There are numerous sources of knowledge on the Internet. Among the eLearning resources, specialized reading, focus groups, portals, etc., you can find the topic that is of interest to you and spend a lot of hours reading and watching videos on the subject.
I am also very keen on learning new things and gathering knowledge in various spheres of life. So, I was very excited, when several years ago, one of the most prominent universities in the IT sphere – the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), decided to start an innovative project – to make the courses, taught to MIT students, available online. Since then, many universities have made this step, and as a result, you can now “attend” top universities’ courses from the comfort of your own home, to mix and match content according to your own interests and needs, and to design unique curricula for yourselves.
So here is (hopefully, an ever growing) list of links to the publicly available university courses:
Feel free to propose other valuable resources, that belong to the list. Also, be sure to revisit this article, as it is my intention to keep the list updated as I find other valuable resources.
A technology that promises to become the next revolution in Internet. From Google.
Google Wave has been presented at the Google I/O 2009. I was amazed when I watched the demo presentation, the features and functionality combined in such a simple and convenient way! And what is amazing for me is the fact, that the technology is as equally appealing for the teenager as it is for the corporate manager! And bearing so much potential for future uses, that it will change the way people communicate, just like Skype did. Have a look:
A new video from Samsung circles the internet for several days. It presents the new I8910 HD phone from Samsung, the first mobile capable of taking video clips in HD resolution. The clip was presented as a challenge on YouTube, gaining more than 800,000 views and 1,800 comments so far. Brilliant viral marketing campaign, interesting and visually appealing:
Just starting up a new category – about the Great People. And the person I would like to start with is in my opinion one of the most influential and great people of our day – Seth Godin. For those of you, who do not know who he is – you are about to “meet” a great mind.
I first read about him a couple of years ago. He is a marketing guy, and I do not really care about marketing. At least I thought so, back then. For those several years I not only started caring about marketing (at least the concepts), but I also watched his most famous videos (like the one on sliced bread at TED talks), I subscribed to his blog’s RSS feed and I enjoyed his book Purple Cow.
If you find him inspiring (I sure do!), check out his blog – a genuine source for insight and inspiration. There you will find things, you never knew you didn’t know – so simple and yet so fundamental to the way people communicate. Everyday I am amazed there is a new post on his blog with which he can teach me something different. Thank you, Monsieur Godin!
TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, is a conference, held annually in Long Beach, California since 1984. It is famous for “bringing together the world’s most famous thinkers and doers”. It currently covers the topics Technology, Entertainment, Design, Business, Science, Culture, Arts and Global issues, with probably more to come. The conference presentations are made from the people who shape the future (Seth Godin, Isabel Allende and Bono to name just a few). The event is something people from all over the world are lining up to attend (if they can afford to, it’s a bit pricey).
Each year, three exceptional individuals receive $100,000 and, much more important, the granting of “One Wish to Change the World.” This is the TED prize, that goes to the three people with the most world-changing dream.
Since several years, the presentations, a.k.a TED Talks, are available online for watching under a Creative Commons license. They are a valuable knowledge collection, as well as a genuine source of inspiration.
I wish you unforgettable moments with these jewels!