What I Learned This Week

This is sort of like posting what you learned on the refrigerator as a kid!

This week my learning was rather random. Our discussion focused on Facebook privacy issues and the discussion has been interesting. I'm encouraged to find others who aren't comfortable with publicly recording their thoughts. And, through the discussion, I'm discouraged to find that when I disagree and say so it makes some of my classmates uncomfortable.

Since this is my blog . . .

I'm paying a lot for my degree. It is a purchase and I am a tightwad: I want value for the money and time I  spend. I want the people who graduate with me, that will have the same credentials, and will be working in the same profession to command a level of respect from peers. So, please do not expect me to smile and nod and by saying nothing to commend blatant inaccuracies.

Sometimes things people say should make you uncomfortable. A community of "yes-men" accomplishes nothing. I don't have to agree with you to like or respect you, but I can't either agree or respect nonsense and the posting I read was just nonsense. Nobody else would respond to that posting and I'm guessing that they wouldn't respond because they couldn't say anything nice, so they said nothing. Shame on us -- learning communities must learn to disagree if they are to fully consider many issues. I was neither rude, used inappropriate language or insulted the author, but I didn't appreciate the lack of thought, what I considered bizarre comparisons, or the obvious prejudices.

Stepping off my soapbox now.

Back to what I learned this week.

I tried Facebook several years ago and wasn't enamored. Still not thrilled, but I'll give it another try. I am definitely dissatisfied with the data mining technique used to locate friends. What an invasion of privacy! There's no telling how much information they can garner with access I elect to allow.

I learned about Google+ and their attempt to enter the social networking arena. And I continued attending the MOOC where I have learned about several LMSs, watched others blog about their studies and in general picked up some good tips about professional organizations and websites.

Last, I learned that one of our textbooks (Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts) ends in a comma.

Happy learning!