Running with Scissors

When you spend a lot of time online, the user interface for a typical web site starts to feel the same. Typically, links on the left and/or right, and content down the middle. Scroll down the page or click the links to get to the info you want.

Well, I found a different interface today – one I had not seen before if that can be believed. The web site for HotRecorder (an application that allows you to record Skype calls) has a left/right interface with small blocks of info that can be scrolled up or down when the content exceeds the size of the block.

It took a minute to get used to it – seemed a little strange, and I’m not sure I like it – but it is unique.

In general, the way that major corporations look at intellectual property is a very tight control model. “Don’t use it without our permission, don’t change it without our permission, don’t build upon it without our permission,” etc. And usually, getting permission means “give me money.”

I just saw an article in February 2006 Wired about the next generation of the Mindstorms robot kits. They took a different tack when they found that users had reverse engineered the code for the Mindstorms controller and had begun building in new features:

After a few months of wait-and-see, Lego concluded that limiting creativity was contrary to its mission of encouraging exploration and ingenuity. Besides, the hackers were providing a valuable service. “We came to understand that this is a great way to make the product more exciting,” Nipper says. “It’s a totally different business paradigm – although they don’t get paid for it, they enhance the experience you can have with the basic Mindstorms set.” Rather than send out cease and desist letters, Lego decided to let the modders flourish; it even wrote a “right to hack” into the Mindstorms software license, giving hobbyists explicit permission to let their imaginations run wild.

How refreshing! Users and consumers both benefit from this sort of IP sharing. Is this an isolated incident, or is it the wave of the future? I’m hoping for the latter.

NOTE: There is another great story in this article – Lego went to their users to help them create this next generation Mindstorms product. Lego contacted some of the most prominent Mindstorms hobbyists and enlisted them in the development process.

We are gearing up for our 11th Annual Faculty Academy on Instructional Technology on May 16 and 17, 2006 in Combs Hall on the UMW campus in Fredericksburg, VA. Thus, the planning, arranging, thinking, longing, obsessing, anticipating and just plain work of preparing for the conference is in full swing.

At this conference, the faculty are the stars – they present on their successes, insights, and struggles in the classroom with instructional technology. I always like to see the “fruit of our labor” so to speak. It invigorates me and opens my eyes to new and different approaches to take in using technology in teaching and learning.

We also invite outside speakers to help us broaden our thinking about technology in academia – this year we have a biggie, our Keynote Speaker is Jon Udell. His regular gig is writing for InfoWorld magazine – specifically he is the “Strategic Developer” columnist. Granted, much of what Jon writes about concerns heavy duty enterprise information technology stuff. But don’t let that fool you – Jon is a teacher at heart. If you travel over to our FA 2006 web site you will find some links to screencasts (little movies that describe and demonstrate) that he has produced. You and also see more of his writings in his blog, Jon’s Radio. He will be speaking on the topic of “21st Century Literacy” on May 17th.

So, between now and then, we will be in high gear getting ready for a jam packed 2 day conference.

Come and join us as we “Turn It Up to 11.” If you are interested in presenting, or just attending one or both days (no charge to attend, plus a boxed lunch for registered participants!), come on over to the Faculty Academy web site for more info on submitting a proposal or registering to attend. Hope to see you on May 16th and 17th!

An intersection of podcasting, whales, apple pies, ninjas and Eva Longoria juggling chainsaws.

I discovered the Ask A Ninja podcast from the Business Week Podcasts, and share it with you via YouTube.

By the way – here is an actual good expanation of podcasting done by Gardner. Now if we could just get him to dress up as a ninja, we would be making some real progress. :)