Request for comments: 10 Laws on using the Internet for CDP

I usually spend so much time agonising over getting a blog post just right, with the optimum degree of formatting, linkage, etc. Sometimes though, you have to just type something and post it to get it out there.

I've been attending the 2012 IATEFL conference today, in parts (and via Twitter only). There's a couple of reasons - one, it was such a great experience last year when I actually attended that I couldn't resist going back again for more this year, and two, I'm writing a paper this term on the use of Twitter at conferences (more about that later). There's a pressing need to re-engage in ways that I might otherwise have been focused other things.

(still can't resist a rambling pre-amble as part of a blog post written on the fly!)

Anyway, the reason for getting this post together quickly is to make a request for comments on a topic. Whilst following the tweets for one of the sessions (on the #ELTchat hashtag), I ended up in a separate conversation with Karenne Sylvester about guest posting on each others blogs. She's invited me to guest post on her blog on the topic of '10 Laws of the Internet' from a CPD (professional development) perspective. This came about from an observation that the #ELTchat hashtag convesations also get spammed by companies keen to muscle in on a conversation.

I proposed an observation that 'where there's a will, spam will always find a way'. To extrapolate slightly on this, I'll expand it to 'Any new communications channel on the Internet will eventually become polluted by spam'.

I will not be the first person to state this, but I'll take it as Pates's Law if no-one else steps up to claim it!

The request: to help me out with my guest post, I'm inviting people to submit their own 'Laws of the Net' in the comments section here. I'll then bring it all together and take it over to Karenne's blog.

There are already other well-known 'internet laws', but I'm talking specifically about using the Net in a professional capacity. Can you help me make it as far as 10? If you come up with your own law, please christen it with your name too!

'10 things...you can do with a marble'

The original plan, when this feature was launched, was for a guest post a month. But then the summer took over, I got distracted by a number of changes and things I've been trying to finish off for aeons, and blogging fell a little by the wayside. Having made such great efforts earlier on this year at keeping this thing running and upping the ante over previous years...well, you know how it goes.

Anyway, despite my own lackadaisical efforts of the last month or two, I'm proud to announce Guest Post No. Two, and what a huge heap of fun it is too! It's also taken me a while to get this posted as I simply had to watch all the treats that have been sent my way for the post. Having done so, I'd suggest you either make a drink and give yourself half an hour for the fun and games below or come back to them in bursts - each video is a joy in their own right and is the largest number of videos included in one post here.

I'll leave Sarah to introduce herself, but I will add to her introduction that there is so much about blogging that I've learned from her. There's a lot more other stuff I've learned from her too as a colleague and co-teacher on the same course, but blogging's what we're on about here.

So a big thanks to Sarah, and enjoy what you find here!

***

Now, first off, thank you Dom, for inviting me over to your swanky new site, and apologies for the massive fail that was this post happening in July! *ahem*

I’m Sarah, I teach IT (that sounds like 'I know Kung Fu' from The Matrix heh heh) and Dom is both friendly neighbour and supportive colleague …. win win for me.

I have a nerdy/stitching blog called Pings and Needles (I don’t think anyone gets the Pings pun, ho hum) so please come and visit me over there. I’m currently working on a quilt for a competition at that temple to cryptography Bletchley Park ! …

I proudly present my personal Top 10 Rube Goldberg clips. The general idea behind a Rube Goldberg (or Pythagoras Switch) is to have maximum complexity or stages to accomplish a simple task.

Some of these are epic, some are just put together in people’s homes … go get yourself a cup/glass/yard of refreshment and settle in for some genuinely brilliant stuff.

1. 2D Photography - Watch and Gasp. The detail, oh the detail.

2. Baynham & Tyers - edited, but I love the way it travels through a whole house!

3. Honda - TV ad - just beautiful

4. Ramen noodles! The Japanese presenter is soooo dramatic!

5. Falling Water Cocktail - watch for the tape measure - genius!

6. 'Exercise in Fugality' - George Rhoads - Kinetic Sculpture - strictly speaking this isn’t a Rube Goldberg, but it sounds good and I like it.

7. Creme Egg Squasher

8. Toy Factory - lovin all the nailbiting concentration

9. Random selection of Japanese runs

10. OK Go - music video - you’ve probably seen this already, but it’s worth every second. Live a little - go full screen!

That’s my 10 … I hope you enjoyed a little time wasting - nothing like the amount of time these chaps put into the machines though. I feel happy with that thought.

10 things...about '10 things'

In order to provide some sort of structure to a new feature here at 'Postings From An Edge', here are 10 things about '10 things...'. This will give me a framework from which to write and guidance to any future guest posters.

'10 things...' posts...

1. can be a simple text-only list, a collection of multimedia-rich content, or anything in between these two pillars (including only images, only audio or only video).
2. can be long or short.
3. will come from me or from any guest posters that wish to contribute to the feature.
4. can be posted regularly or sporadically.
5. must be titled in the same way (beginning with 10 things... and continuing with a grammatically correct rest of sentence) and contain an appropriate collection of meta-tags.
6. should be promoted elsewhere on the Web (e.g. on Twitter or Facebook).
7. can be about any topic so long as it relates in some way to the concept of 'thinking globally'. Suggestions for specific topics include technology, education, music, activism, Japan, writing, travel or peace.
8. can be submitted in a language other than English, so long as an English translation is also provided.
9. are intended to encourage comment and interaction.
10. must total 10 things. No 9's or 11's (unless it's a '10 things...about 9/11' post). They must also not be abusive or offensive, and use of Creative Commons works are encouraged.

I'll be starting to approach other bloggers I know with requests for contributions, but if you're reading this and would like to write one, please email it in full (title, content and tags) to dompates.postings@blogger.com - they'll be published (if they meet the above conditions) following editorial review.