EricHoefler.com

Still Not Convinced

31. May 2008

I keep trying to understand the position of the “copyright abolitionists,” but so far, I’m still not convinced. Here are a few points I’m stuck on … and there are probably others as well. I think this is an extremely important issue, though, so I’ll continue to learn and think about it. Freely Sharing Ideas Thomas Jefferson [...]

The Other End of the Problem

26. May 2008

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Poverty crouches on one end of the “education problem,” and on the other end perch ridiculously over-priced professions. One example: the models on Deal or No Deal: While several of the models said they could live just on what they earn from the show, it shoots only two or three days every three weeks. [Deal or [...]

I'm Not in the 408

22. May 2008

3 Comments

So TMAO’s post about his decision to leave teaching has made some waves on various blogs. I’d like to offer some personal perspectives (which he’s not asking for), but I’m not interested in second-guessing his reasons. I’m pulling some quotes from his post as a jumping-off point to respond to a few of his comments [...]

Humanities and the DY/DAN Method

18. May 2008

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Dan Meyer has a famously-interesting perspective on grading and homework. In a recent post, he offers a scenario of a student (Aaron) who has only attended 20% of the classes but whose grade is a C+. This is possible in Dan’s class because he’s only concerned with assessing a student’s comprehension. In his words: I chase [...]

Software for Writers – Part 2: Blog-Writing

16. May 2008

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For my needs, Windows Live Writer (WLW) is the best desktop blogging application I’ve found.1 WLW makes it easy to insert elements and format posts, even allowing you to write using your blog’s stylesheet so you know exactly how the post will look once it’s published. I also appreciate the easy access to drafts and [...]

Food Prophets

15. May 2008

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I think (and hope) that we’re moving into a “post-diet” approach to healthy eating. I’m gut-deep in guilt here, but I’m trying. Two videos I watched recently, by two similar-looking guys, added some urgency to the subject and explained why making healthy, informed decisions about what we eat is important individually and collectively … not [...]

Software for Writers – Pt. 1: The Quick List

14. May 2008

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I received an email from a teacher/friend asking for tips on script format to pass on to her creative writing students. I sent a quick reply,1 but I also mentioned that the students should consider using some software that was developed specifically for writers (instead of business professionals). I’ve tried a number of these tools, but [...]

Crows: From Harbingers to Helpers

14. May 2008

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In mythology, crows are bad news. In the Resident Evil games, crows are things you shoot for fun and occasional reward. But Joshua Klein has some ideas that might turn these creepy winged pests into humanity’s helpers. This TED Talk shows how smart, and potentially useful, crows can be. Still, it’s best not to get them [...]

Copyright and the Control of Information

11. May 2008

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Neil W. Netanel defines the problem newspapers face in the digital age: Newspapers thus suffer from the classic public goods problem. Producers of quality journalism invest heavily in investigating, reporting, editing, and fact checking. But once they make their work product available, they cannot prevent many others from copying from and reading their work without payment. [...]