Somehow I have been reclassified as a supporter. Not sure why this is, I thought I had made a start on the current project.
Anyway, it may help me to keep track of my own direction rather than making the deadlines of the plan.
I wanted to add a link to these two photos so now I will continue such things in this blog
I am exploring the city as images, they don't have to be real. I would find it easier to know where ExCel is if I could walk to it. Following conversation on Wild Show we think the cable cars are more likely than a decent footpath from the Olympic site.
Also the cable cars may reach Exeter via the Otter valley. At least we may get that far in the summer.
This is a start on the third stage of a MOOC on cities. A later version will include other views and could be longer. Not sure where this will go but i am beginning to get an outline. This may continue on this blog, the MOOC has its own timetable and team requirements.
This is more like a blog post for me. Towards the end is more on my situation. I am finding the various forms of “ideal” city quite hard to follow. Most of these ideas are open to abuse as they are interpreted or realised. There is a constant struggle in society that is more of a context than anything abstract. So I am interested in slight shifts rather than anything grand. The main thing is to look at the internet and online worlds that can complement buildings as they currently exist. There is still a role for actual places. In learning the favoured term is “blended” and this can relate to other scenes as well. It worries me that visions about the city are likely to result in expense to either redevelop existing places or to extend the city into the country. The functions of the city can be the same as for a set of web sites. Cultural exchange, spiritual sites, education, research / science / technology , shopping both for essentials and entertainment / experiences. The web has always had an element of idealised vision. Recently the “social media” phase seems to include massive online Public Relations so the original community is often crowded out. But it still has potential to offer the same functions as real space with lower costs and a global reach. The City is associated with finance, much of the gloss is covering financial structures. The web is also based on strong central nodes for a network but there is still some possibility to contest this.
Saskia Sassen "The Future of Smart Cities"
This talk is out of balance I think. It concentrates on the limitations of computer systems on offer from companies. There could be more attention for the networks based in communities. I will come back to this during the next week or so. By the way I find the half hour YouTube clip ok to relate to. The ones on the course are mostly so short I get confused as to which bit follows on. The main advantage of the web over cities is that space can be more distributed. Some so called cities are really county towns ( Exeter for example where I live ) In theory there could be similar bandwidth throughout the region. Time travel is also possible online. Special environments in time can be as creative as spaces. ----------------------- Fourth principle. Heterotopias are most often linked to slices in time — which is to say that they open onto what might be termed, for the sake of symmetry, heterochronies. http://foucault.info/documents/heteroTopia/foucault.heteroTopia.en.html from previous document on Significant Detail -------------------------- Assuming connectivity through the web, it is possible for creative work in smaller towns, possibly in villages. People sometimes talk about a village as part of a larger site. This may be a sub group, such as pubs with an open mic. One research aim is to explore the minimum requirement to be a base for relating to the web. Exeter may have enough - several mobile phone shops, computer stores, a library with web access. Also cafes with wifi. There needs to be the basics for real existence also, food and transport. In the UK there is a term “non-viable community”, not official but used by telecoms companies to describe a village or area that they see no need to connect. I’m not sure what is supposed to happen in such places. But there must be something a bit larger that can be sustained. ----------------------------------- More about Exeter, Lancaster, London I notice more investment in buildings than web sites when I visit the university campus, both in Lancaster and Exeter. The university campus seems now to be comparable to a city centre. However the function is not always improved. In Exeter the new Forum development has resulted in the loss of a bookshop. Apparently a bookshop no longer fits with the design values for the retail space. This may turn out to be very sensible as bookshops face more problems in the high street. But if there is no need for a bookshop, what is the case for a library or lecture seats. It may be possible for the university to return to the city centre. Another loss has been parking spaces for visitors. There are not enough buses to replace this so there are problems in attending the theatre or concerts. In Lancaster there are new buildings for an arts department but a gallery in the centre has recently closed. I get the impression that universities have accepted the idea that new buildings are part of a process in establishing a global brand. They become the local economy rather than part of it. The economics seem to depend on future income from student fees so it is not clear this trend will continue indefinitely. One problem is that a new building is an event, so in a few years they may need another one. London is still pleased with the Olympics but on a recent visit to ExCel I discovered that the walking route from the Olympic site along the river Lea is unlikely to be completed. There were inspiring plans at the time of the bid but now there is no budget. There is very little attention for the locality around the Olympic site. There has always been a walking route along the canal from Victoria Park to Hackney Marshes. Most of the river has a foot path. The walking connection between the Olympics and Excel will have to be in the imagination or a virtual world. there is a rail link but I don’t think places relate together unless there is a walk so that the surroundings can be seen. Twinity I have spent some time in Twinity, starting with Berlin. There used to be maps and streets but this has now gone as the costs are too high. I don’t understand why cities do not find ways to cover this as they benefit from the interest online. Maybe there will be other virtual worlds that relate to actual space. I don’t mind fantasy cities as well as smaller spaces that are easy to live in.
Just as well I was actually there for the Wild show yesterday and stayed for coffee later., I do know that it is possible there will be at least one extra camera
The DVD has arrived so I have seen Sparkle on a small screen.
It is not the greatest drama ever but the music is very strong and I still don't understand why it was not in UK cinemas ( with very few exceptions, certainly not west of Bristol)
I have now found this on YouTube, which explains the story structure
There are variations in the story but I notice towards the end as happiness is off scale there is a higher proportion of music.
but this is not described as Design Science. The only comment on science I can find
The practical nature of DBR obviously places it (like action
research) in the camp of applied research. However, following
Stokes (1997) and Stappers (2007), we reject the linear model
that places basic and applied research at polar opposites. Rather,
good science often leads to very practical outcomes while contributing
to theoretical and basic understandings.
So maybe the science is just assumed in the background
===========
I think that Design Science could be a link with management, possibly ways to cope with disruption in educational organisations. I know that John Burgoyne has looked at Design Science and studiedVan Aken . I have put links to both in the Cloud on Cloudworks
Some of this discussion continues as part of #mtw3 , an online version of Management Theory at Work 3 and in the MoSO group at the CQI, a take on quality based on Deming. A couple of other quotes from the article-
Moreover, the choice of methods
and the focus on authentic and meaningful issues resonate with
the pragmatic philosophy and outlook associated with American
pragmatism, associated with, notably, Charles Sanders Peirce,
John Dewey, and William James and later Abraham Kaplan and
Richard Rorty.
This is also the case for much of Deming, especially the System of Profound Knowledge in The New Economics
It is interesting to speculate if the
methodology could and will be used by researchers to investigate
today’s disruptive innovations such as massive open online courses,
tuition-free universities (e.g., People’s University), open educational
resources, and other networked learning innovations.
This suggests that disruptive innovation could still be part of Design Science.
Several times on the Wild Show / Phonic FM we have talked about Apple buying ITV. they have to do this to get the name. Then it will be called something else. Of course the Wild Show is mostly music so we don't go into detail.
But here is part of a story in the New York Times, found through Good Morning Silicon Valley
The next battle between Apple and Samsung is expected to be in TVs and wearable computers. Despite being labeled a fast follower, Samsung doesn’t appear to be waiting for Apple to make the first move in smarter TVs. Samsung is offering a box that people can buy to upgrade the speed and software of their Samsung TV, similar to the way they would get software upgrades for their phones. This year, most of the televisions it is selling are Internet-connected and can run apps that help customers find what to watch. That’s something similar to what Apple watchers have been predicting for years from the Cupertino, Calif., company. Mr. Dediu said that Samsung had made no serious investment in the “cloud,” where content is stored on remote servers and pulled from people’s devices over the Internet. The cloud could play a more crucial role as mobile products shift away from big screens toward wearable devices, like glasses and wrist devices, he said. But then, the one thing Samsung may have trouble learning is how exactly Apple is going to swerve next.
Apple fans tend to look to the future. Just at the moment TV is more of a reality than a wearable computer. I do have a Samsung Smart TV and rather welcome the lack of a Samsung store trying to lock me in. There are links to many cloud services. There will have to be an iTV unless Apple leaves it too late. Some of us are not super mobile or concentrating on how small a screen can be, especially when eyesight is not improving..
This is notes on some possible links through Design Science. This week will be a sort of planning time for the next two weeks of the Wild Show on Phonic FM. I am trying to persuade JD that we could become "Design Science DJs" . There is a YouTube clip on the rise of the science DJ so I don't see why there could not be a Design Science DJ. ( Main danger I see is that JD wants to apply Design Science to how to work as a DJ or rather thinks it won't contribute much as he relies on skill)
YouTube clips start with
Science 2.0: The Design Science of Collaboration
This is about an hour and a half so you might skip to about 48 minutes in. What kind of science to use in this situation?
(Also sociology students might skip towards the end for answers to questions. The scope of computer science may expand if sociology is regarded as not contributing on some issues)
John Burgoyne has written about Design Science in journals. On YouTube his talk has suggested that a more scientific approach to leadership has a future but there is not much detail about this.
Design Science is also studied in teaching design. Last year Diana Laurillard's book was published -
The Preface ( available to view through the Routledge site ) points out that a time traveller from the 19th century would be astonished that there has been so little change in schools compared with hospitals and other organisations. It may be that Design Science for organisations could suggest some links on this.
The Management Theory at Work Three online versions #mtw3 relates to the Work Foundation where there may well be a Face to Face event at some time. One of the topics for innovation is academic publishing. On the Wild Show we have played some clips from podcasts. What seems to be happening with online media is that content becomes fragmented as samples or versions are available for free or as promotion. Companies such as Adobe are introducing services for analytics that support this sort of publishing. Design relates to user experience and this could link back to the collaboration ideas in the video above.
Usually I am a contributor to the Wild Show but Chris Norton will be on holiday the 21st and 28th Feb. It is a music show so most of the two hours will be music. (JD also presents the 80s show on Totnes FM, I hope to move him back to the 70s on the 21st and into the 90s on the 28th) We welcome links and mp3 clips that might fit in ( 10 minutes max before music )
Also there will be a meeting on Design Science and Sustainability at the CQI in London on March 15th. More on this later.
I am finding the Leuphana MOOC very difficult to navigate. The software is not as easy to use as social media such as Google docs etc. Also I think there is a bit more show than organisation. we will get to buildings later I guess. I am imagining a version of the Shard where there is no information as to what is on which floor and you can only enter a different lift each time you visit.
But I am finding content once you get out of the software. There is a random grid of video. Specific links depend which week we are in, a lot of stuff is hidden. But going direct to YouTube finds a Playlist
I am going to follow this sequence and then come back to another one.
I'm not convinced that any of the examples are actually an ideal city. More on this later.
I am on the beta for Switchcam, a new project to let the audience do the final edit and invite multiple cameras to an event.
I found out about this from Art Oglesby@ARTiFactor who is with me on the OLDS MOOC course. I am still interested in how people can learn more about the Remix option on YouTube. But Switchcam is another option and seems more social. The audience decides on the mix.
I have tried out one example, the Isca Wheelchair Dancers in Exeter Cathedral. There is no sound though so I don't suppose the sync is that accurate. You can get the idea of how it works.
Previously there are several versions already on YouTube
The soundtrack has been edited to add the original music track, performed by Aled Jones. Obviously this is copyright material and as I don't think Switchcam has arrangements yet with record companies I have uploaded the silent versions. The advertising income on YouTube is going through the relevant record company so will reach Aled Jones eventually.
By chance Aled Jones is set to appear at Exeter Cathedral on May 10th this year. I don't know if the Isca Wheelchair Dancers would be available. This song may not be in the schedule. But IK hope there could be some chance to mix a new combination. I don't know how easy it is to confuse the Switchcam software about dates.
By the way, found this while checking out links. Seems to have got stuck during a very short bit of local TV. There is space for YouTube as well.
Note for techies
In the organ balcony on tripod - Toshiba Camileo
Handheld - Kodak Zi8
The next gig is the Phonic FM Party, celebrating five years and a renewed licence. Next Friday at the Phoenix. Bring a camera. Chances of a sound feed from the desk looking fairly good.
There are changes in the scope for IPEX 2014 following decisions by Xerox and Komori not to attend.
The conclusion to shape Ipex into a thought leadership event for the print-centric multi-channel marketing communications industry was made following a review of the results of an independent global market study during Q4 2012.
These words need a bit of study. The "multi-channel marketing communications industry" is any form of communication. "print-centric" means that print is still at the centre of this. This last bit may be the centre of ongoing discussion.
So Cross Media Live http://www.crossmedialive.com/ 23/24 October will be even more interesting than the first one. I don't think the implications of print as part of communication are all thought through. The situation is still clarifying. So exact dates may not matter too much. There is a couple of years that has already started and includes IPEX 2014.
(Place is also variable. Islington and ExCel are not too far apart. I am based in Exeter where web connectivity is not too bad. Much can be observed)
The links are found through the OLDS MOOC. Ida Brandão has posted mostly about learning design but at the moment I am only concerned with the content. She has several links to YouTube clips with views on copyright and Creative Commons.
This is the second project for the MOOC on cities from Leuphana Digital.
I am finding it very difficult to follow. they want to organise teams but there is no project other than essays. They seem to reorganise the teams as you find a basis for conversation. The software is a bit limited, I find the messages hard to follow. Loading photos was hard so Flickr was suggested. Then how to get this into an essay. I think we sent in a PDF ( from Word) but not sure.
My intro
I am interested in how online can blend with real places. I think too much is spent on symbolic buildings at this time. More on bandwidth and scanning could distribute things quite a bit. I live in Exeter UK and contribute to a weekly radio show from a basement near the high street. I know some avatars on Twinity so like virtual worlds as an alternative to travel.
But the current project is about ideal cities as built.
Meanwhile there is a podcast of an interview with Renzo Piano, who designed the Shard in London.
The Bookseller reports continuing losses for Waterstones. Things may be improving but there is no sign of covering costs or intention to compete much online.
Sorry to say this but given the experience with HMV I do question whether gift vouchers are a sound idea. Deloitte may turn up again and they have their own ideas.
Could Exeter City Council organise a book token? Or some local government organisation? There is an advantage to a real high street with shops for CDs and books. But it needs some reassurance.
I am still thinking about BETT and going through my bits of paper, links to follow up and soforth.
It is a puzzle why there is so little reporting on Vince Cable. There was nothing on BETT in the Guardian Education yesterday. The Education part of UK government was not there so there were no press releases I guess. The BIS website is now part of .GOV and I can't see any text of Vince Cable's speech.
Peter Scott makes no mention of the internet or online courses. The global competition could be more relevant as the software for collaboration improves.
I may be getting a partial view through the print Guardian but I think there are possibly two views here, (BIS and BETT with the technology) and (education theory and UK universities) much as they always have been.
Of course I don't welcome the prospect of universities closing down. But I think the issues around BETT should be reported and considered.
I am going to start talking about Design Science on the Wild Show this Thursday. This could relate to other discussions but we do a lot of music as well as talk. So it will be more of a comment or link. Later in Feb, 21st and 22nd, I will do the whole two hours, not just the first 30 minutes and filling in when I get the chance. So this is mostly for Chris and JD and as a reminder.
I still like the idea of a Design Science DJ, a way to put clips together. On YouTube this starts with Collaboration -
design science comes out of computer interface design. We need to find some clips from this. An hour and a half is too long for YouTube and most of our show.
John Burgoyne refers to design science as part of his take on a more scientific approach to leadership. Look for the topic on the #mtw3 group on LinkedIn
Antony Upward is working with others on strongly sustainable models for organisation. Design Science is part of this but the sustainability aims are the emphasis in this blog post
The #mtw3 discussion links to the Work Foundation and academic publishing. This may become part of social media so that analytics will be essential. The ideas on Collaboration in the video above will turn up again.
Quick notes re Learning Technologies and BETTThis is from an internet access basement in Dalston, between the two stations. More at the weekend when back at my desktop. There may be another post tomorrow. The overground circle line is real. One way to Olympia today, should get to ExCel tomorrow. The advance info on Negroponte keynotehttp://www.learningtechnologies.co.uk/2013-d1-keynote/The tweet from Stephen Heppellstephen heppell @stephenheppell Negroponte @#LT13UK "I heard things your education minister is saying that are so outrageous I almost didn't want to come to London!"I may have missed it but I think it was quite late that it became clear Michael Gove would not be at BETT this year. Vince Cable may have been at short notice. If I'm wrong about this, please add a comment. My guess is that the promised freedom to bring your own ideas on what to learn / teach re mobile devices / ICT would not have survived many follow up questions. "Part of that is technology change; e-learning up 25 per cent a year, and there has been the emergence of MOOCs (massive open online courses). That is an organisational and technical challenge," he said. How will Cable views play with people in education? He may be at the wrong show. Olympia might have been a more BIS friendly environment.http://www.channelweb.co.uk/crn-uk/news/2240173/cable-we-need-business-to-cope-with-massive-education-growth Meanwhile Computer Science makes it as a proper A levelhttp://www.develop-online.net/news/43126/Computer-science-introduced-to-English-Baccalaureate but probably it is still an open question if mobile phones should be banned at school.BETT tomorrow if I can find the way through Shadwell.
I think one reason I sense a lack of focus this week is that I still read the Guardian in print about three days in seven.
We Own The Weekend is definitely getting the sense of we realise the value in Monday to Friday is vanishing.
Very little media news yesterday, nothing on BETT today. Long ago there might have been a supplement written by someone else. But the core print writers have very little interest in tech when you get right down to it. Harriet Swain reports on some projects that are not online and this is obviously a good thing for all newspaper readers. (p32) Don't get me wrong. Blending is the thing. But as a guide to the week this is not exactly worth £1.40
Meanwhile Vince Cable is shown on the BETT website. I may have missed this previoiusly. So follow up questions to Michael Gove on how the ICT courses are working out will have to wait for another occasion. BIS means universities, and MOOCs mean global disruption.
