

‘Linux of online learning’: edX and Stanford build open source platform - iProject
http://gigaom.com/2013/04/02/linux-of-online-learning-gets-stronger-edx-and-stanford-team-up-to-build-open-source-platform/

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adelevie
I know "X for Y" descriptions can be useful shorthand, but "Linux of online
learning"? Really?

I know many HNers groaned at yesterday's Morozov essay, but we might do well
for ourselves if we take some of the buzzwords back a notch or two. It would
go a long way towards preserving the meaning and significance of important
words. If anything that is "open" can be "the Linux of something," then what
is Linux?

~~~
netcan
Apart from being very prone to cliche, the problem with "X for Y" is that it's
got so much potential to be indulgent.

"Linux of online learning" might convey meaning like "platform," "open," :big
ecosystem" and "you can build a brand on top of it." But, it sounds like they
are saying "Awesome & incredibly successful platform for learning."

That said, I still don't think it's meaningless, though I don't know how much
conviction the people saying it have. Think of the different connotations you
get if you replace linux with Windows or iOS.

Like mission statements or any other form of cliche it's bullshit & self
indulgent 90% of the time. But if it's done with conviction, it can have
(useful) meaning.

~~~
adelevie
If you're wrong, what good is conviction? I'd think that's even more
dangerous. It's easy to call out the cynics who misappropriate and obfuscate
words for their own gain. It's scarier when people earnestly see nothing wrong
with _anything_ open being "a Linux."

Morozov bemoaned the overuse of "open." Now we take that a step further.
Anything that meets the already-loose standards for being "open" can also be
"a Linux." Is there any workable standard with which to limit this indulgence?
Hopefully it's somewhere between a "Twilio for photos" and a realtor holding a
"Linux house" for prospective home buyers.

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danielhughes
Has anyone actually seen the source code for edx? They claimed that they would
release it. I don't see a repository on Github or anywhere else.

~~~
rockingspots
There's also this press release talking about the release of XBlock SDK:
<https://www.edx.org/press/xblock_announcement>

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akandiah
There are a fair number of these open source learning management systems. A
small list is here:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_learning_management_sys...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_learning_management_systems)

How is this different from any of these?

~~~
adelevie
It looks like we have a lot of different "Linuxes for online learning."
Perhaps we should peg different open source LMSs to particular distros. Since
edX and Stanford's system seems to be destined to be the most popular and
user-friendly, we should from now on call it the "Ubuntu for online learning."
Further, I suggest Wikipedia be called the "Arch Linux of online learning."
Traditional colleges and universities can be called the "Drupal of online
learning."

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randall
Hm, I wonder why they didn't check out instructure.

<https://github.com/instructure/canvas-lms>

It's open source, and there's a paid arm of it for universities to outsource
their IT needs.

~~~
amackera
Canvas is way more of an LMS (Learning Management System), than a learning
platform. My only experience is with MITx, which has a very different goal
than an LMS.

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mattbarrie
This is surely going to screw over Udacity and Coursera.

~~~
wolfpackk
I personally hate the set time-frame of edx and Coursera and much prefer
Udacity

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netcan
I'd like to see Joel Spolsky do online learning. One of the startups in this
area should get him as an advisor and do a weekly podcast with him.

