By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Douglas J. Fisher and Graham Osteen[Edit][Delete]: Hartsville Today -- The Cook Book, Common Sense Journalism [Edit][Delete] August 23, 2006

I hope this item inspires some people to create their own community newspapers (especially in my home town!) but I'm sure it will be of use to educators as well. This cookbook (link to a 1m PDF) offers a comprehensive guide with useful, practical advice. Advice that wears the badge of experience - for example, the authors advise that the best means of promotion is in person. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Adam Clare[Edit][Delete]: All You Wanted to Know About Green WiFi, August 23, 2006
Green WiFi is "a system that uses a solar panel, a charge controller, a battery, and a generic router to create nodes that cost around $200." The idea is that the internet signal travels from one node to the next, through a mesh. Because each node can be stand-alone, and does not depend on any other node (or even a power supply) the network can grow organically. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Dave Warlick[Edit][Delete]: Getting Right Down To It, 2 cents Worth [Edit][Delete]2 Cents Worth [Edit][Delete] August 23, 2006

Dave Warlick posts a "Student and Teacher Information Code of Ethics." I personally think that a code of ethics is not useful, because if one believes in the ethics, the coded is not needed, and if one doesn't, the code will not be followed. Moreover, there is no need, again in my view, for an "Information" code of ethics - the basic principles apply in all areas of life: be honest, and take care not to harm others. And some of the specifics of this proposed code are, in my view, just wrong. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Alfred Essa[Edit][Delete]: Blackboard's Reverse Rent, NOSE [Edit][Delete] August 23, 2006
It conjures up images of your big smelly uncle moving in with you and then shaking you down for 'rent'. "Blackboard Inc. has ripped off ideas from the Intellectual Commons -- ideas small and large contributed by a community of inquirers and practitioners -- made it their 'intellectual property' and now want to charge everyone reverse rent for it.... In the meantime they have filed for other patents. What do these patents cover? Whose ideas are these? And whom will they sue next? Are you in their bullseye?" Also, Essa reminds us of the social networking patent filed by Friendster. More...

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Marc Meola[Edit][Delete]: Collaboration, Copyright, and Reclusive Math Geniuses, ACRLog [Edit][Delete] August 23, 2006

I am not a reclusive math genius, but I share some of their properties: "Perelman did not feel the need or obligation to participate in the traditional peer-review process, believing instead that anyone who wanted to look at his work could do so. For whatever reason, Perelman has decided to opt out of most of the social rituals of his profession, yet open access publishing has enabled him to at least share his work with the world." I think this is an important point. More...