Searching for "mobile technology"

augmented reality by ISTE

4 AR tools to build executive function and engagement

https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=496

Luis Perez and Kendra Grant 7/23/2015
Topics: Assistive and adaptive technologies, Augmented reality, Learning spaces, Mobile learning, Tools

the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, which aims to develop expert learners. In addition to removing barriers and making learning accessible to the widest varied of learners possible, UDL addresses many of the metacognitive and self-efficacy skills associated with becoming an expert learner, including:

Executive functions. These cognitive processes include initiation, goal setting, attention, planning and organization.

Comprehension skills. This skillset encompasses knowledge construction, making connections, developing strategies and monitoring understanding.

Engagement principles. These soft skills include coping, focus, resilience, effort, persistence, self-assessment and reflection.

QR codes

AR apps : two types of AR apps: those for experience and for creation. Experience AR apps, such as Star Walk, are designed to provide the user with an AR experience within a specific content or context. Creation AR apps, such as BlippAR and Aurasma, allow users to create their own AR experiences.

Posters : To support comprehension and metacognitive skills, images related to classroom topics, or posters related to a process could serve as the trigger image.

iBeacons : Beacon technology, such as iBeacon, shares some similarities with QR codes and AR, as it is a way to call up digital content from a specific spot in the physical world. However, unlike QR codes and AR, you do not have to point your device at a code or use a trigger image to call up content with iBeacon. Your device will automatically sync when it is near a beacon, a small device that emits a low-power Bluetooth signal, if you have an iBeacon-enabled app. The beacon then automatically launches digital content, such as a video, audio file or webpage. Beacon technology is well suited for center-based activities, as you can set up the app to trigger instructions for each center, exemplars of what the finished work will look like and/or prompts for the reflection when the center’s activity has been completed.

++++++++++++++++++++
More on QR codes in this IMS blog:

https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/?s=qr+codes&submit=Search

best podcasts

how to subscribe to a podcast:

These are the best podcasts you should be listening to right now

instruction without LMS

Free Webinar: Create and Deploy Training in 10 Minutes…Without an LMS!

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/138953/138953-6110069177630932993

Join us on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM EST for another great E-Learning 2.0 webinar.
Register here: http://bit.ly/1Scfhdi

In this webinar, you’ll learn about how some businesses are turning to a new breed of training product called LearnBolt to meet their in the moment training needs. LearnBolt is a Learning Development and Delivery System(LDDS) that makes it quick and easy to collect and curate content, organize it, and then immediately push it to the learners all through mobile devices. There will be a live demonstration of the application and discussion on how to make your training development and delivery a more dynamic and fluid process to meet the needs of todays evolving learners.

Key Topics discussed:

• Rapid training development and delivery
• SME Knowledge Mining
• Cloud-based Content Management Systems
• Bite-sized training chunks
• Mobile push learning

Presenter: Steve Albanese

Steve is Founder and CEO of LearnBolt. With over 20 years of building EdTech products and service based businesses, Steve brings valuable experience in training/learning methodologies, production processes, and a deep knowledge of the latest technology and transition trends.

Register Here: http://bit.ly/1Scfhdi

Bloom Digital Taxonomy

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy Cheat Sheet for Teachers

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/02/blooms-digital-taxonomy-cheat-sheet-for-teachers.html

Resources for Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy
iPad Apps Android Apps Web Tools
Creating
Evaluating
Analyzing
Applying
Understanding
Remembering

Follow the discussion on the LinkedIn ISTE discussion group:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2811/2811-6107212405878566913

Similar visual representation in this IMS blog entry:

Bloom’s Wheel With Technology

ICEEEL 2017

ICEEEL 2017 : 19th International Conference on e-Education and e-Learning

https://www.waset.org/conference/2017/04/boston/ICEEEL/home

Apr 24-25, 2017
2016-12-04 00:00:00
2016-11-04 00:00:00
2016-10-04 00:00:00

e-Education: Systems, Design and Technologies
practices and cases in e-education
systems and technologies in e-education
applications and integration of e-education
e-learning evaluation and content
campus information systems
e-learning technologies, standards and systems
mobile learning
computer aided assessments
knowledge management
virtual learning environments
multimedia in e-learning
marketing and promoting e-learning
social benefits of e-learning
organization learning
technology adoption and diffusion of e-learning
other relative topics

e-Learning: Systems, Design and Technologies
e-Learning platforms
portals and Virtual learning
environments
Course design
Emerging and best practices
Partnerships in e-Learning
Evaluation of e-Learning
Cross-cultural
education
e-Learning strategies
Social benefits of e-Learning

Trends Tomorrow’s Teaching and Learning Environments

Innovating Pedagogy: Which Trends Will Influence Tomorrow’s Teaching and Learning Environments?

Stefanie Panke

In November 2015, the Open University released the latest edition of its ‘Innovating Pedagogyreport, the fourth rendition of an annual educational technology and teaching techniques forecast. While the timelines and publishing interval may remind you of the Horizon Report, the methodology for gathering the trends is different.

The NMC Horizon Team uses a modified Delphi survey approach with a panel of experts.

Teaching and Learning Environments

10 Innovative Pedagogy Trends from the 2015 Edition:

  1. Crossover Learning: recognition of diverse, informal achievements with badges.
  2. Learning through Argumentation: To fully understand scientific ideas and effectively participate in public debates students should practice the kinds of inquiry and communication processes that scientists use, and pursue questions without known answers, rather than reproducing facts.
  3. Incidental Learning: A subset of informal learning, incidental learning occurs through unstructured exploration, play and discovery. Mobile technologies can support incidental learning. An example is the app and website Ispot Nature.
  4. Context-based Learning: Mobile applications and augmented reality can enrich the learners’ context. An example is the open source mobile game platform ARIS.
  5. Computational Thinking: The skills that programmers apply to analyze and solve problems are seen as an emerging trend . An example is the programming environment SCRATCH.
  6. Learning by Doing Science with Remote Labs:  A collection of accessible labs is ilab
  7. Embodied learning: involving the body is essential for some forms of learning, how physical activities can influence cognitive processes.
  8. Adaptive Teaching: intelligent tutoring systems – computer applications that analyse data from learning activities to provide learners with relevant content and sequence learning activities based on prior knowledge.
  9. Analytics of Emotions: As techniques for tracking eye movements, emotions and engagement have matured over the past decade, the trend prognoses opportunities for emotionally adaptive learning environments.
  10. Stealth Assessment: In computer games the player’s progress gradually changes the game world, setting increasingly difficult problems through unobtrusive, continuous assessment.

6 Themes of Pedagogical Innovation

Based upon a review of previous editions, the report tries to categorize pedagogical innovation into six overarching themes:

 “What started as a small set of basic teaching methods (instruction, discovery, inquiry) has been extended to become a profusion of pedagogies and their interactions. So, to try to restore some order, we have examined the previous reports and identified six overarching themes: scale, connectivity, reflection, extension, embodiment, and personalisation.”

  1. Delivering education at massive scale.
  2. Connecting learners from different nations, cultures and perspectives.
  3. Fostering reflection and contemplation.
  4. Extending traditional teaching methods and settings.
  5. Recognizing embodied learning (explore, create, craft, and construct).
  6. Creating a personalized path through educational content.

Further Reading

Follow these links to blog posts and EdITLib resources to further explore selected trends:

full article can be found here:

http://blog.aace.org/2016/01/31/1688/

IMS Instruction Sessions Spring 2016

IMS Instruction Sessions Spring 2016

Where is MC 205? Per campus map, Miller Center 205 is on the second floor, direction computer lab, right-handside, pass the counter with printers on both sides. Please use this virtual reality direction map to find the room (use Google Chrome and activate QuickTime plugin).

please have a link to a PDF copy print out instruction sessions spring 2016

Dreamweaver: 4 Mondays –  10-10:45AM . Jan 18, 25, Feb 1, 8 ; location MC 205.  attendees cap is 5

Keywords: web development, web design, Adobe Dreamweaver

Description: Adobe Dreamweaver CC is the default web development tool on campus. In four consecutive weeks, learn the basics of Dreamweaver, web development, web design and maintaining web pages on the Web. Site map and site structure. HTML and HTML5 basics, basics of CSS, page properties, text editing, hyperlinks and images, tables, forms.

Remote participation through desktopsharing at http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims upon registration and specific request

 

Photoshop: 4 Tuesdays – –  10-10:45AM .  Jan 19, 26, Feb 2, 9 ; location MC 205.  attendees cap is 5

Keywords: image processing, image editing, visual literacy, Adobe Photoshop

Description: In four 45 min sessions, learn the basics of image editing.  A comprehensive understanding of Adobe Photoshop and its essential tools. Design and edit, adjusting images for the Internet and print outs. Learn image formats, compressions, layers. Retouching, repairing and correcting photos

Remote participation through desktopsharing at http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims upon registration and specific request

 

Social Media in Education 9:30-10:15 AM. Feb 3, 10, 17, 24. location MC 205.  attendees cap is 15

Keywords: social media, social media in education, social media and learning, social media and teaching, social media and communication, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Diigo, Delicious, Evernote, SideVibe, Pinterest, Vine, Snapchat, Google+, Zotero, Mendeley, blogs, wikis, podcasts, visuals, text
Description: In four 45 min sessions, structure your approach to social media and assess how to use in teaching and learning. What is social media and how to use it. How to discriminate between personal and professional use of social media. Amidst 180 most popular social media tools, acquire a robust structure to cluster them and orient yourself quick and easy, which tools fit best your teaching materials and methods to enable learning and communication with your students. Visuals versus text and how to combine them for effective communication and teaching. Policies, engagement of students. Expanding and improving research and organization of your research through social media and networking toward your research through social media.

Remote participation through desktopsharing at http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims upon registration and specific request

 

Cheating: what, why and how to avoid: Jan 28, 10-10:45AM .  location MC 205.  attendees cap is 15

Keywords: cheating, academic dishonesty, academic integrity, plagiarism.

Description: in 45 minutes we can start a conversation about identification of cheating practices and determination of what plagiarism is, considering generational differences, the evolution of the Internet. Identifying of “cheating” can provide robust boundaries for understanding students’ behavior and identifying practices and methods to alleviate such behavior, including change of teaching methods and practices.

Remote participation through desktopsharing at http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims upon registration and specific request

 

10 basics steps to start social media. March 16, 11-11:45AM  location MC 205.  attendees cap is 15

Keywords: social media, social media in education, social media and learning, social media and teaching, social media and communication, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Diigo, Delicious, Evernote, SideVibe, Pinterest, Vine, Snapchat, Google+, Zotero, Mendeley, blogs, wikis, podcasts, visuals, text

Description: introduction to social media and its use for personal and professional purposes. Ideas and scenarios of using different social media tools in education. Hands-on exercises for using social media in teaching.

Remote participation through desktopsharing at http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims upon registration and specific request

 

Games and Gamification in Education. Feb 24 2-2:45PM, March 25, 10-10:45AM, April 14, 2-2:45PM MC 205, attendees cap is 5

Keywords: play, games, serious games, game-based learning, gaming, gamification.

Description: Gaming and Gamification is one of the most pronounced trends in education as per the New Horizon Report. Besides the increase of participation and enthusiasm, it increases learning. Introduction to gaming and gamification by establishing definitions, learning to distinguish gaming and gamification and learning the basics of gaming and gamification in the teaching process. Hands-on exercises for introducing gaming practices in the teaching and learning process and gamifying the existing syllabi.

Remote participation through desktopsharing at http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims upon registration and specific request

 

Teaching Online. Jan. 29. 10-10:45AM. Feb 18, 2-2:45PM,  March 30, 3-3:45 PM MC 205. attendees cap is 5.

Keywords: online teaching, mobile teaching, distance education, distributive learning, hybrid learning, hybrid teaching, blended learning

Description: this 45 min session is aimed to help you transition your F2F teaching to hybrid and online teaching. Learn about synchronous and asynchronous modes of teaching and communication to structure and organize your class materials and methods for better delivery. Hands-on exercises for improving content delivery, class discussions and communications among instructor and students.
Remote participation through desktopsharing at http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims upon registration and specific request

 

Effective Presentations. Jan 28, 2-2:45PM.  MC 205. attendees cap is 10

Keywords: presentations, PowerPoint, alternatives to PowerPoint, presentation design, presentation essentials, Prezi, SlideShare, LodeStar, Zentation, Zoho, Powtoon, Zaption, Thinglink, Haiku, Kahoot, Storify, EdPuzzle, PollDaddy, Evernote, Mammoth, SideVibe, Paddlet, Remind, Death by PowerPoint, visual literacy, media literacy, digital literacy, visuals
Description: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2016/01/07/effective-presentations/ . These four 45 minute sessions are aimed to introduce and orient faculty, staff and students to the opulence of alternatives to PowerPoint and revisit the basics of well-tailored presentation. Hands-on exercises for improving the structure and delivery of presentation as well as the choice of presentation tools.
Remote participation through desktopsharing at http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims upon registration and specific request

 

Death by PowerPoint. Feb 26, 10-10:45PM. MC 205. attendees cap is 10

Keywords: presentations, PowerPoint, alternatives to PowerPoint, presentation design, presentation essentials, Death by PowerPoint, visual literacy, media literacy, digital literacy, visuals.
Description: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2016/01/07/effective-presentations/ . This 45 minute session is aimed to introduce and orient faculty, staff and students to the basics of PowerPoint and revisit the basics of a well-tailored presentation. Hands-on exercises for improving the structure and delivery of presentation as well as the choice of presentation tools.

Remote participation through desktopsharing at http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims upon registration and specific request

 

Contemplative Computing or Disconnect: How to Bring Balance in Your Life by Managing well Your Technology. Feb 17. 2-2:45PM.  MC 205. attendees cap is 10

Keywords: disconnect, Sherry Turkle, contemplative computing, mediation, contemplative practices, balance, technology stress

Description: this 45 min session introduces faculty, staff and students to the idea of regulating the use of technology in a meaningful way. Hands-on exercises and sharing good practices on balancing the use of technology in daily life.

Remote participation through desktopsharing at http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims upon registration and specific request

 

Videos in the classroom: fast and easy. Jan 28, 10-10:45PM. MC 205. attendees cap is 5.
Keywords: video, video editing, video manipulation, visual literacy, digital literacy, MovieMaker, iMovie, Instagram, Vine, YouTube, Kaltura

Description: this 45 min session is an orientation to the resources available for delivery of visual materials in the classroom. Hands-on experience of different basics tools on different computer platforms.

Remote participation through desktopsharing at http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims upon registration and specific request

 

Voice Over presentations: solutions. Feb 4, 10-10:45PM. MC 205. attendees cap is 5.

Keywords: PowerPoint, VoiceThread, LodeStar, MediaSpace (Kaltura), audio editing, narration

Description: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2015/04/28/voice-over-presentation-solutions/ . This 45 min session is a short hands-on introduction to the tools available at MnSCU intuitions and free third-party applications for delivery of narrative attached to presentations.

Remote participation through desktopsharing at http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims upon registration and specific request

 

Infographics: make your projects, presentations and research credible through presentable data. Feb 10, 2-2:45PM.  March 29, 10-10:45AM, MC 205. attendees cap is 10

Keywords: Piktochart, Infogr, Visualy, statistics, visual literacy, digital literacy
Description: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2014/04/09/infographics-how-to-create-them/. This 45 min session is an orientation to the world of infographics. Short introduction to the basics of statistics and their importance in presenting a research and idea. Hands-on exercise using one of the 3 popular infographic tools.

password management

LITA listsrev has an excellent discussion on password management.
I personally am using LastPass for two years: great free option, paid one can be used on mobiles.

=========================

From: lita-l-request@lists.ala.org [mailto:lita-l-request@lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of Michael J. Paulmeno
Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2016 1:36 PM
To: lita-l@lists.ala.org
Subject: RE: [lita-l] Question on password management

 

I second Keepass.  Not only is it free, open source, and multi-OS, but it lives on your computer, not in the cloud (although the database can be put on a shared drive or in DropBox for access across devices).  Personally that makes me feel much safer.  There are clients available for Windows, Mac, Linux, IPhone, Android and even Blackberry.

 

Cheers,

Mike

 

From: lita-l-request@lists.ala.org [mailto:lita-l-request@lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of Ronald Houk
Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2016 12:38 PM
To: lita-l@lists.ala.org
Subject: Re: [lita-l] Question on password management

 

I use lastpass as well.  However, LastPass was just bought by LogMeIn, so lots of people are holding their breath hoping that things stay good.  Another open source, multi-os, alternative is keepass (keepass.info)

 

On Wed, Jan 6, 2016 at 11:43 AM, Yvonne Reed <yvonner@ranchomiragelibrary.org> wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I would like offer or recommend a password management tool to my library staff that’s reliable and easy to use. Do any of you have one you can recommend?

 

 

Thank you,

 

Yvonne Reed

Technology Librarian

Rancho Mirage Public Library

71-100 Hwy 111

Rancho Mirage, CA 92270

(760)341-7323 x770
————————————–

From: lita-l-request@lists.ala.org [mailto:lita-l-request@lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of O’English, Lorena
Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2016 12:51 PM
To: lita-l@lists.ala.org
Subject: RE: [lita-l] Question on password management

 

I really like Dashlane (dashlane.com) – it has a lot of options, including the ability to give someone else access to your passwords in certain situations (plus, they support Firefox financially via low-impact ads). I think of this sometimes when I think about what would happen if a piano fell on me tomorrow – what a mess it would be for my spouse to cope with my digital life! That said, although I use Dashlane, I still have not quite managed to get myself to use all its functionality.

 

Lorena

***

Washington State University Libraries

oenglish@wsu.edu

wsulorena: Twitter, Skype, GTalk, Yahoo IM

———–

—–Original Message—–
From: lita-l-request@lists.ala.org [mailto:lita-l-request@lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of Cary Gordon
Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2016 12:37 PM
To: lita-l@lists.ala.org
Subject: Re: [lita-l] Question on password management

 

1Password ++

————–

 

—–Original Message—–
From: lita-l-request@lists.ala.org [mailto:lita-l-request@lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of COLLINS, MATTHEW
Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2016 12:35 PM
To: lita-l@lists.ala.org
Subject: RE: [lita-l] Question on password management

 

I have used Roboform for at least 10 years and never had a problem.  It manages passwords for logins and bookmarks on my PCs, my iPhone and iPad.  It synchs online so work, home, tablet and phone all have the same info.  It also stores personal info (name & multiple addresses) and confidential notes and other info.

 

–Matthew

———————-

Has anyone mentioned Password Safe? http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net/

 

It’s worked well for organizing and managing usernames/passwords.

 

 

Angela Stangl

 

Digital Services Coordinator

Rodney A. Briggs Library

University of Minnesota, Morris

(320) 589-6164

——————————-

FEATURES

http://keepass.info/features.html

 

PLUGINS

http://keepass.info/plugins.html

Note: CAPS is used here and there to call attention without extra Gmail formatting, not to shout at anyone. Still…I know I look like I yell here. I have flogged myself, I will now bathe in the River Salt.

 

MWoT

Ok, check it out.

Plugins, macros, group/profile/source/target/timing locks, separate DBs and separate metadata for these if you like, INTERNALLY-ROTATING SUPERKEYS via REGULAR KEY TRANSORMATIONS and TWO-CHANNEL AUTO-TYPE OBFUSCATION (for obfuscating your auto-typed passwords or keys, if you select Auto)….!!!…

…and well-reasoned, well-EXPLAINED approaches to certain critical areas of password management in general and to KeePass in particular.

 

For instance: In the FAQ, read the logic breakdown (thought-by-thought explanation) of why Keepass does NOT lock itself when a SUB-dialogue box is open in Keepass whle the user then LOCKS the workstation. =)

Why doesn’t KeePass lock when Windows locks and a KeePass sub-dialog is open?

http://keepass.info/help/base/faq_tech.html#noautolock

My support of Keepass as a primary, then a close alternative, comes from four of my six years in IT being in direct computer and network security roles. Sure, not the most trench years out there, but they are all engineering and tiered-analyst roles for several major US corporations.

I’m proud of that…and in terms of relevance, I worked – and still work – with and around many engineers, analysts, and scientists (data, algorithmic). I look up to these people a great deal, and many of these coworkers come fully assembled having forgotten more than I’ll ever know and still learning faster than I could ever talk about… and even THEY use Keepass and they use it powerfully.

Detection of each site’s contact (HTTP GET, form forcus, etc) or “touch” can be different with each browser it integrates into, and that’s just for starters. One can also script up a different timing to use before the credentials are passed….;)….one can also relegate references to a central database, or one can refer only to the local system or even just a specific profile that can access said .kdbx file (KeePass database), or one can limit the data source to just one .kdbx single-instance database file, or one can use the .kdbx as a secondary for some other central repository failure, if that happens.

One can make several .kdbx files for different uses…no requirement to have just one! Each a diffferent base of unique data keys, each wtih a different direction administered on when it is referenced, how it is run, and where it lives on a system.

Aaaaaand it can integrate with other DBMs, it’s not an island!

Keepass is not the end-all be-all, but it IS FOSS (Free and Open-Source Software, great for investigating its machinery). Also it is:

Programmable (via the Plugins model, you can write some yourself if you like!)

Modularizable (again, via the Plugins model)

Profile lockable, (<— really neat!)

– SMM (Secure Memory Manageable, for Windows Clipboard and the like)

– and more!

Anyway, Keepass is rad for its cost, but, like the others on this thread, I will second LastPass as well. LastPass  is a an alternative to Keepass. =)

Daniel Strickland
linkedin.com/in/dwstrickland

 

 

Matthew Collins

Director of the Ernest Miller White Library Associate Professor of Research and Bibliography Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

1044 Alta Vista Road

Louisville, KY 40205

mcollins@lpts.edu| 502.992.5420

 

Next Generation Learning Environment

Pathways for a Next Generation Learning Environment

A short meeting to introduce you to the “Pathways for a Next Generation Learning Environment” project (Phase 1). http://www.asa.mnscu.edu/educationalinnovations/projects/ngle/index.html

Next Generation LE Project
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
11:00 am |   Central Standard Time (Chicago)   | 1 hr
Join WebEx meeting
Meeting number: 633 316 768

Join by phone1-866-469-3239 Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada)1-650-429-3300 Call-in toll number (US/Canada)Access code: 633 316 768Toll-free calling restrictions

Add this meeting to your calendar. (Cannot add from mobile devices.)

Notes:

Dick McMullen and Lesley meeting for site admin trainers.

moving from LMS to LE realizing that it is a mash up, rather then only the systems (especially commercial ones).

cloud hosting.
MnSCU self-hosted D2L instance is experiencing some issues with possible increasing feature loss

ASA Technology Council. RFP (recommended timeframe)

Schoology, Canvas, Moodle hosting companies, BB and D2L were contacted.

http://www.asa.mnscu.edu/educationalinnovations/LE/2015NextGenLE/Next%20Gen%20LE%20RFI_December%202015.pdf

my question was about Drupal, Joomla, Django, Sakai:
http://www.academia.edu/1675990/Adventures_in_Open_Source_-_Moodle_Mahara_Drupal_et._al._at_Purchase_College

social media and the devaluation of information

Iran’s blogfather: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are killing the web

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/29/irans-blogfather-facebook-instagram-and-twitter-are-killing-the-web

is it possible that the Iranian government realized the evolution of social media and his respective obsolescence and this is why they freed him prematurely?

Blogs were gold and bloggers were rock stars back in 2008 when I was arrested.

The hyperlink was a way to abandon centralisation – all the links, lines and hierarchies – and replace them with something more distributed, a system of nodes and networks. Since I got out of jail, though, I’ve realised how much the hyperlink has been devalued, almost made obsolete.

Nearly every social network now treats a link as just the same as it treats any other object – the same as a photo, or a piece of text. You’re encouraged to post one single hyperlink and expose it to a quasi-democratic process of liking and plussing and hearting. But links are not objects, they are relations between objects. This objectivisation has stripped hyperlinks of their immense powers.

At the same time, these social networks tend to treat native text and pictures – things that are directly posted to them – with a lot more respect. One photographer friend explained to me how the images he uploads directly to Facebook receive many more likes than when he uploads them elsewhere and shares the link on Facebook.

Some networks, like Twitter, treat hyperlinks a little better. Others are far more paranoid. Instagram – owned by Facebook – doesn’t allow its audiences to leave whatsoever. You can put up a web address alongside your photos, but it won’t go anywhere. Lots of people start their daily online routine in these cul-de-sacs of social media, and their journeys end there. Many don’t even realise they are using the internet’s infrastructure when they like an Instagram photograph or leave a comment on a friend’s Facebook video. It’s just an app.

A most brilliant paragraph by some ordinary-looking person can be left outside the stream, while the silly ramblings of a celebrity gain instant internet presence. And not only do the algorithms behind the stream equate newness and popularity with importance, they also tend to show us more of what we have already liked. These services carefully scan our behaviour and delicately tailor our news feeds with posts, pictures and videos that they think we would most likely want to see.

Today the stream is digital media’s dominant form of organising information. It’s in every social network and mobile application.

The centralisation of information also worries me because it makes it easier for things to disappear.

But the scariest outcome of the centralisation of information in the age of social networks is something else: it is making us all much less powerful in relation to governments and corporations. Surveillance is increasingly imposed on civilised lives, and it gets worse as time goes by. The only way to stay outside of this vast apparatus of surveillance might be to go into a cave and sleep, even if you can’t make it 300 years.

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