Hi, I'm new to this list. My name is Joshua Gay and I work at www.ck12.org and I also help run textbookrevolution.org. I am also user jgay on IRC.
When it comes to embedding scripting languages or media one approach worth looking at is modtex + wikitex by Peter Danenberg. Here is a link with some examples: http://wikisophia.org/wiki/Wikitex -- My favorite example is of Lillypond music annotation. What it returns is an image of sheet music as well as a midi file. Obviously there are limitations with this system and it might not provide a complete solution, but form an implementation point of view, Peter has addressed many security concerns in his design of modtex that are worth a look. For those of you who lurk on IRC, Peter runs #wikitex and has username klutometis :-) Also, in terms of embedding videos, one thing at CK12 that we came across when started allow the embedding of videos on our wiki (mediawiki) and our FlexBook service is the issue that YouTube (and increasingly other video sharing sites) often has advertisments tied to the video you stream. There are ways around this in the case of YouTube, but, it poses a general policy issue that is non-technical (as it can effect any type of third-party multimedia) and worth bringing up early on in the discussion. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Cheers, -Josh On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 12:40 AM, Wayne Mackintosh < [email protected]> wrote: > Hi Edward, > > BTW -- congrats on the progress with the open text book project. Well done! > (Have been a little snowed under to get to the posts on the list :-(.) > > From a values perspective that sounds very reasonable. > > Personally I don't have the technical knowledge to assess any security > related issued with embedding links to external code. This is way above my > salary level ;-) > > That said -- I know that you will be able to provide us with valuable > advise on the security issues -- have a chat with Jim. Lets see what we can > do. > > Cheers > Wayne > > > > > On 26 February 2010 18:22, Edward Cherlin <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I am interested in embedding links to Python and Smalltalk software of >> considerable generality, including graphics, animations, and video, >> and then capturing videos for posting elsewhere. >> >> On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 19:26, Wayne Mackintosh >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> > Hi Everyone, >> > >> > In the past we've received requests from many community members to >> implement >> > the functionality to embed links to video hosted on third party sites >> (eg >> > Youtube, BlipTV Vimeo etc). Now that WikiEducator is hosted >> independently by >> > the OER Foundation, we have more flexibility and autonomy to take a >> > community decision concerning on third party video. >> > >> > Do WikiEducators want the ability to embed links to video clips? >> > What is the best way for us to take this decision? >> > Should we have a trial period to see how this works? >> > >> > We need and invite your feedback -- so please post your replies to this >> > list. We will consider all feedback posted over the next two weeks, >> before >> > deciding on the next steps. Apology for the long email -- but I provide >> some >> > discussion points below. Third party video is not a simple matter when >> it >> > comes to the values and meaning of freedom as interpreted by our >> community >> > values. >> > >> > Discussion >> > >> > Embedding video is not a simple question of turning a switch to enable >> links >> > to third party hosted video. Technically speaking, this is relatively >> easy >> > to achieve. However, there are many issues associated with digital >> video >> > and our core values of the WikiEducator project which we need to >> consider, >> > most notably the essential freedoms. >> > >> > WE subscribe to the free cultural works definition and WE need to find a >> > solution which aligns with what we believe as a community OER project. >> I've >> > been sound boarding a few ideas with colleagues and friends and would >> > appreciate your input and feedback on a few baseline requirements and >> > suggestions. >> > >> > Licensing. We must be able to identify and search for appropriately >> > licensed video content. This is to ensure that video content we embed >> > adheres to the requirements of the definition of free cultural works. In >> > practice this means we can only use video hosting sites which clearly >> tag >> > their video content with the relevant copyright license as well as >> > corresponding search functionality to identify resources which are >> > appropriately licensed (eg. CC-0, CC-BY, CC-BY-SA, GFDL and the public >> > domain declaration), Therefore, Youtube (for example) would not meet >> this >> > requirement as their existing conditions of service would not enable the >> > implementation of license tagging. Currently WIkiEducator users would >> not be >> > able to differentiate openly licensed videos from all rights reserved >> > content. However, BlipTV allows users to choose from a number of >> Creative >> > Commons licenses to apply to their work, and videos are searchable by >> > license. This would enable WIkiEducators to use the Creative Commons >> search >> > (http://search.creativecommons.org/) facility to easily identify >> > appropriately licensed video on BlipTV. >> > Open file formats. This is a requirement to ensure that our content is >> > stored and accessible in formats which can be edited using free/open >> source >> > software. In addition this means that source files should be available >> for >> > download. No WikiEducator should be forced to purchase a license for >> > non-free software in order to remix and create a derivative work from >> our >> > site. Most video sites (with the exception, for instance, of the >> Wikimedia >> > Commons) encode video for web delivery using the Flash Video Format >> (flv) >> > which is a proprietary file format. BlipTV provide a service for their >> > registered users who also have an account with the Internet Archive >> > (http://blip.tv/prefs/archiveorg/ ). In short this facility enables >> > archiving of downloadable video files including the open file format >> (ogg >> > Theora). Therefore, WikiEducator users who upload video files to BlipTV >> > could register for the Internet Archive service making it easier for >> > educators to download video in the formats of their choice for remix >> > purposes. However, this feature would not solve the problem of open file >> > formats for the video uploaded by BlipTV users who do not register for >> the >> > Internet Archive service. Fortunately BlipTV provides the functionality >> to >> > download the video files, even though these are generally supplied in >> the >> > flv (proprietary file format). The open source FFmpeg project >> > (http://www.ffmpeg.org/) provides tools to convert flv files into open >> file >> > formats. Therefore, all WikiEducator would have access to free software >> > tools for remixing source video, thus meeting the requirements of the >> free >> > cultural works definition. >> > >> > Therefore the BlipTV hosting site would provide a service which aligns >> with >> > our values. There are also Mediawiki wiki extensions available for >> embedding >> > BlipTV video on WikiEducator pages. >> > >> > Pending a positive assessment of the stability and security of the >> BlipTV >> > extensions for WikiEducator -- Would the community consider moving >> forward >> > with providing capability for embedding BlipTV video on the WikiEducator >> > site along the lines suggested above? >> > >> > Thoughts? >> > >> > Cheers >> > Wayne >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > 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. >> > 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] >> >> >> >> -- >> Edward Mokurai (默雷/धर्ममेघशब्दगर्ज/دھرممیگھشبدگر ج) Cherlin >> Silent Thunder is my name, and Children are my nation. >> The Cosmos is my dwelling place, the Truth my destination. >> http://www.earthtreasury.org/ >> >> -- >> 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. > 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] > -- "Every time the word 'achievement' or 'academics' is used to mean test scores we cheapen the meaning of both terms." --Deborah Meier -- 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]
