Interactive Map Showing Immigration Data Since 1880

Very interesting analysis of changes in immigration over time

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/10/us/20090310-immigration-explorer.html

From the New York Times, "Who's Hurting the Most?"

Fantastic look at the current unemployment rate by demographic category.  Some telling numbers.

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/whos-hurting-the-most/

Episode 10: The Pizza Preacher

--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Social Isolation and New Technology

The following report contains a reassessment of the role of technology

in fostering connections and social networks.

Appears the use of technology has exceeded normalization, and is
becoming an important aspect of communication and ongoing connection?

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2009/11/04/social-isolation-and-new-technology-2/

Industrial production: Great Depression vs. Great Recession

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/the-story-so-far-in-one-picture/

False Advertising

Since when did vehicles "Improve the Environment"? Do they repair the ozone, clean up the rivers, reduce pollution?

...another ethnic faux paux?

This pic was snapped by a family member in Jeffersonville, IN. Take a look at the wording at the top of the sign on the left. He told me he did a double take when he saw the sign.

Episode 9: Pizza Preacher

--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Google Wave Review 4

Collaborative Tool?

I currently use Google Docs, Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, Blackboard, and a blog (and other things, believe it or not), and while Wave at this point is very interesting, I could not in this form use it productively with my Sociology students.

At current there is just not added value as a collaborative tool beyond what the aforementioned tools provide for me. It is sooooo freeform, which is good to a point. Beyond that the information seems to get lost, individual Waves themselves fall apart. There are no logical endpoints. Humans just are not ready to alter interaction and communication effectively in this way.

I see Wave could be a lot like Twitter: a core product is made best by add ons, extensions, and third party apps.

I believe Wave could be used for creative thinking, on the fly input. It is so difficult to massage/guide/facilitate the flow of input, information, and the formation of knowledge utilizing Wave.

Perhaps implementing a tag/keyword function within blips would help. There are so many things that can be suggested that likely will be addressed via extensions, etc...

What is meant by using Google Wave as a collaborative tool? Collaboration needs to be defined. Does it mean two or more people getting in a Wave and having free flowing, interaction that is essentially melded? Does collaboration mean two or more people interacting that leads to the formation of ideas and subsequent knowledge? How does the information and ideas become categorized? How is knowledge connected to other knowledge?

The categorization of ideas and formation of knowledge here is incredibly disruptive in the format of the Wave. Google Wave is difficult to grasp because it is not how humans interact in a face-to-face or virutal environment. At current, and I know it is ever changing, for me it is very disorganized; so much that it is not very useful for building knowledge and learning.

http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Google Wave Review 5

Making Information via Waves Useful

First off, if you are not using Wave or are not familiar with how it works, this post might be difficult to understand.

Something I have been wrestling with for several days is making the use and product of Waves useful (see Google Wave Review 4). The labeling and/or tagging what are called blips is important to prevent duplication; and more importantly, to allow the categorization of information and knowledge.

Here is why this is important. There are several Waves centered around the same topic and discussion; sometime with duplicate users. Why...continue...to...duplicate? For the sake of conversation, ok. But there needs to be an manner in which like information can also be shared across Waves.

I know tagging within a blip is a lot to consider, so perhaps the ability of the Wave creator to categorize groups of blips, comments, etc...? Then a "bank of tags" or something of the like could be housed. Think del.icio.us Users over time can then consolidate information via tags, house them privately etc...

And think about this: haven't seen this idea yet. How about integrating the "Add This" or "Share" function in blips, Waves? That way an entire conversation could be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, etc...?

I believe the Groups: Final Solution Wave was getting at this notion of categorization of information, but the focus in that Wave became in the form of groups.

However, information, discussion, ideas, etc... also have to be grouped in order to have functionality as that knowledge relates to other knowledge, and how it's useful for people.

http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com