[d@DCC] Site set up to annotate Bill C-32

From: Geoffrey Glass <geof _-at-_ geof.net>
To: discuss (at) list.digital-copyright.ca
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:59:19 -0700

I have set up a Moodle instance with annotation for examining Bill 
C-32.  But I need some help to populate it.  So far we have text up to 
Section 11.

Here's the site:

    http://faircopy.ca/moodle/

The site will ask you for an enrolement key, which is:

    clement-moore

If folks could help convert the bill text to clean HTML that would be 
very useful.  We're chopping the bill into manageable chunks, each of 
which will have a forum discussion associated with it.

The site includes an annotation feature.  We can highlight passages of 
text and write margin notes, and share this commentary with each other.  
It's a lot like the margin notes in Word.  This is integrated into a 
discussion forum, which I believe makes it ideal for examining 
legislation.  (The UN is developing a system to use the same annotation 
tool to do this for parliaments in Africa.)

I have some videos explaining how to use the annotation feature here:

    http://www.geof.net/code/annotation

This annotation system is *not* the same as other services for the Web 
at large (e.g. Diigo).  They function very differently (e.g. pop-up 
notes instead of margin notes, no integration a the host application).  
I have been involved in academic research into using this feature, and 
it has been very effective.

I apologize for any bugs.  This is a new version version with a number 
of new features I think would be very important to us (e.g. flagging 
unread annotations, hyperlinking and abbreviating URLs in margin notes), 
but as I wanted to get this up as quickly as possible there are a few 
kinks to work out (bug reports are welcome).  Particularly with Internet 
Explorer - don't use it.  I recommend Firefox instead.

QUICK USER GUIDE

1.  On the main page, click on the "Bill C-32: Copyright Modernization 
Act" link.

2.  You will be asked for the enrolment key, which is clement-moore.

3.  You will then see one or more discussion topics.  Click on the "read 
the rest of this topic..." link at the bottom of a post to enter the 
forum proper.

4.  The margin for creating notes is on the right.  It can be displayed 
or hidden by picking "Hide annotations" or one of the other options from 
a drop-down menu at the top right of the page.  You probably want 
"Shared Annotations", which will display notes made by other people.  
"My Private Annotations" lets you write notes only you can see (as the 
admin there are ways I can get at them too, but I won't see them in the 
margin).

5.  To create an annotation, select some text in the body of a message, 
then click in the right margin.  Alternatively, you can type Enter 
instead of clicking.

6.  The help button (?) next to the drop down is worth clicking.  It is 
*not* a tedious list of buttons and options:  I tried to make the help 
text clear and to the point.

7.  There is also an "Annotation Summary" option in the drop down menu.  
This provides a searchable and filterable list of annotations by 
yourself and others.

8.  The quote marks button next to each annotation initiates a forum 
post responding to it.

Geof
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