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Business Review Technology

Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software

Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software by Nadia Eghbal

I just finished this book while walking on the treadmill this morning and I am torn. There are definitely parts that I find insightful, especially as an overall look at the struggles open source communities, founders, contributors, maintainer, etc. run into as it pertains to the continual creation and curation of code and other resources, but I find the emphasis on platforms as the savior of these communities somewhat concerning.

That may entirely be my own bias showing, but looking to technology and platforms to fix what are inevitable human and interaction issues seems shortsighted but also quite understandable today. Who doesn’t like the idea that technology will solve our issues!? However, as we continue to place more and more emphasis on platforms and technology, I fear that we begin to lose the human aspect of what we do. If platforms are our savior, they then are almost inevitably our masters.

So. Torn.

Categories
Business Education Life Technology

Team Chat Talk Posted

I was privileged to lead a sectional at the WELS EdTechLead Summit this week and I have finally posted the presentation on this site. It was a lot of fun to be able to talk briefly about team chat platforms and just to show off some of the myriad of options available.

I am hoping to be able to record the presentation and post that in the future, but for right now it is just the slide deck. Thanks!

Categories
Life Technology

scale is the enemy

scale is the enemy by Alan Jacobs

But that’s a feature, not a bug. Scale — as-big-as-possible, universal-not-local, something-for-everyone scale — is the enemy.

I am coming around to this way of thinking in many aspects of life … and even technology.

Categories
Life Technology

You don’t have to live in public

You don’t have to live in public by Austin Kleon

It seems ridiculous to say, but 2013, the year I wrote the book, was a simpler time. Social media seemed much more benign to me. Back then, the worst I felt social media did was waste your time. Now, the worst social media does is cripple democracy and ruin your soul.

A lot of think about and digest in this one, and maybe a little bit of hyperbole at points, but there is a lot to like as well.

Categories
Business Education Technology

Four Conclusions from the 2017 Enterprise IT Summit

Four Conclusions from the 2017 Enterprise IT Summit by Betsy Reinitz

Nothing amazing to share here, but relationships and partnerships between technology and the other department and roles of the institution continue to be at the forefront of almost any discussion.