Ohio-based DigiLore has released enhancements to make the Moodle open source & free learning management system compliant with the defence sector’s SCORM (sharable content object reference model). This combination of private sector development with an open source community platform should be a winning combination and I think that we will see more of this model in the LMS/LCMS field. Basically, it’s cheaper and more effective to only develop the specific modules that you cannot do without, and then use open source modules to handle the more generic tasks.
Technology
information & communication technology
Atlantic Canada Code Camp
Attention geeks and coders. The first Atlantic Canada Code Camp will be held in Moncton on 15 October:
A CodeCamp is a community-driven, all-day event for developers. Speakers are local or regional developers. Topics are based on community interest. Sessions are original and feature a heavy technical focus (no marketing fluff).
This is much too techie for me, but I know many others who may be interested. They’re still looking for presenters for this free event.
ELGG Contract Call
Mancomm Performance has just issued a contract call for the development of a calendar function for ELGG. We have been testing ELGG for a while and like many of its functions, such as the integrated blog, easy creation of groups & communities, and its ease of use for web novices.
This contract will pay for the development of a module of an open source system which will then be given back to the ELGG community. Mancomm is the first private sector company offering to pay for ELGG development.
If you’re an experienced developer looking for some paid OS work, then check out the post and contact us at Mancomm.
“Roadmap for Open ICT EcoSystems”
From a recent report (Roadmap.pdf) released by The Berkman Center for Internet & Society.
The Problem:
Following last year’s tsunami disaster:
In the race to identify victims and assist survivors, Thailand’s government hits its own wall. Responding agencies and non-governmental groups are unable to share information vital to the rescue effort. Each uses different data and document formats. Relief is slowed; coordination is complicated. The need for common, open standards for disaster management was never more stark or compelling. The Royal Government of Thailand responded by creating a common website for registering missing persons and making open file formats in particular an immediate national priority.
Similar issues have arisen during Hurricane Katrina relief operations.
The Solution = Open Standards
Guiding principles: An Open ICT EcoSystem should be Interoperable, User-Centric, Collaborative, Sustainable, Flexible
Attribute |
Open Standards |
Open Source |
| Nature | Set of Specifications | Software Code |
| Openness of Interface | By Definition | By Design |
| Interoperability | Enabled | Cannot be Assumed |
| Licensing | Various Types | Various Types (GPL, BSD, etc.) |
| Development Model | Collaborative | Collaborative |
Who was involved?
Members from various countries, including one from Canada – Gary Doucet of the Treasury Board Secretariat.
The Results:
An Openness Maturity Model:
- Level 0 – Mainly Closed
- Level 1 – Ad Hoc
- Level 2 – Open Aware
- Level 3 – Defined and Developing
- Level 4 – Managed Openness
- Level 5 – Measured and Sustainable
Plus – A Framework for a Business Case
Comment: An excellent starting point prior to the development of any regional, national or international web initiative that involves more than one organisation. For instance, the roadmap could inform the initial structure of national learning or health portals.
It’s Your Turn, New Brunswick
Massachusetts has led the way in embracing open standards, many of which are used in open source platforms and applications. According to CIO Today:
The State of Massachusetts is migrating to open-source software for all government documents. The move will come at the expense of Microsoft and other proprietary technology providers.
The latest iteration of the state’s technical reference guidelines states that the OpenDocument format will become the de facto platform for text, spreadsheets, charts and graphical documents produced by the government to ensure future access to the records.
The latest iteration of the state’s technical reference guidelines states that the OpenDocument format will become the de facto platform for text, spreadsheets, charts and graphical documents produced by the government to ensure future access to the records.
OpenOffice.org uses the Open Document format. It is open source, free and with the impending release of version 2.0 (now in Beta Release 2), even easier to use. Just converting to OOo could save a significant amount in licensing fees and allow anyone, anywhere to use the same office suite for free.
New Brunswick’s "e" initiatives come under the umbrella of eNB. In looking at the site, as well as the latest draft of the eNB Action Plan, I cannot find any reference to open standards – a critical component for long-term accessibility to our own data. So come on New Brunswick, open up.
Update: And one more reason why standards are important is that – "The poor people from New Orleans and the Gulf, who drastically require access [to] the FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] website can only do so with IE on Windows!" As Doc Searls puts it:
Without standards how would the Meter, a Gallon of gasoline or water or the weight of gold be measured? How many dead or hobbled sites does it take before your company wakes up and smells the truth?? I sincerely hope Mr. Balmer and Mr. Gates read web blogs. If they do, please make sure they see this.
We must comply to W3C standards. The whole world needs them. We have a responsibility to everyone, even the one who needs our help in such troubled times.
We must comply to W3C standards. The whole world needs them. We have a responsibility to everyone, even the one who needs our help in such troubled times.
Oregon Targets Open Source Business
I have suggested this strategy to economic development folks in Atlantic Canada for several years now, especially for learning-related OS. Open source can be a real accelerator for smaller players, as the barriers to market entry are much lower. It fell on deaf ears though.
Anyway, here’s what the Oregonian has to say:
Gov. Ted Kulongoski pledged Tuesday to do his part to make Oregon an attractive place for open-source software development, promising to raise the state’s profile within the open-source movement and to raise the movement’s profile inside Oregon.
"This is a growing segment of Oregon’s economy, and it’s the future. And it’s little-known outside the industry," Kulongoski told a roundtable discussion of 20 leaders from the state’s open-source community.
The governor said Oregon would contribute $40,000 in state economic development funds to help hire a "coordinator" to promote the state’s disparate open-source activities and reach out to businesses and software developers thinking about doing business in Oregon.
"This is a growing segment of Oregon’s economy, and it’s the future. And it’s little-known outside the industry," Kulongoski told a roundtable discussion of 20 leaders from the state’s open-source community.
The governor said Oregon would contribute $40,000 in state economic development funds to help hire a "coordinator" to promote the state’s disparate open-source activities and reach out to businesses and software developers thinking about doing business in Oregon.
Skype opens up
Last week, Google Talk was all over the news. However, Skype has not been standing still:
Skype, the pioneering Global Internet Communications Company, which offers free high-quality phone calls to anyone with an Internet connection, is preparing to mark its second anniversary next week by opening up its platform to anyone who wants to integrate Skype’s presence and instant messaging services into their website or application. By opening up Skype’s platform to the web, it will now be simple for anyone to connect to Skype’s fast growing member base, which has already passed more than 51 million people in just 2 years.
Googlefight
Sunday evening, and it’s Open Source vs Proprietary, and the winner is …
Thanks Albert ;-)
More Spam Woes
I thought that I had it all under control. Then the spammer attacked, including all kinds of PHP code to undermine the system. I thought that I could control it, so I adjusted the spam filters for URL and specific phrases. It worked for a while (about 30 minutes). Then my system (or the spammer) erased all of the accumulated comments on this website. I can’t find a single comment that has been made for the past year. For now, I’ve turned off comments altogether and I’m calling it quits for the night :-(
Time for a beer.
Update: Tues AM, comments enabled & spam filter adjusted (thanks Boris). Now waiting to see if all those deleted comments can be retrieved. Looks like that deletion was my fault.
Industry Blogs
In my continuing search for examples of Small Business Blogs, I came across Industry Blogs, a listing of more serious, business-related blogs. I even got my own site registered. This aggregated site is still in its early stages but may grow. Many of the the sites are from the UK.
Once it fills up, this could be a good starting point for someone looking for examples on how to start blogging for business.