> The OER Foundation is very receptive to facilitating shared infrastructure. > That said, to date we've not had much success with Karen yet in figuring our > how WikiEdcuator.nz for example could collaborate and share the local NREN. > Obviously synchronous communication tools would be a great value addition to > this "OER learning infrastructure"
Thanks Wayne. I think this is a matter of what WE as the wikicogent could bring to helping the regional NREN associations communicate better; especaily to understand that they are trying to "align their Middleware portfolios" on behalf of global communities and so need to understand the I, and C, T which they want. They really are starting to get a kick on these days. Let me give you a quote from Diego at Rediris (spanish NREN) "Let me just note that the creation and mangement of virtual communities and the delivery of appropriate and open collaboration tools to those communities is one of he hit topics within the middleware-heads". If you wnat to get Karen's attention, tell them Otago Polytech wants to join this list, primarily so they can get your hands on some of aarnet's tools (when they join). http://www.aaf.edu.au/index.php/about/member-institutes/ (asking innocently, "does this present any problems for Karen?" :) Should be an interesting response if nothing else. > mmm -- I don't see that the CNX-WE project is duplication -- rather a step > in the right direction to improve OER interoperability and hopefully > contribute to less duplication of effort. I'm I missing something. > Hey, I don't ever mean to rude (comes naturally) and I've given Jim an idea of my perspective on that new OER thread. > At the end of the day -- this comes down to dollars -- the folk who take the > decisions about resource allocation. From OERFs perspective -- we have no > preference for the infrastructure that is used - -as long as its free > software. I realy don't think so wayne. The main thing with the geek end of town is that they are being torn to bits in each NREN because they never get an overview of the global perspective which all progressive content people have because of some simple tools like a wiki, utube and this google group. You should see the problems that the regional associations like Apan and terena have because they've never got into the collaborative frame of mind. Internet2, at the moment are going through this move to build their 'service portfolio' so their network becomes "on demand", not "allocated". > > So what are you proposing? A couple of Video conferences bringing folk from > the OER community together with the NRENs? That seems like a sensible thing > to be do. Well if you look at that Apan meeting in Sydney/feb, you'll see a little note under remarks. http://www.apan.net/meetings/Sydney2010/Session/eCulture.php So I'm not suggesting anything new here. The primary difference is that you'll be think VC while I'm think TV. One of the big changes in social dynamics is this idea of having a number of sites, each with a group of attendees, one agenda and number of online tools to bind the experience together. I've seen this attempted a few times now; the last with one of parliament's media people, pia, running a 'distributed conference' for our Kate Lundy. It hasn't been done very professionally, which is expected when you consider it's a new form of (inclusive) media. I never rush at this stuff as non one will ever understand unti they've been a part of it, but from the feedback I've been getting from the euro end, it's likely to be common soon; if not in the edu space, then the gov space. > > What do we want to talk about? Is this about NRENS hosting installations > like WE? (not such a bad idea IMHO -- most of the newer NRENs need content > to generate the traffic to warrant the investment ;-) ) -- But hey -- sites > like WE are not white listed on Karen (to the best of my knowledge) -- so > while, for example our institution has theoretical "access" to this amazing > bandwidth, NZ WikiEducator usesr must chug along using the narrow pipe > alternatives for access. How do we mediate the language between the > technogeeks and the technophobes (we teachers ;-) ) during these > discussions. > I think more than anything, you (in particular) and other WE's (and WMF's) just want to be themselves. Running a couple of quiet workshops betwen (say 3 or 4) global sites, where WE could talk about what WE're doing and what WE intend to do will just give a perspective that a National geek won't understand, until they are a part of the discussion, and it's streamed and recorded, and people are directed to an online place to ask questions and talk (preferably before and) after one in a series of events. You'll never have to mediate (except if asked) between communities. So long as you understand that the WE community s a good representation of the general need, so we need to be clear about the tools we need the NREN to provide by collaborating. WE IS the customer. I won't comment on the inside/external divide (apart from saying that the interanals live in a dreamworld at the public expense). It's just soooo different in each country and gov's are taking such different approaches. But really what you are saying is the cost, because I know NZ, for one has plenty of bandwidth in the backbone. NZ (and OZ) will find out, like Europe has already, that the primary stopper here is the interconnect fees between mobile carriers - wireless (via mobile networks) being the boomer in most countries at the moment. The other problem is that Unis can't market to commercial carriers. I'll explain that one another time. vamonos > Cheers > Wayne > > 2009/11/30 simonfj <[email protected]> > > > > > Congrats guys, > > > Yu really are doing wonderful stuff. > > > Can I bring up this one about the "technology required to make the OER > > vision a reality". I wish i could talk about the physical > > infrastructure/distribution meaningfully but this is beyond me. I've > > set myself up an impossible enough task by attempting to get the > > content creators, many of whom are OERers, and the infrastructure > > guys, to collaborate. Or at least gain some understanding of what each > > community is doing. Their ends do coincide, if not their language and > > agendas. > > > Most of the global infrastructure developments in the edu/research/gov > > domains can be seen through this euro centric portal. > >http://global.dante.net/ > > > So far as the language in this technical space is concerned, the main > > language revolves around what is called "Middleware"; the software > > layer that helps apps talk to one another and sits above different > > operating systems. The apps are what content creators just want access > > to. We need a user name & password, usually issued by single > > institution to their version of an app and content = duplicate ad > > infinatum. This is something the OER Foundation is addressing > > fundamentally. > > > At the moment, throughout the (mainly developed) world, there is a > > push on by all NREN to create federations. Rather than going into > > great detail, let me just point you at this Aussie initiative. Take > > for granted with a bit of work i could point at a similar initiative > > in your country.http://www.aaf.edu.au/index.php/services/ > > > Long story short, we are getting to the point whare the NREN are > > reconfiguring to support global groups (taskforces/ committees) rather > > than national institutions. All the groups tend to be subject specific > > in their interests and the bandwidth, apps - in short, the 'network > > services' - which their global community will want to use. The > > middleware guys in each NREN understand that the only way they can > > satisfy these disparate needs is to try and talk to each community, > > which is a bit like herding cats on a global basis = impossible > > > So we have a catch 22. Communities like wikipedia and wikiedicator. > > i.e. passionate people who prefer to use one tool to produce open > > content often duplicate wonderful stuff in their attempts to acheive > > their related visions. Rarely do they have an opportunity to > > contemplate what other ICT services may be identified which could be > > shared between communities. (I noticed the Connexions Google group as > > another duplication) Meanwhile, the Middleware guys who must allocate > > resources, and try and figure out what service may be demanded and > > when, are simply bamboozled. > > > OK. That the rave. I'm sorry for it. I'm sitting in Manila after > > talking to their preginet, after taking for years with the likes of > > aarnet, karen, internet2 (do a google search on NREN if yu want the > > list), and it seems like the right time and place to start looking at > > this. Let me bring it down to something concrete. If you're in the > > APac region, this is the hub of the geekly get together. > >http://www.apan.net/meetings/Sydney2010/schedule.php > > My interest is in the e-culture thread, cause the WP community has it, > > and APAN members have a clue but no experience of it. > > > I'll be be talking to terena's taskforces who look at this convergence > > and be pushing to have a VC link up between Euro sites and Sydney. It > > would be great if we could get the ice broken here to run, not just > > for a singular event, but a series of get togethers which might help > > welcome a few nearsiders to the e-culture fold, and give us an > > opportunity to see which basic tools (services) many global OER > > communities could share. > > > regards, > > > PS Randy, How about Canada (canarie)? > > > On Nov 28, 10:35 am, Wayne Mackintosh <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > Hi Edward, > > > > Always interested in talking about the learning infrastructure needed > > > to make OER happen globally :-) > > > > > Are you interested in discussing the infrastructure needed to make > > > > this happen globally? > > > -- > > 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 [email protected] > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > [email protected] > > -- > Wayne Mackintosh, Ph.D. > Director, > International Centre for Open Education, > Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. > Board of Directors, OER Foundation. > Founder and Community Council Member, Wikieducator,www.wikieducator.org > Mobile +64 21 2436 380 > User Page:http://wikieducator.org/User:Mackiwg > Skype: WGMNZ1 > Twitter: OERFoundation, Mackiwg -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. 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