On Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 05:20, Wayne Mackintosh <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Everyone, > > Apology for the long post -- but this is potentially an important policy > decision for the WikiEducator community. Since our inception, both > WikiEducator and the OER Foundation have subscribed to open philanthropy -- > where we discuss and take decisions transparently and collaboratively :-). > > We are thinking about improving our search capability by enabling the Google > Custom Search box on the WikiEducator site. At that same time we need to > think carefully about the conditions and possible policy implications for > WikiEducator. [snip] > The substantive issue here is using a web service on the WIkiEducator site > which does not meet the requirements of the free cultural works definition > for an ancillary activity of the WikiEducator project, Our core business is > the creation, remix and reuse of OER which must always meet the requirements > of the free cultural works definition. This is non-negotiable and a core > value of our community.
Of course. > A few reflections: > > Speaking personally, I'm keen for us to seriously consider using the Google > Custom Search under clearly defined paramaters - I think this will add value > to WikIEducator without compromising our core values. So here are the > questions to think about: > > Should we provide a Google Custom Search box on the WikiEducator site for > using Google search technology on the WIkiEducator site? Yes/No? Yes. > Is the community comfortable with Google's terms of service most notably the > closed ownership of the search results and the use of closed software to > produce the search results? (Personally, I'm OK with this on the grounds > that search results are not core content of the WE project --- our OERs must > always comply with the free cultural works definition). See Google's terms > of service: http://www.google.com/cse/docs/tos.html . Please quote the offending sentence on "closed ownership of the search results". I can't find it. The worst I see is that Google would own the metadata from a search. I'm OK with closed software on the Web. > Regarding advertising -- our practice is not to permit advertising on the > WikiEducator site. So I'm pleased to see that Google will allow registered > non-profits advert free results. In the event that Google's policy changes > in this regard, we would need to reconsider the use of Google Custom search > and discontinue the service if we are forced to display text adverts with > the search results. Fine. > With reference to our thoughts on advertising - -we are required to use the > Google branded search box. I think this is justifiable and not > necessarily an "advert" for Google. For example, the Mozilla Foundation > allow the brand identities of the searchproviders to be displayed in their > software. Fine. It is an ad, but a justifiable one, in my view. > Please let us know your thoughts on these issues. In the event that we > decide to go with the Google Custom Search facility -- I propose that we > table a policy decision for the WIkiEducator Council with regards to > non-core services which may not meet all the requirements of the free > cultural works definition. Certainly. > 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]
