Where Was Desktop Search When We Needed It?
Screencams - applications that let you record a video of your screen, with a voice-over - have been around for a long time. I remember the Lotus screencam product from 1997 or so. Screencasting is the distribution of screencam videos in (much) the same way that music is distributed in podcasts. Probably the best way to do it is to use Flash, the way this one does; it makes the viewing experience seamless. More...

Networks for Newbies: A Non-Technical Introduction to Social Network Analysis
It's 115 slides, but the download is light and it doesn't take long to view them all. But you'll want to revisit this presentation, as it offers a comprehensive look at social network analysis with a clear exposition and pages of worthwhile references. If you don't have time, at least look at the first five slides, which are of fundamental importance. More...

Learning Design - Natural vs. Machine
This, I think, is a central principle: "Any design for a learning tool that continues the idea of separation will fail." What sort of separation? Among others, "topics, subjects, expertise." In the alternative approach, "experiences, situations and circumstances become the source of design." This is not to eliminate the need for separataion, but there should be a balance. More...

ECMAScript Menu System
Not only is this one of the better tutorials I've seen on the subject, it's also a nice way to demonstrate the separation of content and style, the way online content should be (and is almost never) designed. More...

Thailand's Proposed Cyber University Could Help the Disadvantaged Get an Education
The reason I am involved in online learning is not simply that it is Cool Stuff (though it is that) but because it affords the possibility of probviding an education to everyone. More...

Blogosphere Subscription Trends
One thing about my predictions for last year that puzzled me was being mistaken about the cresting of the blogging phenomenon. The numbers said it should peak, and begin to decline, but as the year went by there was no sign of a decline.. More...

Thailand's Proposed Cyber University Could Help the Disadvantaged Get an Education
The reason I am involved in online learning is not simply that it is Cool Stuff (though it is that) but because it affords the possibility of probviding an education to everyone. More...

Vancouver Aerial Tagging: Holy Flickr
This is interesting - an illustration of how Flickr uses comments in order to ember a link (and thumbnail) from one image into another image. The results can be spectacular - like this areal photo of Stanley Park in vancouver which is inset with photographs different people have taken of the part in different places. More...

Numbed by the Numbers, When They Just Don't Add Up
Not really a column about online learning, but the lessons in this article ought to inform anyone with an interest in media or public policy. Without context, numbers lose their meaning, and often, the reader must supply the context. More...

Users Confuse Search Results, Ads
According to the article (which cites, but doesn't link to, this this Pew report), "Only one in six users of internet search engines can tell the difference between unbiased search results and paid advertisements," even though the paid results are clearly marked as such. More...