Hi Simon, As you know, there are also issues with using Google services given the non-free nature of the code engine.
I think we need to accept that there are a range of different technologies people may choose to use to support OER communities of practice and that we should respect those choices. While the elgg platform hosted by UNESCO may not be compare with the functionality of the Google engine, speaking on behalf of the OER Foundation, I prefer to host the OER university discussions on an open source platform combined with open content licensing. If for whatever reason, UNESCO is unable to continue the service we will be able to replicate the open source software engine and reuse the data. OER is digital data that want's to be free and it shouldn't matter where it is hosted or mirrored. To be fair, the OER Foundation could easily have hosted the OER university discussions on any of the open source discussion technologies administered by Foundation. However, given the significance of the OERu we prefer to collaborate in building OER ecosystems and UNESCO's global commitment to education for all provides a welcome home to hosting discussions for building the OER university. Cheers Wayne On Sun, Mar 6, 2011 at 4:05 PM, simon Fenton- jones <simo...@cols.com.au>wrote: > Thanks Wayne, > > > > “WE can play an important role in assisting other communities within the UN > family to learn and experience the value of self-organising open > communities”. > > That’s so true; “the self –organising open GLOBAL communities” is the one > thing which everyone in the OER and wsis spaces can agree on. > > > > The one thing I’m looking at is that Abel, as a global mousetrap builder, > might see the utility of using Goggle as a platform rather than having to > reinvent the wheel a la egg, especially as, like the EC, World Bank & OECD > guys (and every NREN), the UN will be trying to come up with a directory for > global (subject/disciplinary) groups – internal and “external”. (so they can > find one another, regardless of language). And agree on “their” members > level of access. > > > > I do have a 2007 email still in my inbox from sherrykennedy > atworldbank.org. > > “You have requested a membership to the GDLN Community Space. Thank you for > your interest in GDLN. > > This private website is currently open to GDLN staff only. Would you mind > detailing your connection with GDLN in order for us to verify whether we can > approve your membership?” > > Things have moved on a bit in 3 years. Now the big institutions are > thinking a bit more outside their squares. > > > > The UN is coming in pretty late here. And I’ve never found the peer group > of Abel’s who might help coordinate the inter-institutional activities. > > Every large institution has invented a “platform” in the hope it will help > support “their” communities. That’s OK but it doesn’t help the global > groups, which are at the core of every community, to aggregate and share > their stuff, and attract their peers and Community of Interest. And the UN > doesn’t have the same resources which are free at Google. > > E.g. It’ll take a bit of work to physically translate on like this global > basis @ UN servers compared to using a cloud. > http://digitalcollaboration.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/to-translate-this-blog/ > > > > But the main thing here is the costs. (as I mentioned to Sarah on that > ‘open access education’ thread). We’re going through this evolution from > Institutional client/server architecture to a SSO/cloud model. The wiki > model of global groups working on a “slice” of cyberspace is, after 10 > years, the only model. Abel understands that better that WE will. > > (Abel, you might check out the talk on this thread. “Where do I sign in?”) > > > > Lastly, licensing. Google’s T’s and C’s are clear. > http://www.google.com/accounts/TOS?hl=en&loc=AU > > > > Abel, Could I ask you to register here, so we could have a few open > discussions about the virtual networking technical stuff. > > A starting point would be a Federated Log In, primarily to real time > services. You’ve probably got a very fat VC system at the UN which you might > like to share. > > > > And thanks. I hope you’ll never think I’m throwing water on what wsis is > doing. It’s just that we need some collaboration between the big domain > owners if WE is going to achieve its goals by end of this millennium. > > > > Until then, all the best, simon > > > > > > *From:* Wayne Mackintosh [mailto:mackintosh.wa...@gmail.com] > *Sent:* Sunday, 6 March 2011 9:11 AM > *To:* wikieducator@googlegroups.com > *Cc:* simonfj; Caine, Abel > *Subject:* Re: [WikiEducator] Re: UNESCO social networking platform for > the OER community -- Worth joining > > > > Hi Simon, > > I agree -- WE has community but WE all know the community is not about the > technology. Community discussions take place through a variety of channels > on the open web including wiki talk pages, this list, IRC, blogs a > microblogs, personal emails, VOIP technologies hosted all over the web etc. > We do our best to aggregate community discourse through rss etc. > > Given our community experience, I believe > WE are not replacing or substituting WE channels of communication -- the > community takes those decisions and they happen on the open web irrespective > of the various sites which host this discourse. > > From my perspective - -this is an invitation to members who want to join > and help a fledgling OER community hosted by UNESCO -- they are free to do > so. I believe we can add value and this can contribute to the development of > a sustainable OER ecosystem comprising multiple nodes of communication. > > WE are considering hosting the OER University planning discussions on the > UNESCO platform -- not because we don't have the technology to host these > discussions, but because we want to achieve free learning for all students > worldwide and this is well aligned with UNESCOs vision of education for all. > If we in the free culture can help UNESCO realise their vision -- that must > be good for society. (However, there is a licensing issue which must > resolved - -UNESCO does not own the IP of contributions on their platform > and will need to give users freedom of choice regarding the licensing of > their IP). > > Cheers > Wayne > > > > > On Sun, Mar 6, 2011 at 4:41 AM, simonfj <simo...@cols.com.au> wrote: > > > I'm a bit surprised by this one Wayne, > > Why would you want to join a site which is empty when WE has something > the UN doesn't have; Community > > If the platform were more than a very amateur basic, I give Abel and > crew a little pat on the back but ...... > > Can i make a suggestion. WE can have a better plaform today, for > nothing, and WE can integrate this list with it. > > I'll just point you at the overview.http://www.google.com/sites/help/ > intl/en/overview.html<http://www.google.com/sites/help/%0Aintl/en/overview.html> > > Why don't you suggest to Abel that there's no need to reinvent the > wheel, and we could use some help. > OERGlue is a nice marketing device to .edu institutions, but it won't > help the UN or WE understand what the structure & economics of an OER > global institution will be, other than being around global > communities. > > One of the things which we are starting to work on in the NRENs > (mainly surfnet) is a federated access, so the WE's of the world can > sign in with their institutional credentials. That's going to lead to > institutions sharing the stuff in clouds. Maria might call it > "behavourial economics". (I've never met a millionaire with an > economics degree) > > The National network managers could use a "live" Global community to > work on. Surfnet's already federated access to their National > institutions for Google and MS apps. They also have the right culture > to take it global. So let's see about opening the door. The last thing > they need is talk about another OS platform. People with drive and > imagination are far more important. > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "WikiEducator" group. > To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org > To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator > To post to this group, send email to wikieducator@googlegroups.com > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > wikieducator-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > > > > > -- > Wayne Mackintosh <http://wikieducator.org/User:Mackiwg>, Ph.D. > Director OER Foundation <http://www.oerfoundation.org> > Director, International Centre for Open Education, > Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. > Founder and elected Community Council Member, > WikiEducator<http://www.wikieducator.org> > Mobile +64 21 2436 380 > Skype: WGMNZ1 > Twitter <http://twitter.com/#%21/Mackiwg> | > identi.ca<http://identi.ca/waynemackintosh> > -- Wayne Mackintosh <http://wikieducator.org/User:Mackiwg>, Ph.D. Director OER Foundation <http://www.oerfoundation.org> Director, International Centre for Open Education, Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. Founder and elected Community Council Member, WikiEducator<http://www.wikieducator.org> Mobile +64 21 2436 380 Skype: WGMNZ1 Twitter <http://twitter.com/#%21/Mackiwg> | identi.ca<http://identi.ca/waynemackintosh> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator To post to this group, send email to wikieducator@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to wikieducator-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com
