So… I guess people didn’t realize that the Titanic was an actual boat or that it actually hit an iceberg.

It has been incredibly interesting to see the two narratives of Boundless Learning (a new textbook alternative using open content) being spun online. In one corner, the coverage from Silicon Valley tech blogs is relatively sympathetic and optimistic in a “stick it to the man” sort of attitude.
“This is amazing, slightly insane, and totally doomed, I thought.
If there’s any industry willing to quash innovation and progress to save its stodgy existence, it’s book publishing.” - Pandodaily
On the other side, the coverage from within the HigherEd sphere spins a more cautious and less enthusiastic tale of the alternative textbook underdog. It could be HigherEd’s slower moving nature in adopting disruptive tools/tech, or the past experiences in getting burned when dealing with potential IP/Copyright problems.
“The complaint attempts to distance itself from attacking the legitimacy of open-education resources, but goes on to argue that Boundless is building its business model by stealing.” - Chronicle of Higher Education
Will Boundless Learning succeed? Maybe. They have a really cool idea in providing content from Creative Commons and other open sources and it will be very interesting to see what institutions and faculty end up using the tool. Definitely something to keep an eye on as it progresses especially with their ability to gain $8mil in funding while being served law suits.
- surviving on 5 hours of sleep or less per night (still working on that one)
- finding the best table at the library (the ones with the built in electrical outlets that always get claimed by one guy who’s only there to use the wifi for facebook and/or porn)
- hoarding library books
- pulling an entire paper out of my ass in the last hour and a half before it’s due
Brilliant. It reminds me of all the things I learned in undergrad.
Normally you would be seeing a funny cat falling asleep, or an animated GIF of Oprah on a Jetski. But due to SOPA/PIPA that would be considered piracy and it would be blocked without due process. Click here to visit the EFF and help stop the passing of SOPA/PIPA legislation.
All of the things I absolutely hate about terrible presentations. How many of you have been stuck in one of these?
Everyone is thinking that the announcement is going to be centered around Textbooks…
I don’t know if I’m buying that.
Unlike the days of Apple swooping in to save the Music and Movie industry, textbook Publishers seem to be walking lock-step together making sure they get their cut all things digital. It would have to be an act of God, or maybe one last harsh negotiation from Steve, that would cause Textbook publishers to willingly give up control and profit to Apple.
But, stranger things have happened.
In a bit of fortuitous timing, I was already planning to be in New York next week.
Haven’t heard much about the event beyond “textbooks”, as was previously reported.
Naturally, Apple chooses to announce the event right in the middle of CES. By the end of the afternoon I expect 75% of the companies at that event to be talking about their upcoming textbook offerings.
For everyone (students/faculty/staff) still freaking out about the end of the semester, I found the perfect solution. Go click the button and make everything better!!!
Guys!! Remember these?? I miss ordering from Scholastic! via imremembering