e-Clippings (Learning As Art)

"Using Open Source Social Software as Digital Library Interface" (D-Lib Magazine)

(LINK)

"This article investigates the use of social software applications in digital library environments. It examines the use of blogging software as an interface to digital library content stored in a separate repository. The article begins with a definition of digital library approaches and features, examines ways in which open source and social software applications can serve to fill digital library roles, and presents a case study of the use of blogging software as a public interface to a project called Digital Forsyth, a grant-funded project involving three institutions in Forsyth County, NC. The article concludes with a review of positive and negative outcomes from this approach and makes recommendations for further research."

Store Your Stuff Online. All of it. Forever.

So this is the claim from ourmedia. There are of course some items to note here but after looking at the folks behind this, I'd say the claim is pretty strong. Folks like J.D. Lasica, Marc Canter and Brewster Kahle have a way of making these things actually happen.

The real claim is more like...if you are the actual copyright holder of the material you want to upload, we will keep it forever...yadda, yadda. That's fair. Another small kicker is that this is not like another Web-based storage locker for your private stuff. This is only for stuff you want to share - that's the purpose - to share. You also get your own blog and some other cool stuff.

So I have already joined, gotten my passwords and uploaded some content. There, I'm immortal. Time for some water.

America's Army Clearly Getting the Platform Not App Idea

And on the heels of that last post comes this (thx to the Serious Games listserv for the pointer)...America's Army - that cutting-edge game the Army gives away - has a whole new site stood up, described as the "America's Army Platform Site" and in its own words "dedicated to Serious Game development using the latest technologies." How 'bout them apples?

The site describes current projects which range from soft-skills training (negotiation, etc.) for Special Ops guys, titled as "ADAPTIVE THINKING AND LEADERSHIP (ATL)" to using AA's tech to craft training environments for the Secret Service. Just the fact that the Army has now adopted the "platform" language shows a huge leap forward.

Just one of those amazing little things...

Yes, its true, I have three browsers on my machine. Anyway, I'm fond of Firefox but really like to use Opera for my research. So I found this neat little extension for Firefox that now when I right-click on a link, one of my options is to open that link in a Opera. Imagine a browser allowing someone to build an app that lets a user access another browser from within the first. Think someone is grokking the 'build a platform not an app' paradigm?