User talk:Michaelnelson

Welcome from Cormagio
Hi Michael - and welcome to Wikiversity! I think your 3D Algebra learning project is an absolutely valid project for Wikiversity - you might also want to hook up with Robert Horning who's trying to set up a course on algebra.. Cheers! Cormaggio 10:48, 26 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Hi Michael - personally, I think it's great that you're using an individual approach to teaching your subject. I think we can provide for multiple pedagogies on Wikiversity, so yours is equally valid - and if someone wants to adapt it to a more conventional approach, they can do so. I imagine may different types of material coming from similar sources, if you see what i mean - we can duplicate and adapt material to suit individual learning styles and teaching styles - hopefully have them all searchable with a functioning metadata system.


 * As to being confused about Wikiversity, there is certainly an unknowable element to it as of yet (it's an experiment of sorts), but we should also have some guidelines about how to go about adding content and facilitating learning projects/courses - have you tried About, Approved_Wikiversity_project_proposal, Adding content, and Learning for a start?


 * Definitely, a learning project can be a research project - that's one of the key ingredients of Wikiversity for me. However, our research policies still need to be worked on - that is more or less why we are in a "beta" phase - see Research (though this is still very much in draft form). And as to where you want to move your project, yes, please make it more visible to the wider community and to those who would be interested in learning about Algebra. This could be linked from School:Mathematics - but I very much advise you to keep in touch with the community of people who edit there, including Robert Horning, as I mentioned.
 * Ok, all the best with your work! Cormaggio 08:53, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

Web Design
I'm moving this over, but we're going to leave it unlocked on the wikibooks side. Some might get merged into the css book and others that need a bit of help. SB_Johnny | talk 01:48, 28 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Do you want the whole thing moved over? It kind of looks like a textbook. The main page is now at Topic:Web Design. Let me know on my talk. SB_Johnny | talk 02:18, 28 August 2006 (UTC)
 * OK, will do. I'm going to leave the wb version up for merging, etc., at the request of both the WB admins and the WV admins. I'll probably move it around lunchtime or so, and after I do, I'll leave you a note here so you can look at my contribs for the current locations of the pages, and move/organise them as you see fit. SB_Johnny | talk 13:23, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Here ya go: Special:Prefixindex/Web_Design. Note that the main page is a redirect to Topic:Web Design. SB_Johnny | talk 09:21, 29 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Actually, they were already renamed on wikibooks, probably by Jguk or hagindaz. --SB_Johnny | talk 11:30, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

Since you know some javascript...
I was wondering if you could help me do a modification to monobook for use on wikibooks? See b:User:SBJohnny/sandbox2 for what I'm trying to do... pretty much just want to make book chapters look like book chapters, instead of filenames :). SB_Johnny | talk 12:04, 29 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Thanks! It almost works... I just want to change it so the book title is small, and the chapter title large (it's the other way around right now)... not sure where those 3 variables go :(. Also, If I'm interpreting it correctly, it has an if/then structure? If so, I just realised that is there are no subchapters, then the book title will need to be in large print. How do I do that? SB_Johnny | talk 10:05, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
 * BTW, the reason for this is because there are grumblings about the current naming convention, in part because of the aesthetic issues involving these slashes (which is why colon convention gets used). I'm hoping that if this can be made to look just as it should, we can solve at least one of wikibooks' long-term disagreements :). --SB_Johnny | talk 10:08, 30 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Hi Again! Sorry I'm such a pain in the butt, but could you change one more thing for me (I tried to understand it, but couldn't). The subchapter thing just doesn't come out right. Maybe the best thing is to just keep the booktitle as it is (i.e, small and above the chapter name), and just let subchapters appear as they normally would. I fixed my sandbox page to show you what I mean: b:User:SBJohnny/sandbox2. On the up side, this might help convince people not to use subchapters :). --SB_Johnny | talk 12:36, 7 September 2006 (UTC)
 * Oh BTW... I like having the between the book name and chapter name... makes more sense visually than just having a blank space. --SB_Johnny | talk 12:38, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

Comment from anonymous
Hi, I've added a recipe example to HTML Programming/Lists. This, or something similiar, might be a better example of using lists than the current poetry example for the first CSS challenge. 88.107.145.28 11:50, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

Talk:Learning to learn a wiki way
Hi Michael, I wonder if you could help out with the Learning to learn a wiki way project. This project aims to discover effective methods of developing active learning projects. Your experience with Investigating 3D Geometric Algebra and with the Web Design project would be invaluable. I've recently updated the Learning to learn a wiki way project page and kicked of the talk section. I've begun recruiting people by asking them why they are interested in the project and what they want from the project. Could you help out with invitations to your contacts. Mystictim 00:55, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

You up for an interview?
Hi Mike, At last I have found the time and reason to invest more into Wikiversity. I'm hoping you'll be willing to have a recorded conversation with me through GizmoProject.. first topic would be - why communicate through usertalk and not just email ;) --Leighblackall 09:16, 30 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Cool mike! When are good times? If you get a spare hour, perhaps you'd be intersted in my interview with Cormac Lawler. I wanted to ask you about your perspectives as a teacher user, and your ideas on how to get the most out of wikiversity..--Leighblackall 23:47, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Will download the chat with Cormac this week and take a listen! And will get back to you about times... just finishing things up at work atm! (Or maybe I could try installing Gizmo there... anyway, I'll let you know!)Michaelnelson 09:00, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

software testing course
Hi Michael, I responded here. CU, --Erkan Yilmaz 15:39, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Did the comments here help you so far? --Erkan Yilmaz 13:20, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Hi Erkan... I read the comments and briefly checked out the link to the IEEE standard, but haven't had a chance to work on it since then... Website Testing is a small part of our learning, so I can't devote much time to it. My aim is to provide learners with a useful tool that they can use in the real world to test basic websites and extend for more complicated sites. Cheers Michaelnelson 12:05, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Hello Michael, no worries, when we have some participants in the course, we will do more in that area. Thx again for the chance. --Erkan Yilmaz 15:14, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

New content pages
Hi there, I noticed that you are developing some new content pages. One thing that is definately confusing is a reference to "official document". Is there any reason we can't leave this out, instead simply providing a direct reference to the actual document?

I'm also wondering if it might be possible to expand and incorporate these lessons into other topic areas. It looks like this will be good content, and I'd be happy to assist in getting that done. Historybuff 05:42, 24 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Gday! Hmm... I'm not sure - I'd called them "official documents" because to attain the Cert. IV in Web Design within the Australian Qualifications Framework, you need to satisfy the competencies as they are defined on the "official" National Training and Information Service. Any suggestions as to how this could be communicated without using the word "official"? This is separate from the learning at Topic:Web_Design which we've tried to keep independent of any specific qualification.


 * As for incorporating these lessons - I'm sure it would be ok... great in fact - but I'm not sure which lessons you're referring to? I've been working on the competency descriptions and linking those to the learning content within Topic:Web_Design. But either way, please do! Michaelnelson 08:42, 26 January 2007 (UTC)

Covertext for book on web design
I was wondering who you had contacted for this, since you didn't say in the licence info. I'm trying to follow up on unknown licenced media. Thanks. Historybuff 22:44, 9 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Sorry Historybuff, but which media are you referring to? The cover of Create a Website with HTML? If so, it should be removed. I sent a number of emails to the author, but she didn't respond. It was in my early days of wikibooks, and I'd thought that like Amazon's usage, it would be covered by "fair use"... I'm aware now that that's not the case for wikibooks/wikimedia. Michaelnelson 23:23, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Topic: namespace
It seems that when I made change, it probably looked more like a course to me at the time. The "Topic:" namespace is meant for divisions and departments. If the page is intended to be a department we can certainly go ahead and move it back, although, perhaps that intention (of it being a department) could be more strongly indicated in its functionality and copy. Thank you for the heads up, if you or others are more strongly invested in that page than myself, please let me know what course of action would be best. --Remi 00:24, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

Checkuser discussions
Hi Michaelnelson. If you can spare the time, your opinion would be greatly appreciated in the discussion currently going on about getting local Checkuser permissions here on Wikiversity. As an active user here, you're probably familiar with the "quiet, behind the scenes" way that we introduce new Custodians, but requesting Checkuser actually requires a "show of support" for the foundation stewards to give us this tool.

If you're not familiar with Checkuser, it's a tool we can use to find the source IP address (and/or alternate accounts) of vandals and others who mean harm to the project. This allows us to both "stop the problem at the source", or in some cases lets us know we can't stop something at the source if an IP is shared by one or more constructive contributors. --SB_Johnny | talk 11:09, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

Help with a new initiative?
I have proposed an idea for a new way of creating technical learning content: http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Improving_Technical_Topics_At_Wikiversity

Would you be interested in helping with something like this? Once I get a representative from each discipline I have listed, I would like to hold a brainstorming session. Please let me know what you think! Daviddoria 14:02, 14 June 2010 (UTC)

Why me?
I'm starting to invite various users I don't know, and doing vandalism patrol, I saw your extensive older contributions. Please consider connecting yourself with the Assembly. Feel free to invite anyone else. Thanks. --Abd 14:47, 3 September 2011 (UTC)