Thanks, all. Good comments, and appropriate to the <a href="http://opensource.com">opensource.com</a> venue. "Church and State" caveat is valid. I'll try to get something back to you this evening, or tomorrow, latest. -Sanford <div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Feb 17, 2010 at 9:42 PM, Greg DeKoenigsberg <<a href="mailto:gdk@redhat.com">gdk@redhat.com</a>> wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"> Thanks for this, Mel. Comments inline.<div class="im"> On Thu, 18 Feb 2010, Mel Chua wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"> 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 </blockquote> </div> I think I like this idea, and prefer it to running it in installments.<div class="im"> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"> 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.) </blockquote> </div> A particular +1 to this. I want to be careful to separate church and state here. Describing the problem and why FWK is well-situated to solve the problem: good. Pitching the company with pricing info, etc.: not as good.<div class="im"> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"> 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? </blockquote> </div> Also shorten the title. :) --g -- Educational materials should be high-quality, collaborative, and free. Visit <a href="http://opensource.com/education" target="_blank">http://opensource.com/education</a> and join the conversation.<div><div></div><div class="h5"> _______________________________________________ Osdc-edu-authors mailing list <a href="mailto:Osdc-edu-authors@redhat.com" target="_blank">Osdc-edu-authors@redhat.com</a> <a href="https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/osdc-edu-authors" target="_blank">https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/osdc-edu-authors</a> </div></div></blockquote></div> -- Sanford Forte Director, Business Development Flat World Knowledge 13 North Mill Street Nyack, NY 10960 Office: (877) 257-9243 x201 Mobile: (650) 888-0077 <a href="mailto:sforte@flatworldknowledge.com">sforte@flatworldknowledge.com</a> <a href="http://www.flatworldknowledge.com">http://www.flatworldknowledge.com</a>