About ten years ago, I was actively blogging about virtual worlds, focusing on developments in this technology, what people were creating in online worlds, and how this interacted with the real world. I was fairly well known, particularly in the Second Life subcommunities. I was also active in the Quaker faith, blogging frequently about my…
Category: Media Reform
On January 18 Yehoodi.com is going dark to Fight Web Censorship!
I couldn't be more proud of my website I help administer Yehoodi.com than I am today. Our team has taken the decision to join hundreds of other websites around the world — including Wikipedia , BoingBoing and Reddit — in shutting down our site on January 18 in protest of the PIPA / SOPA bills…
USIP Conference on Media & Peacebuilding on May 12: Watch the Webcast (updated)
The nice folks at the US Institute of Peace send out the news that they are holding an all-day conference on "Seizing the Moment: Media & Peacebuilding" this Wednesday, May 12, at the Newseum in Washington DC. It looks like a fantastic event, which will consider "specific recommendations on ways to harness the power of media for…
FCC Chairman and Elmo explain on how broadband can help America’s youth (video)
Here's a pretty inspiring talk by the chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski, talking about how broadband internet access can help America's young people be successful students and engaged citizens. (Note that the chairman begins at about the 14:52 mark in this video.) He begins by outlining how much has changed in the past couple…
Digital Media & Learning Conference in San Diego: Hanging with my Peeps
Right now I'm blessed to be at a couple of gatherings in San Diego for the next few days. And it's not just the sunny weather and easy access to the Pacific that I'm happy about — although that certainly helps. No, it's being among hundreds of folks who are just as excited as I…
New Code helps teachers understand “Fair Use” of media materials in classroom
The Center for Social Media, the Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property, and the Media Education Lab have recently come out with a new “Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education.“ While intended specifically for teachers in media literacy courses, there is a lot of useful information for educators of…
Metaplace has the awesome-est EULA of any virtual world
I have heard rumors that some educators have been invited to be part of the Metaplace beta testers group for this new virtual world environment created by Raph Koster. According to one of those rumored educator beta-testers, Metaplace is "one of the most powerful, user-friendly web-based / flash-driven virtual platforms out there." But of course,…
Brilliant Fake New York Times from the Future: Iraq War Ends!
Big time congratulations to the team behind the fake New York Times from the future that hit the streets and the web today! The combination of great writing, design, and transmedia marketing is totally impressive. I’ve got a physical copy of the paper on my desk, courtesy of my co-worker Jay who brought in a…
Five Digital Media & Telecom policy challenges for the next US President
In just a few short weeks, Americans are going to the polls to select the next President of the United States. At Global Kids we’re pretty obsessed with following the elections, staff members shouting out news, debating, joking, and sharing links all during the work day. It’s to be expected from an organization that is…
Comcast spanked by FCC for violating Net Neutrality!
Yes, I am days late on this, but I still thinks it important to blog this up. The cable company Comcast on August 1st got cited by the Federal Communications Commission (which is chaired by a Republican) for violating the principle of Net Neutrality. Specifically, the FCC found that "Comcast Corp.’s management of its broadband…