new technologies

I have started working with Moodle under MAMP on OSX. MAMP is a truely amazing onestep install for apache-php-mysql and makes it a breeze to play around with different instances. It was a breeze to install moodle under it and connect the database. Kudos to Moodle too for having such a simple install.

The plan is to create an instance of Moodle which will function for the upcoming Art 74 classes. I am encouraged by the ease of adding elements to the learning management system, but cautious. In previous discussions about LMS's they seemed to be a form of locking in. I want my students to have more freedom because of the LMS and not less.

However, there is one area that I want to use the LMS to monitor and assess student performance and that is in regards to the readings. I was disapointed that few students read the work outside of class, and those numbers declined when I began to accomodate that face. I want to push forward informed discussion of the readings, so I want the students to do the reading assignments outside of classtime.

Because of this I am starting to focus on the possibility of using quizzes before class that reference the readings. I will have to talk to my partners in crime to find out what their response to that is.

I am encouraged by the forum and blog, and it seems to be neatly contained. I just have to make contact with the university to find out if there are policies relating to LMSs particularly regarding FERPA.

The next steps include: filling out the class, creating and installing a server, connecting the sloodle plug-ins.

Johnny Cash and Profound Sadness

I am finding both great comfort and tremendous sadness in my music collection and it is all thanks to the man in black. Anyhow this is an attempt to revive writing, yet again.

I recall that this is the way I have historically journaled privately, so I suspect that this is the way it shall always be.

Where is the Art?

The thesis of my work has long been that Ars Virtua New Media Center and Gallery is a work of art. It is very difficult to explain to someone who is use to a gallery being a place that houses art that your gallery is actually art as well.

I am somewhat behind the curve in laying out my argument, but recent events have underscored why and how it functions. In the process of registering the gallery as a business so that I can begin the long trek to becoming a non-profit business and get the official stamp of legitimacy I opened a bank account. I had to do this in my name as the city of San José requires the filing of a "ficticious business name" if the account is to be opened under any other name. There is however a delima, what is my address?

I am not so blind to see that this sort of thing has happened a million times before with web based businesses and even hosted businesses like the person who buys and sells on ebay. The difference, if any, is that all of my functions are contained on this series of hosted servers that is Second Life.

The forms will not accept a POB, and my concern is that I may be on shaky ground running a business out of my home. Though I wonder, where am I running this business? Functionally I am running it in SL, the bank has my money and I email wherever my lappie is. Is the issue complex or am I blowing it out of proportion. There is a disjunction going on here, and that disjunction is the art that is Ars Virtua.

The Wind Changed Direction

This work is changing or taking on direction, for the time being I am leaving the archive but it too shall change eventually (not that anyone cares).

automatically translated text

Seven hundred million Chinese  And me, and me, and me  With my life, my small at home  My headache, my psi  I think of it and then I forget  It is the life, it is the life    Four twenty million indonésiens And me, and me, and me  With my car and my dog  Its Canigou when it aboit  I think of it and then I forget  It is the life, it is the life    Three or four hundred million blacks And me, and me, and me  Who go to the burnisher  With the sauna to lose weight  I think of it and then I forget  It is the life, it is the life    Three hundred million Soviet And me, and me, and me  With my manias and my tics  In my p' tit reads in goose feathers I think of it and then I forget  It is the life, it is the life    Fifty million imperfect people And me, and me, and me  Who look at Catherine Langeais  On television at home  I think of it and then I forget  It is the life, it is the life    Last nine hundred million bad cold hunger And me, and me, and me  With my mode vegetarian  And all whisky that I sending  I think of it and then I forget  It is the life, it is the life    Five hundred American million south And me, and me, and me  I am very naked in my bath  With a girl who cleans me  I think of it and then I forget  It is the life, it is the life    Fifty million Vietnamese  And me, and me, and me  Sunday with hunting for rabbit  With my rifle, I am the king  I think of it and then I forget  It is the life, it is the life    Five hundred millards of small Martians And me, and me, and me  Like an idiot of Parisian  I await my cheque of end of month I think of it and then I forget  It is the life, it is the life    I think of it and then I forget

I am not a total boob, but I had heard the name Jacques Dutronc referenced in music before but didn't actually hear his music until I saw a reasonably aweful youtube video today.  Why does most video look like bad college video, I guess it is much better than the angsty ranting of a teen with nothing to say. Anyhow I only found one Dutronc song on iTunes but 3 or 4 videos on youtube.  The translation of the song is fun too.

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Tiger Tiger

Tiger Tiger burning bright,

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

sounds like art to me... should invite a tiger into the studio...

but then he would certainly hang out for the opening and become a pest

thanks to Jay Van Buren for the images, and with the thought firmly in my head I managed to see another costumed tiger at the deli, coincidence?  I think not.

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Second Life Is Offline

I have often compared second life to a rich chat room or rich IM client, but yesterday when the grid was down for god knows what reason and I had an important meeting scheduled at Trotsky's I didn't even consider moving the meeting to IM until someone else brought up the idea. It is not relevant that I could not get a room with the meeting guests set up or that the meeting was eventually conducted through email.

I guess that at this point I believe my own bullshit that second life is not just a chat.

Well, was there loss?  I doubt it.  Was I tired? well of course but on some level I reflected on the experience of the meeting and did not find an alternative.

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Gallery Perks

In i7o's sky theater.

I met an interesting artist today by the name of i7o.  Though the name is vaguely reminiscent of a highway his work is very interesting in that he is adopting the use of the SL engine.  He has only been around for a few weeks, but if his initial venture is any indication, he is an artist to watch.

Now where did I put that paperwork for the Artist in Residency for Ars Virtua??

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