By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. David J. Solomon[Edit][Delete]: Strategies for Developing Sustainable Open Access Scholarly Journals, First Monday [Edit][Delete] June 15, 2006
The intent of this article is clear from the title, though you will have to read through the first third to get to it. The advice is sound though not really comprehensive - sure, enlisting volunteers and sympathetic librarians is a good idea, but there is more to launching an open access journal than that - isn't there? In the same issue of First Monday readers will also find an interesting analysis of 'gifting' in the academic publishing community, with a specific emphasis on the Public Library of Science. "While academics do still cite the most, the general public is playing a much larger role in PLoS Biology's success. The liberal policies forging a 'cutting edge' in journal publishing also are opening opportunities for classrooms and education throughout the world". More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Web 2.0 Service Mark Controversy, June 15, 2006
Tim O'Reilly has responded to the many critics of the trademarking of 'Web 2.0' - in fact, he responded a couple weeks ago, but being on the road I only saw it today. As I note in my response, the fact that people are still commenting even today indicates that the response was not satisfactory. I certainly did not find it so. And - I might add - let's be clear that this isn't something O'Reilly invented; here's a usage of the term Web 2.0 from 1999 (thanks Dave). O'Reilly's and CMP's actions consist of nothing more than appropriation for personal gain from the public domain. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Wesley Fryer[Edit][Delete]: Digital kids, School Relevancy, Poverty, and School Reform, Moving at the Speed of Creativity [Edit][Delete] June 15, 2006
When I go on speaking tours such as the one I have just completed I am often regarded as a radical theorist. But the theories and technologies I advocate are not simply made up; they are based in my best knowledge of how people think and learn. This article links to a number of resources from the Apple digital disconnect site, most of which I have read over the years. I think that what amazes me most of all is that this sort of thinking continues to be thought of as radical thinking. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Scott McLemee[Edit][Delete]: A Wiki Situation, Inside Higher Ed [Edit][Delete] June 14, 2006

Yet another academic writer wrestles ith the by now age-old question: whether to berate Wikipedia or to dive in and fix the thing. The presumption, of course, is that it's broken - a presumption not bolstered by the very interested commentary provided from Robert McHenry, the former editor-in-chief of Encyclopedia Britannica. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Unattributed[Edit][Delete]: Wikipedia Founder Discourages Academic Use of His Creation, Chronicle of Higher Education [Edit][Delete] June 14, 2006
While technically true, this Chronicle headline is very misleading. Wales actually says, "For God sake, you're in college; don't cite the encyclopedia." Which of course could apply equally well to Britannica. And it calls to mind my own academic background, where (somewhere in grade 8, I think) I was told not to quote the encyclopedia, but to use it to find primary sources. Of course, my teachers were referring to World Book, one of my favorite reads at the time. So, yeah, don't cite the encyclopedia. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Joseph Ugoretz[Edit][Delete]: Three Stars and a Chili Pepper: Social Software, Folksonomy, and User Reviews in the College Context, Academic Commons [Edit][Delete] June 14, 2006
This is a good article. Although it begins as a review of tools that are familiar to most OLDaily readers, it moves effectively into the use of reader ratings and reviews, arguing (correctly) that these should not be viewed and understood in the same way as more 'objective' assessments. "If we try to use them without reflection, as being the same as other (objective, authoritative, traditional, edited, hierarchical, obsolete media, pick your own adjective) resources, we will be abusing them". More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Various authors[Edit][Delete]: Reality CheckED, June 14, 2006
The group Public Agenda has launched a blog titled Reality CheckED. The group is new to me, but I get the sense that they're popular, if the reference from the NSBA blog can be taken as a guide. For myself, I like the approach, and in particular the blog's use of strong, sharp and cutting logic. Like this: "If you were in the workplace and there was bad behavior all around you making it difficult to do your work, would it not be the responsibility of the company to ensure that basic workplace rules are enforced?". More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Unattributed[Edit][Delete]: Learner Identity Management Framework, AICTEC [Edit][Delete] June 14, 2006
The topic of personal identity - and therefore, learner identity (though not everyone considers the latter to be a subset of the former, which is a problem) continues to increase in importance in educational technology circles. This is, to my mind, a symptom of the reality that learners are affiliated less and less with a particular institution, which is a good thing. But what will a Learner Identity Management Framework (LIMF) look like? I have some concerns with this report tabled in Australia. For example, it calls for "A Trust Scheme" that "involves establishing ground-rules such that the owners of information can be confident that any data they transfer will be handled appropriately by the recipient." Come on. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Laura Ascione[Edit][Delete]: Safe Social Networking Sites Emerge, ESchool News [Edit][Delete] June 14, 2006
I'm not sure what to think of these new 'safe' social networking services. Like Whyville, "an online virtual world that immerses children in a video game-like experience where they must manage money, make sure they eat properly." OK, nice. But if they're so good, do they need legislation pushing people their way. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Stephen Downes[Edit][Delete]: Bratislava, Slovakia, June 14, 2006

On Sunday I had a day off and took the short train ride to Bratislava, Slovakia. Despite a difference of opinion with the Slovakian police (who felt I should present a passport to enter the country, but who kindly let me both in and out without one) my visit was charming and intriguing. I hope you enjoy my photos of one of the more interesting and less documented cities I have visited. [Tags: Flickr]. More...