tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2820162456384122523.post7091384704185491012..comments2023-08-12T04:32:08.880-07:00Comments on Confer with Blaine: Blackboard, Elluminate, and Wimba (Oh My!)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499816866553514166noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2820162456384122523.post-34700844424803000732010-07-12T15:17:09.496-07:002010-07-12T15:17:09.496-07:00Thanks for the post. I know a lot of folks in comm...Thanks for the post. I know a lot of folks in community colleges who feel uneasy about this merger given the history with WebCT. I think you make a great point about Microsoft. When MS produced an iffy OS they bought a bunch of competitors and merged them into one company. While this did produce a workable OS it didn't create choice or options for consumers. We pretty much have to accept whatever OS Microsoft creates regardless of our needs. I fear this will happen with the Blackboard merger. Yes Bb, like MS, will create decent software, but will it be able to meet the divergent needs of small and large clients in the divergent market of K-Adult education? Will it allow schools to mix and match products from different vendors and to change to different solutions as their needs change?<br /><br />Also at the same time as the DOS story, Apple was able to produce a quality OS without buying up a bunch of other developers. The Linux community also created a nice open OS without resorting to buying out competitors. So buying companies isn't the only way that software is made. Imagine what the world would be like if we had open standards for OS's with dozens of companies creating high quality OS's for different environments and yet able to run any program written following those standards (think Linux distros). I think MS did a good job of preventing that world. I fear Bb is doing the same for education software, and sadly all we can do is wait and hope.<br /><br />I would be interested to know if CCCconfer is considering Big Blue Button or DimDim and thereby throwing support behind the more open (and often less costly) approach to educational software.<br /><br />Thanks for providing a great tool to CA teachers and students.Colin Mathesonhttp://www.cytochromec.net/blog/noreply@blogger.com