Thing 8

What did you find interesting about the wiki concept? Wikis are interesting because there are many people who are experts on a topic and wikis allow them to all collaborate in one place.

What types of applications within schools and professional organizations might work well with a wiki?Wikis could work for a research project, a forum, a discussion or collection of data.

Many teachers/faculty "ban" Wikipedia as a source for student research. What do you think of the practice of limiting information by format? I think that its good because it forces students to research further down the rabbit hole than just the first google response. I use wikipedia as a starting point for research. By looking at the citations at the end of the place, as well as reading the overview provided, it helps focus my attention.

Thing 7

Which of these tools is easier for you to use? I prefer Google Docs because I already have gmail. It is easy to integrate.


Does one have features that would make you choose it over the other? Google docs, the most commonly used tool, tend sto be the most up to date with its features.

What would the Founding Fathers think of these tools? They would have clacked their wood teeth in approval.

Would the final draft of the "Declaration of Independence" have been better had these tools been at their disposal? Hmmm, I wonder...
Spellcheck, duh.. .. I do enjoy the beautiful calligraphy of the original.

Thing 6

1. How can you use Digg to collect research for your next report or design project? Because Digg allows users to rate posts and they are shown based on popularity, it is a good resource for seeing the heartbeat of users. In my case, I could use DIGG to help do market research, or to find insights into a audience based on what they find important.

2. How can you use Digg to establish your reputation and credibility? Because everything you post and rate is kept in an archive, this tool can be used to build your personal brand. By showing what you find important, what you are reading, what you are watching, your audience will feel as though they are better aquainted with you and therefore will trust you more.

3. How can you connect your other social media circles to Digg and increase your popularity? You can link sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Digg to increase the cohesiveness of your updates and following.

4. Reddit is using Twitter. Discuss what combining the experience means to you in terms of saving your oh so "precious time"? Basically, if you post to one site, it updates all the sites. Efficient.

5. How can you ensure that information on an open source website like Reddit is credible? Just like anything on the web, make sure to check sources and only use those that are credible.

6. Who's crazier; old shaggy-haired Kate or the "new" Kate with the 80's sk8er punk haircut? Kate scares me.

7. Have you ever seen a photograph of Jon Gosselin when he wasn't wearing an Ed Hardy shirt? Is that all he owns or what? He is quite possibly the second most embarassing American in history. Second only to GWB.

PS. A great version of this concept that is special to designers is called DesignBump. I love it for finding updated information on design.