Monday, October 30, 2006

I have now started another Google custom search engine on JDF. This is still a major concern. I may be going back in time but hard copy is still a lot of what is going on. The main group still stays as PDF-IS9000-quality-learning. JDF is not as widely known as PDF so could put this out of balance if added.

Google are linking to an article by Eric Enge on how to do this customising a search engine.seems somewhere between quality and learning so I will keep coming back to this.

The search engine approach is making more sense but I still don't understand the theory of it. The 'Network Management Learning' discussion has questioned 'communities of practice' as an explanantion of the web given the weakness of the links. Search engines are about as weak as links can get.

There is a lso a lot of theory about language and contested words. The ones that are interesting for me at the moment are

Antiperformativity

Co-op

Learning

Engagement

Communication

These will come up more in the swickis than in the Google customised search engines (GCSE may not take off as a term in the UK)

Google co-op? Surely it is a quoted corporate? It may not have done any evil as yet but there could be more pressure on it if the sales growth ever hits a bump. We just don't know. Meanwhile the ICA has a claim to the co-op word. Whether the ICA has taken web technology as far as it might is another question that can be returned to.

Chris Grey has written 'Against Learning(PDF)' in a way that prioritises education as in established structures and disciplines. A search engine about 'learning' is connected to online even without an e as in "e-learning" or some other new set of words. It may include informal learning or just adult experience. "Anti-performativity"

"Engagement" is a word Adobe use to describe a new platform including Flash as well as html, pdf and xml. My problem is that I don't usually find Flash engaging. Not just the annoying banner and popup ads. Flash paper is likley to be followed by a reader that moves PDF into Flash. Maybe some people will like this but there is no way to copy text out for your own comments or to combine with something else and construct new meaning.

Video is ok as such and I realise Quicktime files are usually larger but it is possible to edit them. Streamed Flash content has gone. Maybe this is good for content owners but it is not engaging.

I have yet to meet anyone from the London College of Communication who would not prefer to back to the College being known to be about Printing. Maybe the word 'communication' has yet to be explained and promoted. Maybe other words would help explore this. The 'Knowledge Based Economy' may have started with printing. Maybe earlier but print technology gave it a boost. I will try to check out the KBE again. It may just be mostly words but there may be some basis as well.