Stephen's Web: Nine Rules for Good Technology

Great paper from Stephen's Web today about Nine Rules for Good Technology in the classroom. While looking over it, I decided to write an entry that applies the rules to the technologies that I've been writing about on this blog. Listed below are a few of the rules with a short explanation and a list of the technologies that fit for each. Note: It is possible that my interpretation of some of the rules may be completely wrong.

4. Good technology is standardized. Standardization promotes interoperability.

• Flickr - Key word here is interoperability. This site allows you to blog photos to all the major blog hosting services.

5. Good technology is simple. "Good technology...is intuitive. To use an elevator, I press the floor number. Simple. To make a phone call, I dial the number. Easy."

• Blogger - Think of how easy it is to set up a blog here. Type in a username, password, a few other things, and then click a few buttons, and before you know it you have your own Web site.
  
• Flickr - Click a few buttons and you're ready to show your photos to the world.
  
• iPhoto - Connect a camera and click a button. You have now mastered iPhoto. No stupid software to install. Apple is the best.
  
• Furl - Once you have an account and have added your "Furl It" button to the address bar, it doesn't get much simpler than this.
  

6. Good technology does not require parts.

• Blogger, Flickr, Furl, Wikis ... All of these reside on the Internet.
  

7. Good technology is personalized.

• Blogger, Xanga, LiveJournal - I get to decide the name of my blog, what template I want to use, what my URL address is, and on. Good stuff.
• Flickr - Determine your URL, design your own badges, etc.
• Wikis - Editable Web sites. Enough said.

I hope I didn't completely misinterpret these to the point of making them something they weren't.