Educasting from Ireland

Darklight Film Festival 2004

DARKLIGHT-FILMFESTIVAL -- The 2004 Darklight Film Festival promises to be more diverse than its predecessors. Its marketing extends to African, Chinese and Japanese audiences this year and some of its promotional material is printed in Cantonese and Japanese as well in English. But the most popular offerings could well be its programme of music videos. This year's line-up includes a guest appearance from the Lynn Fox creative team, the one responsible for several memorable Bjork videos.

Five Tips For Better Moodling

1. If any problems arise during Moodling, get help.
2. If you have any free time, use it wisely to log in to Moodle regularly to keep track on the latest assignments and news.
3. Spend at least 10 minutes after logging in, carefully looking over different assignments and their due dates and news as well.
4. As students, our grades depend on our contribute to Moodle discussions, so each individuals are responsible for their own actions.
5. Remember the 3 C's: Contribution, Concentration and Committment are the key elements for better Moodling.

Google Desktop Search Risk

The Google Desktop had everyone turning heads when it was launched. It was like having your own search engine inside you hard drive. I tried to install the Google Desktop but with my XP platform running but recieved a conflict error. This was enough for me to put off installing Google Desktop at a later time. Now recent news is showing some security risks with this new marvel search tool. Users of networked or public computers such as internet cafes or public accessed computers are at serious risk. Information WeekIf it's installed on computers at libraries and Internet cafes, users could unwittingly allow people who follow them on the PCs, for example, to see sensitive information in e-mails they've exchanged. That could mean revealed passwords, conversations with doctors, or viewed Web pages detailing online purchases.

If your saying to yourself why worry Google will fix the hole in the security at some stage your wrong it's more like network administrators will have the task of preventing users from installing Google desktop in networks.

It's not all bad if your using Google Desktop for home use and access is restricted to you only Google Desktop is great. Google indexes your files and retrieves files much faster than your windows search window. I may still install this Google wonder but not for some time. It's best to wait a while and check out the forums for feedback good/bad before jumping in with any new wonder. If it's so good then it's not going anywhere and installing at a later stage is the safe step. What did we do before we had all these great programs to make life so simple, we did it ourselfs and remembering where I saved one file and what folder I put it in was was a good exercise for the brain. The next generation will have life so easy that the use of brain power will be only for recreation and not work. Some have reached that stage already I fear just look at goverment departments.

Shorts Matter

GUARDIAN -- It pays to keep an eye on emerging trends by watching shorts and by going to film festivals. Some notable quick links:

• DepicT!
• 50 Quid Film Festival
• Leeds International Film Festival
• Brief Encounters

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Guardian -- "Show off your talent" in the 23 October 2004 edition.
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Deconstructing Advertisements

CLONMEL-- Part of the Media Studies course in the multimedia degree programme at Tipperary Institute involves deconstructing advertisements. We used the Guinness advertisement called "Quarrel" as a starting point for analytical discussion of the following elements:

Wo ist Max Raabe

WEIRDSMOBILE -- I discovered Max Raabe & Das Palast Orchester online (thanks to Wierdsmobile and GoodGrief) and now need to find him in the shops. In the meantime, I've put a few files aside that show his quirky remixing. Derivative work is often better than the original. Innit?

It's all in the perspective

FLICKR -- Oftentimes, the meaning you make of it comes from the the perspective you have of the main event.

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Image from Neto Cury on Flickr.
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Jacques Derrida Died

BBC -- Jacques Derrida, one of France's most famous philosophers, has died at the age of 74.

Derrida, who suffered from cancer, died in a Paris hospital on Friday night. The Algerian-born philosopher is best known for his "deconstruction theory" - unpicking the way text is put together in order to reveal its hidden meanings. At the time of their publication in the 1970s, fellow academics charged that Derrida's writings were "absurd", but his mark on modern thinking is undisputed. In his long career, he taught at the Sorbonne and at several American universities.

Media Jobs

CLONMEL -- What jobs are available from the media studies section of a multimedia course? This blog offers up a listing of jobs in the field of event management, research positions and general staff positions attached to creative agencies. This blog has attracted dozens of viewers interested in the same question.

Ads inside text

POYNTER -- The Eyetrack III study revealed some important findings about the fixation of eyes on advertisements. A fixation is a very short pause of the eye. A normal viewing of an ad would include multiple fixations and "saccades," which are the paths between fixations. There's more.