Meeting Michael


The best part of the IMS-LTAC meetings in Redmond was the opportunity to meet Michael Feldstein. After reading his e-Literate blog for more than a year and listening to a couple of audio interviews/presentations, I felt as though I already knew him. He has been one the most prolific writers about the Blackboard-D2L debacle, and about edu-patents in general.

We spent the better part of two days engaged in conversations (and presentations) about e-Learning standards, IMS Global Consortium projects, and other things related to educational uses of learning management systems and the like. Michael is one of those deep thinkers and no-B.S.-kind-o-guys that I enjoy spending time with. We were also able to have a casual conversation at the end of the events while enjoying the halibut at the Coho Café in Redmond. I won’t even mention that he spilled his beer across the table and into my lap. I will mention that his opinion matches mine about how Blackboard is doing irreparable harm to their reputation and their future by way of this lawsuit (if they continue on the same course). Unfortunately, we will all have to wait quite a while before the legal mechanisms finish grinding slowly to any sort of a conclusion.

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