Creative Commons

I have often wondered about what is okay to use, edit, and/or redistribute along with how to cite or give credit to the proper parties involved.  So this particular assignment was of great interest to me.  Before I get to far into my dialogue I would like for you to watch this video that D.I passed on to me.

Creative Commons Movie

 

For several reasons I would side with the Free Culture Movement, in favor of allowing creativity and remixing.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I am not suggesting that everything should be free and available for the general population to re-create.  There should be limitations and guidelines, but for the most part I think those details are being worked out.  There are several sites that offer media under the creative commons license.  You can find photographs, music, web design, animations, documents, and artwork that are "free" with some restrictions.  As an individual that likes to be creative I would be honored if someone found something I created and then used it in their project. 

Lets say I created a template for a website.  It took me weeks to get all the details just right.  I could see myself posting it on a server or site that offers it to members for free.  Of course membership would be free, an agreement would be made that the template is free and available for any modifications.  I don't need to be referenced as the creator.  If you like it take it and customize it to your needs.  However, there would also be an agreement that a member couldn't download the template then turn around and post the same template on another site that does make a profit from selling the template.  That would be wrong.  Just like it wouldn't be right for me to use a musicians (cc licensed) work for my own monetary gain just by changing the title of the song.

I would estimate that most users in some form or fashion have used content created by someone else and modified it.  It happens.  In several ways that does restrict creativity.  What happens in the case where some artist creates something unique, yet there are vague parallels to another piece of work?  Are there copyright infringements.  Constantly, I hear about this lawsuit and that lawsuit about copyrights.  Take JK Rowling for instance.  Once something gets into the public domain it becomes challenging to keep it locked up without being remixed.

Is there anything that is completely free?  Sure, I suppose there is, but I have always experienced some sort of agreement that sets restrictions on what is permissible and isn't when using something under the creative commons license.  It isn't always easy to find the agreement or associated rights of the content, but its there.  In most cases when I signed up for a membership with a given site I had to agree to certain terms and conditions.  Then after that initial agreement the following content didn't mention anything about copyright's or creative commons license.

"Imagine a world...."

"Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. That's our commitment"     ~Wikimedia Foundation

Wikispecies was the first place I looked.  It's the biology teacher in me.

It isn't as extensive as other online sources, but what they may lack in content they make up for it in external links.  Also, it was encouraging to see that they have very defined goals.  On the site there is a link highlighting the do's and dont's for wikispecies along with a forum to ask questions and highlight important details about the project.  From my experience, this site has a lot potential because it does call on people to contribute and challenges the old dogma that only professionals are a legitimate source of information.  There are people that have spent their lives studying species or living in close contact with them and yet those individuals chances of sharing the wealth of knowledge may be limited.  Granted the wikispecies project is focused on classification, there is still a place for collaboration and the proliferation of knowledge.  It's also a great place to see images of animals and brush up on a species classification.


After searching through some of the other wikimedia projects I found myself going back to and spending more time on wikinews.

"We are a group of volunteers whose mission is to present reliable, unbiased and relevant news."
~wikinews

Now, I know that it can be hard to write an unbiased report when you work for a specific news syndication.  There are usually special interest groups and target audiences to appeal to, and that is why I can appreciate the goal of wikinews.  This is a place for people all over the world to potentially write about first hand accounts of local events.  Plus, their news is free and created under a creative commons free license.  In other words, the content is free and available to redistribute and/or share without any laws being broken.  I really like the websites interface.  It is easy to understand how to navigate around to find specific news articles and also to just quickly get a digest of world news.  It is impressive how much media they have especially since it is all free.  You should check it out and explore some of the current events and associate images.

iLife '09

I have been using iMovie '08 for the past couple of years and I haven't really enjoyed it.  The previous version of iMovie was a lot better.  For starters, iMovie '08 wouldn't let you adjust or change the speed of the video on playback.  There were a few other things left out that I missed.  So, needless to say I have always wanted to get some of Mac's Pro tools for video editing, like the Final Cut Studio.  But the price tag that comes with it is fairly steep, and I mainly want it to play around on.  Right now I don't make movies professionally.  To solve my problem I ended up upgrading to iLife '09.  I am glad I did.  The options and new features are great.  You can check them out at Apple's website.

Here is my first movie using iMovie '09.  The idea was to explain "web 2.0" to grandma without using any technical terms or other web jargon.






Now it is time for me to mess around with the new tools.

Googled

I have a gmail account and have had a youtube account (even though I haven't posted many movies).  However, I never set up a picasa account until this evening.  When I logged into picasa via my email account I discovered that I already had some albums set up.  Google pulled all my photos from my email and blog then uploaded it to picasa behind the scenes.  I didn't have to do anything.  Simple and sweet.  It makes me wonder what other accounts I have, but never personally set up.  In a way I like it since it makes things simple and easy to share all my multimedia.  Also, it is nice to have this web or network already established so that I can upload and share with others.  On the other hand, wow, is there no end to what google is going to do.  Once you sign up for their services you are all in.

Create, edit, post

It seems like wikipedia shows up first whenever I search for something on google.  They have the most hits.  As a consumer of information from wikipedia I find it very useful.  What I like most is that they have references and external links for more information.  There are two interesting things to note about wikipedia; one is their effort to be a repository of information for the world to be able to access.  The other is how it is designed and editable by others.  As a wiki, it is editable by users.  The real beauty of wikis’ is that they are easy to create, edit, and share with others.  Although, wikipedia isn't as easy to use as other WYSIWYG wiki's.  But, Wikipedia works well and has tutorials that are helpful.  I added two words to wikipedia and it only took a few minutes.  The first word was “Planimal.”  Recently, a sea slug was discovered that could genetically produce chloroplasts in its’ cells.  This particular species has characteristics that are both animal-like and plant-like, which has been coined as a planimal.

 

www.livescience.com

Wikipedia is also great because it can answer questions immediately.  If I ever have a need to get general information about something I can usually find it at Wikipedia and then follow the trail of external links posted at the bottom of each page.  I don’t use wiki’s as a source of information for writing research papers, but it is useful.  I remember teachers and professors always saying to never use wikipedia.  It was taboo to use wiki’s as a source.  I understand why-since it is editable by anyone then it isn’t exactly a primary source of information.  Even though it is peer-reviewed that doesn’t mean it is a reliable source.  On the other hand, it has proven to be true and resourceful for me in the past.  I wouldn’t cite a wiki page as my source, but they usually reference their sources, which gives me the opportunity to read through other sources for first hand legitimate information.

What is really cool is how it incorporates all the other wikis.  There is the wiktionary, wikiversity, wikinews, wikibooks, and a few others that I haven't used.  In general I am a big fan of wikis and soon I will blog about how wiki's can be used in education.

Reflections on this and that

I have been on wikipedia the last few nights looking up things I wanted to know more about and in the process came back to a re-occurring realization.  I am thirsty for knowledge.  The catch is that I get into these information quests which just lead me further down the rabbit’s hole.  I acquire information and learn, but then sometimes I just get a glimpse of a concept and move on without fully digesting what it means.  For instance, all the available web 2.0 tools.  I don’t have unrealistic expectations such that I will be a professional using all of them or even that I will be able to cite all the available resources.  I don’t want to go that far with it, especially since they evolve and other resources are constantly being developed.  I want to have a general picture and experience using a few resources from each category.  There are people that I trust when it comes to suggestions and there are blogs that I read about with tool or approach is most effective to meet a given goal.  So I can choose from experience or others that have been there before me.  My goal is to be proficient in choosing and using the right tool for the right job.  From my experience in this course and others I feel confident in saying that I will have met that goal.  I have designed courses using open source software (moodle), designed art, collaborated with colleagues using several different web 2.0 tools to create documents, webpages, lesson plans, and digital media.  I have uploaded things I created and joined several different social networking sites. 

For me, that is my interpretation of what social networking and web 2.0 is.  Getting involved and trying to find the best resource available to interact, create, edit, and collaborate with others.  In some form or fashion I have done that on several occasions.  Individually, I have learned but the purpose in using each of those tools was for a course in graduate school.  What I really want is to be using these resources on a professional level.  Another goal is to be working in an academic environment applying what I have learned.  So, as far as my experiences in CI5530, I don’t feel cheated or jaded for not using a specific tool.  If I wanted to use something not specifically offered in this course then I would try it out on my own.  I like having some direction offered by my instructor and the flexibility in being involved in the general course design.  I believe that D.I has ideas of what he wants to cover and the applications or tools we are going to use.  Yet, there is also a degree of flexibility to allow for our own interpretation of what “web 2.0” is and how it should be defined or applied. 

The catch to it all is finding a way to balance all my responsibilities.  Which aren’t specifically related to this course alone.  Now, I hope it doesn’t sound like I am talking out of both sides of my mouth.  There is a lot of information and objectives to meet in this course.  It isn’t an overload by itself, since that is what social networking and web 2.0 is-it comes with the territory.  My challenges are access to the web and time management.  Right now I am not directly involved in a technology rich environment.  I have my job teaching biology, and then completely switching gears into instructional technology and new media for graduate school.  There is some overlap, but right now there isn’t much demand or usage, for what I am learning, in the school that I am teaching at.  Also, logging into all the different sites required has made it challenging to follow a linear sequence in how thoughts or “conversations” are shared amongst all of us.  I don’t think I am really reading them in order and it is hard to really comment on them.  There have been times when I was developing a comment and then noticed that another person already said it.

So, the pro’s are exposure and experience using different social networking sites and web 2.0 tools.  The con’s are having to log into several different sites and then piece together everything to understand what is going on.  In regards to CMSimple, it serves its purpose.  If I needed extra features that aren't offered then I can see how its limitations would be an issue.

SL Adventures

Just think, what if there was a way to create a pseudo-life that has all the functional experiences and challenges as real life.  Well, for those of you that don't know, there is a place to do that.  Actually, there are several, but Second Life seems to be the most popular and innovative.  You can create an avatar, log in, and begin the adventure in-world.  Universities have courses in SL (Second Life), businesses have corporate meetings, and people can meet virtually in-world while really being anywhere in the real world.  If you can dream it up, you can create it in SL.  It isn't just a game that people get on to role-play. 

My favorite place to visit is the Science Friday Island in Second Life.  Avatars can listen and communicate with Ira Flatow's guests.  There are simulations.  The other day I went to Paris.  Actually, it was Paris circa 1900.  I was there to meet with some classmates and my instructor.

 

D.I., my instructor, was the first to really introduce me to SL a year ago.  Before meeting him I would infrequently venture into SL without any clear purpose and spent most of my time trying to get a lay of the land.  D.I. showed me more about what SL was and how to be more creative.  SL really is a virtual play land that is unique.  We, you and I, can be creators.  According to D.I, SL's greatest strength is its ability to allow people to communicate and also as a place for simulations.  

Users can communicate by text chat or VoIP.  There are pro's and con's to both communication approaches.  Text can take longer to get a message across, and if the other person isn't a strong typist then it isn't efficient.  However, there isn't really any new equipment you need to text in SL.  Voice chatting is great because it gives the avatars more of an identity.  Hearing the person's voice really builds a sense of communication and connection.  Although, there can be challenges to setting up the mic and/or audio equipment.  Feedback can be bad if it isn't set up properly.

Well, I will leave it at that for now, but if you are ever in SL come find me.  My name is Orgon Jishnu.

Wordle Up

I have used wordle before and enjoyed the functionality and concept.  Just recently I used it to create a list of terms related to biology.  The nice part of wordle is that the text is sized based on the number of times a word shows up.  Simply BRILLIANT.

The layout for these wordles was created using a "randomize" function.  Basically, I typed into a text box and then hit "go."  After hitting "randomize" several times I settled on the layout and colors.  I must admit, I got caught up just hitting randomize for awhile.

 

I liked having a dark background vs. white.  The words are easier to read.  After hitting "randomize" I noticed that it would take me longer to read or take in the "art" when there was a light background.  Also, I didn't like it. 

Wordle is a lot of fun, and the art can be used in just about anything.  In my biology classes, I sometimes start a concept off with a wordle.  The main concept of scientific process will be the largest and then the surrounding words are relative based on the concept.  The students seem to like it and I felt like it was easier to start a conversation this way.

Another thing I liked was that you can randomly view other peoples' wordle.  In most cases I could understand the idea or message the creator wanted to convey.  Even the ones I didn't understand-I felt like they were fun and entertaining to look at.

Wordle began as creative waste of time and now I look to wordle first when I want to create something text based but with better graphics.

Here is a link to my cms site with examples of my wordees.

The Droid and I

I really just wanted to go to the Verizon store to pay my monthly bill, but like a true technophile I wondered over to the display of the Motorola Droid.  The salesman was more than happy to announce that I qualify for a "free" upgrade.  Long story short I am now a proud owner of a Motorola Droid.

 

The features on the Droid are amazing and for me I think that it tops the iPhone.  I am a dedicated and committed Mac user, but this phone is sweet.  Sure, the apps on the Droid are similar to the iPhone but there are differences.  Some of the major differences is that the Droid has a LED flash for the camera, Droid has a keyboard (which makes it slightly bulkier), you can tether the Droid's 3G network with a macbook pro but you can't (legally or "out of the box") with an iPhone, and Verizon is a better network than ATT.

My favorite application so far is the Google Sky app.  It has pin-point precision in identifying every star or constellation that I face.  Another nice one, which isn't new for smartphones is the Google Translator.  I speak English and it translates and repeats it back to me in any language.  The Droid will show it as text and speech.  And of course there is the Google Goggles application.  It analyzes a picture I take and then tries to match it with others online in order to generate search results.  Instead of saying what I want to search for or typing in a search box, I can now just take a picture and get results.  The phone is amazing. 

I really haven't had enough time to mess around or download to many applications, but when I do I will let you know.

Label the Image

After all these years surfing around looking at "images" through google search engines, I never really thought about how images were classified.  Well, there is actually a methodical process to it.  At "Google Image Labeler" people can log in and choose keywords for specific images.  Basically, two random people are selected to view the same image and then they have a few seconds to come up with keywords to describe the image.  Once both people type in the same keyword the image changes to another.  In other words keywords are associated with images by "us" the user in order to produce better search results by "us" the google search user.  It's brilliant.  When you need to take a break I would recommend trying it out.  Surprisingly it is a lot of fun. 

What about crowdsourcing????

 

Wikipedia

At first I felt like crowdsourcing is very resourceful and can be great for problem-solving.  I mean, if you are down to the final stretch and a deadline is near, then why not "put it out there" and get help from others?  I am all about collaboration.  In general, much of our scientific knowledge was developed by collaboration and expanding on the groundwork that was laid out by others.  One scientist may use anothers research to base his own research-then expand it.  It is very similar to crowdsourcing.  I can start something and then collaborate with others.  Perhaps they finish it, or maybe they assist in finishing it.  Either way the job gets done, deadlines met, or the depth of knowledge is expanded.  

Now, there are limitations and downfalls to crowdsourcing.  For instance, other contributors might not have the same vision as the project leader or client.  Sometimes, people could be over dependent on crowdsourcing.  This could potentially lead to a lack of individual creativity.  Or, maybe motivation to start and finish a project is lost since we can now reach out to others and rely on them.

I think the is a place for crowdsourcing.  It is beneficial, but should be used sparingly.  Knowing how to find the balance and institutions to use for crowdsourcing is important.  Just like with labeling images, there should be a systematic approach to acquiring resources (whether it's information, images, data etc. etc.) from others