Re: Old profiles and new

Bill Barowy (wbarowy who-is-at lesley.edu)
Sun, 15 Nov 1998 11:28:45 -0500

Phil,

I think updating the bios, and collecting them all together into a web site
is a very nice idea. I also have the impression that it has not been done
lately , because xmca has outgrown the ability of lchc to maintain and
update all this information. I think lchc could use a little help, and I'd
like to take Eva up on her idea of a work group. Perhaps a few of us
technically minded folks could work out some solutions. For example, it
may be possible to have xmca information distributed across the internet,
where folks have some access and control over local machines. An important
aspect I see is having hosting institutions involved that can provide the
reliability that we need, and troubleshooting when things go wrong, and
with greater institutional commitment, some additional measures toward a
self-sustaining electronic medium.

Of course Lesley college will not just give me web space, or other computer
resources because I ask for it. I may have to make an argument such as
'This is good for Lesley college - it places the college in good company
and provides excellent exposure'. While this process can be time
consuming, and appear capitalistic to some, it will probably be necessary
for institutional administrators and technical support folks to see the
value such service brings back to the home institutions. And this type of
solution would have to be acceptable and beneficial to lchc.

Eva's idea of collecting URLs for bios is attractive - each individual is
responsible for their own site, keeping the information up to date. I know
that as projects come and go, as I work with and for different
institutions, there are shifts in emphasis in my own work and my bio of old
does not capture what I am doing today.

I still have priviledges for a bbn server to create mailing reflectors that
could serve an electronic medium workforce. I think a listserv would be
better so that folks could subscribe and configure according to their own
wishes. I'll look into what Lesley has to offer. A few of us could sing
together with enough harmony to please the greater community.

It is important we begin this work. At the moment we have the luxury that
the current technology works and we need not make a desparate attempt. I
think we could achieve something significant with some forethought.

And right now I MUST return to writing.

Bill

>The web page was merely a thought, not an imperative.
>
>I have plenty of other things to do anyway.
>
>I certainly would not wish to contravene the wisdom generated by social
>psychology experiments, and _especially_ not to broach consensus.
>
>Distributed cognition is indeed like a singing dog.
>
>It's very good to meet all the people from xmca.
>
>More please.
>
>Phil
>
>
>At 12:41 15-11-98 +0100, you wrote:
>>
>>HOLD it a bit!
>>
>>This medium is known to be notoriously lousy for decision making processes,
>>while it's great for brainstorming and, also, for coordination once a
>>course of action has been decided upon. This commonsensicality originates,
>>I believe, in experiments from social psychology and business with groups
>>put together for the purpose, having a common task.
>>
>>Which should make one even MORE wary when it comes to a center-less,
>>voluntary group like this. So if Phil decides to put Web work into a
>>gallery of these new selfdescriptions he should be aware that he does so
>>without really knowing a lot about any kind of community consensus. He has
>>heard a few enthusiasts, some skeptics, and a lot of silence from the c:a
>>300 voices of the community,probably including a lot of silence from most
>>of the 40-50 voices of people who have so far volunteered selfdescriptions.
>>
>>I really appreciate the intitiative, but tend to agree with Kim that it's
>>enough to have the recent postings archived at
>>http://communication.ucsd.edu/MCA/index.html
>>
>>
>>I want to strongly suggest that the efforts should be put into tha making
>>of an accessible collection of the home pages/ /websites of members of the
>>xmca community. There are already many that I know of, and more and more
>>people seem to be getting them.
>>
>>I'm willing to put some work into this Webbing, but I think I am not the
>>only one. I suggest we form some kind of temporary work group, and I also
>>suggest we take this discussion backstage -- I'm willing to serve as a
>>contact for that to begin with.
>>
>>Will be back on this -- gotta go
>>Eva
>>
>>
>>
>>
>Phil Graham
>pw.graham who-is-at student.qut.edu.au
>http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/8314/index.html

Bill Barowy, Associate Professor
Technology in Education
Lesley College, 29 Everett Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-2790
Phone: 617-349-8168 / Fax: 617-349-8169
http://www.lesley.edu/faculty/wbarowy/Barowy.html
_______________________
"One of life's quiet excitements is to stand somewhat apart from yourself
and watch yourself softly become the author of something beautiful."
[Norman Maclean in "A river runs through it."]