hi karl

first, for the ps.  Academics have a way of worrying ideas down to the 
nubbins. The ability to set the framework here as a hollow platform seems 
remarkably easy today and to worry thru details rather than just doing it 
would seem to create a mountain. Digital natives often just tear off the 
wrapper and shove the cd into the drive and go. digital natives read the 
entire instruction manual and then seek help. Most academics are in the 
latter class by virtue of their age in this new cyber world.

Creating an open source platform or even just using, for example a PB Wiki 
allows for us to test our ideas rather than noodling about them until they 
are perfect. we all know how long it takes a professor to get a course 
approved at a university and then when its taught everyone knows that it 
will be different from that which was laboriously approved. We live in a 
world where it is far easier to test opportunities in cyber space. these do 
not have to be public in that the sites can be hidden or have controlled 
access. But they do allow us to play with ideas

Coming back to another point about contributions. As a consultant and former 
academic and dept chair, I am well aware that academics like to give advice 
or throw out ideas and see what happens at a distance with little or no 
responsibility attached. If these ideas such as a VU are thrown out, it 
seems to be the wise idea that those who toss the idea in the ring take the 
responsibility of either moving it forward or finding another party that 
would like to

thus your point is well taken- who in the FOW is interested in doing so.

thanks for the response

best

tom

tom abeles


>From: Karl Rogers <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Group concerned that academia should seek and promote wisdom      
>         <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Conference, Journal & Virtual University
>Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2006 12:36:52 +0100
>
>Hi Tom,
>
>   I am not sure what you mean. We have only bounced a couple of emails 
>around on the idea of the FOW Virtual University. I think that it is a 
>promising idea, I think that Nick seemed cautiously interested, but we will 
>need to discuss it among FOW members if it is going to work.
>
>   The thing is that I did not suggest this because I want to run a course. 
>I have run courses before, both distance learning and at bricks and mortar 
>universities.
>   Currently, I am enjoying eighteen months on a visiting research 
>fellowship writing a book, but, after that I will be resuming a 
>lectureship, so I have more than enough work on running courses to do in 
>the near future.
>
>   My suggestion was about a project that would involve members of FOW 
>working together, using the internet, in a way that would attract new 
>members and start the ball rolling on creating some kind of movement. The 
>VU seemed to be a good way of doing this and I have a couple of ideas of 
>courses I would contribute.
>
>   It seems to me that, out of politeness if nothing else, we would need 
>Nick's blessing before we could start running courses in the name of the 
>FOW. But, in my view, the project needs more than Nick's blessing. It needs 
>his participation, especially on running some core courses around which the 
>others could be linked.
>
>   But, your points about using different platforms are interesting. We 
>have quite a high degree of choice in how we use various platforms to 
>structure the VU and there are lots of possibilities that we could explore 
>both individually and collectively. You are quite right about that. And, as 
>you point out, it is not at all difficult to do. But, the first stage is 
>for the FOW members to thrash this idea out a bit -- not talking til the 
>cows come home, but at least working out how many cows there are and where 
>home is.
>
>   The ball is in Nick's court on this one. We'll see what he bounces back.
>
>   Karl.
>
>   p.s. what did you mean by "Or we could just continue the way this 
>conversation is going and worry whether a Sokal Clone will appear and call 
>the question."?
>
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