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Edupage, 3 November 1998. Edupage, a summary of news about information
technology, is provided three times a week as a service of EDUCAUSE,
an international nonprofit association dedicated to transforming higher
education through information technologies.
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TOP STORIES
Desperately Seeking A Business Model For Online Education
"Rising Expectations And Exploding Demand" For Technology
HP Prefers Chai Over Java For Electronic Devices
Porn Is Peaking On The Web
ALSO
PC Industry Headed For A Slump
E-Mail Response-Management Packages Debut
Microsoft Execs Worry About Free Software Movement
Honorary Subscriber: G.E. Moore
DESPERATELY SEEKING A BUSINESS MODEL FOR ONLINE EDUCATION
Different financial arrangements are developing within the various academic
institutions that are busy developing online course offerings. Two
examples: Penn State is splitting revenues with the faculty members who
develop courses and their departments, whereas New York University will hold
ownership rights for its online courses. Is there a lot of money to split
up? NYU's Gerald A. Heeger, dean of continuing and professional studies,
warns: "Online is a big, important field in higher education, but it does
not have a business model that works. The dirty little secret is that
nobody's making any money." However, he thinks someday that will change.
(New York Times 2 Nov 98)
"RISING EXPECTATIONS AND EXPLODING DEMAND" FOR TECHNOLOGY
The Campus Computing Project's 1998 national survey of information
technology in higher education says that classroom use of e-mail is up
substantially (to 44.4%), that almost half of the institutions are using
student fees to cover information technology costs, and that more than a
third of research universities have some type of policy addressing
faculty-developed intellectual property on the campus. Project director
Kenneth C. Green says, "Campuses are doing more with technology, and they
are doing it better than in the past. But the real challenge at most
institutions is to improve resources and services given both rising
expectations and exploding demand." http://www.campuscomputing.net
HP PREFERS CHAI OVER JAVA FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Hewlett-Packard, discontented with Sun Microsystems' control over its Java
programming language, has banded together with 13 other companies, including
Microsoft, to form the Real-Time Java Working Group, which will develop new
versions of the language for electronic devices. The panel's creation is
the most recent clash in HP's battle with Sun over Java. In March, HP
announced it was developing its own version of Java called "Chai" (after the
popular tea drink), which could be used in devices such as printers and
laboratory equipment. An HP spokesman says the group was formed to ensure
that no one entity would have total control over the development of Java for
the devices. Meanwhile, Sun and HP continue to work together on Java
products for servers and workstations. (Wall Street Journal 3 Nov 98)
PORN IS PEAKING ON THE WEB
A Forrester Research analyst estimates that the online adult business is
close to peaking, after generating 40% annual growth for the last few years.
"The astronomical growth is set to top out," he says, adding that "there is
commerce activity at all ends of the adult spectrum." Forrester gauges
overall Web commerce at $4.8 billion in 1998, with pornography sites
contributing almost $1 billion to that total. And while lawmakers are
trying to muzzle online pornography, observers are dubious about the
ultimate impact of such legislation: "You can use all sorts of screens to
keep kids out, but the majority of sites choose not to use them." However,
another potential obstacle might be more effective: American Express is
considering shutting off service ties for such sites, and other credit card
companies could choose to follow their example. (Broadcasting & Cable 26
Oct 98)
============================================
PC INDUSTRY HEADED FOR A SLUMP
A Forrester Research report entitled "PC Industry Roller Coaster" predicts
that PC sales will surge to $55 billion in 1999 as corporate buyers scramble
to replace aging equipment run by Y2K-vulnerable software. After that,
however, things are expected to head downhill, with sales dropping
precipitously in 2000 and remaining stagnant through 2002. After 2000, the
report predicts that the PC industry will be reshaped by a new set of market
forces as computer makers fight for share in the sub-$1,000 PC market by
cutting prices even further. Two-thirds of companies will focus their
development efforts on making PCs with Internet browsers and on a new
generation of Internet-connected appliances, which are expected to sell at
much lower prices than today's PCs. (Reuters/St. Petersburg Times 2 Nov 98)
E-MAIL RESPONSE-MANAGEMENT PACKAGES DEBUT
Manually routing and answering e-mail is time-consuming, with one Internet
research company placing the cost of dealing with each message at $2.75.
With that in mind, two companies are poised to introduce new software
packages next week that are designed to improve response automation and
personalization. Aptex Software's SelectResponse 3.0 uses technology that
can interpret the meaning of unstructured text to provide quicker and more
accurate answers to e-mail queries. Brightware's Contact Center software
generates automated answers for a predetermined set of questions and routes
other messages to the appropriate company contact when a question requires a
more complex response. "The Internet can be either the least expensive or
the most expensive customer channel, depending on the level of automation
you have," says Brightware's CEO. Using such software should bring the cost
of dealing with e-mail questions down to as little as 25 cents apiece.
(InternetWeek 3 Nov 98)
MICROSOFT EXECS WORRY ABOUT FREE SOFTWARE MOVEMENT
An internal Microsoft memo written by one of that company's software
engineers indicates that Microsoft is concerned with developing strategies
for competing against free programs that have been gaining popularity with
software developers, such as the operating system Linux. The memorandum
warns that the usual Microsoft marketing strategy known as FUD (an acronym
for fear, uncertainty, and doubt) won't work against developers of free
software, who are part of the O.S.S. (open-source software) movement that
makes source code readily available to anyone for improvement and testing.
The memo (http://www.opensource.org/halloween.html) says: "The ability of
the O.S.S. process to collect and harness the collective I.Q. of thousands
of individuals across the Internet is simply amazing. More importantly,
O.S.S. evangelization scales with the size of the Internet much faster than
our own evangelization efforts appear to scale." (New York Times 3 Nov 98)
HONORARY SUBSCRIBER: G.E. MOORE
Today's Honorary Subscriber is the great philosopher of ethics, G.E. (George
Edward) Moore, also called Bill. For details, see the end of today's Edupage.
Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educause.edu) and Suzanne Douglas
(douglas@educause.edu). Telephone: 770-590-1017
Technical support for distributing Edupage is provided by Information
Technology Services at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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CAUSE98, "The Networked Academy," December 8-11, 1998, Seattle, Washington,
http://www.educause.edu/conference/c98/c98.html Steve Jobs, Charles
Garfield, and Molly Broad will be the featured speakers. See
http://www.educause.edu/conference/c98/c98.html
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HONORARY SUBSCRIBER: G.E. MOORE
Today's Honorary Subscriber is G.E. (George Edward) Moore (1873-1958), the
distinguished British philosopher and Trinity College (Cambridge) professor
whose most famous work was "Principia Ethica." He also edited the journal
"Mind" for many years.
More was a philosophical "realist," who believed that common-sense
notions about the world are correct as they are and that the purpose of
philosophy is not to debate the truth of those notions but to analyze and
understand their real significance. In "Principia Ethica" he defined "good"
as a simple, indefinable quality of certain things, including personal
friendship and aesthetic appreciation.
Instead of an excerpt from Moore's own writings, here is a charming
passage from the absorbing docu-novel "The World As I Found It" by Bruce
Duffy. The novel sheds light on the fierce brilliance of Ludwig
Wittgenstein, the showy brilliance of Bertrand Russell, and the gentle
brilliance of G.E.Moore.
The eccentric Moore has just proposed to Dorothy, who is 20 years
younger than he and one of his former students. She has completed her
studies, and is packing up her belongings to leave Cambridge.
She looked frightened ...
Before he could say another word, he felt her go quite automatic, as
she said miserably, But I told you ... I want to make my own way. Then, in
response to his stricken look, she interjected, Not because I don't care for
you. I do care for you, it's just --
He sat down abruptly. The chair was so low, and his knees so high -- he
looked like a boy. Nervously scrubbing his hands, he said loudly, Well what
are you saying?
Well, nothing about you, Mr. Moore.
He didn't know why her use of "Mr." suddenly annoyed him then. Please,
he said sharply. Don't you think we could at least dispense with this
Mister and Miss business, seeing how I've asked you to be my wife?
We might, I suppose ... She bit her lip. Only I don't like the name
George.
Gaping at her, he said, But that is my Christian name, you know.
I realize that, she said, looking around the corner to make sure they
were entirely alone. But I don't like it. I never fancied I'd know a George.
Harrumphed Moore with rising irritation, George or no, I have asked you
to marry me! And my name is George!
Please do lower your voice, she said with a panicky look. I just don't
fancy George. You don't even look like a George.
Well, he labored, call me G.E., then. Call me Moore, I don't care -
The question is, Will you have me or not?
Her eyes went blank; it was as if she had dropped something on the
floor -- his name, his career -- anything to avoid the real issue as she
protested, I just didn't expect this. Especially when I was leaving. I
suppose I thought I would always be off by myself. Making my own way, you know.
I've been at it 20 years longer than you, said Moore glumly. I don't
advise it. Any why won't you have me? I mean, do you love me? There's a
start.
She nodded.
Well?, he boomed.
Will you kindly lower your voice. Yes, she hissed. Yes, I love you,
and then her eyes bit together and she squeaked out that difficult darling.
Well, he said, that's a damned sight better than George!
Bill, she resumed distractedly. She had hit on it. We could call you Bill.
Bill?
Right. What about Bill? I rather like Bill.
He looked at her. Then you'll have me?
Yes -- and she sort of hiccuped, her voice breathy now that it was
dawning on her. Yes, of course I'll have you.
Well, then it's Bill, he said, thinking that it was so absurdly
appropriate, a new name for his new life in the way Saul became Paul, and
George, Bill.
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EDUCAUSE, an international nonprofit association dedicated to transforming
higher education through information technologies
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