Select a result to preview

TLDR 6

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 6

Published: 2015-07-31 • 📧 Newsletter

Thank you once again for being one of the first to sign up for this newsletter. In this weekly email, I'll pull together some of the content that I shared out throughout the week. It's basically things that I think you should know & discuss. Please feel free to respond back, and share out with others.

This week I shared some posts focusing on the use of Creative Commons (CC) licensing and the use of open educational resources (OER). The purpose of this is to build up the skill-set by students in the IT&DML program. I also think we should all build up our use and understanding of CC licensing and open while working online.

This week my family finally moved down to Charleston, SC. The trip took four days and as I write this we're in our new home with half of our stuff, and no Internet. Things are good and the kids are fine. Slowly we're piecing everything together. Thank goodness for Craigslist. :)

🔖 Key Takeaways

📺 Watch

A video clip from 1981 in which ABC Television introduced Rap music to America. As indicated by Open Culture, this clip and the second part are "painfully awkward."

I'm sharing this clip because I'm intrigued by the use of rap within the world of music to help us understand remix and mashup culture. In some of my talks I'll help describe mashup culture through the story of portability in music files. This video helps explain the power and culture behind this "personal poetry" and the new genre.

📚 Read

Great reality check from LifeHacker providing a quick glimpse of what you can do to protect yourself online.

Over the past two weeks I've bailed out family/friends that have been "hacked." They're shocked when I suggest that I don't bother with antivirus software. I use LastPass for #5. I'll have a full post on my other steps soon.

Technology is magic, just ask the Washington Post

An interesting post to share next to the piece from LifeHacker on protecting yourself online. This post is also interesting in comparison to the pieces I shared last week discussing the "magic" that happens in our brains as we read.

NASA uploads Carl Sagan's awesome mix Vol. 1 to SoundCloud

In 1977, a committee chaired by the late, great Carl Sagan sent two golden records into space aboard the twin Voyager spacecraft. NASA uploaded a selection of the sounds to SoundCloud, giving humans everywhere simple access to the sounds that aliens could someday hear.

Windows 10 is here. The update looks great, and Microsoft is pushing out the update (for free) to all PCs. I think it's worth checking out if you're currently running an older version of the system.

With this update, there is a lot of technopanic around the privacy settings built in. Click here to learn more about Windows 10, and what you need to know...all courtesy of the How-To Geek.

I love thinking about new ways to create and play with digital content. This usage of a LeapMotion (control your computer with motions) and software called Dranimate looks awesome.

Think of being able to draw and animate in a user interface (UI) much like in Minority Report or Johnny Mnemonic.

As I mentioned in TL;DR a couple of weeks ago, Doug Belshaw and Bryan Mathers are building up an awesome short course on open, digital badges. This alone would be cool...but they're also investigating ways to allow you to help create the course.

I believe this is important as it raises the credibility and relevance of the presented materials. Anyone globally...even you...can help build and revise the materials. Please check out their work and learn along with us.

In my talks and presentations there is usually a fair amount of questioning that occurs surrounding our relationships with technology. This is intensified as we consider the potential effects on children. I think this post is guidance for our children...and ourselves.

I also believe that it's important to read and understand these varying perspectives...and make our own decisions about these digital texts and tools.

Please note that I changed the image and recognize that it may modify your read of the original post. This is unintended.

Intriguing post about the cognitive and emotional factors involved in decision-making.

🔨 Do

In our family, coffee is an art and passion. We share bags and stories of coffee that we encounter on trips. One variant of this involves my search for the perfect iced coffee.

I hated the way that iced coffee would get watered down when adding ice cubes. I investigated freezing coffee to make ice cubes...but didn't achieve perfection.

In my searches online, I came across Cory Doctorow writing about cold brew coffee years ago. In my humble opinion (IMHO) his setup/recipe is perfection for making your own cold brew. I use the nut bag he recommends.

We use 1/3 cup of ground coffee for every 1 1/2 cups of water. Put the grounds in the nut bag, the bag in the pitcher, pour water over grounds into pitcher. Let sit covered at room temperature for 12 hours. Use your favorite blend of beans, and a medium grind. After 12 hours remove the grinds and dispose. We then use an AeroPress to filter the coffee one last time. Put it in the fridge to cool off.

Keep in mind...this stuff is rocket fuel. It's concentrated coffee. We drink it over ice, and with a splash of milk. Sweetener, and/or flavored syrups are sometimes used. We sometimes add some water for the faint of heart before adding in ice/milk/etc.

Adjust the recipe to your tastes. Enjoy. :)

🤔 Consider

As we make major life transitions—like moving to Charleston—we're surrounded by both uncertainty (no internet!) and possibility (thank goodness for Craigslist). This week's focus on Creative Commons and open resources reminds us that sharing knowledge openly creates value for everyone.

The debate around Windows 10 privacy, expert security practices, and teaching children digital attention skills all point to the same question: How do we balance the benefits of technology with protecting ourselves and our families? Perhaps the answer lies in being informed, making conscious choices, and—like cold brew coffee—taking the time to do it right.

Previous: TLDR 5 • Next: TLDR 7 • Archive: 📧 Newsletter

🌱 Connected Concepts:

Part of the 📧 Newsletter archive documenting digital literacy and technology.