Google and MOOC.org

Google sees the partnership as a way to support educational innovation. "Our industry is in early stages of MOOCs, and lots of experimentation is still needed to find the best way to meet the educational needs of the world. An open ecosystem with multiple players encourages rapid experimentation and innovation, and we applaud the work going on in this space today," Dan Clancy, director of research at Google wrote.

Throw enough spaghetti at the wall and eventually some should stick. That’s the approach here. If we build a system to accommodate large numbers, eventually someone will stumble on what actually works. It’s the pursuit of innovation through trial-and-error on a large scale.

Read more in Google Infrastructure Adds to MOOC Momentum

Why you may feed the trolls

Just had a thought: does anyone offer trolls for hire? As having antagonistic comments on posts increases total comment numbers because the hate attracts defense comments from people who otherwise might not have commented. And, of course, keeping the debate going keeps things going. 

The URL,which was first put up very long form was changed on my article. Here's the new one: http://ww2.cfo.com/it-value/2013/09/is-digital-currency-catching-on/http://

I took this picture at the Bitcoin Conference

on/ … #bitcoin #Ripple #CFO

The face of analytics is yours

Do personalized offers make you smile? Or do you value privacy over customized shopping experiences? Read about the facial recognition technology at work to sell you more stuff in

Putting a Face on Retail Analytics

A wealth of educational materials available free

With September here, students and teachers are back in school.  Instead of just repeating the same lesson plans they used in previous years, teachers have a new way to convey the material to their students through a free service called Gooru. Drawing on the power of big data to enhance learning,  Gooru offers teacher and student a curated and sharable playlist of educational materials.

Read more in 

Back to School With Big Data

  

Bitcoin: the stereotype, reality, and possibilities

Bitcoin wants to emerge from its somewhat shady reputation as a currency for folks with something to hide and become a useful tool for legitimate business. Some say it can even do more -- like alleviate poverty and disease in Third World countries. Read more in 

Bitcoin: A Stereotype & a Possibility

Sometimes memes get to me

I try really hard not to be a Grammar Nazi online. Even when I cringe at obvious errors, I restrain myself from pointing them out, though I sometimes do contact the writer if s/he will have the ability to fix it.

Many errors appear in memes. The one that made me feel impelled to address a grammar problem is this one:

You can say "How a dog looks after doing something bad." Or you can say,  "What a dog looks like after doing something bad." However, you have to toss either the"how" or the "like." As they both serve the same function in this sentence,  the two together are redundant. It's rather like this sentence, "The reason I didn't get my homework done was because my computer crashed." That should be, "I didn't get my homework done because my computer crashed."

3D printing in the cloud: it's not just fun and games

One of the delights of writing for The Enterprise Cloud Site is learning about things that sound unlikely but really do exist, like the Society for Printable Geography. The printable does not refer to traditional maps but to 3D printing, which renders geographical data into iPhone cases, pendants, earrings, and puzzles.

All this is made possible by Sculpteo, a company that combines 3D printing with a cloud engine. Howevr, 3D printing is not just for hobbyists and collectors. It has many applications in robotics, architecture, scientific research, and education.  Read more in 3D Printing, Cloud Engine Revolutionize Manufacturing