I'm keeping an eye on the Moodle 2.0 release - it is expected beginning next year. It is more of a 'clean the code' and inputs from large users Open University type from UK, Netherlands and NewZealand. And it changes the Editor for the TinyMCE, the issue is Chrome.

But I think 'the thinking' is wrong - The Blog exposes that Moodle is not compatible with Chrome, however, in reality is that 'Chrome' is not compatible with Moodle. 'Chrome' is not compatible with old ways of doing things, lots of sites needs to change. Changes are good, and is what Internet is about, but maybe there is a bit of Google's arrogance in doing that, changing from friendly 'encompassing all' attitude to a soft/slightly dictator attitude.

'Power' consumes us soon or later ... (only a thought)

Adding or Editing a BLOG 

The core changes are when 'Adding' or 'Editing' a BLOG post. A 'personal' TAG cloud containing every TAG that a user used in BLOGs are shown allowing a quick-click selection, plus when typing a new TAG it shows a list of site wide TAGs that others have used as a 'suggestion'. It is a way of avoiding similar TAGs with different spellings.

[TAG Cloud]

Now it shows all TAGS that can be listed in alphabetic [Alpha] order for an easy search, randomly [Random] for improving serendipity (only 200 TAGs), in a chronologic [Ageing] order of TAG use, and by the 'mostly used' [Frequency] to find popular/main topics.

Frontpage cloud

The frontpage TAG cloud sorts the TAGs used on latest posts, and now includes all TAGs that a user have access rights, so when a user is LOGGED_IN is different from the PUBLIC access cloud. There are differences on TAG colouring that represents how long that TAG has been used relatively to other TAGs (Ageing).

These enhancements allows a better TAG management, and helps to extract a picture of the site contents.

Hope that is useful, and if you do have some suggestions, please email support@jiscemerge.org.uk or login a ticket at http://support.jiscemerge.org.uk 

But this post is to promote an inform on how to use the Elluminate platform by the Emerge community.

Upon request, we create (and support) an user with privileges to setup meetings using the Elluminate server. That user will be allocated for a Community or a Project - allowing a core administration in the use of this online resource.

Evolve, Planet, Habitat and Emerge are already set to use this platform, and I am available to give support specially for the first '(s)' meeting - it is a new technology but as I stated on my last post (here) I think that any investment towards familiarization with this platform will be rewarding for anyone in the Education sector - afterall it is an online classroom - so a bit of effort to make the Project team meetings, or any other event using Elluminate will give the practice (experience) that is what a CoP Community of Practice does.

So please email support@jiscemerge.org.ukor create a ticket at support.jiscemerge.org.uk and we will arrange to make Elluminate available for your Community/Project.

This week's conference wil be extensively using Elluminate so, some pre-familiarization with the platform is advised. We've created a 'Sandbox Meeting Space' that you can access using your Emerge-ELGG UserID/password.

Basic overview.

• Everything runs in a 'Java' environment. If you go to (http://elluminate.jiscemerge.org.uk/support.help) it will test if you have Java installed, and if not it will give a download.


• Then, if you access the platform (http://elluminate.jiscemerge.org.uk) using your ELGG UserID/password, you'll be able to see the meetings available for the day. And if you press the link 'This Week' underneath the calendar, the list of the week events will be visible.


• Clicking in the 'Sandbox Meeting Space' a file 'meeting.jnlp' will be downloaded into your computer, and then two common default scenarios:
  
  
  • If you are using Internet Explorer, it downloads in a 'temp' folder and automatically starts the session
  • If you are using Firefox, it downloads the file in your desktop, and you need to double-click to start the session. (gets a bit crumbly when you have several sessions, but is one file per session)

Regarding the 'Sandbox Meeting Space'

   Everyone is given 'Moderator' privileges, so you can experiment everything. It can have 6 microphones active at the same time, so you can use for small online meetings using breakrooms, but the feature for recording a session is disable.

Elluminate gives free live training everyday, and there are 'Quick reference guides and recorded sessions that you can access at http://elluminate.com/support/training/.

The Elluminate will be available for the Emerge community afterwards, so any investment towards familiarization with the platform will be rewarding. The Open University has adopted Elluminate for online tutoring, so no doubt that skills in the platform is a 'must' for who works in Education (I think!!).

Hope that we all enjoy this week's online conference...

The 'Page' is the place for aggregating information using 'widgets' through feeds, blogs, profile fields, ... and with the 'generic widget' you can create your own widget using html/javascript.

However, the big effort was in the profiling system - specially regarding 'Comunity'/'Projects'. Here is where the Projects can create a base for their practice in 'Community of Practice'. And we are feeding the Emerge Island in Second Life from that fields. During the events next week more information will be available.

And the profiling has been grouped in a more sensible way (I think) for individual members

1. Basic Details (who),
2. Social Profile (what)
3. 'Web Life' (communication)

And a tab to add Project details into a 'Community' member. 

For navigation purposes - a submenu has been added when accessing the 'Profile' and 'Page' tabs - it will look redundant when you're accessing your own page, but useful to easily access others members and communities 'Profiles' and 'Pages' and invaluable when managing your own Communities.

I hope this makes a more friendly Web2.0 platform, and if you have any comment/suggestion please email support@jiscemerge.org.uk or through the HelpDesk

Further steps will be taken towards creating a ‘Knowledge Base’ using multimedia materials for training in the use of the JISC Emerge ELGG platform, and correlated platforms (e.g. Moodle, Second Life)

Any email sent to support@jiscemerge.org.uk will be treated as a support ticket as well.

And attending a request - a generic RSS feed for the frontpage Latest BLOGs has been created. Both links are in the frontpage sidebar panel.

Meanwhile I've started a manually updated page (link in the sidedar) with the Projects Phase II, that will be replaced by a dinamic generated 'Communities' pages project related, and that will create a dinamic/organic project relationship (we hope). If you have some information that will help to better shape please email me joe@jiscemerge.org.uk.

As soon as you have 10/15 minutes please create/update your 'Community' page. And if you can add an icon will be great, that will allow a more visual / search mapping of information. That's a suggestion/request from several members.

As a complementary information, we've closed the site for Self-Registration going back to the Registration-through-Invitation mode. You can make an invitation clicking in Networks-->'Invite a Friend' giving a Name and Email Address, and an email is sent to them to activate their account.

  Working towards 'Rounding the Corners' and some 'deepness' were the main design goals - I think that reflects this coming stage. The main change was to move the 'toolbar' to a more default position: below the banner and on top of the working area. The labeling excluded the word 'Your' and 'Profile' changes to 'YourSpace' - it is a paradox.

  The new functionality is with the 'widgets'. Able to toogle between open-close and columnar movements (Facebook like). Have a look in 'YourSpace'.

  Design is a design. Some people like it, others don't. Please make some comments and for any problems email support@jiscemerge.org.uk

(a technical addendum: The F5/Command+R reload page are needed because the links and filenames were maintained and they match the ones in your browser cache)

This release made a major folder/file restructure and strong steps towards maturing the core code, a more flexible user friendly and robust installation process, and due to the active engagement plenty of testing and tracking down major and minor issues,

I don't understand what is/was the goal with the EduSpaces, however I would like to feedback that the ELGG.org community is at 'full steam', working 24/7 not only developers but users installing and testing and giving feedback for the new releases. The ELGG application is stable, and most of the job done so far is a 'cleaning the house' preparing for an aimed public standard - a professional mature approach , done by a community, following the best practices in code development.

If you encounter any issues, please send an email to support@jiscemerge.org.uk

Great 2008 for all

• 'View Keywords' links to a rearranged resume for that specific TAG, showing every post-title and 'social' information (WHO).
• 'Search Keywords' links to every blog summaries under that TAG (WHAT).