My brain does not hurt.

Sitting in the closing plenary of the Academic Technology conference and the main thing that comes to mind is that my mind does not hurt. I have not really be challenged or inspired by the conference. For the most part, the information has not been about innovation, speakers have been more about talking heads and real dialogue has not been happening and much of the information presented has not been new to me. Topics and information is what we have been talking about and acting upon over the past year. The ITAs have presented on the digital natives , and I have added terms for others- the digital tourists, (may not be mine), digital naturalized citizens and those who have not even seen the brochure.

I am not sure why this is. Perhaps the institution of academia is more entrenched than the museum world (although I know of some museums that are really entrenched). Perhaps it is staff. Perhaps I am spoiled by my work in the museum community, but after attending the Museums on the Web conferences, I find that my head really hurts because of the quantity of high quality and dense information that is presented in a short time. Sessions and dialogues start in the evening, continue throughout the day with few breaks and inevitably continue on into evening at the different events and receptions. 

Battery is tired, so time to post.

Social to the Semantic at Campus Technology

Comments on Trent Batson’s presentation
Development of the web
1 to 1 developed to 1 to many developed to many to many
Batson’s sites
http://henhengep.ning.com- the next generation portfolio group
www.bloglines.com/blog/Trent-Batson 

So far nothing new.
Mention of Facebook. Do not need purpose to say “Hi” which is a casual proximity greeting as opposed to writing an email where you need a purpose.  Makes social fabric stronger. Facebook encourages idea of “six degrees of separation” . 

Semantic technologies
Network theory
Can databases be semantic? so they search for meaning and not just words and word strings?
Resource Definition Framework (WC3)- categorize by meaning and not just 

Semantic Browsers; build ontologies. Corporate initiatives to classify their own information-
OWL (Ontology Working Group) http://pellet.owldl.com/owlsight

 This talk is a lecture about what it is and not a dialogue about how to use it and how it is used. 
Mashups
fullmeasure.co.uk/mashup

Tuned out. Smart man who likes to talk. No real information, but I suppose a good introduction to those who have not heard about it. No real discussion about applications and serendipity of searching and looking for information. No discussions about other fields besides the corporate. No mention of museums. No examples of mashups. 

I made a comment on serendipity (library, museum) and artificial intelligence hoping to initiate a discussion. The speakers comment was “yes there is artificial intelligence”and any other speeches. But no dialogue and no discussion. 

It still seems to me that the best presentations are discussions of ideas and not speeches. Present information and then collaborate.

On a friend’s passing

I just returned from a friends house where we finished the shiva (7 days of mourning) for his wife. This was very emotionally difficut week for the whole community. Chanui was a loved, respected wife, mother, friend and person. She had an infectuous smile and incredibly clear blue eyes with a sparkle that touched the soul of anybody that can in contact with her. Last Saturday at services at the synagogue, another friend commented that there was a “tear in the force” – very apt. During the following days of mourning, services were held in the house they were renting as their own house gets remodeled and there was always 40-80 people. Nobody wanted to let get go, we we all needed to and could only do so within the safety of the community .