantage. Acronyms are flying all over the place in the technology world. VoIP is one of the most frequent ones. If you are confused or in the dark about VoIP, you are not alone. CTS will shed some light on VoIP and how it may benefit you and your business.”
The next Carbondale to Cyberdale meeting will be on Wednesday, September 21, 2005, where the tentative topic will be VoIP. The presenters of the topic will be Warren Heuman, Data Manager and Ann Smith, Sales Engineer, both of CTS.
“Business should only invest in technology if it can increase profitability and increase competitive advantage. Acronyms are flying all over the place in the technology world. VoIP is one of the most frequent ones. If you are confused or in the dark about VoIP, you are not alone. CTS will shed some light on VoIP and how it may benefit you and your business.”
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Computers for $60
A multi-agency initiative designed to enhance computer literacy is under way in Carbondale: Writes Tom Woolf: "The Carbondale Computer Rehabilitation Program will provide families enrolled in the free or reduced lunch program in the Carbondale Elementary School District with the opportunity to buy a refurbished computer system for $60. The systems will include a monitor, keyboard, printer and software. Senior citizens residing in north Carbondale also are eligible for the program.
Sponsors are the Community Outreach Partnership Center program, part of Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development; Attucks Community Services, Inc.; the Carbondale Elementary School District; Jackson County Health Department; and Web Innovations Technologies of St. Louis. Attucks Community Services is administering the program.
Eligible families may register for the computer program during school registration, Aug. 9-10, noon to 6 p.m. at the Carbondale Middle School, 1150 E. Grand Ave. By signing up for the program, parents and seniors also then will participate in two one-hour sessions to introduce them to basic computer and Internet skills. Recipients also can sign up for free eight-week computer classes offered at Attucks Community Service's Computer Technology Center, located in the Eurma C. Hayes Center."
Sponsors are the Community Outreach Partnership Center program, part of Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development; Attucks Community Services, Inc.; the Carbondale Elementary School District; Jackson County Health Department; and Web Innovations Technologies of St. Louis. Attucks Community Services is administering the program.
Eligible families may register for the computer program during school registration, Aug. 9-10, noon to 6 p.m. at the Carbondale Middle School, 1150 E. Grand Ave. By signing up for the program, parents and seniors also then will participate in two one-hour sessions to introduce them to basic computer and Internet skills. Recipients also can sign up for free eight-week computer classes offered at Attucks Community Service's Computer Technology Center, located in the Eurma C. Hayes Center."
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
podcasting plods on
UPDATE: Interviews of business people on the Town Square about the demolition of the old Bank of Carbondale building on the corner of Main and Washington were interesting, but not digitally recorded because the individuals spoken to did not want their opinions recorded for posterity. Instead, plans for interviews with interesting people at "the best tables in town" will be arranged for the Fall.
Mayor Cole was impressed by the digital voice recording of the Historic Preservation Committee meeting earlier this summer. He's recommended that the City go digital in future meetings. The Mayor is also committed to Community Wi-Fi and webcasting City Council meetings, so that should be virtual reality in a month or two.
Mayor Cole was impressed by the digital voice recording of the Historic Preservation Committee meeting earlier this summer. He's recommended that the City go digital in future meetings. The Mayor is also committed to Community Wi-Fi and webcasting City Council meetings, so that should be virtual reality in a month or two.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Boys & Girls Club kids create web site
Reports Kristen Cates in The Southern Illinoisan: "Through WSIU, the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale was able to secure grant funding from PBS KIDS Go! to work on a virtual tour of the forest and create an interactive Internet Web site.
Beth Spezia, outreach coordinator for WSIU Public Broadcasting, said this is part of a yearlong Trees Across America grant that will focus on the theme of ecology. . . .
The children have been learning how to use digital cameras and videos. Friday, they spent a few hours in the New Media Center on SIUC's campus learning how to create a movie. . . . Using recent photos and videos taken at the club, the children spent time learning how to mesh the photos together and create a video.
Ultimately, this will be a lesson the kids can use when it comes time to creating their Trees Across America software . . . . Once that software is built, . . . it will be distributed to all of the Boys and Girls Clubs across the country as a training video and lesson plan about different trees in the forests.
Bryan Gottschalk, tech center director at the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale, said not only will this teach other children about ecology, but it offers something to the kids in Carbondale as well."
Beth Spezia, outreach coordinator for WSIU Public Broadcasting, said this is part of a yearlong Trees Across America grant that will focus on the theme of ecology. . . .
The children have been learning how to use digital cameras and videos. Friday, they spent a few hours in the New Media Center on SIUC's campus learning how to create a movie. . . . Using recent photos and videos taken at the club, the children spent time learning how to mesh the photos together and create a video.
Ultimately, this will be a lesson the kids can use when it comes time to creating their Trees Across America software . . . . Once that software is built, . . . it will be distributed to all of the Boys and Girls Clubs across the country as a training video and lesson plan about different trees in the forests.
Bryan Gottschalk, tech center director at the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale, said not only will this teach other children about ecology, but it offers something to the kids in Carbondale as well."
Friday, July 15, 2005
waiting for podot
I'm off to purchase a digital voice recorder in order to give local citizens the opportunity to speak "on the record" about matters of concern to the community. Currently, the Town Square business community is concerned about the result of demolishing the old Bank of Carbondale building and replacing it with a parking lot. In the next few days, I'll record the interviews and post them to this web site.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Arizona school will not use textbooks
Yahoo! News reports: Arizona School Will Not Use Textbooks: "A high school in Vail [Arizona] will become the state's first all-wireless, all-laptop public school this fall. The 350 students at the school will not have traditional textbooks. Instead, they will use electronic and online articles as part of more traditional teacher lesson plans. . . . Vail Unified School District's decision to go with an all-electronic school is rare, experts say. Often, cost, insecurity, ignorance and institutional constraints prevent schools from making the leap away from paper.
'The efforts are very sporadic,' said Mark Schneiderman, director of education policy for the Software and Information Industry Association. 'A minority of communities are doing a good or very good job, but a large number are just not there on a number of levels.'"
'The efforts are very sporadic,' said Mark Schneiderman, director of education policy for the Software and Information Industry Association. 'A minority of communities are doing a good or very good job, but a large number are just not there on a number of levels.'"
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Plant Web site features 'weirdest of the weird'
Plant Web site features 'weirdest of the weird': "A botanist at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Daniel L. Nickrent tends a fertile, award-winning Web site he created with more than 1,700 images, representing 224 genera or 82 percent of all parasitic flowering plants "
Monday, July 04, 2005
Illinois Information Service
From the collapsing-right-before-the-finish-line department: Has anyone else visited the website for IIS radio? How nice of the state to post all of their audio news releases in MP3 format for download or for streaming. Great! Now I can use their RSS feed to subscribe to the audio and automatically download the twice-daily newscasts to my computer?
No. No, you can't. There is no RSS feed.
You mean to tell me they took the time to set up the page, and to record and serve the files but didn't take an extra nanosecond to make them podcastable?
You've cracked the case, Hercule.
Fiendish state employee-in-charge whose name I cannot be bothered to search for, J'accuse!
[end of fake conversation. There was actually much more but I cut it because it became increasingly ridiculous and difficult to sustain from both a psychological and a comedic perspective]
Seriously, the state's wasting an opportunity for bandwagon behavior, and if anyone is going to jump on a bandwagon, shouldn't it be a functionary for the state? A flunky? A flunktionary?
No. No, you can't. There is no RSS feed.
You mean to tell me they took the time to set up the page, and to record and serve the files but didn't take an extra nanosecond to make them podcastable?
You've cracked the case, Hercule.
Fiendish state employee-in-charge whose name I cannot be bothered to search for, J'accuse!
[end of fake conversation. There was actually much more but I cut it because it became increasingly ridiculous and difficult to sustain from both a psychological and a comedic perspective]
Seriously, the state's wasting an opportunity for bandwagon behavior, and if anyone is going to jump on a bandwagon, shouldn't it be a functionary for the state? A flunky? A flunktionary?
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Movin' and shakin'
Corina Lang made the pages of Yellowmoon Cafe blog, having ". . . come up with a wacko idea to write Ellen Degeneres a letter to see if Ellen will sponsor her driving and dancing across the country. . . ." Her plan is described in more detail -- including the need for a video of her dancing (which I went ahead and captured when I spotted Lady Lang a dancin' and a prancin' to the roots rock alternative music of Dutch Henry at Thursday's Sunset concert.) (about 6 meg file).
Another example of surf meeting turf.
Another example of surf meeting turf.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Voices of Carbondale -- Carbondale Historic Preservation Commission
Voices of Carbondale -- Volume One
This is our first recording of a public meeting. It was inspired by our interest in the old Bank of Carbondale building -- a great old building that's in serious trouble.
The recording lasts about 40 minutes. Enjoy.
This is our first recording of a public meeting. It was inspired by our interest in the old Bank of Carbondale building -- a great old building that's in serious trouble.
The recording lasts about 40 minutes. Enjoy.
My Phone Company's Computer is Bigger than Yours
According to Top 500 Supercomputer Sites, Verizon's SuperDome 1 GHz/HyperPlex is the number 399 most powerful computer in the world with a very sexy Rmax of 1313.30. And their SuperDome 875 MHz/HyperPlex is number 434!
So, sorry about last month's bill, Verizon. And that email I...er...someone sent you? I'm sure they were just kidding. Don't go Skynet on me, pretty please.
So, sorry about last month's bill, Verizon. And that email I...er...someone sent you? I'm sure they were just kidding. Don't go Skynet on me, pretty please.
Big Mouth, Small Bandwidth
The good thing about not knowing what you are talking about, is that other people do. Which is why when one of our alert readers pointed us to an effective alternative to the top-down model of municipality-directed wireless access, we stood up (translation: shifted our butt on our chair), paid attention (stopped playing with our hair) and checked it out for ourselves (put down our cheeseburger). Meanwhile, in another part of our brain, certain organic synaptic encrypters were engaged in effectively preventing us from consciously admitting that "one of our alert readers" is really our "only alert reader" or -- more accurately -- our only reader, alert or otherwise. Note to selves: organic synaptic encrypters are demonstrably ineffective. And have the troubling side-effect of crippling our ability to speak of ourselves in the singular.
Anyway, thanks to one of our alert readers (ahhhh. There go the organic synaptic encrypters.) we humbly suggest the possibilities of a free, volunteer-based, community-driven model of providing Wi-Fi access. There's the very interesting Austin Wireless project described here. Or the geographically-proximitous Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network here.
Our personal feeling is that there is no reason such a project could not work in Carbondale. And yet, we do not share others' feelings that local government has no legitimate role in helping bring access to its citizens. Ultimately, we believe the best way to connect your citizens in the age of web-empowered democracy is to use the method that connects your citizens in the age of web-empowered democracy. Pilot project or community activism, the best solution is the right one, and not the other way around. Or vice versa.
Anyway, thanks to one of our alert readers (ahhhh. There go the organic synaptic encrypters.) we humbly suggest the possibilities of a free, volunteer-based, community-driven model of providing Wi-Fi access. There's the very interesting Austin Wireless project described here. Or the geographically-proximitous Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network here.
Our personal feeling is that there is no reason such a project could not work in Carbondale. And yet, we do not share others' feelings that local government has no legitimate role in helping bring access to its citizens. Ultimately, we believe the best way to connect your citizens in the age of web-empowered democracy is to use the method that connects your citizens in the age of web-empowered democracy. Pilot project or community activism, the best solution is the right one, and not the other way around. Or vice versa.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Small Town, Big Bandwidth
In towns such as ours, with its crazy quilt of ways of jacking in to the net, wireless fidelity -- or Wi Fi as it is generally known -- is a luxury. This is because many of our connections have not fidelity -- in the sense of always being there wherever and whenever we need them -- nor are they wireless -- in the sense of being readily affordable and available without strings attached. So, when we hear about "Wi Fi" we tend to think of exotic places like St. Louis or certain of the more enlightened regions of New Jersey (speaking as one who chooses to judge such things on a sliding scale of relative enlightenment).
But hold on baby -- because now there's something meatier, and I ain't talkin' 'bout Sizzlean (though I know I should be). To be more precise -- as if that were a problem for this author -- Marshalltown, Ia recently began a pilot program of providing free wi fi to its entire downtown. (Granted "entire" and "downtown" are words that don't generally inspire awe among Marshalltown's residents and visitors. Unless you are inspired by its proximity to rural farm cooperatives. And some -- it must be admitted -- slightly above average soft-serve ice cream.)
Marshalltown is but one of many communities -- small and large -- exploring ways of connecting its citizens via the internets. And it is part of an ongoing conversation on how to treat higher-speed web access. Is it a basic utility that should be available to everyone at a nominal fee? Or is it just merely one of many telecommunications options that should be made available only when and where market forces demand it?
Some cities such as Marshalltown, looking for a way to stand out from the crowd, are trying to leapfrog their neighbors in bridging the digital divide between the metro and the retro. This is a small investment, they say. It will bring attention, they say. Economies and workers are becoming more connected, they say. If they can live in a small town with its lower costs and slower pace and still work as though they're in the big city with its intellectual stimulation and creative cross-fertilization, surely some in the creative class will take a chance on a place like us, they say.
If they can do it, why not us? Marshalltown's initial investment wasn't all that big (30 k) and it surely doesn't have the luxury of tapping the resources of a academic institution the size of SIU. How about a trial run, Carbondale? A modest proposal? electric kool-aid acid test?
You can bet I'll use this space in the future to look at other communities' responses to this call. And I'm not saying the utilitizating of web access is necessarily the answer to rural connectivity (or lack thereof). I am saying that when the farmer down the road starts using a seed that's cheaper and more productive than the one you are using, if you don't start think about switching seeds, you'd better start thinking about switching careers.
If there's one thing that Iowans know -- its that if you build it, they will come.
But hold on baby -- because now there's something meatier, and I ain't talkin' 'bout Sizzlean (though I know I should be). To be more precise -- as if that were a problem for this author -- Marshalltown, Ia recently began a pilot program of providing free wi fi to its entire downtown. (Granted "entire" and "downtown" are words that don't generally inspire awe among Marshalltown's residents and visitors. Unless you are inspired by its proximity to rural farm cooperatives. And some -- it must be admitted -- slightly above average soft-serve ice cream.)
Marshalltown is but one of many communities -- small and large -- exploring ways of connecting its citizens via the internets. And it is part of an ongoing conversation on how to treat higher-speed web access. Is it a basic utility that should be available to everyone at a nominal fee? Or is it just merely one of many telecommunications options that should be made available only when and where market forces demand it?
Some cities such as Marshalltown, looking for a way to stand out from the crowd, are trying to leapfrog their neighbors in bridging the digital divide between the metro and the retro. This is a small investment, they say. It will bring attention, they say. Economies and workers are becoming more connected, they say. If they can live in a small town with its lower costs and slower pace and still work as though they're in the big city with its intellectual stimulation and creative cross-fertilization, surely some in the creative class will take a chance on a place like us, they say.
If they can do it, why not us? Marshalltown's initial investment wasn't all that big (30 k) and it surely doesn't have the luxury of tapping the resources of a academic institution the size of SIU. How about a trial run, Carbondale? A modest proposal? electric kool-aid acid test?
You can bet I'll use this space in the future to look at other communities' responses to this call. And I'm not saying the utilitizating of web access is necessarily the answer to rural connectivity (or lack thereof). I am saying that when the farmer down the road starts using a seed that's cheaper and more productive than the one you are using, if you don't start think about switching seeds, you'd better start thinking about switching careers.
If there's one thing that Iowans know -- its that if you build it, they will come.
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Why Not Here?
Last weekend, Surf and I met up with "Murph" at Longbranch to conduct a podcasting test. Podcasting combines the immediacy of the weblog with the intimacy of radio. The three of us conversed for about one hour, discussing how downtown Carbondale can be improved and how to get a podcast radio show "on the air."
Our conversation rambled and coalesced around the idea of using a podcast to make Carbondale (especially downtown/town square area) more attractive. Murph (a recent transplant from California) offered observations on downtown redevelopment. The tinkling in the background was caused by interaction of wind and chimes on the porch of Tropicana (behind the Branch).
Our conversation rambled and coalesced around the idea of using a podcast to make Carbondale (especially downtown/town square area) more attractive. Murph (a recent transplant from California) offered observations on downtown redevelopment. The tinkling in the background was caused by interaction of wind and chimes on the porch of Tropicana (behind the Branch).
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Sample Podcast
Today, we are road-testing our syndicational powers with the first test podcast by the Carbondale Podcasters Union (CPU). To automatically detect the presence of and to download this podcast, you need to have a reader like ipodder and to subscribe to our feedburner feed (see the chicklet on the right hand border below).
The following audio was excerpted from about one hour of conversation on the porch of the Tropicana Vintage Clothing shop behind Longbranch.
Witness the transformative power of technology by clicking the link here!
The following audio was excerpted from about one hour of conversation on the porch of the Tropicana Vintage Clothing shop behind Longbranch.
Witness the transformative power of technology by clicking the link here!
Historic Historic Preservation Commission meeting
Monday night, there will be a meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission of the City of Carbondale to include, among other things, a demolition permit review and discussion, as well as report from Commissioner Gail White. Perhaps this blog can demo podcast a portion of that meeting, which would be a first.
Another interesting podcast would be brief interviews with members of the Town Square business owners, including the Bank of Carbondale . . . on the question "if there were a way to save the historic and aesthetic aspect of the old building, while increasing the economic benefit and eliminating safety issue, would you be interesting in hearing more, or seeing what I have in mind?"
Surf, I'm calling you out(-side from my cell phone).
Another interesting podcast would be brief interviews with members of the Town Square business owners, including the Bank of Carbondale . . . on the question "if there were a way to save the historic and aesthetic aspect of the old building, while increasing the economic benefit and eliminating safety issue, would you be interesting in hearing more, or seeing what I have in mind?"
Surf, I'm calling you out(-side from my cell phone).
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Podcast, Multicast, Roadcast ... Localcast!
The prefixes will vary, but the common suffix of some of the more interesting developments for individuals intent upon making their mark upon the web is "casting". This humble blog has brought up the possibilities of "pod"casting in the past. We have also noticed the recent touting of HD radio and of "multi"casting -- a technology that may become a commercial radio alternative to satellite. There's even something called "road"casting, wherein cars equipped with special wi fi-like setups become their own radio stations, streaming audio content to other nearby vehicles.
This is the age of self-syndication. Don't have a conventional outlet for your viewpoint? No problem. RSS, my friend. Can't find an audience for this viewpoint? Er, well, we haven't quite solved that one yet. Perhaps in the future our society will need designated, paid, professional "readers" whose job it is to be an audience for the millions of voices on the net. It's a tough job, but with millions of consumers creating their own content, somebody's going to have to do it.
However, that's still in the future. Today, we -- we as in the people behind this blog -- are currently embarking on an as-yet-unnamed project that will produce other forms of original media content for our community via the web. Hopefully, there will be more on this soon. The bottom-line for us is NOT a particular political or cultural agenda beyond creating a space for conversation on local issues. My own personal feeling is that these issues -- and this project -- will promote the values of the TEC triangle (Transparency, Engagement, Collaboration). But we'll see.
One form of casting we do not approve of is "type"casting. Because we know that when you reduce issues -- and people -- to simplistic caricatures, the possibility for real conversation and real understanding is lost.
This is the age of self-syndication. Don't have a conventional outlet for your viewpoint? No problem. RSS, my friend. Can't find an audience for this viewpoint? Er, well, we haven't quite solved that one yet. Perhaps in the future our society will need designated, paid, professional "readers" whose job it is to be an audience for the millions of voices on the net. It's a tough job, but with millions of consumers creating their own content, somebody's going to have to do it.
However, that's still in the future. Today, we -- we as in the people behind this blog -- are currently embarking on an as-yet-unnamed project that will produce other forms of original media content for our community via the web. Hopefully, there will be more on this soon. The bottom-line for us is NOT a particular political or cultural agenda beyond creating a space for conversation on local issues. My own personal feeling is that these issues -- and this project -- will promote the values of the TEC triangle (Transparency, Engagement, Collaboration). But we'll see.
One form of casting we do not approve of is "type"casting. Because we know that when you reduce issues -- and people -- to simplistic caricatures, the possibility for real conversation and real understanding is lost.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Haven't you Heard? I Can't Write an Original Headline
Is Carbondale trying to tap in to the power of smart mobs?
Not really. But word on the street is that the city IS trying to create buzz around its newest slogan, "Haven't you Heard?" (This is old news for readers of another blog in town.)
In her Southern article on the "'phenomenon'", (Since I quote a word that was itself quoted, I put in an extra set of single quote marks just to be safe.) Nicole Sack writes that, "If imitation is the best form of flattery, the campaign is on the right track. Copycats of 'Haven't you heard' have surfaced since the unveiling in August." Sources close to the latin proverb in question indicate that imitation is actually the "sincerest" form of flattery, not the "best". Unless you think E.D. Hirsch is a punk. In which case, I'll have no truck with you.
A question is raised: Can Carbondale's buzzmakers point to an article about their buzzmaking as another sign of how much buzz is being made? It's like that old saying: If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears the sound, how many flyers with "Haven't you heard?" printed on them can you make out of that tree?
Which brings us back to the city's new slogan.
At this point, it looks as though Carbondale and its slogan are a brand in search of a metaphor. As local leaders seek to accrue rhetorical significance around their new branding, why not web-empower that search? It's the next step in collaboration technology, so says an article from BusinessWeek Online.
I suggest creating a website that lets users write their own answer to the city's evocative question. Perhaps as part of a contest to find the best one? Winner gets her own, personal TIF district!
My contribution? "Haven't you Heard? Carbondale had me at hello."
Carbondale, throw in a package of sea monkeys and I'll come up with something better.
Not really. But word on the street is that the city IS trying to create buzz around its newest slogan, "Haven't you Heard?" (This is old news for readers of another blog in town.)
In her Southern article on the "'phenomenon'", (Since I quote a word that was itself quoted, I put in an extra set of single quote marks just to be safe.) Nicole Sack writes that, "If imitation is the best form of flattery, the campaign is on the right track. Copycats of 'Haven't you heard' have surfaced since the unveiling in August." Sources close to the latin proverb in question indicate that imitation is actually the "sincerest" form of flattery, not the "best". Unless you think E.D. Hirsch is a punk. In which case, I'll have no truck with you.
A question is raised: Can Carbondale's buzzmakers point to an article about their buzzmaking as another sign of how much buzz is being made? It's like that old saying: If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears the sound, how many flyers with "Haven't you heard?" printed on them can you make out of that tree?
Which brings us back to the city's new slogan.
At this point, it looks as though Carbondale and its slogan are a brand in search of a metaphor. As local leaders seek to accrue rhetorical significance around their new branding, why not web-empower that search? It's the next step in collaboration technology, so says an article from BusinessWeek Online.
I suggest creating a website that lets users write their own answer to the city's evocative question. Perhaps as part of a contest to find the best one? Winner gets her own, personal TIF district!
My contribution? "Haven't you Heard? Carbondale had me at hello."
Carbondale, throw in a package of sea monkeys and I'll come up with something better.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
City of Quartz/City of Carbon
L.A. may be the source of everything cultural that makes our midwestern butter churn up rancid, but they do have the podcasting thing down. Par example, L.A. public radio station KCRW currently podcasts 22 of its locally-produced shows. No music shows however, due to the music industry's ongoing kerfuffle over copyright issues.
The station has that demystifying thing down too. Here's its explanation of just what-in-the-world-of-Dr. Alex Delaware a podcast is:
The station has that demystifying thing down too. Here's its explanation of just what-in-the-world-of-Dr. Alex Delaware a podcast is:
A podcast is a MP3 audio file that can be automatically downloaded to your personal computer and in turn transferred to an iPod or other MP3 player. In order to do this, a podcasting application is used to "add" a podcast. The program checks the site regularly and starts a download whenever it finds a new MP3 file. KCRW.com is offering downloadable MP3 podcasts of all its locally produced talk programs.Maybe WSIU should podcast its locally-produced talk shows like ... and then there's ... well, there's always ... ok, how about ... oh, nevermind.
Friday, June 10, 2005
Technology winners
Five technology firms share Southern Angels business plan prize honors including:
Clipius Technologies, first place: The company uses a "think-tank" business model and provides high-tech solutions in application areas including biomedical, defense, homeland security and the aerospace industry. Product lines include hardware, software and service solutions. Second place went to Fluid Measurement Technologies, Inc., which supplies instrumentation and measurement services to analyze contamination in high-purity water, a vital service for the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries. Third place to Microlution, a Glen Carbon firm developed new micro-manufacturing systems that are many times smaller and less expensive than existing equipment. Other finalists were Interactive Video Sports, a Carbondale start-up firm will market proprietary software designed to train rapid recognition skills in a variety of sports, including baseball, softball, tennis and other racquet sports, hockey and soccer and Advancement Technology Partners, a Carbondale company which helps educational institutions and non-profit organizations effectively manage information.
Clipius Technologies, first place: The company uses a "think-tank" business model and provides high-tech solutions in application areas including biomedical, defense, homeland security and the aerospace industry. Product lines include hardware, software and service solutions. Second place went to Fluid Measurement Technologies, Inc., which supplies instrumentation and measurement services to analyze contamination in high-purity water, a vital service for the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries. Third place to Microlution, a Glen Carbon firm developed new micro-manufacturing systems that are many times smaller and less expensive than existing equipment. Other finalists were Interactive Video Sports, a Carbondale start-up firm will market proprietary software designed to train rapid recognition skills in a variety of sports, including baseball, softball, tennis and other racquet sports, hockey and soccer and Advancement Technology Partners, a Carbondale company which helps educational institutions and non-profit organizations effectively manage information.
I [he]art your website
From the form follows function department: You must see SIU artist Cheonae Kim's website (not to mention her art).
Who knew black and white boxes could be so dynamic and fascinating? Not to mention the funky font (Now with scrambled code-breaker motion!)
On a non-intellectual level I dig her art because it reminds me of the old computer game "Life", or the game we used to play on long car rides as a kid where you'd take turns marking over the line segments on a sheet of graph paper, trying to form boxes (and writing your initials in them when you made one) until you would run out of lines. The person with the most boxes would win. Yes, I grew up in the age of paper.
Cheonae says the site was created by a Japanese designer-friend. So not local talent. But he's got mad skillz.
Unfortunately, I don't think Cheonae worries a lot about keeping the site updated. Still, as a crazy blend of her art and someone else's design, it's chimera-licious!
Who knew black and white boxes could be so dynamic and fascinating? Not to mention the funky font (Now with scrambled code-breaker motion!)
On a non-intellectual level I dig her art because it reminds me of the old computer game "Life", or the game we used to play on long car rides as a kid where you'd take turns marking over the line segments on a sheet of graph paper, trying to form boxes (and writing your initials in them when you made one) until you would run out of lines. The person with the most boxes would win. Yes, I grew up in the age of paper.
Cheonae says the site was created by a Japanese designer-friend. So not local talent. But he's got mad skillz.
Unfortunately, I don't think Cheonae worries a lot about keeping the site updated. Still, as a crazy blend of her art and someone else's design, it's chimera-licious!
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Will the Revolution be Digitized?
From the blurb department: A New York Times article that describes how a music blog broke an indie band (registration required). For a non-registration summary, you can go here.
Is this a sign of the death of the old economy? Netizens sidling up, Oliver Twist-wise, and humbly asking, "Please sir, may I undermine your business model?"
No. It's simply a matter of an old economy industry co-opting the toys of the new one. An interesting story, then, but one that is, technologically speaking, a bit of a wash.
The blog its bad self? Here.
Is this a sign of the death of the old economy? Netizens sidling up, Oliver Twist-wise, and humbly asking, "Please sir, may I undermine your business model?"
No. It's simply a matter of an old economy industry co-opting the toys of the new one. An interesting story, then, but one that is, technologically speaking, a bit of a wash.
The blog its bad self? Here.
Casting meetings upon web
Talk about "podcasting" has got me envisioning digital webcasting public meetings . . . as they do in Bloomington, IN.
Currently, City Council meetings are broadcast on Cable Channel 16, through agreement with MediaCom, or you can purchase videotapes of meetings from the City Clerk (free, if you bring your own tape), but webcasting would make more meetings available to more residents, at a fraction of the cost (I think). Stay tuned.
Currently, City Council meetings are broadcast on Cable Channel 16, through agreement with MediaCom, or you can purchase videotapes of meetings from the City Clerk (free, if you bring your own tape), but webcasting would make more meetings available to more residents, at a fraction of the cost (I think). Stay tuned.
Papers podcast
Echoing what Surf was saying about Podcasting, NPR reports: a few Newsapers are Podcasting: "A growing number now offer Internet radio programs, producing their own Internet radio shows sending stories from their pages, for downloading via special subscription software called RSS to iPods and other players. . . .
Media analysts aren't sure whether podcasts will ever make real money. But most agree that at the early stages, revenue isn't the point; it's important for news outlets simply to be visible in a new arena, and to be prepared to cash in on it if ad money starts to flow."
Media analysts aren't sure whether podcasts will ever make real money. But most agree that at the early stages, revenue isn't the point; it's important for news outlets simply to be visible in a new arena, and to be prepared to cash in on it if ad money starts to flow."
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Angel angle
Southern Angels Business Plan Contest winners will be announced on Friday by angel investor and online art purveyor Peter Gregory, along with state and university representatives.
Site So Ill
Since I recently wrote about looking for the "face of southern Illinois" on the web, it's only right that I mention AccessSI, "your southern Illinois community resource directory!" This is a site that deserves greater visibility, in spite of that exclamation point.
I first heard about AccessSI a couple of years ago when I was involved in an advocacy group that was looking to publicize itself and its activities. I met the coordinator at an event at SIU. She was tremendously open and helpful. Unfortunately, a few months later she had already apparently moved on to something else. Still, its hard to criticize when my group didn't last much longer than that.
My impression, then, of AccessSI is that it is both underused and under-the-radar. A great idea -- and a tremendous potential resource -- that needs a higher profile. It also has, in my humble opinion, one of the more awkward interfaces around. I know what you are thinking. It's not about flash; it's about finding information about community organizations. And for that, there is little else like it in the area.
I guess I'm just a nitpicker, but I'm sort of left dreaming about what the site COULD be -- so much so that I tend to forget to value it for what it IS. Here's an unfair -- but for me, unavoidable -- comparison: AccessSI vs. Hands On Atlanta
I lived for a very brief time in an apartment north of Buckhead (Atlanta's version of Carbondale's ... actually, there is no comparable area of Carbondale). During that time, I was looking for volunteer opportunities. I discovered this group that would match me with the organization that best fit my interests. It was called ... (I'll bet you don't know what it was called!) Hands On Atlanta! (That was a surprise, wasn't it?)
They list agencies in need of volunteers; they train volunteers; they match volunteers with agencies in need. This, to me, is the very definition of a great idea.
Great comparison, you say. Nothing like picking an area with similar resources to ours, you say. Fulton county has a population of 814,438, Jackson county 59,612, you say. All is true, I say. I already admitted it wasn't a fair comparison. But a boy can dream, can't he?
If nothing else, Hands On Atlanta's website -- and their agency interface -- doesn't look beaten with the ugly stick. You, AccessSI, I'm sorry to say it looks as though your interface married the ugly stick and had ugly stick children.
Sorry about that one, AccessSI. But like Shaw said, a critic is someone who leaves no turn unstoned.
Still, could you tweak the thing, just a little bit?
I first heard about AccessSI a couple of years ago when I was involved in an advocacy group that was looking to publicize itself and its activities. I met the coordinator at an event at SIU. She was tremendously open and helpful. Unfortunately, a few months later she had already apparently moved on to something else. Still, its hard to criticize when my group didn't last much longer than that.
My impression, then, of AccessSI is that it is both underused and under-the-radar. A great idea -- and a tremendous potential resource -- that needs a higher profile. It also has, in my humble opinion, one of the more awkward interfaces around. I know what you are thinking. It's not about flash; it's about finding information about community organizations. And for that, there is little else like it in the area.
I guess I'm just a nitpicker, but I'm sort of left dreaming about what the site COULD be -- so much so that I tend to forget to value it for what it IS. Here's an unfair -- but for me, unavoidable -- comparison: AccessSI vs. Hands On Atlanta
I lived for a very brief time in an apartment north of Buckhead (Atlanta's version of Carbondale's ... actually, there is no comparable area of Carbondale). During that time, I was looking for volunteer opportunities. I discovered this group that would match me with the organization that best fit my interests. It was called ... (I'll bet you don't know what it was called!) Hands On Atlanta! (That was a surprise, wasn't it?)
They list agencies in need of volunteers; they train volunteers; they match volunteers with agencies in need. This, to me, is the very definition of a great idea.
Great comparison, you say. Nothing like picking an area with similar resources to ours, you say. Fulton county has a population of 814,438, Jackson county 59,612, you say. All is true, I say. I already admitted it wasn't a fair comparison. But a boy can dream, can't he?
If nothing else, Hands On Atlanta's website -- and their agency interface -- doesn't look beaten with the ugly stick. You, AccessSI, I'm sorry to say it looks as though your interface married the ugly stick and had ugly stick children.
Sorry about that one, AccessSI. But like Shaw said, a critic is someone who leaves no turn unstoned.
Still, could you tweak the thing, just a little bit?
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
TEC/Tech
As I write this, I'm listening to NPR's Diane Rehm Show and a discussion with journalist Joel Garreau about his new book, Radical Evolution. Here's a blurb about Garreau's book from his own website:
From Genetics to electronic enhancements to nanotechnology, we are seeing incredible leaps of human development in our lifetimes, in our recent experience, every single day.
What does this have to do with us locally? Well, Garreau makes the point that as these changes are speeding up, so is our potential for dealing with them. The fourth plane hijacked on 9/11 is an example. Here a group of passengers, empowered by cell phone technology, discover a problem, diagnose it and take steps to solve it with tremendous speed and at tremendous personal cost to themselves. Without that technology and -- more importantly -- people willing and able to absorb and act on the advantage that technology gives them, that plane likely reaches its destination. And cell phones are only a 20th century technology. Our local information web can empower us in a similar fashion, on things that concern us locally, and at a much less severe personal cost.
We should put more pressure on ourselves and our governments to take advantage of that empowerment -- and to support improvements that speed up the time it takes us to respond to local events. I attended last night's Park Board meeting and listened to a presentation about building an outdoor public pool. The board decided to create a task force to examine the idea in more detail. Had I been thinking as a web-empowered individual, I would have taken my digital voice recorder to the meeting, recorded the event, transfered it to my computer, exported it as an MP3, and posted it on the web. Voila! Instead of reading someone else's description of the event in the Southern, you could have heard it for yourselves. But I wasn't thinking as a web-empowered individual. Perhaps next time I will.
Our government could assist us in thinking as web-empowered individuals by providing their own podcasts of public meetings. I call the process of enabling individuals and communities by using technology to increase the speed and comprehensiveness of our responses to important events, the WET index (for Web-Enhanced Transparency). Carbondale government's WET index is low right now, perhaps a 2 or a 3 (out of 10). But with a small investment of time and money, this could shoot way up. A fully WET government gives its people the power to stay up with the kinds of changes that Joel Garreau is writing and speaking about. And that increases the chances that we can influence the direction of those changes in ways that are both ethically palatable and socially beneficial.
But perhaps transparency is not enough. NYT editorial writer Thomas Friedman has written about how, globally speaking, technology puts us in each other's faces -- and our anger is sometimes transmitted more quickly than our compassion. He writes, "Maybe the Internet, fiber optics, and satellites really are, together, like a high-tech Tower of Babel. It's as though God suddenly gave us all the tools to communicate and none of the tools to understand."
Still, WET government is a good place to start. And on a local level, the chances that we all share common goals and ideals is much greater than civilizations at the level of Friedman's global technological babel. Our shared goals and understandings give us a leg up and a greater chance for putting technology to good use.
This is why I suggest, humbly, that we adopt three pillars for developing the local information web: Transparency (already discussed), Engagement (the desire to identify and work on key issues facing the community), and Collaboration (the process of and technologies for working with others who share core concerns).
Collectively, I call these three pillars the TEC triangle. And I say, somewhat glibly, that there is no good from tech without TEC.
In Radical Evolution, bestselling author Joel Garreau, a reporter and editor for The Washington Post, shows us that we are at an inflection point in history. As you read this, we are engineering the next stage of human evolution. Through advances in genetics, robotics, information, and nanotechnologies, we are altering our minds, our memories, our metabolisms, our personalities, our progeny--and perhaps our very souls.Bottom line for Garreau? Researchers are today finding ways to give us the powers of the comic book superheros. He opens his book with the story of the telekenetic monkey. That's right. A monkey that controls things with its mind. It lives in a lab at Duke University. And in the interview, Garreau discusses "silent messaging" -- which is like instant messaging only it is done telepathically. Can't be? Garreau reports in the interview that a researcher has already sent the first ever message using only his brain (and some carefully implanted electronics). Don't believe it? Garreau would not be surprised. According to him, "This gulf between what engineers are actually creating today and what ordinary readers might find believable is significant."
From Genetics to electronic enhancements to nanotechnology, we are seeing incredible leaps of human development in our lifetimes, in our recent experience, every single day.
What does this have to do with us locally? Well, Garreau makes the point that as these changes are speeding up, so is our potential for dealing with them. The fourth plane hijacked on 9/11 is an example. Here a group of passengers, empowered by cell phone technology, discover a problem, diagnose it and take steps to solve it with tremendous speed and at tremendous personal cost to themselves. Without that technology and -- more importantly -- people willing and able to absorb and act on the advantage that technology gives them, that plane likely reaches its destination. And cell phones are only a 20th century technology. Our local information web can empower us in a similar fashion, on things that concern us locally, and at a much less severe personal cost.
We should put more pressure on ourselves and our governments to take advantage of that empowerment -- and to support improvements that speed up the time it takes us to respond to local events. I attended last night's Park Board meeting and listened to a presentation about building an outdoor public pool. The board decided to create a task force to examine the idea in more detail. Had I been thinking as a web-empowered individual, I would have taken my digital voice recorder to the meeting, recorded the event, transfered it to my computer, exported it as an MP3, and posted it on the web. Voila! Instead of reading someone else's description of the event in the Southern, you could have heard it for yourselves. But I wasn't thinking as a web-empowered individual. Perhaps next time I will.
Our government could assist us in thinking as web-empowered individuals by providing their own podcasts of public meetings. I call the process of enabling individuals and communities by using technology to increase the speed and comprehensiveness of our responses to important events, the WET index (for Web-Enhanced Transparency). Carbondale government's WET index is low right now, perhaps a 2 or a 3 (out of 10). But with a small investment of time and money, this could shoot way up. A fully WET government gives its people the power to stay up with the kinds of changes that Joel Garreau is writing and speaking about. And that increases the chances that we can influence the direction of those changes in ways that are both ethically palatable and socially beneficial.
But perhaps transparency is not enough. NYT editorial writer Thomas Friedman has written about how, globally speaking, technology puts us in each other's faces -- and our anger is sometimes transmitted more quickly than our compassion. He writes, "Maybe the Internet, fiber optics, and satellites really are, together, like a high-tech Tower of Babel. It's as though God suddenly gave us all the tools to communicate and none of the tools to understand."
Still, WET government is a good place to start. And on a local level, the chances that we all share common goals and ideals is much greater than civilizations at the level of Friedman's global technological babel. Our shared goals and understandings give us a leg up and a greater chance for putting technology to good use.
This is why I suggest, humbly, that we adopt three pillars for developing the local information web: Transparency (already discussed), Engagement (the desire to identify and work on key issues facing the community), and Collaboration (the process of and technologies for working with others who share core concerns).
Collectively, I call these three pillars the TEC triangle. And I say, somewhat glibly, that there is no good from tech without TEC.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
The Craigslist business model
Carbondale, Illinois does not yet have free web-based classified ads, but elsewhere, more than 120 cities world-wide use Craigslist, a free community-based web site for market and personal exchanges now being imitated by Ebay. It's tempting to quote the entire New York Times article, but some highlights:
Would Craigslist (by another name) work in Carbondale? In Southern Illinois? This would be an interesting marketing project for university students looking for real world experience. . . . Professor Clark . . . are you reading this?
"Until recently, Craigslist was the overlooked underachiever from that fertile class of 1995 start-ups. Like eBay, it began as a free community service that year, a little experiment in applying technology to community-building, not profit-seeking. Craigslist initially provided online listings of local events in the San Francisco Bay Area, the kind that could be found in an alternative newspaper. Visitors were encouraged to contribute, and they added the online equivalent of the mainstream newspaper's classified section. . . .
. . . Craigslist thinks and acts locally, organizing listings city by city for merchandise, jobs, real estate, personals, events, volunteer opportunities and discussion forums. . . . Today, 99.2 percent of Craigslist advertisements remain free.
If you're the publisher of a local newspaper, you're spending a lot of time thinking about Craigslist. Traditionally, local newspapers have derived 30 to 50 percent of their advertising revenue from the classifieds. . . .
Late last month, Knight Ridder Digital announced its plan to finesse the challenge of free classifieds: it dropped fees for ads for merchandise posted on the Web sites of 22 of its newspapers. When you visit one of these sites and prepare to submit an ad, however, you must navigate past pitches for various fee-based upgrades. . . . . What part of 'free' is difficult to understand?"
"Five years after the technology bubble burst, the success of Craigslist shows an enduring public appetite for online offerings that closely complement life lived off line. Being 99.2 percent free doesn't hurt either.
. . . In February, eBay started Kijiji, a set of more than 50 international sites providing free classifieds, similar to Craigslist, in cities in Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. . . . In some cities, Kijiji and Craigslist co-exist, with Kijiji offering the local language and Craigslist offering English-only listings.
Would Craigslist (by another name) work in Carbondale? In Southern Illinois? This would be an interesting marketing project for university students looking for real world experience. . . . Professor Clark . . . are you reading this?
Friday, June 03, 2005
Virtual Regionalism
Turf highlights a telling footnote in yesterday's Southern Illinoisan article about the recent regional economic summit held at John A. After the obligatory sunshine-and-flowers quotes from participants touting the value of meeting and sharing ideas, visions, plans for growing local economies, the blurb from a pol-ad with the Illinois DCEO: "Many communities are eliminated from competition [for economic development] without even knowing it" because "eighty-five to 90 percent of site selection begins on the internet."
It's hard not to get the impression from the article that our communities are like isolated tribes lead by people who occasionally scuttle out from their house-holds to hold council in uneasy alliance with neighboring groups, but who would prefer to remain safely within the warm glow of their own village fires. And that meanwhile the world outside is flitting back and forth, doing business and living life on streams of electrons, streams that also flow through this region but go unnoticed.
Then I thought I'd check on something. Who, I wondered, owns "southernillinois.com"? Turns out that domain is the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. "Southernillinois.org"? West Frankfurt. "Southernillinois.net"? Some kind of "illinois alumni directory". Ok, ok, then "southern-illinois.com"? Seems to be someone's personal site. I was running out of variations.
Where is the regional face of Southern Illinois on the web? I couldn't find it in the most logical places. All I found was the smoldering fires of those isolated tribes. And for all their helpfulness with highlighting the importance of a web presence, it can't be with the DCEO. Because the DCEO promotes the governor's "Opportunity Returns" plan, a plan that divides Southern Illinois into several subregions based upon geography.
In making his economic plans, the governor doesn't see "Southern Illinois": he sees individual communities to be arbitrarily divided in whatever way makes the most political sense. We often talk as though Southern Illinois is more than that, more than politics, more than the sum of individual communities. But in Chicago, where many of the electron streams originate, they can't hear this kind of talk. And we aren't putting our own boats into that stream to change their minds.
So if we want our region to exist as something more than jargon for public officials and economic professionals we are better off imagining that the web/broadband/wireless is like the other basic public utilities we depend upon to make our communities go.
And then, instead of occasionally "getting together" to "share ideas" at a regional summit, we will never be apart. Our ideas will flow to each other like a boat always going downstream.
And when that happens we'll be the ones returning opportunity to our Northern neighbors. Even if it hurts their egos a bit to take it.
It's hard not to get the impression from the article that our communities are like isolated tribes lead by people who occasionally scuttle out from their house-holds to hold council in uneasy alliance with neighboring groups, but who would prefer to remain safely within the warm glow of their own village fires. And that meanwhile the world outside is flitting back and forth, doing business and living life on streams of electrons, streams that also flow through this region but go unnoticed.
Then I thought I'd check on something. Who, I wondered, owns "southernillinois.com"? Turns out that domain is the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. "Southernillinois.org"? West Frankfurt. "Southernillinois.net"? Some kind of "illinois alumni directory". Ok, ok, then "southern-illinois.com"? Seems to be someone's personal site. I was running out of variations.
Where is the regional face of Southern Illinois on the web? I couldn't find it in the most logical places. All I found was the smoldering fires of those isolated tribes. And for all their helpfulness with highlighting the importance of a web presence, it can't be with the DCEO. Because the DCEO promotes the governor's "Opportunity Returns" plan, a plan that divides Southern Illinois into several subregions based upon geography.
In making his economic plans, the governor doesn't see "Southern Illinois": he sees individual communities to be arbitrarily divided in whatever way makes the most political sense. We often talk as though Southern Illinois is more than that, more than politics, more than the sum of individual communities. But in Chicago, where many of the electron streams originate, they can't hear this kind of talk. And we aren't putting our own boats into that stream to change their minds.
So if we want our region to exist as something more than jargon for public officials and economic professionals we are better off imagining that the web/broadband/wireless is like the other basic public utilities we depend upon to make our communities go.
And then, instead of occasionally "getting together" to "share ideas" at a regional summit, we will never be apart. Our ideas will flow to each other like a boat always going downstream.
And when that happens we'll be the ones returning opportunity to our Northern neighbors. Even if it hurts their egos a bit to take it.
Location, location, location
At a recent economic development meeting : "Josh Weger, policy adviser to DCEO's director, spoke about a new economic development tool available to help developers market locations to manufacturing and business site selectors. Location One is a Web-based tool, available through the DCEO, that provides worldwide exposure of buildings and locations ripe for development, as well as offering other information for site selectors such as community profiles.
'Many communities are eliminated from competition without even knowing it,' Weger said. 'Eighty-five to 90 percent of site selection begins on the Internet. If you don't have information on a site, you are at a considerable disadvantage.'"
'Many communities are eliminated from competition without even knowing it,' Weger said. 'Eighty-five to 90 percent of site selection begins on the Internet. If you don't have information on a site, you are at a considerable disadvantage.'"
Thursday, June 02, 2005
In the New York (as opposed to the Carbondale) Times, Stephanie Rosenbloom reveals how to Loosen Google's lock on your past: "The most effective way to define and control your digital persona is to start a blog or put up a home page.
'Web logs come up very high in a Google search,' someone from Harvard said. 'By creating a personal Web page, particularly one that has lots of links to lots of sources, you can create a gateway to your online identity.'"
'Web logs come up very high in a Google search,' someone from Harvard said. 'By creating a personal Web page, particularly one that has lots of links to lots of sources, you can create a gateway to your online identity.'"
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
We Shoot Horses, Don't We?
This just in: Carbondale and Marion are both "civilized towns" according to Chicago Sun-Times reporter Dale Bowman in a Sunday article. Thank you, sir. We accept your half-hearted complement in the backhanded manner in which it was reluctantly given.
What was it about us you most appreciated? Our indoor plumbing? Our acknowledged mastery of the incandescent bulb? Our gramophones? Horseless carriages? The word usements that we structure?
I guess Chicago is the city of big shoulders because it's citizens get so much practice shrugging.
What was it about us you most appreciated? Our indoor plumbing? Our acknowledged mastery of the incandescent bulb? Our gramophones? Horseless carriages? The word usements that we structure?
I guess Chicago is the city of big shoulders because it's citizens get so much practice shrugging.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Cast Down Your Pods Where You Are
What's the 411, SIU?
Did you know SIU-E's been talking talking smack about you again? Yeah, yeah, I know. You can punk them any time you want. So you say.
Seriously though, where's the U's podcast? You know that Allegheny College in Pennsylvania has their own podcast, don't you?
Who is being punked now, Saluki?
You could be creating rich media content, information for alumni and prospectives, in-depth profiles of events and people, and you are still wasting time sharpening your number twos so you can fill out attendance sheets? C'mon dog, paper? You sure you wouldn't prefer some papyrus or vellum or something? Perhaps you were hoping to scratch some hieroglyphs on a nice, flat rock? That hill over there would be great for sending smoke signals, in case you're wondering.
I don't mean to be getting down on you, though. I heart your educational mission. It's just that where the U goes, the city tends to follow. As for us, the people of the city of Carbondale, we're all just walkin' here! Do you want to be the car of indifference that almost runs us over as we cross the street of localism? Should we slap the hood of the car of indifference with the hands of social darwinism? Or would you rather be the Joe Buck of encouragement who leads us across the road of technological change to the sidewalk of community potential?
And don't you try to sneak out of the room, Southern Illinoisan. We see you trying to take that danish back to your cubicle. Why can't you be like your sister, The San Francisco Chronicle Podcast? She knows how to give us "the story behind the story". She knows the value of letting her readers hear directly from her sources. Remember how we talked about adding value and how on the web primary documents are more valuable than narrative description?
And which one of you left the towel of economic development on the floor of shrinking budgets in the bathroom of urban planning?
Did you know SIU-E's been talking talking smack about you again? Yeah, yeah, I know. You can punk them any time you want. So you say.
Seriously though, where's the U's podcast? You know that Allegheny College in Pennsylvania has their own podcast, don't you?
Who is being punked now, Saluki?
You could be creating rich media content, information for alumni and prospectives, in-depth profiles of events and people, and you are still wasting time sharpening your number twos so you can fill out attendance sheets? C'mon dog, paper? You sure you wouldn't prefer some papyrus or vellum or something? Perhaps you were hoping to scratch some hieroglyphs on a nice, flat rock? That hill over there would be great for sending smoke signals, in case you're wondering.
I don't mean to be getting down on you, though. I heart your educational mission. It's just that where the U goes, the city tends to follow. As for us, the people of the city of Carbondale, we're all just walkin' here! Do you want to be the car of indifference that almost runs us over as we cross the street of localism? Should we slap the hood of the car of indifference with the hands of social darwinism? Or would you rather be the Joe Buck of encouragement who leads us across the road of technological change to the sidewalk of community potential?
And don't you try to sneak out of the room, Southern Illinoisan. We see you trying to take that danish back to your cubicle. Why can't you be like your sister, The San Francisco Chronicle Podcast? She knows how to give us "the story behind the story". She knows the value of letting her readers hear directly from her sources. Remember how we talked about adding value and how on the web primary documents are more valuable than narrative description?
And which one of you left the towel of economic development on the floor of shrinking budgets in the bathroom of urban planning?
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Super Empowered Individuals Unite!
Mark your calendars everyone, because Friday is national Silver Surfers Day! (in the UK) It's a day of education and awareness promoting the idea of web literacy for folks 50 years and older.
With plenty of local support for adult education (Hi, JALC!), wouldn't this be a great event for us to celebrate as well? I mean, there is no real online community until all of us are fairly represented, is there? You know the young punks are always going to represent. (Hi, young punks!) But sometimes some of the rest of us appreciate a good old-fashioned nudge from the unwired world to get us going.
We could even do this event in conjunction with other web literacy promotionals.
How about "Critical Mass: online edition"? People surfing wirelessly on their laptops scattered randomly around the sidewalks of downtown Carbondale impeding pedestrian traffic and serving as a visual map of local web hotspots?
Or even a "Surf to Work Day"? Hundreds of local folks doing their jobs from home, meeting for synchronous chat at a pre-determined place and time (online). Prize for the "least-travelled"? Lunch ordered online and delivered? (travel to front door will not count in determining awards) [My spidey-sense tells me Dave may have explored this idea before.]
There's still time to make the local web a haven for local people. More generations of folks online means more opportunities for finding Consumer Created Content online.
Are you down with the CCC?
With plenty of local support for adult education (Hi, JALC!), wouldn't this be a great event for us to celebrate as well? I mean, there is no real online community until all of us are fairly represented, is there? You know the young punks are always going to represent. (Hi, young punks!) But sometimes some of the rest of us appreciate a good old-fashioned nudge from the unwired world to get us going.
We could even do this event in conjunction with other web literacy promotionals.
How about "Critical Mass: online edition"? People surfing wirelessly on their laptops scattered randomly around the sidewalks of downtown Carbondale impeding pedestrian traffic and serving as a visual map of local web hotspots?
Or even a "Surf to Work Day"? Hundreds of local folks doing their jobs from home, meeting for synchronous chat at a pre-determined place and time (online). Prize for the "least-travelled"? Lunch ordered online and delivered? (travel to front door will not count in determining awards) [My spidey-sense tells me Dave may have explored this idea before.]
There's still time to make the local web a haven for local people. More generations of folks online means more opportunities for finding Consumer Created Content online.
Are you down with the CCC?
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Buzzworthy
An interesting recent study produced as part of the Pew Internet and American Life Project attempts to quantify the effects that political blogs and political blogging have had on the wider landscape of politics and the mainstream media. The report focuses its inquiry on a short "A-list" of political bloggers who are seen as making an impact on public discourse.
Of course the major event that seems to have brought blogs into the national political consciousness is the so-called "Rathergate", or the controversy that surrounded allegedly forged memos presented by Dan Rather in a CBS news report on Bush's national guard service. The Pew report goes into absorbing detail about how A-list blogs created buzz around those memos and amplified questions about their authenticity.
Is the blogosphere a new fifth estate, on a level with mainstream media's forth? Not yet, according to this study. However, the study's authors do assert in their conclusions that:
In an age where transparency begins to trump the traditional opacity of our governmental networks, and where we can see how and where our political sausages are made, we just may end up getting better, more palatable, more satisfying sausages.
Of course the major event that seems to have brought blogs into the national political consciousness is the so-called "Rathergate", or the controversy that surrounded allegedly forged memos presented by Dan Rather in a CBS news report on Bush's national guard service. The Pew report goes into absorbing detail about how A-list blogs created buzz around those memos and amplified questions about their authenticity.
Is the blogosphere a new fifth estate, on a level with mainstream media's forth? Not yet, according to this study. However, the study's authors do assert in their conclusions that:
the national discourse could benefit from a sector favoring transparency over opacity, conversation over presentation, small pieces over big works, flexibility over anchorage, incompleteness over conclusiveness, documentation over description, and, paradoxically, individuality over institutionalization.So, the blogosphere (as represented by a few A-listers) comes off well, all things considered. But the biggest winners in a world that values vigorous political, social and community-building discourse online could be average citizens in cities like ours -- as our local governments use technology to find creative ways to include us in the policy-making process (webcasts of city council meetings, anyone?).
In an age where transparency begins to trump the traditional opacity of our governmental networks, and where we can see how and where our political sausages are made, we just may end up getting better, more palatable, more satisfying sausages.
Hello, Downstaters! Sincerely, the Cliff Dwellers
“Downstate” defies any single definition. For some Illinoisans, downstate begins at the southwest city limits of Chicago. Others would claim that any area north of I-80 is “outstate,” and that downstate does not really begin until one reaches Bloomington.
The above (and below, for that matter) is a excerpt from the Honorable James R. Thompson's entry in the endlessly diverting online Encyclopedia of Chicago.
Nor is there agreement on “Southern Illinois.” Most believe it begins south of Springfield, but hardcore Southern Illinois residents don't claim any territory north of Carbondale. . . . “Downstate” is a state of mind more than a state of geography. Although acres of corn and beans will never be confused with Michigan Avenue, the plain fact is that Chicagoans and downstaters think—and speak—differently.
So push aside that plate of corn and beans and find your way to the Chicago Encyclopedia's website. Although, personally, I'd love to see more authored entries on individual writers -- especially my favorites.
The Jungle receives an obligatory write-up. As does Studs Lonigan. Sister Carrie? Natch.
But where's The Pit? Or how about Floyd Dell's Moon-Calf? (Ok, ok. He did title it "Moon-calf". There's my answer.) Or anything by Robert Herrick? And I dare them -- I say, dare them -- to write up Bertram Cope's Year.
Of course, those are just my own idiosyncratic choices. Still, I was happy to find an entry for Ring Lardner, my own personal favorite Chicago writer. For a treat, here's the opening of Lardner's short story, "Haircut":
I got another barber that comes over from Carterville and helps me out Saturdays, but the rest of the time I can get along all right alone. You can see for yourself that this ain't no New York City and besides that, the most of the boys works all day and don't have no leisure to drop in here and get themselves prettied up.
There you go, Carterville! Happy?
Now, who will create the online Encyclopedia of Southern Illinois? It would certainly be a boost to regionalism, our Honorable Mayor's conceptual flavor-of-the-month. Beyond that, don't we deserve something more than a passing mention in someone else's encyclopedia?
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Wine Online
Supreme Court clears way for online wine sales | CNET News.com: "Online shopping received a substantial boost on Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state governments may not prohibit residents from ordering directly from out-of-state wineries.
In a 5-4 ruling, the court said that Michigan and New York had enacted protectionist laws that unconstitutionally discriminated against wineries from other states.
Justice Anthony Kennedy said that the states' claims of possible lost taxes or shipments to minors could not justify taking such strong measures against direct shipping. 'The states have not shown that tax evasion from out-of-state wineries poses such a unique threat that it justifies their discriminatory regimes,' Kennedy wrote for the majority."
In a 5-4 ruling, the court said that Michigan and New York had enacted protectionist laws that unconstitutionally discriminated against wineries from other states.
Justice Anthony Kennedy said that the states' claims of possible lost taxes or shipments to minors could not justify taking such strong measures against direct shipping. 'The states have not shown that tax evasion from out-of-state wineries poses such a unique threat that it justifies their discriminatory regimes,' Kennedy wrote for the majority."
Monday, May 09, 2005
Mark your calendar for May 18
At the last Carbondale to Cyberdale meeting in February, it was announced that Carbondale to Cyberdale would be going to a quarterly format instead of the existing monthly format. The next Carbondale to Cyberdale meeting will be on Wednesday, May 18, 2005, where the tentative topic will be: Internet Advertising.
The breakfast will be sponsored by Regions Bank (formally merged from Regions Financial Corporation and Union Planters Corporation). The breakfast will be served in the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, 150 East. Pleasant Hill Road, Carbondale at 8 a.m. There is no cost for this event.
For more information go to Southern Tech web site.
The breakfast will be sponsored by Regions Bank (formally merged from Regions Financial Corporation and Union Planters Corporation). The breakfast will be served in the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, 150 East. Pleasant Hill Road, Carbondale at 8 a.m. There is no cost for this event.
For more information go to Southern Tech web site.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Bloggers learning tools of reporting
Bloggers learning tools of reporting: Bloggers -- those Internet-based writers without rules -- are fighting back against criticism that their work is unreliable, libelous or just poorly written.
More than 300 of them were in Nashville Friday for a weekend conference heavy on training in techniques used by journalists in what bloggers term the mainstream media.
A classroom full of bloggers sat at computer stations at the Freedom Forum at Vanderbilt University, learning how to access government statistical databases and analyze the material in them."
More than 300 of them were in Nashville Friday for a weekend conference heavy on training in techniques used by journalists in what bloggers term the mainstream media.
A classroom full of bloggers sat at computer stations at the Freedom Forum at Vanderbilt University, learning how to access government statistical databases and analyze the material in them."
Research Park groundbreaking
The Southern Illinoisan reports: Research Park Groundbreaking Ceremony: "Dignitaries and Southern Illinois University officials turned a little dirt Friday afternoon to start construction on the second major building to go up at the Southern Illinois Research Park since its inception in 1999.
Legislators, including U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Belleville, and State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, and university leaders, including Chancellor Walter Wendler and board of trustees Chairman Glenn Poshard broke ground on what will be a
[The $2.8 million, one-story, 20,000-square-foot multi-tenant facility in the park on Pleasant Hill Road] . . . will house graduates of the Small Business Incubator program, located in the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center already on park grounds. The building can house up to 15 firms and will take a little more than a year to complete.
Ray Lenzi, SIU associate vice chancellor for economic and regional development and executive director of the research park, said the facilities in the park will inevitably create the technological jobs people will want.
'Most of the things we now take for granted, including cars, planes, cell phones, computers and the Internet, did not exist in 1900,' Lenzi said. 'Similarly, the technology, jobs, work force and businesses for this century, for our children and their children, must and will be created by us if America is to maintain its competitive advantage and prosperity.'
Lenzi said SIU brings world class arts, athletics and academics to Southern Illinois. The research park component will bring the technological jobs in the region, making sure it is ready for the next phase in the American work force"
Legislators, including U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Belleville, and State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, and university leaders, including Chancellor Walter Wendler and board of trustees Chairman Glenn Poshard broke ground on what will be a
[The $2.8 million, one-story, 20,000-square-foot multi-tenant facility in the park on Pleasant Hill Road] . . . will house graduates of the Small Business Incubator program, located in the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center already on park grounds. The building can house up to 15 firms and will take a little more than a year to complete.
Ray Lenzi, SIU associate vice chancellor for economic and regional development and executive director of the research park, said the facilities in the park will inevitably create the technological jobs people will want.
'Most of the things we now take for granted, including cars, planes, cell phones, computers and the Internet, did not exist in 1900,' Lenzi said. 'Similarly, the technology, jobs, work force and businesses for this century, for our children and their children, must and will be created by us if America is to maintain its competitive advantage and prosperity.'
Lenzi said SIU brings world class arts, athletics and academics to Southern Illinois. The research park component will bring the technological jobs in the region, making sure it is ready for the next phase in the American work force"
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
High school students win web design contest on campus
High school students win web design contest on campus: "Twenty-two teams of high school students competed in a Web design contest earlier this month as part of Computer Science Day, hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The winners were announced during a ceremony held at the end of the event at the SIUC Student Center.
In order to compete, the students on each three to five member team were required to build a Web site using either Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage.
According to Mehdi Zargham, interim chair of the Department of Computer Science, 'We were surprised to see the creativeness and high quality of some of the high school teams from the Web competition. They developed quite beautiful and workable Web sites in a short period of time.'
In addition to the Web design competition, Computer Science Day also featured instructional sessions taught by SIUC faculty members. More than 250 students attended these sessions, which included topics such as computer security, Linux fundamentals, and Web development. The event was April 5.
Winning Web sites can be found at http://www.cs.siu.edu/cs_day/competition_winners.html."
In order to compete, the students on each three to five member team were required to build a Web site using either Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage.
According to Mehdi Zargham, interim chair of the Department of Computer Science, 'We were surprised to see the creativeness and high quality of some of the high school teams from the Web competition. They developed quite beautiful and workable Web sites in a short period of time.'
In addition to the Web design competition, Computer Science Day also featured instructional sessions taught by SIUC faculty members. More than 250 students attended these sessions, which included topics such as computer security, Linux fundamentals, and Web development. The event was April 5.
Winning Web sites can be found at http://www.cs.siu.edu/cs_day/competition_winners.html."
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Economics of Computer Security
Computers as a business tool have skyrocketed in value, particularly in our current Internet Age. At the same time, internet connectivity has exposed computers to new threats, both pranks and profit-motivated criminal attacks. Understanding the economics of computer security is vital to all enterprises who strive for a successful presence on the World Wide Web. What are your goals in using computers? Which persons and organizations have the potential to thwart your computer goals? What are the cost-effective ways to minimize threats, and to recover after an attack? If you can answer these questions, you're on your way toward best practices in computer security.
Scott Gilbert will be the guest speaker. Gilbert is a Professor in the Department of Economics at SIU. He has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California San Diego and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of California Berkeley. His field of interest includes econometrics, applied finance, and applied economics.
For more information and to RSVP go to The Carbondale to Cyberdale website.
The monthly breakfast is sponsored by SouthernTECH an Illinois Technology Enterprise Center in collaboration with the Office of Economic & Regional Development, Carbondale Business Development Corporation, and the Pontikes Center for Management of Information.
Scott Gilbert will be the guest speaker. Gilbert is a Professor in the Department of Economics at SIU. He has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California San Diego and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of California Berkeley. His field of interest includes econometrics, applied finance, and applied economics.
For more information and to RSVP go to The Carbondale to Cyberdale website.
The monthly breakfast is sponsored by SouthernTECH an Illinois Technology Enterprise Center in collaboration with the Office of Economic & Regional Development, Carbondale Business Development Corporation, and the Pontikes Center for Management of Information.
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