Spotlight


	No. 42 March 11, 2002 Technology: SigmaChat I'm probably guilty of occasionally "pushing the technological envelope" a bit too hard in this newsletter, and recommending tools that require better than average hardware, additional peripherals (webcams, headsets), administrative access to one's machine, etc. Let me redeem myself at least a notch by recommending a technology that is relatively old, easy to use, with low requirements, but that can still be extremely useful: chat rooms. I don't mean the fairly ubiquitous now instant messengers like AOL IM, MSN Messenger, or Trillian, which are great but suffer from the lack of interoperability and the annoyance factor (who likes to be constantly interrupted?). I mean an old-fashioned chat room that is setup in advance, accepts multiple participants, can be "open to the public", and does not require installation of a client. Preferably, it does not require installation of a chat server, either. RaiderSoft offers a great, free service called SigmaChat - a chat applet written in Java, that can be easily embedded in any Web page and even customized somewhat, to become a seemingly integral part of one's own site. The applet is a chat room that can be accessed right there on the page, or "floated" as an independent, resizable widow. It loads very fast and offers a good set of basic functionalities (textual chat, private messaging, list of participants, ability to create subrooms) as well as a few "bells-and-whistles" (graphical and sound emoticons, foul language filtering, time stamps). For a very reasonable fee of $49 per year one can bring the service up to the "Professional" level, with such additional features as: complete transcripts of chat sessions, usage logs, password requirement for users, "Web tours", more customization (including own logo), etc. The administration of both the Basic (free) and Professional service is done via a Web browser, and the chat server itself is owned and maintained by RaiderSoft, so no overhead here. The applet will run on relatively "ancient" hardware and perform well in low bandwidth environments. Ironically, you may run into problems with it on the newest OS - Windows XP - because Microsoft chose not to include Java in the default installation... Floating window of SigmaChat Initiatives: Verizon Foundation From the Web site: “Verizon Foundation supports programs that create innovative eSolutions, help bridge the digital divide, foster basic and computer literacy, help enrich our communities, and create a skilled workforce. [...] We are committed to "venture philanthropy" - investing in the development of capacity infrastructure to create new leadership models for our communities. [..] In 2002, the Verizon Foundation plans to invest $75 million in communities [...] from Hawaii to Maine. " Examples of funded projects and partnerships: The Asian American Federation of New York (AAFNY) launched a technology hub for the Asian Pacific nonprofit community. This hub brings New York's Asian American service organizations into the digital future by enabling instant access to community-based news and information, and communicating with Asian communities across the globe. NPower provides technology training for the nonprofit sector, expanding and encouraging partnerships within the community. American Women's Economic Development (AWED) seeks to be the leading provider of serious, supportive, online education and counseling for women entrepreneurs from all demographic and socioeconomic background Online Reading: Educational Technology Review (ETR) From the announcement: "Originally a print journal, [...] this online periodical is devoted to the issues and applications of educational technology to enhance learning and teaching. Reviewed by leaders in the field, this publication is designed to provide a multi-disciplinary forum to present and discuss all aspects of educational technology in all learning environments." Feature articles in this premier issue: Defining Distance Learning and Distance Education Models of Distance Higher Education: Fully Automated or Partially Human? Pedagogical Challenges for the World Wide Web The Laptop University: A Faculty Perspective Traditions to Transformations: The Forced Evolution of Higher Education She said, he said: "I have the courage to be mistaken." - Friedrich Hegel © 2002 Vlad Wielbut and the Alliance for Community Technology