Comments on: Is Blackboard the Galactus of Learning Management Systems? http://www.edugeekjournal.com/2007/03/14/is-blackboard-the-galactus-of-learning-management-systems/ Proud Sponsor of Your Future Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:41:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Matt Crosslin http://www.edugeekjournal.com/2007/03/14/is-blackboard-the-galactus-of-learning-management-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Matt Crosslin Mon, 19 Mar 2007 07:21:37 +0000 http://www.edugeekjournal.com/?p=7#comment-15 Okay - just to be clear. I say 'hard to believe they are not evil.' I don't really think that Blackboard is evil - they are a legitimate business that fills a legitimate need. I just think they themselves are not making a good case for themselves by the way they are acting. I think that ready to go services like Blackboard will always be needed. And, if they want to patent their specific program design (the code), then I say go for it - you have a right to do that in this country. But they are trying to patent the concept of what a Learning Management System has become - the specific designs that the end users require to exist in an LMS before they will even buy it. To me, that stifles competition. The current configuration common to all current LMS applications was designed in the global marketplace, with all ideas and applications being contributed to by thousands of programmers, papers, presentation, publications, etc, etc.<br /><br />And, you can't really blame them for trying. But now that they have been busted, it would serve their cause better if they would just say 'okay - we just wanted to try. We take it back.'<br /> Okay – just to be clear. I say ‘hard to believe they are not evil.’ I don’t really think that Blackboard is evil – they are a legitimate business that fills a legitimate need. I just think they themselves are not making a good case for themselves by the way they are acting. I think that ready to go services like Blackboard will always be needed. And, if they want to patent their specific program design (the code), then I say go for it – you have a right to do that in this country. But they are trying to patent the concept of what a Learning Management System has become – the specific designs that the end users require to exist in an LMS before they will even buy it. To me, that stifles competition. The current configuration common to all current LMS applications was designed in the global marketplace, with all ideas and applications being contributed to by thousands of programmers, papers, presentation, publications, etc, etc.

And, you can’t really blame them for trying. But now that they have been busted, it would serve their cause better if they would just say ‘okay – we just wanted to try. We take it back.’

]]> By: Matt Crosslin http://www.edugeekjournal.com/2007/03/14/is-blackboard-the-galactus-of-learning-management-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Matt Crosslin Wed, 14 Mar 2007 10:12:08 +0000 http://www.edugeekjournal.com/?p=7#comment-12 Wow - I was just looking at a function of Moodle 1.8 - Moodle Network. It will allow separate Moodle installations to speak to each other, and allow users from each installation to log in to the other. They mentioned how each department at a university could have a separate Moodle installation, but students from the university could follow links across the installations without logging in and out. They started talking about Peer to Peer networks and community hubs using this. Wow.... take that Galactus! Wow – I was just looking at a function of Moodle 1.8 – Moodle Network. It will allow separate Moodle installations to speak to each other, and allow users from each installation to log in to the other. They mentioned how each department at a university could have a separate Moodle installation, but students from the university could follow links across the installations without logging in and out. They started talking about Peer to Peer networks and community hubs using this. Wow…. take that Galactus!

]]> By: Katrina Adams http://www.edugeekjournal.com/2007/03/14/is-blackboard-the-galactus-of-learning-management-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Katrina Adams Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:59:15 +0000 http://www.edugeekjournal.com/?p=7#comment-11 The Moodle Man speaketh! :) The Moodle Man speaketh! :)

]]> By: Matt Crosslin http://www.edugeekjournal.com/2007/03/14/is-blackboard-the-galactus-of-learning-management-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Matt Crosslin Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:52:02 +0000 http://www.edugeekjournal.com/?p=7#comment-9 I think that would mean that Moodle is the Fantastic Four - they are the underdog that brings in the powerful weapons that put the smack-down on Galactus. Moodle 1.7 is incredible, and Moodle 1.8 is already in Beta. At work, we just started using Blackboard 7.1, and they are just now getting some of the functions Moodle has had since 1.4. Soon, hopefully, the US Patent office will see their mistake and put Blackboard in its place.<br /><br />I actually did read the Blackboard patent, after I did a crash course in patent law. It's all bogus, no matter how they spin it. It's hard to believe that they are not evil when they come out with the so many statements that begin with the Enron-ish "We're so embarrassed by the reaction to this..." Can they sound a little less diabolical than that? I think that would mean that Moodle is the Fantastic Four – they are the underdog that brings in the powerful weapons that put the smack-down on Galactus. Moodle 1.7 is incredible, and Moodle 1.8 is already in Beta. At work, we just started using Blackboard 7.1, and they are just now getting some of the functions Moodle has had since 1.4. Soon, hopefully, the US Patent office will see their mistake and put Blackboard in its place.

I actually did read the Blackboard patent, after I did a crash course in patent law. It’s all bogus, no matter how they spin it. It’s hard to believe that they are not evil when they come out with the so many statements that begin with the Enron-ish “We’re so embarrassed by the reaction to this…” Can they sound a little less diabolical than that?

]]> By: Katrina Adams http://www.edugeekjournal.com/2007/03/14/is-blackboard-the-galactus-of-learning-management-systems/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Katrina Adams Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:38:54 +0000 http://www.edugeekjournal.com/?p=7#comment-6 It's fun drawing parallels between the LMS industry and the software/OS industry. The whole Blackboard--D2L/Angel--Moodle relationship is very similar to the Microsoft--Apple--Linux relationship. Recent events are furthering this correlation and the shift(s) in power. <br /><ul> <li>Microsoft's long-overdue release of Vista turns out to be a massive memory hog with much-touted features that have long existed in Linux and Apple's OS. Long-time Windows users (including myself) are seriously considering moving to the other side.</li> <li>WebCT/Bb's horrible excuse for a release - CE6 - has many university's seriously considering other options, including open source.</li></ul>These two giants, in my opinion, have become too large, are too unresponsive to user requests and problems, and are long overdue for a dramatic reduction in market share. And as a result, I think the 'smaller players' (Apple, Linux, D2L, Angel, Moodle, etc.) will enjoy a steady increase in users.<br /><br />BTW, love the (rather geeky) metaphor, Darren! It’s fun drawing parallels between the LMS industry and the software/OS industry. The whole Blackboard–D2L/Angel–Moodle relationship is very similar to the Microsoft–Apple–Linux relationship. Recent events are furthering this correlation and the shift(s) in power.
  • Microsoft’s long-overdue release of Vista turns out to be a massive memory hog with much-touted features that have long existed in Linux and Apple’s OS. Long-time Windows users (including myself) are seriously considering moving to the other side.
  • WebCT/Bb’s horrible excuse for a release – CE6 – has many university’s seriously considering other options, including open source.

These two giants, in my opinion, have become too large, are too unresponsive to user requests and problems, and are long overdue for a dramatic reduction in market share. And as a result, I think the ‘smaller players’ (Apple, Linux, D2L, Angel, Moodle, etc.) will enjoy a steady increase in users.

BTW, love the (rather geeky) metaphor, Darren!

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