Here’s a link to a piece I wrote regarding our new digital repository at Washington University in St. Louis.
Review: Swamplandia! – Karen Russell
Exclamation points, like so many symbols, have a specific function and many unintentional meanings. Technically, an exclamation point is a sudden cry or yell that can be full of emotions ranging from anger to excitement. However, exclamation points are the all-caps-email of punctuation. They often feel out-of-place and come across as unnecessary yelling, like that email from an aged relative that says, HOW IS LIFE IN THE BIG CITY? CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO VISIT. THE TURTLES MISS YOU. Of course, there is the ironic exclamation point in names like Yahoo! and Swamplandia!, but really, beyond an exclamation, what is the point?
All this is to say, readers, beware. Take one look at the exclamation point after Swamplandia! by Karen Russell and turn back, because nothing on this trip through the Floridian swamp can save you.
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Tech Takeaway: Trello
Product: Trello
URL: https://trello.com/
Company: Fog Creek Software
Cost: Free
Use: Collaborative Project Management
Summary: Trello is a simple web service for collaboration and project management. Tasks are arranged in lists. These lists can be labelled according to the user’s need. The default is “to do” “doing” and “done”. Deadlines, files, checklists, labels, votes, and other people may all be added to a task. Tasks are moved and people are assigned to a task through a drag and drop interface. People can login with their Google Account or create a new account through Trello.
Educational Use: Trello is an easy way for students and faculty to collaborate on projects in real-time. The service could be used to manage student work in a lab or on a digital humanities project. Further, students could use Trello in order to organize and work on a group project together.
Pro’s: Trello is free, available online, and easy to use.
Con’s: Trello does not have a business model yet, so fees could come in the future. The software is not downloadable, so users have to be connected to the Internet to use it. While the service is extremely flexible and simple, some users may be uncertain how to best use it.
Recommendation: If you don’t have the money or the requirements for something like BaseCamp or JIRA, Trello is a great service to use.
From the Company:
