Vent some Spleen

Whilst doing a little research for a lecture I'm preparing on 'Managing (your) Information' for my Gateway To Computing module, the section on web-logs, I was looking for an example for students other than my own web-logs - searching on 'students' turned up this web-log; Rate Your Students. Have a read, can you identify with some of the comments there ;-)
Comment to this post, if you find one which offers view-points from the other side so to speak.
A couple of articles on this blog, food for thought, one from a graduate and one from a tutor after getting some bad public feedback.
Those of you that know me, probably know I like a bit of a rant, my application's in for a contributing editor!!!!

Welcome Week Activities

It's just about that time of year, the pressure is easing off a little, although I'm looking forward to a nervous breakdown with all the new material that I am going to have to prepare in the time I don't have, so instead I took the opportunity to review some of my favourite RSS feeds, one of which is Dave Gray's Communications Nation and I came accross an article about an ice breaking activity which sounded quite fun (I just love Dave's illustrations, wonder if he'll consider illustrating that book I haven't written yet!!?).
Anyway, I started thinking about how sad and tired some of the welcome week activities (apart from the IS divisions take on the Dragons Den which we lay on for the whole business school) we've been churning out for the past few years (building towers/structures with newspaper - sorry Debbie!), this may well just be one that we could use. So, follow the link, and have a look, and if you're looking for a displacement activity ( :-) ) from the work that you have to do but just don't seem to want to do, then find us another activity somewhere out there in the blog-o-sphere and comment to this post.
Best suggestion by the end of August gets a prize! The activity should be suitable for around 20-30 students and shouldn't be too difficult and take less than an hour.

Getting the job done...

You may have read my earlier article on information overload or even the one where I rant even more about e-mail, I came across an article which gave some top-tips on being more productive in your work, much of which focussed around minimising distractions, particularly e-mail. The thrust of the article basically proposes the following rule and guidelines, I thoroughly recommend that you read Ole Eichhorns article, it's old but oh, how applicable:

• Big Rule:
  
• It takes three hours to get anything done.


• Guidelines:
  
1. Turn off your email client, put your 'phone in "do not disturb".


2. Isolate yourself.


3. Get good headphones (and some MP3s loaded up!).


4. Warn colleagues when you're "in the zone", to minimize their interrupts.


5. Minimize meetings and schedule them to avoid three-hour windows.


6. Become self-aware about warping off and try to un-stuck yourself.

Browser Based Applications

It seems that all the good ideas are not exhausted, just keep an eye on Google, Ebay and the likes of Yahoo to see that. Recent acquisitions include Flickr (photo/image service), YouTube (for budding filmmakers!), Skype (Internet Telephony) and of course Blogger.com amongst them and I'm sure many more.
I've already written in this blog about folksonomies, the blogosphere or Web 2.0 - whatever you want to call it, some exciting developments are afoot.
Web based applications look like they'll be the next big thing, like many newish technologies, they've been around for a while, sitting quietly in the background, offering their services usually for free just waiting for one of the big players to sit up and notice and get out the cheque books.
Google already have 'Writely' (see how the original link is now directed to Google) and also a spreadsheet application (illustrated) on board (Writely has been around since at least 2005 judging by the posts on their blog) . They've rebadged as Google Docs & Sheets, add this to their already popular GMail service and recently Google Calendar and you're well on your way to a full blown online office suite for free. OK so what's the big deal, you can already download and install open source versions of office suites but the clue here is no need to install - this can be very useful if for example you don't have the necessary priveliges to install, and additionally your files as well as the applications themselves are available anywhere there is Internet access in the world. Google seem to announce upcoming services on their Google Labs site if you want to get a heads-up.
Other sites to lookout for and try are www.gliffy.com (web based drawing/diagram application), www.twittr.com (a social text messenging tool - sadly not working properly in the UK last time I checked) and www.meetwithapproval.com (a social even organising tool). Please let me know by commenting to this blog if you've found any other interesting services.

Regular reader...

the views represented here are those of the original authors. This is a personal blog, not a corporate one.

Please let me know if you find this resource useful, and/or if you are a regular reader by commenting to this posting. Ta.

Online Courses Not So Distant

I came across this article on Wired.com (see link below) in one of my RSS feeds (see other articles in this weblog) and thought it to be thought provoking. Some of you already know what I think about e-learning or rather this and other HE institutions belief of what it is. I've already started experimenting with podcasts and web-logs and hope to have a demo to show you all soon.
Have a read of this article and post your comments below.

The leadin to Wired.coms article:

More and more, college courses offered over the web for distance learners are being snapped up by students who live close to campus. Some schools allow it only with a legit academic reason; others say fine, as long as it helps them graduate.

Read the full article>>>

Car tax renewals go online

I know this isn't in the usual spirit of my postings but thought it worth sharing, if like me, you hate going to that archaic institution that is the post office. Let's hope it's one step closer for the post office finally giving way in the market place to a business that can actually 'deliver'!!!

Sarah Arnott, Computing, Wednesday 11 January 2006 at 00:00:00

Database checks to replace presentation of paper documents

The Department for Transport has launched an online car tax renewal service so that motorists no longer have to take paper documents to their local post office....

> Read the full article