[MCN-L] Google Apps
In message 747cfaf51003161530h6aa82e8aj27f8e5ee4cd14314 at mail.gmail.com, Ari Davidow aridavidow at gmail.com writes After using Google Apps and Google Docs for a couple of weeks on a specific project, I have to ask: Why on earth would anyone ever again spend a dime on Microsoft Office? Well, one response is that we have MS Office and everyone knows how to use it. Staff here have several times tried working with Google Apps (and with Zoho Apps, which seem better-featured and less buggy) and they hate 'em all. Hate the way the hosted apps track changes, hate the way they handle comments. This isn't true of all staff, but of enough, that this is still not an option for us. For us, at least, until hosted applications replace the way we currently do things with either a close functional equivalent, or something that people generally like better (and find easy to learn), it's still an ideal; not yet a realistic change. I came to the same conclusion some time ago, but with Open Office as the replacement software. It behaves in a manner which is closer to MS Office, and might be easier for the average user to switch to. Richard -- Richard Light
[MCN-L] Switching to Gmail
John - From what I've seen, g-mail can be a wonderful solution for organizations of all size. It seems to be extremely scalable, and can be integrated with active directory and other Microsoft network management tools fairly easily. I have personally recommended g-mail as a viable solution for various (usually smaller) non-profit organizations, but have yet to seriously consider using it for our own organization. Despite all the cost benefits and ease of integration I have a bit of trouble allowing any of the Internet giants to own our e-mail data, and have some (albeit minor) concerns about relying on Google for consistent up-time and access. Google has a fairly comprehensive and liberal privacy policy at this point, but if Facebook is any indicator, we need to remember that privacy policies and terms of use for organizational data mining can be changed at any time at the whim of the service provider. I remain a bit uncomfortable putting all my eggs in the Google Basket, and trusting them with our organizational data. As long as we have the infrastructure and resources to maintain our own e-mail system I'll likely not look in the direction of Google for solutions, but can certainly understand the benefits of doing so for other institutions. When considering Google for service provision I think there has to be some more dialog around the current and future terms of use for organizational data and privacy. I'm wary of anything that is free. ; ) Privacy has become the new currency, and I recommend this Newsweek ed-op by Daniel Lyons that briefly echoes some of my concerns: http://www.newsweek.com/id/233773 The genius of Google, Facebook, and others is that they've created services that are so useful or entertaining that people will give up some privacy in order to use them. Now the trick is to get people to give up more?in effect, to keep raising the price of the service. Good luck! : ) Marc Check Director of Technology, Strong National Museum of Play? Information Technology Manager, American Journal of Play Associate Director, International Center for the History of Electronic Games? One Manhattan Square Rochester, NY 14607 Direct Line: 585-410-6323 Fax: 585-263-2493 cell: 585-755-8622 Email: mcheck at museumofplay.org Website(s): www.museumofplay.org, www.americanjournalofplay.org, www.icheg.org
[MCN-L] Switching to Gmail
The University of Alberta here recently switched/is switching their whole email system to gmail. Not sure how it's going in practice, but that's a pretty large switch (about 50,000 students and staff). http://thegatewayonline.ca/articles/news/2010/01/25/google-s-gmail-selected-replace-email-service-across-campus http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/University+Alberta+outsource+mail+Google/2433450/story.html tim Tim Atherton e. timatherton at telus.net t. 780.292.3881 archivist ? curator ? photographer ?/The archives are comprehensive and totally secure, my young Jedi. One thing you may be absolutely sure of - if an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist!/? Jocasta Nu - Jedi Archivist
[MCN-L] Digital Video/Storage Consultants
We have been creating more and more digital video at our museum - for oral histories, events, user contributed stories etc. We have the capability in-house to produce and edit videos for these purposes, but we are having trouble with the long term strategy of managing the uncompressed files. As we have run out of capacity in recent years, we have added hard-drives to servers and increased the capacity of our backups. But we can see that, at the rate we are creating video, in the next few years we may need close to 100 TB of capacity. At that point, backups are no longer an overnight process. I know there are solutions such as deduplication (only saving the difference between files), but I have no idea whether that would work for digital video. What about off-site storage and disaster recovery? Can anyone recommend a consultant who has helped you with similar issues? David
[MCN-L] google apps
The tech notwithstanding.what is google to do with the stored information is a question. the buzz fiasco is troubling in many levels. mcn-l-request at mcn.edu mcn-l-request at mcn.edu wrote: Send mcn-l mailing list submissions to mcn-l at mcn.edu To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to mcn-l-request at mcn.edu You can reach the person managing the list at mcn-l-owner at mcn.edu When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than Re: Contents of mcn-l digest... Today's Topics: 1. Re: Google Apps (Stanley Smith) 2. LEH-Letter: Copyright, New Media Law E-Commerce News (Lesley Ellen Harris) 3. Re: Switching to Gmail (Peter_Guss at whitney.org) 4. Re: Database consultants (Johnston, Leslie) 5. Re: Switching to Gmail (Frank E. Thomson) 6. Re: Switching to Gmail (Perian Sully) 7. Re: Google Apps (Chad Petrovay) 8. Re: Google Apps (Ari Davidow) 9. Re: Google Apps (Richard Light) 10. Re: Switching to Gmail (Check, Marc) 11. Re: Switching to Gmail (Tim Atherton) 12. Re: Switching to Gmail (Daniel Bartolini) -- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:07:28 -0700 From: Stanley Smith ssm...@getty.edu Subject: Re: [MCN-L] Google Apps To: mcn-l at mcn.edu Message-ID: 4B9F829002B6000A9C31 at mail.getty.edu Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII After using Google Apps and Google Docs for a couple of weeks on a specific project, I have to ask: Why on earth would anyone ever again spend a dime on Microsoft Office? Stanley Smith Manager, Imaging Services J. Paul Getty Museum 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1000 Los Angeles, CA 90049-1687 (310) 440-7286 -- Message: 2 Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:54:53 -0400 From: Lesley Ellen Harris lesleyehar...@comcast.net Subject: [MCN-L] LEH-Letter: Copyright, New Media Law E-Commerce News To: Museum Computer Network Listserv MCN-l at mcn.edu Message-ID: 9C216DE5-C5A3-4122-B895-6540D728F941 at comcast.net Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed; delsp=yes Today's news 2010 IS THE 15TH YEAR OF PUBLICATION OF THE LEH-LETTER. ALL BACK ISSUES ARE ARCHIVED AT: http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/202/300/copyright-a/ FROM THE OFFICES OF LESLEY ELLEN HARRIS Copyright, New Media Law E-Commerce News __ __ Vol. 14, No. 2, March 16, 2010 ISSN 1489-954X Contents: 1. Studies, Legislation and Conventions: U.S. Orphan Works Report Orphan Works in the U.K. U.S. Interim Regulation on Deposit of Online Works 2. Legal Cases: Google Held Liable in France Damages Reduced in Thomas Piracy Case Chinese Court Holds Search Engine Not Liable for Deep- Linking U.S. Supreme Court Restores Freelance Settlement 3. Of Interest: What Could Have Been Entering the Public Domain on January 1, 2010 4. Seminars and Publications: The Copyright New Media Law Newsletter 2010 Copyright Certificate Program In-Person Sessions Digital Licensing Online eCourse __ __ Copyright, New Media E-Commerce News is distributed for free by the office of Lesley Ellen Harris. Information contained herein should not be relied upon or considered as legal advice. Copyright 2010 Lesley Ellen Harris. This e-letter may be forwarded, downloaded or reproduced for non-commercial purposes provided that you cc: lehletter at copyrightlaws.com . This e-letter, from 1996 to the present, is archived with Library Archives Canada at: http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/201/300/copyright/. __ __ 1. STUDIES, LEGISLATION AND CONVENTIONS: U.S. ORPHAN WORKS REPORT - The U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS) has published a report entitled Orphan Works in Copyright Law. Topics addressed in the report include the Copyright Office's 2006 Report on Orphan Works, the various orphan works bills pending before Congress, and the Google book settlement proposal. ORPHAN WORKS IN THE U.K. - Leading U.K. cultural organizations, including the British Library, press for the passage of clause 42 of the Digital Economy Bill. The Bill would provide a system that allows a cultural or educational organization to apply for a licence for the use of orphan works. U.S. INTERIM REGULATION ON DEPOSIT OF ONLINE WORKS ? The Copyright Office will be adopting an interim regulation governing mandatory deposit of electronic works published in the United States and available only
[MCN-L] Technology Counts 2010 Powering Up: Mobile Learning Seeks The Spotlight In K-12 Education
Colleagues/ K-12 Leading The Mobile Way ? /Gerry Technology Counts is Education Week's annual report on educational technology. Powering Up Change But lack of research on the educational impact of portable tech tools is a problem. Editor's Note Much like the shifting landscape in K-12 educational technology, this year's Technology Counts is changing to address the challenges of covering schools in the digital age. Profiles: Laptops Building on a Decade of 1-to-1 Lessons Sustaining a laptop program at a middle school in Michigan requires a wireless vision and parent purchasing power. EXPERT ADVICE: Wireless Issues Profiles: IPods Portable Playlists for Class Lessons Although still banned by many schools, a growing number of others are using iPods and other MP3 players as educational accessories. Profiles: TeacherMates Targeting Elementary Readers TeacherMate?a Game Boy-like device?is now being used by 40,000 students in 15 states with the aim to improve the reading skills of K-2 students. VIDEO: TeacherMates in Action Profiles: Smartphones Solving Algebra on Smartphones A project to use the devices as teaching and learning tools is showing promising results. Features Adding Up Mobile Costs Paying for initiatives that use portable tech tools goes far beyond the initial cost of the devices. Teachers Testing Mobile Methods Best practices are emerging as more educators use the devices in their classrooms. Configuring Content Developing meaningful lessons that fit the constraints of small-screen devices is a challenge. Full Speed Ahead in Higher Ed. Mobile learning is gaining momentum at colleges and universities faster than in K-12. Devices Deliver Learning in Africa Educators are finding innovative ways to bring education to students in remote areas. Tracking Trends Mobilizing the Research A growing number of studies in the U.S. and abroad is helping to build a better case for using portable digital tools. Ed-Tech-Stats This year, the Technology Counts data section shifts its focus from a state to a district lens, offering a host of charts showing how local schools and districts are using standard and emerging technologies to improve education. DATA: Ed-Tech Stats QA Three ed-tech researchers discuss important issues surrounding the use of cellphones, laptops, and other computing devices for teaching and learning. Free / Full Access Available March 17- 24 2010 See Also Link To Live Chat / Mobile Learning: Trends and Challenges / March 23 2010 / 2 PM / Eastern All Links Accessible Via [ http://tinyurl.com/ybg6qsj ] enJOY ! /Gerry Gerry McKiernan Associate Professor Science and Technology Librarian Iowa State University Library Ames IA 50011 Follow Me On Twitter http://twitter.com/GMcKBlogs The Future Is Mobile
