Open-Content

This must be the single most popular post title on my blog… In response to my earlier post, Yes, Stephen, but Who Cares?, Stephen responds: I care, David. Because the next result on Google won’t be the free version, it’ll be another pay version. And the next and the next and the next. That’s how SEO works. If SEO worked this way, Elsevier and Springer would keep us from ever finding articles available in PubMed. Microsoft would keep us from ever finding Open Office. Adobe would keep us from ever finding the GIMP. Et cetera. And yet, of course, they’re not able to keep us from finding these things. Elsevier alone had over $2 billion in operating profits last year, so they have the “means.” And their entire business depends on people licensing content from them, so they have the “motive.” And if SEO were as easy to manipulate as you say, they’d have the “opportunity.” means + motive + opportunity usually = a crime, and yet I can still find articles in PubMed through Google and Yahoo. If Elsevier can’t get it done, who can? Microsoft has had tons of cash on hand forever, and they haven’t been able to push Open Office to the 30th results page. It just isn’t happening. ...

Stephen comments on Stian’s post: I don’t want to say “this is exactly what I meant,” but, this is exactly what I meant!. And it’s why I use the NC clause in Creative Commons. e-century reports: “One of the major reasons for this change was because some companies are trying to archive the articles published by us for pure commercial purpose – they will ’lock up’ all those articles on their websites and ask readers to pay to access them. This is obviously not right, and against our intention to keep all articles openly accessible to all readers, no matter where they are archived.” So, don’t tell me any more that this won’t happen. It does. ...

Recently there have been some conversations about trying to craft a consistent message about OER that can be used with policymakers, particularly those in Washington DC. This exercise is necessary because, like it or not, the term “open” requires explaining. As does the term “free.” And a “message” that requires lots of explaining is a message that still needs crafting. I recently heard the term “unobstructed license” batted around as the potential phrase we should use in our conversations about OER with policymakers. This is possibly the worst phrase I’ve heard recommended yet, for a number of reasons. (1) No one is currently using this phrase, so no one (even folks in the OER community!) knows what it means. (2) Consequently, it still requires an explanation. (3) The phrase is grammatically incorrect, if I understand what it’s trying to mean. I think it’s trying to mean materials who use is unobstructed by a license, or a license that removes obstacles from your use of a resource, or something like that. However, in the phrase “unobstructed license,” “unobstructed” modifies the word “license.” So we find ourselves talking about a license that is not obstructed in any way. An “unobstructed license” sounds more like DMCA or ACTA style copyright - like a license whose enforcement is unobstructed by little nuisances like Fair Use… ...

If you haven’t submitted your presentation proposals for Open Ed 2010 in Barcelona this November, you’d better do it soon! The Call for Papers closes this weekend.

If you’re a fan of OER and looking for an awesome job, look no further than the Open High School of Utah! OHSU is hiring a Director of Curriculum and Development to oversee the open curriculum. The job description is below; apply online here. JOB DESCRIPTION: Open High School of Utah is now accepting applications for a Director of Curriculum Development. Candidates should have experience in instructional design, instructional technology, or related field. Prior experience working with open source curriculum development is preferred. Position requires exceptional skills utilizing technology in instruction and use of media. ...

A few weeks ago I came across a tape in a cardboard box. The tape contained a few quick piano sketches I wrote during 1990-1991 and recorded while living in Japan. One tape-to-mp3 conversion later, and these six poorly recorded pieces are now in the Internet Archive with track titles and everything - like a real album, but without the talent. There’s nothing terribly special about these pieces musically - they are, in fact, quite formulaic. And as my friend Steve once said to me, I apparently don’t know how to end a song. But they offer a fun little peak into my musical thinking before my undergraduate training, and make for good trivia. You’ll likely not care, but since I went to the trouble of digitizing and archiving them, I thought I might as well share. ...

I recently received a copy of a letter the US Chamber of Commerce is circulating in opposition to H.R. 5037, the Federal Research Public Access Act. Since I decided to respond to the letter at length, I thought I would share my response with the community. Below I quote their letter in full with paragraph-by-paragraph responses to their argument. Dear Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region, opposes H.R. 5037, the “Federal Research Public Access Act,” and urges you not to bring it before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for consideration. ...

As reported by the OA Librarian, Open Education News, and others, the Federal Research Public Access Act has been introduced in the US House. taxpayeraccess.org has more detail and information about how you can get involved. The awesome Govtracker is currently showing H. R. 5037 has having been referred to the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Government Reform. Go check and see if you have a congressman on the subcommittee. I do! I sent him this letter this morning. ...

I’ve been reading George’s writing on the unique ideas in connectivism. Two assertions leap out at me in his list of how connectivism is different from other approaches. First is the statement that “the same structure of learning that creates neural connections can be found in how we link ideas and in how we connect to people and information sources. One scepter to rule them all.” This sounds almost exactly like the claim made in John Anderson and Lael Schooler’s 1991 Reflections of the Environment in Memory, which I consider one of the finest pieces of research in our field: ...

The nicely edited video of my TEDxNYED talk is now online. I previously posted the notes I created before I produced the slides. The TEDxNYED folks asked us to produce new material for this talk and not just give an existing talk again. I apparently took this advice more literally than some of the other presenters. Consequently, this is the first time I’ve given this talk and there are a few stumbles along the way. However, I feel like it’s a fair representation of my current thinking. I also managed to sneak in the shout out I promised my youngest daughter (around 7:45). ...