I like re-postÂing this from time to time, espeÂcialÂly around comÂmenceÂment time: Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple ComÂputÂer, delivÂered this speech at StanÂford’s comÂmenceÂment cerÂeÂmoÂny in June 2005, offerÂing some simÂple guideÂlines for livÂing a meanÂingÂful life. SomeÂwhat ironÂiÂcalÂly, Jobs nevÂer gradÂuÂatÂed from colÂlege. But no matÂter, there’s lots of good thinkÂing here, and the speech is well worth a lisÂten. We’ve postÂed the video below (and it’s added to our YouTube playlist), but you could also catch it on iTunes: video here, or audio here.
Can a Novel Be Written Wikipedia Style? The Results Are In.
The wisÂdom of crowds conÂcept works for writÂing softÂware. (Think open source.) But does it work for writÂing novÂels? That’s what PenÂguin and De MonÂfort UniÂverÂsiÂty (in the UK) wantÂed to figÂure out when they launched an experÂiÂment in FebÂruÂary 2007 called “A MilÂlion LitÂtle PenÂguins.” Over the course of five weeks, roughÂly 1500 writÂers draftÂed a colÂlabÂoÂraÂtive novÂel using wiki softÂware (the same one used by Wikipedia), and you can now view the comÂpletÂed manÂuÂscript here. So far the reviews are not overÂwhelmÂing. AccordÂing to one observÂer, “it’s incoÂherÂent. You might get someÂthing simÂiÂlar if you took a stack of superÂmarÂket checkÂout line potÂboilÂers and some Mad Libs and threw them in a blender.” And then there’s this pithy verÂdict by the snarky blog, GawkÂer: “The text itself is terÂriÂble.” Ouch. But maybe someÂone who is less reflexÂiveÂly disÂmisÂsive will have a difÂferÂent view, though I wouldÂn’t bet on it. Have a read here. Also see De MontÂfort’s post mortem of the project here.
Shark Surfing: File Under Novel Ways to Spend Your Weekend
Just when you’ve thought that you’ve seen it all … Fake or real? I am guessÂing it’s the latÂter.
(PS This has nothÂing to do with things culÂturÂal.)
Wikipedia Goes Commercial
The GerÂman pubÂlishÂer BerÂtelsÂmann announced that it will pubÂlish annuÂalÂly a 1,000 page ediÂtion of Wikipedia startÂing next SepÂtemÂber. To be called “The One-VolÂume Wikipedia EncyÂcloÂpeÂdia,” it will sell for 19.95 euros (or roughÂly $32 U.S.) and feaÂture some of the most popÂuÂlar artiÂcles from the GerÂman verÂsion of Wikipedia. One euro per copy will go back to WikiÂmeÂdia, which runs Wikipedia. But nothÂing, as ReadÂwriteweb notes, will go to the writÂers who actuÂalÂly creÂate the encyÂcloÂpeÂdia entries.
Because Wikipedia is pubÂlished under a free license, its conÂtent can be freely used and comÂmerÂcialÂized. And that’s preÂciseÂly what BerÂtelsÂmann plans to do. In Wikipedia, BerÂtelsÂmann has found a mothÂerÂlode of free conÂtent it. It can then monÂeÂtize that conÂtent, keep most of the profÂits (a pubÂlishÂer’s dream), and kick 5% back to WikiÂmeÂdia, most likeÂly as a way to underÂcut the critÂics. It’s all perÂhaps legal. But does it feel a bit unseemÂly? Just a touch. Or maybe you disÂagree?
Video Lectures for the Science Mind
We talk a good deal here about free uniÂverÂsiÂty coursÂes and lecÂtures, and mostÂly we end up talkÂing about the humanÂiÂties. But here’s a good excuse to talk about the sciÂences, and parÂticÂuÂlarÂly about comÂputÂer sciÂence. A project startÂed in SloveÂnia, Videolectures.net proÂvides “free and open access of high qualÂiÂty video lecÂtures preÂsentÂed by disÂtinÂguished scholÂars and sciÂenÂtists at the most imporÂtant and promiÂnent events…” Among the most popÂuÂlar lecÂtures, you’ll find lecÂtures along these lines: Fuzzy LogÂic, Where the Social Web Meets the SemanÂtic Web, and an InterÂview with Tim BernÂers Lee. But, you’ll also stumÂble upon a few non-sciÂenÂtifÂic talks givÂen by some well known names. Take for examÂple Noam ChomÂsky (Force, law and the prospects of surÂvival) and UmberÂto Eco (On The HisÂtoÂry of UgliÂness).
For more uniÂverÂsiÂty conÂtent, visÂit our UniÂverÂsiÂty PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion and our list of Free Online CoursÂes, which includes a good deal of sciÂenÂtifÂic conÂtent. Also see our SciÂence PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion.
Junot Diaz, New Pulitzer Prize Winner, Speaks @ Google
Last week, Junot Diaz landÂed the Pulitzer Prize for ficÂtion with his debut novÂel, The Brief WonÂdrous Life of Oscar Wao. The book, which Diaz took 11 years to write, also won the NationÂal Book CritÂics CirÂcle Award for best novÂel of 2007. Below, we have Diaz speakÂing last year about his prize winÂning book at Google. (Get more Google author talks here.) You can also catch his interÂview on NPR’s Fresh air (iTunes — Feed — Stream here).
Introducing The Straddler
A quick heads up: The first issue of The StradÂdler, a new quarÂterÂly online magÂaÂzine, has just been launched. If the ediÂtors have their way, it will be the “anti-magÂaÂzine of our day.” In the first issue, you’ll find:
- an essay explorÂing the relaÂtionÂship between an EmiÂly DickÂinÂson poem, the New Testament’s Book of Matthew, the GetÂtysÂburg Address, and George Bush’s 2007 MemoÂrÂiÂal Day speech.
- a conÂsidÂerÂaÂtion of the AmerÂiÂcan gangÂster film in light of the AmerÂiÂcan ecoÂnomÂic sysÂtem;
- a medÂiÂtaÂtion on works by Anne CarÂson and recent Nobelist Doris LessÂing; and also
- some origÂiÂnal artÂwork, poetÂry, and ficÂtion.
Thanks Elaine for the heads up.
How Wikis (and Other Stuff) Work in Plain English
This video gives you the quick gist of how wikis work, and it’s part of a largÂer series of videos on YouTube — called The ComÂmonÂcraft Show — that explain the inner-workÂings of varÂiÂous tech items. Recent videos delve into the mechanÂics of TwitÂter, RSS Feeds, social netÂworkÂing, and online phoÂto sharÂing. We’ve added the video below to our YouTube playlist and the ComÂmonÂcraft series to our largÂer colÂlecÂtion called 60 Signs of IntelÂliÂgent Life on YouTube. For othÂer good videos that demysÂtiÂfy things techÂniÂcal, you may want to check out this and this.
The Kindle is Back in Supply
Just a quick fyi: AmaÂzon’s digÂiÂtal book readÂer, the KinÂdle, is finalÂly back in supÂply. If you’ve been waitÂing since March, now is your chance.
This American Life on TV: Season II Starts Sunday
A quick fyi: SeaÂson 2 of the teleÂviÂsion verÂsion of This AmerÂiÂcan Life starts tonight at 10 pm on ShowÂtime, and we’ve postÂed below the brief trailÂer for the new show. MeanÂwhile, the radio verÂsion remains the most downÂloaded podÂcast on iTunes ( iTunes — Feed — Web Site). It has been that way for a long time. And you can always find it in our Ideas and CulÂture PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (and Other Classic Films Online)
It’s not exactÂly the same as watchÂing a film on the silÂver screen. But you get what you pay for. Below, we have Frank Capra’s 1939 clasÂsic, Mr. Smith Goes to WashÂingÂton, starÂring JimÂmy StewÂart and Claude Rains. For those who cling to the hope that democÂraÂcies can rid themÂselves of corÂrupÂtion and speÂcial interÂests, this film is for you, and it also appears in our colÂlecÂtion of free online movies.
Get a highÂer qualÂiÂty copy of Capra’s clasÂsic on DVD here.
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