Frances Bell

OK here it comes. The truth table was very useful to me to sort out my ideas and what decisions we really need to make. Please check it out and make any comments corrections. If we can establish the options available we can vote on it.

Open to Google

I think that this is a decision for Moodle.org as a whole – we could discuss this but it’s unlikely to change at all I think and certainly not in the short term therefore I have highlighted Open to Google N options in Orange for 'moodle' decision.

(From Moodle config variables page)

“If you enable this setting, then Google will be allowed to enter your site as a Guest. In addition, people coming in to your site via a Google search will automatically be logged in as a Guest. Note that this only provides transparent access to courses that already allow guest access.”

However, we can make changes at level of Moodle lounge config and Social forum config.

Guest access

This would apply to Moodle lounge and would allow us to keep out Google (but also guests)

RSS

What I am unsure about is what happens to an RSS feed on a forum in a space that is closed to guests. I know that on another Moodle space, I had requests for RSS as some people prefer to watch discussions via RSS. that of course leads on to the question of RSS on topics or threads.

Applied to	Moodle config	Moodle Lounge config	Forum config
Name	Open to Google	Guest access	RSS feed available	Comments
Totally open	Y	Y	Y
Almost totally open	Y	Y	N	Google can find us but can not be RSSed
Inconsistent 1	Y	N	Y	Does not make sense to me to allow RSS feed but not guest access from privacy point of view BUT some people like to use RSS in place of emails
(Moodle Lounge) totally private	Y	N	N	Moodle lounge has effectively opted out of Open to Google
Inconsistent 2	N	N	Y	Does not make sense to me to allow RSS feed but not guest access
Not our decision	N	Y	Y	Good for people who want to keep up with posts via RSS BUT could be posted on web site thereby being Open to google
Almost totally private	N	Y	N	Lets in those who find us by recommendation or from Moodle.org
Totally private	N	N	N

Comments please

Yesterday the XML file was empty but now postings are appearing - I have put the RSS feed on my elgg.net dashboard to demonstrate see http://elgg.net/francesbell/dashboard/
Not sure what that is - time to file another bug report?
Anyway I have been thinking about the possible combinations of Open to Goodle, Guest access and RSS feed and a currently working on a Truth Table . This excursion into Boolean algebra reveals my dark past as a programmer - though I dare not disclose the languages I used.

Maybe they are mails from private message - DQ could check this by comparing with Message History from sender.

Suggest you file a bug report with screenshot.

When I talked to a colleague about this video yesterday, he pointed out how bad academics can be at switching off their phone (it happened to me too once in class). I think that the worst thing is for someone to answer the phone in a meeting or class. The other really irritating thing is when a student on in an exam has left their phone in an exam. There is that big pile of bags at the back of room and a phone is ringing......