I have been "MIA" (well not really, I was busy with loads of other action) so here's a post to make up for all that.
First lets catch up with some of the topics discussed in class:
1) Mini-presentation on Wiki-Essentials:
First there was discussion about what a wiki is (a webpage that multiple people can edit, usually accompanied by a revision control system), cleared us some basics like every group needs to be on the wetpaint wiki (even if the group is working on PodCamp or some topic that has nothing to do with the wiki directly) and what the working pages are for (prof will be looking at either the working pages or the final draft [and not both] so each team needs to decide / pick one and run with it. The main difference being the changes made to the working pages aren't directly reflected on the main wiki and some groups prefer that. Either way the end result should be on the main wiki page).
This was followed by a greater discussion on the grading criteria itself and how the wiki would be used to track each group member's performance. Mainly by looking at the contribution history (who and when), content changes (the magnitude of the change, in number of lines) and Top Contributers (more points for contributing across the board to pages from different topics).
The meaning of such a grading mechanism ... this is something the Michael wanted to be emphasized, so it got it's own slide.
This was followed up by ways of making this system work for you, including a demo of 280slides.com which enables collaborative creation of presentations.
This was followed by a broader discussion on wikis themselves with content from wikipatterns and the greater web.
Another topic discussed in class which is of great interest to me, was Emergent Complexity, or just Emergence or Complexity as it is sometimes referred to. Remember the discussion about TED Talks (another awesome resource) from week 1, we also talked about Fractals ... yep, tying the loop, Fractals are an emergent phenomenon. Complexity is a fascinating topic, it is a recurring theme in nature, plant growth, herd formation even the formation and distribution of ant colonies is based on these simple principles.
Ok, so what does emergence have to do with this class? Inspiration from the book "Made to Stick" can help answer the question ... the blogosphere follows a few simple rules when making a story big (sticky, though literally speaking, stickiness isn't really the issue on the internet as it never forgets). Lets accept this as an established fact that if you're the first hit on Google for a generic search term and Digg, you can fairly certain of a high click-through rate. Given this there are certain kind of articles and pages that get dugg a lot and this clicked and picked up by the google-bot giving it a higher and higher page rank. These simple rules that make an article "diggable" and more accessible if understood can be used to easily spread a message like wildfire. A simple example of this can be what was known as Google-bombing (Google it).
This post would be more than incomplete without the mention of the US presidential election. I am usually pretty apolitical and my religious views can be quoted as "Pastafarian", but this time around I have a fairly strong feeling for the US elections. And if we really want to talk about it, let's just say sticking to the context of this course, Obama has an official iPhone App and knows what bubble sort is all about, where as McCain refuses to use email. And don't you get me started on Palin ...
Talking about iPhone apps, Obama's app is pretty nifty and talks about his stance on all the different issues. Also, there is pretty cool WordPress app which is almost full-featured, after trying it out, I wondered why I started this blog on blogger ... just because it's google? =P
Talking about Google, applications period for project 10 to the 100 gets over soon, so if you have an idea, don't sit on it. Also Google Andriod phones are selling like hot cakes on the pre-booking market, they'd better deliver!
Okie, so I can ramble on, let's keep the discussion about the Credit Crunch to the next post.
Tip of the Post: A big shout out to all Firefox users (if you're not using FireFox, now would be a good time to switch) ... here's something awesome just for you: Ubiquity. It's a version 0.1.1 alpha prototype experiment (that's just Aza Raskin's way of say it's too awesome to be true) which blows the socks off of almost any other Firefox extension. Ubiquity enables you to do a whole lot with leaving the current page. You can add maps, comics and reviews from yelp to you emails, you can live translate and annotate text, add events to your calendar and so much more. Go get a copy NOW!
Also watch out for Geode ... this could be big (especially if the come out with mobile firefox).
Random things I did this week: Participated in APEX business IT case challenge, came in 3rd ... finished and submitted my independent study report - that's 36 pages of analysis of data from SIPO PRC (State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China.) ... got myself an iPod touch for iPhone app development ... got paid 4.5k USD from Google for successfully completing the Summer of Code project. ^_^
Final Word: One of the best practises of blogging was said to be having a blogging schedule ... I believe following a blogging schedule might prove more fruitful than just having one =P
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