World of Ends; What the Internet Is and How to Stop Mistaking it for Something Else

Just what is the Internet?

World of Ends is an interesting essay on what it is and what it is not that suffers from being too sure of itself (that geek RTFM tone that is so annoying and so often wrong.)

Still, clearly structured set of talking points including, “2. The Internet isn’t a thing. It’s an agreement.” Exactly, it is agreed upon formal protocols that are open so anyone can build things that work with other people’s things.
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Information Studies

The Faculty of Information Studies at the University of Toronto is going through an exciting planning process. See the PDF Chartreuse Paper at WebBoard – Guest User Page.

In the paper the dean, Briank Cantwell Smith raises questions about what is the subject of information studies (we all study information.) He argues for an issues oriented, interdisciplinary centre that looks at documentary practices and performances.

What is exciting about the process is that it is open (I can look at it) and openness is also one of the issues (as in Open Source as an issue.)

Perhaps what we need is a clear philosophy of open source research as a practice.

Arts and Humanities

Why bother with the Arts and Humanities?

There are a number of calls for arts and humanities education emerging from the popular press and famous novellists. Un journaliste dans le pays des deux solitudes : A Challenge to the Social Sciences and Humanities by Graham Fraser of the Toronto Star is an interesting example because he cites a similar call by his father in the 50s. Does anything change?
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