Emailed to isda-ccs@mit.edu October 3, 2008
Hi folks-
There is some confusion about storing course-related materials in Thalia. Thalia is not meant for class materials Let me fill you in.
There are a few reasons we don't permit class materials in Thalia. The first is a policy decision. The ACCORD group, which ensures technology providers work together cohesively, spent a lot of time identifying which image management tool was appropriate for which purposes. It's important that ACCORD can direct community members to the most appropriate tool that meets their needs, and explain it clearly.
We developed simple guidelines for selecting services. Stellar is the tool for teaching and learning. DSpace is for the libraries to archive images for research and future scholarship. Thalia is a tool for groups in the community - departments, labs, projects, centers, organizations, etc. - to manage their images. Thalia may be modified in the future to provide services behind the scenes for Stellar or DSpace, but that's a long range plan and will be invisible to users.
The second reason is that we can't guarantee the level of service appropriate for classes. Thalia is still in pilot. We haven't opened the doors to new customers yet. Before that happens, we need large-scale storage, and to complete the service readiness requirements. Thalia has been very reliable, and we do our best for our customers. However, we aren't ready to provide the high level of service that classes require. Supporting teaching and learning is a serious commitment.
Third, there are privacy and access requirements where students are involved. Thalia hasn't addressed those, because Stellar is the tool for teaching and learning.
Finally, we don't want to split course materials between Stellar and Thalia. Course materials belong together. Stellar is re-examining its roadmap, and the DOS project is evaluating how images are stored among Stellar, DSpace, and OCW. We don't yet know what that will look like, and what role Thalia will play in it. If we accept course materials in Thalia, they come with an obligation to migrate them when the product evolves. Therefore, we'll continue to keep them in Stellar.
If someone asks to use Thalia for class materials, try to identify why they're asking for it. They may simply be unaware that Stellar already meets their needs.
Thank you-
Janet
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Janet Riley Bowker
617.324.5963 ISDA/IS&T
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, W92-114
Cambridge, MA 02139