Links of Interest

I haven't been reading my list of blogs a lot lately, but today I sat down to read the news. I subscribe to the BBC and found some interesting articles. They really relate to what we are constantly asking and looking at.

US youths use internet to create

Sony slated over anti-piracy CD

Microsoft scans British Library

Google posts first books online

Internet phone calls on the rise

So what are these things and why do they have an impact on us as educators? Each article has its own implications. Talking about students as creators seems the most significant to me. Fostering these types of activities and allowing them to be done in the educational context seems to be the place we should hope that education goes. This article also relates to the article about Sony. Will our students allow this type of restrictions on the media that they purchase legitimately? It seems to me that this type of thing shouldn't be needed. If we as educators obey copyright laws and teach our students about these things we can make a difference. By speaking up to Microsoft, MGM, Sony, and other companies who use Digital Rights Management (DRM) that is prohibitive to our rights as consumers, maybe we can change their practices. These companies are being reactive in and not proactive when it comes to these problems. Maybe if they helped consumers understand the laws that they want us to support then perhaps they would have more compliance, or perhaps the laws could change.

The two articles about digitizing libraries are simply interesting and something to keep an eye on. Especially if you are a member of Microsoft's Live Network or Google's Personalized homepage. Since I am betting that both of the libraries will require some type of login.

The last link is interesting since it seems that maybe someday we won't have to buy separate services for things such as our cell phones, home phones, web, and TV service. Also the simply fact that the globe is shrinking due to these things makes for an interesting future! Oh and one last link to another VOIP client that is similar to Skype, but different it is called Gizmo!

Local News Team Blog

So now here in little old Rochester, New York there are actual news teams working on blogs. So the blog world is now seeing small news venues enter the fold of the "blogosphere"!