[Osdc-edu-authors] Oops! Fwd: FLAT WORLD KNOWLEDGE: OPEN COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS - Disrupting Traditional Textbook Publishing’s Heavy Toll on America’s Future

Thu Feb 18 15:22:37 UTC 2010

sounds like a plan!

If it would be helpful, I can pull together a list of good open image  
sources, for future reference. There's a surprising amount of good  
creative commons and public domain stuff out there if you know where  
to look.

Greg, when were you thinking this would go up on the site?

.. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 
  .

Libby Levi

Red Hat
Brand Communications + Design
llevi at redhat.com

On Feb 18, 2010, at 10:16 AM, Sanford Forte wrote:

Libby,  Honestly, I don't know about permissions re: that image. I  
took it from a Google image search and mashed it.

Not sure what you could come up with quickly to match it, but would  
love it if you could do some sky with a few flying books, and the  
same message. (free the textbook", w/our logo). Or, use your  
imagination! ;-) I like all the other images I've seen, and would  
love to have something that's within the context of "freeing" the  
textbook. Flying books seemed right.

I'm attaching the Flat World Knowledge logo.

I'll let you be the guide on this. If there is no time, I would defer  
from putting the image up there, because I'm not sure, and don't have  
time to chase permissions, if they're necessary.

Long live open images!

btw, I just got permission to publish the long version on our blog,  
and will get pointers to you as soon as I have a URL.

-Sanford
On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 6:40 AM, Libby Levi <llevi at redhat.com> wrote:
Hi Sanford!

I work with the illustrations for the Education channel. I like your  
image!

Couple questions:

1. Do you mind if we crop it to fit the standard image size on the site?

and,

2. can it be released with the standard creative commons license  
(attribution, share alike) that we use?

Let me know, and I'll take care of getting it ready and uploaded for  
you.

cheers!

.. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. 
  .

Libby Levi

Red Hat
Brand Communications + Design
llevi at redhat.com

On Feb 18, 2010, at 3:59 AM, Sanford Forte wrote:

see attached

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sanford Forte <sforte at flatworldknowledge.com>
Date: Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 12:58 AM
Subject: Re: [Osdc-edu-authors] FLAT WORLD KNOWLEDGE: OPEN COLLEGE  
TEXTBOOKS - Disrupting Traditional Textbook Publishing’s Heavy Toll  
on America’s Future
To: Mel Chua <mel at redhat.com>, Greg DeKoenigsberg <gdk at redhat.com>
Cc: osdc-edu-authors at redhat.com

All good comments, and appropriate, given the venue. Also, savvy  
"Church and State" observation: thanks.

How's this (attached)? It's cut from 4300 to 2300 words. Does this  
work? You have the graphic. Should I upload through the "create  
article" link?

Thanks guys; keep up the good work!

Let me know your thoughts. btw, I've just submitted to our guys and  
asked them to post the long version - it may be too long for them.  
Maybe I'll start a blog, and you can point there  :-)
I'll find somewhere to put it, and let you know asap. Let me know  
when/if it will run, and would prefer, if possible, that the graphic  
run with it. Let me know.

-Sanford

On Wed, Feb 17, 2010 at 9:34 PM, Mel Chua <mel at redhat.com> wrote:
Thanks, Sanford! (Everyone else: I asked Sanford to send this draft  
to the list so we could comment on it.)

My thoughts (not gospel in any way, just thinking out loud):

1) Awesome.
2) Long - and this makes me worry that folks may not read it all the  
way through due to the length. What could we do about this, if that's  
something we want to fix?

We could...

* write it in installments
* have Sanford publish the original "extended version" somewhere else  
(Flat World Knowledge's website, maybe), cook up a shortened version  
for OSDC, then link to the first from the second

Either way, it needs to be boiled down to either figure out how and  
where to split it, or how to shorten it. Here are the main points I  
see the article as making.

1. Graduating from college is a goal that statistically tends to be  
good for both the individuals who graduate and society at large.  
(Link to citations elsewhere.)

2. Textbook prices are actively blocking a substantial number of  
people from attending - and thus graduating from - college. (Link to  
citations elsewhere, including student bloggers testifying directly  
to this.)

3. Data indicates that under our current college education/textbook  
model, this situation is actually growing worse over time. (Link to  
citations elsewhere.)

4. Students are aware of this problem and have spoken and acted out  
against this for years; since they are powerless to change the main  
system, they find workarounds like purchasing international textbooks  
on the black market. (Link to citations elsewhere.)

5. Flat World Knowledge offers a working view of an alternative  
textbook system. Here's how it works. (Link heavily to content  
already on the Flat World Knowledge site explaining the business  
model, quality, pricing, etc.)

6. Call for participation, and/or open questions. (Not in original  
draft - this is a section I would add.)

My $0.02 - what do others think?

--Mel

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-- 
Sanford Forte
Director, Business Development
Flat World Knowledge
13 North Mill Street
Nyack, NY 10960

Office:  (877) 257-9243 x201
Mobile: (650) 888-0077
sforte at flatworldknowledge.com
http://www.flatworldknowledge.com

-- 
Sanford Forte
Director, Business Development
Flat World Knowledge
13 North Mill Street
Nyack, NY 10960

Office:  (877) 257-9243 x201
Mobile: (650) 888-0077
sforte at flatworldknowledge.com
http://www.flatworldknowledge.com
<opensource.com essay - short.doc><Free the textbook 2.0.jpg>
_______________________________________________
Osdc-edu-authors mailing list
Osdc-edu-authors at redhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/osdc-edu-authors

-- 
Sanford Forte
Director, Business Development
Flat World Knowledge
13 North Mill Street
Nyack, NY 10960

Office:  (877) 257-9243 x201
Mobile: (650) 888-0077
sforte at flatworldknowledge.com
http://www.flatworldknowledge.com
<FWK-logo.png>

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