Googling for XML
Kind of a neat article describing the author's attempts to find XML files of various sorts on the internet using Google searches. It's a good primer on some of Google's search functions, and an interesting though obviously incomplete survey of the state of XML development. More...

Is This the Best Way to Develop, Deliver and Manage Online Training?
Mitch passed along the URL to this great article that describes one company's experience sourcing and adapting an open source LMS to deliver customized online learning supported with pre-authored DVD content. More...

Ontario School's Students Put Tablet PCs to the Test
Brief article describing a pilot probject testing the use of wireless Tablet computers (and supporting infrastructure) in a York Region District School Board school. This being an article from IT Business, much of the text is devoted to the support offered by corporations to get the initiative off teh ground. More...

Design By or For The People?
Maish picked the right quote when he ran this item in today's elearningpost: "Too much user focus may be a barrier to innovation. Research with users is likely to tell us that they desire an improvement on something they already know and understand -- faster calculators rather than spreadsheets. More...

CMS Matrix
Nice feature comparison tool for content management systems (see the form on the left of the page). For an eye-opener, compare Oracle Portals 9.0.2.3, at $20,000 per processor, and WebGUI 6.0, which is free. More...

Life Hacks: Tech Secrets of Overprolific Alpha Geeks
People sometimes wonder why I don't use Moveable Type to get things like trackback. Others wonder why my site is idiosyncratic - wouldn't 'Comment on this Item' be clearer than 'Reflect'? Others gripe about being "dissed" in these pages and think that maybe I should hold back a little. More...

What's Wrong With This Picture?
I don't know that I've flattered Jay Cross, mostly because I can't draw, but if I could draw, I would be the first to flatter him. More...

Learning Object Reuse Acknowledgment
I think that Alan Levine is definitely on the right track with Learning Object Reuse Acknowledgment (LORA), which tracks the use of learning objects, but I think this is the wrongway to do it: "the system automatically sends a short electronic 'acknowledgment' to the object's home in the 'repository.' In MovableType, this is a 'ping' message that sends a weblog a title, URL, date, and brief blurb of this external mention of a blog post." Why? Well, first, pings are a 'push' medium, and therefor liable (and thus, likely) to be spammed. More...

People Lie More on the Phone Than by Email
I've been doing a lot of coding this week, which makes me look unproductive (because my software is never commercial grade) but makes me happy. And when I'm happy, I put more stuff into OLDaily. So today's issue is pretty full, and if you're reading the Weekly, reserve an afternoon. More...