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There's an IRC seminar on Class Field theory:
Class Field Theory Seminar by hochs on Tue. 27th at 20:00 GMT/UTC (4pm EDT) - in #mathematics on irc.efnet.net
I remember that some of you expressed interest in seeing what an IRC seminar is like, so here ya go!
I’ll be there!
Actually I can’t remember how to join IRC. could you remind me what to do starting from zero? Thanks :)
Well, if you want to connect through a java client so you don't need to set up a real client, you can connect through http://chat.efnet.org/ which is self-explanatory .
If you want to set up a real client like irssi, it shouldn't be hard to do. I don't really have time to write up a guide on how to set it up by tomorrow, but it should be straighforward. Once everything is all set up in irssi, you just type /server irc.efnet.net -j #mathematics (or /server irc.efnet.net and after you connect type in /join #mathematics the -j flag just tells the client to join that channel upon connection).
efnet is perfect to me. apparently I’m on #mathematics just now :)
I’ve attended the seminar on Class Field Theory. I got the impression that it’s a very nice idea, and that having something like that directly here on the nForum, with markdown-itex, longer posts and all that, would be a better ambient than IRC. the speaker (the writer?) could prepare in advance a latex file of the talk, and post it in short pieces, with time for questions and answers between a piece and the following one. we also should have the possibility of retiring posting privileges to eventual trolls and this would make the job of the kick function on IRC.
I missed it because I had an exam =(. Anyway, what might be really neat is if we did something where we could talk to the speaker through IRC, but the main posts would be done on the forum . That would make things spontaneous like on IRC but also convenient becasue it would be nice to be able to use LaTeX.
I have to admit that I don’t know IRC and don’t feel I have the time to find out. Could you give me a bief impression of what it’s all about?
Is the idea that there would be a way that I could open the nForum, put on my headset, dial into something somehow and then talk to you all over my headset while working on the nLab/nForum?
I see the point. if I post on the nForum, then you don’t see my post until you refresh the page, and since it is totally unrealistic that anyone stays there refreshing every half a minute, no real direct talk to the speaker or between participants is possible this way. if I post on IRC, instead, what I post appars on all participant’s screens as if I were talking and they listening to me. I’m now wondering whether it is not possible to add a such a kind of feature to the nForum, and to have an nChat with itex (I can remember you, Harry, proposing something like this some time ago). It could indeed be useful, and the fact that IRC-type posts are not permanent has its utility too: one is not worried that something stupid one would say will remain archived for the eternity, and is less shy about asking questions. so an nChat seminar could really work :)
Urs: IRC is an addicting time sink that you are best advised to avoid :) It’s basically text-based “chat”.
Something like what you described is completely possible though, i.e. set up a “webinar” with video, voice, slides, and chat.
Edit: I just realized I am talking about what IRC was like 15 years. It might be something completely different now :)
Eric, IRC is exactly as you and me left it 15 years ago :)
I agree we should try something more structured like a webinar, but I have no idea on how to set that up :(
Urs: IRC is an addicting time sink that you are best advised to avoid :) It's basically text-based "chat".
IRC is more charming than just "chat". It's hard to explain, but it's got a way about it. I will grant that it is a time sink if you just hang out on IRC, but it's also very convenient and more spontaneous than a forum. With a forum, you can't "meet up" with everyone even if they're all on at the same time. As Domenico said, nobody sits around refreshing the page, especially when he/she is typing up a reply.
nobody sits around refreshing the page, especially when he/she is typing up a reply.
Usually I consider that an advantage. I often prefer email/forum exchange over chat-like exchange precisely because it gives me the freedom to reply only when I feel like replying, and to go off and cook me a coffee when I feel like doing that instead, without offending anyone.
Ah yes, but I said this in the context of having a number of people meet up at once. It's a very different atmosphere. It's a lot more like having a conversation with a group of people in person than a forum is, which is sometimes better for discussing things.
I also like the slow pace of the forum, particularly for day-to-day use. However, I can see the attraction of having, from time to time, something more directly interactive. And with my “how can we use technology to help us to maths” hat on, I’m definitely interested in seeing if the idea could work. I know of a few bits of software that could help, and a few issues immediately spring to mind.
Maybe the first nConference should actually be online!
@Mike: That's pretty cool, but I must say I resent (only a little [= ) the comparison between IRC and AIM. That's like comparing usenet to a big phpbb forum!
On the topic of “how can we use technology to help us do maths”, I remember a while ago that Andrew posted on the secret blogging seminar that he had a tablet device and wanted to try out a collaborative Jarnal session with someone. Andrew I’m up for that! During cracks in my time I’ve been working on a C++ version of Jarnal, with faster and smoother writing. Think about it, it will be amazing, writing with your colleague (with some kind of tablet pen) on an interactive journal, while speaking over Skype. I know there’s loads of stuff out there that claims to do this, but from my personal point of view 99% of it is crap (at least for math purposes). I include in this category Microsoft OneNote (you can’t point at equations with your pen), Journal (a BRILLIANT tablet program, the best by far, incredibly fast and smooth writing, but no net-capability), Skype whiteboards etc. (slow, poor quality writing, you’ll never make decent subscripts etc.), Skype desktop sharing (very nice but only one-way sharing of desktop), Microsoft SharedView (the idea of writing with a mouse-like device on someone else’s desktop will never work for maths, the lag is too big). The only semi-decent program is Jarnal; the only problem is the program isn’t quite as good as Windows Journal, it’s a bit slow, and the writing isn’t very smooth. Added together that amounts to a deal-breaker for most.
Hi Bruce, I’m up for that. Hang on a few days, though, as work are buying me a new graphics tablet and it’ll be a couple of days before it’s properly configured and so forth.
Ok. Leaving for the UK for two weeks on Wednesday, not sure how my computer resources will turn out when I’m there.
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