4 ms·

I'm a bit underwhelmed. It looks like the basic formula for initial research on the web. A quick wikipedia first paragraph overview, followed by google images

I'm a bit underwhelmed. It looks like the basic formula for initial research on the web. A quick wikipedia first paragraph overview, followed by google images if relevant. Plus voice. But most of us read faster than voice communication so that's not an improvement for efficient search. Also, when reading we can skim or jump to the wikipedia index if desired to get right to the portion of interest. I suppose I'm missing the big picture, but combining wikipedia, google images, and voiceover doesn't blow me away. I do think that the presentation of the pictures is really nice. But again, probably less efficient than simply looking at google's image results. The qwiki experience provides a more entertaining experience at the expense of efficient and effective searching. Admittedly, I wouldn't be surprised if that is a tradeoff that many people are excited to embrace.

ZachPruckowski 16y ago
I suspect most people will find Qwiki cool for the novelty, but when it comes down to brass tacks and actually trying to learn something, I think Wikipedia's going to win out for everyone over the age of 13.
- phlux 16y ago
  But that is still valuable! Imagine a curated syllabus using Qwiki for K-5th grade topics that can be shown to children ALL OVER THE WORLD and effectively provide a basic level of education to every single kid on the planet. Pipe a data feed to some location, build a syllabus of information and let may kids get a ton of information. Sure, the depth that you would want them to have will require more affort - but there is nothing wrong with that. I just dont think that too many people are looking at technologies like Qwiki with much vision. They are still thinking in the past. Edit: Also - imagine if there was a "depth slider" on a qwiki - you could have it give a cursory overview of what algebra is, slide it to the right - and have it give more info and some examples - further still and you get actual lessons - further still and you get lectures from OpenCourseware etc..etc...
  - alnayyir 16y ago
    People in the third world can't afford the bandwidth to watch videos like this, especially when it's so anemic on actual information.
    - phlux 16y ago
      Like I said - you're thinking in the past. Have some vision. We can pipe that content via satellite, dump it to a DVD even if needed. It is "anemic" on information becuase THEY JUST FREAKING LAUNCHED. Wait 5 years.
      - alnayyir 16y ago
        >Like I said - you're thinking in the past. Have some vision. I was recently told that by someone trying to convince me the future of education was schools buying Android tablets with no actual prompt or reason for doing so. Let alone a budget justification to the BoE. Good luck. >We can pipe that content via satellite, dump it to a DVD even if needed. Do you have any idea how much satellite connections cost relative to third world incomes? I don't think you understand what third world living is like. We're talking about people with no reliable access to electricity, dirty water at best, that live in slums, and can't afford to even pay for an internet cafe. It's not something that time is going to solve, either. The quality of life of the third world has gotten worse over the past 40-60 years and more of the world's poor lives in filthy slums than at any other time in history. Urbanization has actually served to ghettoize and disenfranchise the third world, as they can't even grow the food necessary for subsistence, let alone growth. But no, I lack vision and clearly these people need a fucking flash widget telling them about Natalie Portman. >It is "anemic" on information No it's anemic on information because video and audio aren't nearly as information dense or economical as text. AV is an affectation designed to be a sweetener in education, not an actual vehicle that can improve anything. >Wait 5 years. You're a fool. What the world needs is another agricultural innovator like Norman Borlaug, not a yuppie wet dream that does nothing for billions of starving brown people. Education that focuses on food production and not a "service economy" would go much further towards enabling them to help themselves rather than being dependent on the desires of the West for luxury. A lot of the problems in Africa stem from that they've literally forgotten how to properly grow food. But no, I lack vision. Of course all their problems are going to disappear in 5 years and they'll have macbooks and be sipping coffee in a Starbucks while they download their qwiki lessons on Calculus. Because, you know, you can learn calculus so much easier from a synth voice saying d/dx(x^2)=2x out loud.
acgourley 16y ago
That's my feeling as well, but I wonder if it could be targeted at younger children effectively and sold as an education tool.
rokhayakebe 16y ago
This is a technology and not a solution. What you have to do is apply it to an array of problems and see if it solves one of them. For example they could combine the technology with augmented reality software. In this case I could point my mobile phone to a painting at a foreign museum and instead of reading about it, I get to still have my face up (not down), enjoy the art and listen to its description/history.

ZachPruckowski 16y ago

I suspect most people will find Qwiki cool for the novelty, but when it comes down to brass tacks and actually trying to learn something, I think Wikipedia's going to win out for everyone over the age of 13.

phlux 16y ago
But that is still valuable! Imagine a curated syllabus using Qwiki for K-5th grade topics that can be shown to children ALL OVER THE WORLD and effectively provide a basic level of education to every single kid on the planet. Pipe a data feed to some location, build a syllabus of information and let may kids get a ton of information. Sure, the depth that you would want them to have will require more affort - but there is nothing wrong with that. I just dont think that too many people are looking at technologies like Qwiki with much vision. They are still thinking in the past. Edit: Also - imagine if there was a "depth slider" on a qwiki - you could have it give a cursory overview of what algebra is, slide it to the right - and have it give more info and some examples - further still and you get actual lessons - further still and you get lectures from OpenCourseware etc..etc...
- alnayyir 16y ago
  People in the third world can't afford the bandwidth to watch videos like this, especially when it's so anemic on actual information.
  - phlux 16y ago
    Like I said - you're thinking in the past. Have some vision. We can pipe that content via satellite, dump it to a DVD even if needed. It is "anemic" on information becuase THEY JUST FREAKING LAUNCHED. Wait 5 years.
    - alnayyir 16y ago
      >Like I said - you're thinking in the past. Have some vision. I was recently told that by someone trying to convince me the future of education was schools buying Android tablets with no actual prompt or reason for doing so. Let alone a budget justification to the BoE. Good luck. >We can pipe that content via satellite, dump it to a DVD even if needed. Do you have any idea how much satellite connections cost relative to third world incomes? I don't think you understand what third world living is like. We're talking about people with no reliable access to electricity, dirty water at best, that live in slums, and can't afford to even pay for an internet cafe. It's not something that time is going to solve, either. The quality of life of the third world has gotten worse over the past 40-60 years and more of the world's poor lives in filthy slums than at any other time in history. Urbanization has actually served to ghettoize and disenfranchise the third world, as they can't even grow the food necessary for subsistence, let alone growth. But no, I lack vision and clearly these people need a fucking flash widget telling them about Natalie Portman. >It is "anemic" on information No it's anemic on information because video and audio aren't nearly as information dense or economical as text. AV is an affectation designed to be a sweetener in education, not an actual vehicle that can improve anything. >Wait 5 years. You're a fool. What the world needs is another agricultural innovator like Norman Borlaug, not a yuppie wet dream that does nothing for billions of starving brown people. Education that focuses on food production and not a "service economy" would go much further towards enabling them to help themselves rather than being dependent on the desires of the West for luxury. A lot of the problems in Africa stem from that they've literally forgotten how to properly grow food. But no, I lack vision. Of course all their problems are going to disappear in 5 years and they'll have macbooks and be sipping coffee in a Starbucks while they download their qwiki lessons on Calculus. Because, you know, you can learn calculus so much easier from a synth voice saying d/dx(x^2)=2x out loud.

acgourley 16y ago

That's my feeling as well, but I wonder if it could be targeted at younger children effectively and sold as an education tool.

rokhayakebe 16y ago

This is a technology and not a solution. What you have to do is apply it to an array of problems and see if it solves one of them. For example they could combine the technology with augmented reality software. In this case I could point my mobile phone to a painting at a foreign museum and instead of reading about it, I get to still have my face up (not down), enjoy the art and listen to its description/history.