Archive for January, 2010
Given that the U of A is switching to Google for email, it would seem the primary argument for hosting stuff on campus may no longer be critical – if it’s OK to host content and student info from a Canadian university on an American server.
So, the question becomes: Should campuses host their own services? Email? Blogs? Wikis? Would it be better to just point people to recommended third party services (wordpress.com, etc…) and provide some support and context?
Should I still be running UCalgaryBlogs.ca and wiki.ucalgary.ca? Should they be transitioned to off-campus services?
I really need to hear from faculty, students, staff, and the off-campus community. Any opinions?
A great manifesto. 43 guiding principles to live by. (via David Gillespie)
My faves:
- capture accidents
- keep moving
- slow down
- don’t be cool
- be careful to take risks
- listen carefully
- take field trips
- explore the other edge (everyone crowds the leading edge…)
yet another brilliant pink-through-orange sunrise over calgary.
it’s the time of year when I get to watch sunrise on the ride to work, and sunset on the ride home. great skies for it, too.
Stuff from this morning’s romp through my RSS reader:
- a link to an old article on how to hack a disposable camera into an automatic flash slave unit. gotta try this. (via Photojojo)
- an awesome Helvetica t-shirt, rendered in Comic Sans. So wrong. So awesome. (via boingboing)
- Tuper Tario Tros – Tetris meets Super Mario Bros. mashup game. (via boingboing)
- Knustler says the economy has 6 months to live. Of course, he’s been saying that for years now, but what if he’s right eventually?
- TEDxCalgary – coming April 29 2010. Theme is “Humanity 3.0″ (gag), and it’s limited to only 100 attendees.
Thought of the day:
Technology doesn’t make learning any more relevant or effective. Good teaching does that. Treating everyone in the class as fully fledged human beings does that. Respecting the contributions, backgrounds, and interests of all learners does that. Relevant and effective teaching and learning can occur without any technology at all, if given a creative enough environment in which to work. Technology may help to extend and enhance, but there are critical pieces that need to be in place before any technology will make a difference.
it was warm enough to give the bike a good scrub this afternoon – with actual LIQUID WATER – removing some of the gunk that accumulates in nooks and crannies when riding in the winter. much better. wasn’t too concerned about the mud on the frame, but the drivetrain is pretty clean. WD-40 removed a LOT of rust, followed by a round of chain cleaner, then drying, and a bit of fresh oil. Runs nice and smoothly now 
Evan started a season of floor hockey at the Y today. He had a total blast. Now that’s all he wants to do.
Here’s some of the things I’ve Saved in my RSS reader over the last few days. If you have a few minutes to kill, these links should fit the bill.
- The Online Photographer – A Gift Waiting at Every Corner: Notes from a Life in Photography
A great article about a career photographer’s life, and how they approach photography.
I have embraced photojournalism as a means to communicate, provoke, and inspire, as well as to document history. I have employed the camera as a voice with which I can shout out about injustice while affirming what is beautiful and good. My body and soul have been exposed to many dimensions of the human condition, from its most glorious to its most wretched.
- A Basic Introduction to Singularity Skepticism
An article linked to by Brian Lamb in del.icio.us. A great overview of singularity hype/counterhype, and how to lie with selective data in graphs. - How to open your mind? (via David Gillespie)
Aside from drugs and sex what activities would you recommend for a girl in her twenties with an interest in mind-expansion?
Get a passport. Use it as often as possible. Read. Books, that is. Ones without pictures. Surround yourself with brilliant and fascinating people. Say yes whenever you can, except to religion and authority. Create things. Fall in and out of love. Never forget that you will die one day. - Someone’s stalled again.
Brian Lamb’s thoughts on the depressing state of government and national pride in Canada. - xkcd: mourning a server admin
- Bruce Schneier on newsworthiness and fear (via Marco Arment)
I tell people that if it’s in the news, don’t worry about it. The very definition of ‘news’ is ‘something that hardly ever happens.’ It’s when something isn’t in the news, when it’s so common that it’s no longer news — car crashes, domestic violence — that you should start worrying. — Bruce Schneier (via charliepark)
- Our true north strong and free. Canada is awesome. Via BoingBoing.
Last month, homeless people started showing up in droves in towns 100 miles or so outside of Vancouver. They had been given one-way bus tickets and were forced onto the busses. Local shelters in those communities have been completely overloaded. All so that the world can see a shiny and clean (and totally false) version of our city.
- The mayor of New York City on September 11, 2001 seems to have forgotten something. via BoingBoing
We have had no domestic attacks under Bush; we’ve had one under Obama. - Rudy Giuliani
- FlickrBlog points to some awesome photos taken in Korea after WWII
- How to enjoy winter biking. Because it’s awesome, when it’s not -30˚C and buried under a couple feet of snow.
one of the giant old poplars along Silver Springs reaches to catch some of the brilliant sunrise