Locked in the Ivory Tower: Why JSTOR Imprisons Academic Research. The proscriptive part of the article is shallow, but the process of how an article gets published is fascinating. If you’re looking for an area of higher education ripe for disruption I’m not sure it gets much better than this.
Asides
BadgeStack Project. Interesting badge-based learning software built on top of WordPress. Looks like there’s a hosted side of it as well. (via Matt Pearson)
Making It in America. What manufacturing in America looks like in 2012. Fantastic work by the Atlantic.
Daily Routine of a 4 Hour Programmer. A slightly different approach to a similar problem as what I wrote about a while back. Creating habits that lead to predictable productivity is my biggest goal for 2012. Relatedly, I might try a more adjustable desk setup.
Jonah Lehrer on concussions in adolescents and the future of football. There is a part of me that wishes I played football in high school. I think I could have been a decent wide receiver. Reading this article makes me glad I didn’t.
The Dirt on Editorial Calendars. Tips for making the most of editorial calendars. Ties in nicely with the updated version of Edit Flow released today. Lots of improvements to the calendar in that release.
A complete list of open source help desk software packages. This is cool. Now, how can I find the time to test and play with all of them…
Taking Parking Lots Seriously, as Public Spaces. Perhaps parking lots don’t have to be dead zones in cities. Would be neat to see some of the ideas deployed on a larger scale.
The Value of Content, Part 1: Adam Smith never expected this. Melissa Rach takes a look at how content on the web defies traditional models of economics. In part 2 she explains the basics of effectively communicating the value of content. Sections 2 and 3 of Part 2 are particularly good. Part 2 is here.
The best American wall map. Cool look at a finely crafted map of the United States made in Oregon. 2 years to create a map is incredible. (via Chrys Wu).