Category Archives: Tools

Getting a Local WordPress Install Up and Running

As we discussed in class the other day, we’d like for you to try to get a local WordPress install up and running prior to the workshop we have scheduled for next Thursday.

Here’s one set of instructions to help you get going if you’re using a MAC environment, courtesy of our friend Boone Gorges.

If you’re using a Windows install, try these instructions.

If you’re using Linux, we assume you’re geeky enough already to figure this out.

Once you get your install up and running, try turning it into a WordPress Network (aka, a WordPress Multisite install). Here’s instructions for that process.

Please try to spend some time on this before class on Tuesday so that we can devote some time to troubleshooting if necessary. We want you all to be equipped with an install for the workshop.

If you do NOT have a laptop that you can do this on, please let us know with a comment here so we can prepare an install for you.

 

 

Life in Academia, Open Access Psychology Journals and Indices

“Publish or perish” is a popular maxim in academia. Recently, in a well publicized case (where I posted a similar comment), the fight for open access truly was a life or death battle.

In less dramatic circumstances I too have grappled with the implications of access to information. While writing my second qualifying exam and sketching my dissertation proposal I experienced the stifling impact of the traditional journal system and the importance of open access. Two journals that begin their titles with the word “Cyberpsychology” serve as a case in point for the debate over open access journals.

Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, formerly known as Cyberpsychology and Behavior is not open access. Fortunately, people at the Graduate Center (CUNY), and likely at other institutions, can access this journals publications from 2000 to one year ago through library databases. I cited one article from this journal (Ko & Kuo, 2009) in a paper for my second qualifying exam. However, I cannot view articles published in the past year. This is somewhat frustrating because I would like to review the most recent articles as I conduct my literature review for my fast approaching dissertation proposal.

In comparison I cited three articles from Cyberpsychology, an open access journal, and one of these articles was published in the last year (Bane, Cornish, Erspamer, & Kampman, 2012). The current system for dissemination of scientific journals could clearly be improved. Much scientific research is federally funded, shouldn’t the public be able to read the reports they helped support?

My experience may be indicative of a larger trend. If academics cite open access journals more – these journals may gain greater influence and perhaps this will pressure more journals to transition to the open-access model.

On a related note I found these two indexes of open access journals:

DOAJ

Bentham Science

Baker, J. R. & Moore, S. (2008a). Distress, coping, and blogging: Comparing new             Myspace users by their intention to blog. Cyberpsychology 11(1), 81-85.

Baker, J. R. & Moore, S. (2008b). Distress, coping, and blogging: Comparing new  Myspace users by their intention to blog. Cyberpsychology 11(6), 747-749.

Bane, C. M., Cornish, M., Erspamer, N., & Kampman, L. (2012). Self-disclosure through weblogs and perceptions of online and ‘real-life’ friendships among female  bloggers.Cyberpsychology, Behavior, & Social Networking, 13, 131-9.

Ko, H. C., & Kuo, F. Y. (2009). Can blogging enhance subjective well-being through self   disclosure? Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 12: 75-9.

 

A WebNotes Critique of Phil’s Digital Elevator Pitch

Hey.

Here’s the link to the pitch and critique.

And here’s a brief rehash:

I recently joined the New Media Lab (NML) at the CUNY Graduate Center. The lab coordinators asked me to create an icon and write a blurb about my project that will be posted on the NML website.

I wanted to use WebNotes to critique the real NML page, however, it will not be posted for another couple of weeks and as you know this assignment for ITP Core II is due by tomorrow. So I have pasted the blurb and icon on my blog. Then I used WebNotes to comment on this icon and blurb. I found it a bit overwhelming when I looked at the WebNotes; to ameliorate this I suggest minimizing all of the stickies and then going through and maximizing and minimizing as you please.

p

Digital Elevator Pitch

Hi All:

One of your classmates wrote the following to us last night:

I’m not sure if it was said and I just missed it last class but how do you want us to submit the digital elevator pitch?
I guess depending on what tool people use they might need to submit differently.
Just a thought; perhaps we could post a link on the blog to wherever our pitch lives?

The answer to this question is dependent upon the tool you choose and how you want to present what you’ve done with it. I prefer when content is embedded within a post, with some type of annotation or introduction, so that all of the content can be in close proximity to the discussion. But that may not be possible with the tool you use or your preferred way of presenting material. So, for the purposes of this assignment, just make sure that the content you produce is accessible and our process for accessing it is made clear. Make some choices, and then we’ll all reflect on the choices together.

Please respond to this post, or post to the group forum with any additional questions about the assignment. Looking forward to seeing what you all come up with.