[Edu-sig] Rich Data Streams

[kirby urner]

On 8/23/07, Jeff Rush <jeff at taupro.com> wrote:

> > I'm more just into upholding edu-sig's reputation as a source of
> > great ideas.  Rich Data Structures & Streams, you saw it here
> > first.
>
> I was afraid of that. ;-(  It would make a valuable resource.
>

Yes, valuable as in we might use it to our competitive advantage in
order to recruit more students into our program.

> The world has more than enough great ideas -- but a severe shortage of those
> who adopt them, refine them and bring them into fruition.  I see this here,

I did put together cities.xml:
http://www.4dsolutions.net/ocn/python/cities.xml

But just randomly piling large sets of data across all subjects and
making someone king of that hill doesn't necessarily sound like a
good idea to me.

Sounds more like something they'd try in Texas. ;-)

> from the community as a whole, on edu-sig and we've seen it for the past five
> years on the various advocacy lists.  An issue gets raised, ideas flow in, and

Edu-sig has been doing Python Advocacy for longer than any of
the so-called advocacy lists right?  Go edu-sig!

> nothing happens.  Sometime later the same is raised again and many of the same
> ideas come in.  And truly good ideas languish because those rare, precious
> people with a tendency to step forward already have a (over) full slate and
> cannot take on any more while the rest consider ideas their sole contribution.
>  It is the birthing and raising not the conception that takes more effort -
> ask any parent.

I'm working with other busy gnu math teachers on carving out a
niche in the ecosystem, so like stashes of polyhedral OFF files,
X3D stuff, EIG stuff, is our specific rich data.

But do I try to jumble my stuff with that of every other teacher?
No.  We gnu math teachers are actually kinda cliquey.

Any other big American city could do what we do and intercept
Pentiums headed for the landfill.  Free Geek (freegeek.org)
doesn't make a secret of how it works.  But *do* they?

We're maybe just not so lazy in Portland?

> I've just been frustrated lately across several spheres of life with how very
> hard it is to get people, in general, to get involved, to take on meaningful
> projects even those they agree are valuable.  The explanation eludes me and
> keeps me awake at night and I ask those I meet from other walks of life why.

I think sometimes football metaphors help.  Something about different
teams not wanting to share all the same coaches (at least not
simultaneously).

Kirby