Atomic Learning is in Trouble...
I have been thinking about YouTube a lot today. I posted an initial description of YouTube in my last post (a website for users to upload movies and then share with others). I won't go any further with regards to an overview; just check out the website and you'll "get it."
I think that YouTube, in many ways, embodies the Web 2.0 phenomenon that is growing each day. It has the user support, user organization, and it isn't something that you pay for. It is open, collaborative, and encourages sharing. These elements make it appealing to people, and companies see these "web aware" people as their new target audience. Just look at Yahoo!: They paid approximately $20-30 million for del.icio.us which is another Web 2.0 entity that is entirely free and generates no fees from users.
So, how does this relate to education and technology? Take a look at Atomic Learning. Atomic learning provides, for a subscription fee, access to movie tutorials on popular programs. Microsoft Office, Inspiration, and even open source applications like OpenOffice are but a few example of the titles that they support. They provide what, ultimately, I believe users will provide: information. Information in the form of help, tutorials, and quick/accessible information. I could, with the help of other educational-minded folks and YouTube-like resources, re-create tutorials on exactly the same information that Atomic Learning provides using something like SnagIt or Camtasia, both of which come from Techsmith.
I wonder if Atomic Learning is listening... I know that they recently offered a number of states reduced discounts on their subscription services.
It is only a matter of time before web 2.0 and "traditional" companies collide.
PS-I recognize that Atomic Learning provides a huge, gigantic, enormous degree of safety; there aren't any "questionable" or "obscene" movies on Atomic Learning. However, how long will it be before education-minded entities catch on to web 2.0?
I think that YouTube, in many ways, embodies the Web 2.0 phenomenon that is growing each day. It has the user support, user organization, and it isn't something that you pay for. It is open, collaborative, and encourages sharing. These elements make it appealing to people, and companies see these "web aware" people as their new target audience. Just look at Yahoo!: They paid approximately $20-30 million for del.icio.us which is another Web 2.0 entity that is entirely free and generates no fees from users.
So, how does this relate to education and technology? Take a look at Atomic Learning. Atomic learning provides, for a subscription fee, access to movie tutorials on popular programs. Microsoft Office, Inspiration, and even open source applications like OpenOffice are but a few example of the titles that they support. They provide what, ultimately, I believe users will provide: information. Information in the form of help, tutorials, and quick/accessible information. I could, with the help of other educational-minded folks and YouTube-like resources, re-create tutorials on exactly the same information that Atomic Learning provides using something like SnagIt or Camtasia, both of which come from Techsmith.
I wonder if Atomic Learning is listening... I know that they recently offered a number of states reduced discounts on their subscription services.
It is only a matter of time before web 2.0 and "traditional" companies collide.
PS-I recognize that Atomic Learning provides a huge, gigantic, enormous degree of safety; there aren't any "questionable" or "obscene" movies on Atomic Learning. However, how long will it be before education-minded entities catch on to web 2.0?