Well, whaddya know, as of June 2 2004 Blackboard has been flogging their own blogging tool:

“Journal LX is a powerful learning extension that enables instructors and students to create, share and comment on blogs within a course.”

Maybe there was some sort of confusion at the users conference, when “Melissa Chotiner (Blackboard PR Manager and newly converted to the wonders of blogging) is standing over my shoulder saying, “Greg, Greg, why can’t we put a blogging feature in our software?””? Maybe it was a lone shark who’s slipped under the corporate radar? Maybe Alex was sought out by underground developers…

Oh hang on, or maybe this is some cunning ruse to appear all responsive and user-centred… noooo, they wouldn’t do that!

Now, is anyone using this? It’s free for evaluation you know! Would love to hear some reviews! & how much $-wise…

Had an interesting chat with Stephen Powell last week at a coffee shop in Flinders Lane here in Melb. Of the many things we talked about, one was LAMS, which he attended the opening of and was impressed by the people behind it.

So, reading Derek’s article this morning (yes, I am spending at least the morning of my birthday reading RSS… don’t ask me why) reminded me that I want to try it out.

Ambitious technologically as I am though, am not sure that I can justify the effort I’ll need to put into this to get this running, so… does anyone have a version of LAMS running that I can get into as a designer / student and play with?

Maybe a public account could be made accessible so that a bunch of people could get in, have a play and share thoughts?

Howaboutit?

25th April each year is Anzac Day in Australia. A chance to reflect on the tragedy those lost in war. It’s also always a public holiday, which IMO is a very good thing (Remembrance day isn’t in England) as it accords some of the importance that reflecting on these horrors should.

It’s also my birthday… anyone else get a public holiday every year on their birthday … which gives it an interesting mix of emotions! 29 today (for the first and last time :o) – I know where I would’ve been at this age in 1917 or 1942 (and am thankful that I’m not.)

It’s probably never going to happen, but if Design for Community II ever comes about (and I think it so should) this excellent reflection on the history of wikipedia should definitely be a chapter.

Does anyone know of the location of any teaching and learning online surveys that are for pretty broad use (i.e. not specific to particular technologies or programs)?

Don’t have to be web-based, if you’ve got a document and you could email it to me I’d be eternally grateful!!! (james [at] incsub.org)

Thankyou :o)

Steve Crescenzo shares it from the heart, blogging at its best.

BTW, today has somehow become Dave Winer day, not sure how but it seems to have happened.

Via Donncha, the fog is clearing, things don’t get any clearer than this!

Lindon: “This one’s a bit moody, and each of them is in one way or another…”

You don’t say ;o)

Lindon has redesigned and reconceptualised Into the Bungelow into an evolving folio of images he’s created over the years. Read more about it here.

They’re all CC licensed so:

“You could down-load 50 of them, print them, set them on fire and pee on them and claim what you are doing is art. In fact the use of urine might even get you a grant. All of that is OK with me. But if you’re getting paid to pee on my work, well then we’ll need to talk.”

And they’re also frickin ace. Beautiful idea and here is the first of the beautiful machines:

Over at IncSub I’ve posted a kind of potted history of the last two years of edublogging… it’s for the online version of elearning magazine and any and all feedback would be very very much appreciated!!!

Here’s an excerpt:

“Back in July 2003 there was a group called the Educational Blogging Network, there was Schoolblogs and KairosNews, there was EdBlogger 2003, there were pioneers like Will Richardson, Jay Cross, Anne Davis, Ray Schroeder, Maish Nichani, Charlie Lowe, Stephen Downes, Jenny Levine, Jim Flowers, Albert Delgado, David Carter Todd, Sebastian Fiedler, Patrick Delaney, Sarah Lohnes, Alan Levine, Sebastian Paquet, Lilia Efimova, Mario Asselin, Pam Pritchard and many many more… more“