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The chapters in this volume explore the theoretical, design, learning, and methodological questions with respect to designing for and researching web-based communities to support learning. The authors, coming from diverse academic backgrounds (computer science, information science, instructional systems technology, educational psychology, sociology, and anthropology), are frank in examining what we do and do not know about the processes and practices of designing communities to support learning.

This site documents the public response to internet phenomena (e.g., smiling dogs, phrases, viral videos).

This is fascinating to me. Some years ago I have read Richard Dawkin's The selfish gene (http://www.amazon.com/Selfish-Gene-Anniversary----Introduction/dp/0199291152/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296232952&sr=1-3) and the Idea of Memes, using us, humans, to reproduce and evolve was quite amazing. I would also recommend Susan Blackmore's The meme machine (http://www.amazon.com/Meme-Machine-Popular-Science/dp/019286212X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296232884&sr=8-1), it was interesting for me. Yes, it falls under the "popular science" category, and her pseudo)scientific style could be a bit irritating; but overall there were some interesting ideas. P.S. I did not get the hyper-linking to work for me. I would appreciate some clues :-)

scientismic - a new term?

Changing view in anthropology attributes social cooperation/social learning and tools (first as weapons) as characteristics that set humans apart from other primates. See also http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/science/11kin.html

And so artificial intelligence type software is now threatening the livelihood of those in the legal profession. I have a friend who's a paralegal doing the type of work these "e-discovery" software programs can now do. I wonder if he's been aware of this kind of technology developing. I also wonder what will come next....

This Newsweek cover story from March 7 gets into how information overload is hindering our ability to make clear decisions.

While attempting to read this article, I found myself constantly distracted, not by interruptions, but by the completely goofy banner ads on the right side of the page and bottom. Maybe someone could invent and app for that? Or in the meantime I should use a piece of cardboard to cover the nonsense on the screen. A low budget app!

This center explores how ICTs foster/hinder freedom, democracy, human rights & development.