- I'm a digital archivist at the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP) in the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the Library of Congress and a doctoral student at GMU. I'm interested in online communities, digital history, and video games. I blog on this site, and at playthepast.org. Views expressed are not those of any current or former employer.








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- Joanne Manaster (@sciencegoddess) on Ancient Wisdom from the Forums: Failures of Collective Intelligence
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- @deweeeese I kinda want to use it to go on a davinci code style romp. Chasing hidden meaning behind everyday life. about 5 hours ago from Tweetbot for iPhone in reply to deweeeese ReplyRetweetFavorite
- @deweeeese glad you liked it! Such a mind blowing thing you guys made about 5 hours ago from Tweetbot for iPhone in reply to deweeeese ReplyRetweetFavorite
- @wragge exciting! Can't wait to here about the results :) about 6 hours ago from Tweetbot for iPhone in reply to wragge ReplyRetweetFavorite
- @acdha @ccostino @shawnr indeed let's get this on the calender. @shawnr should do a podcast on it about 10 hours ago from Tweetbot for iPhone in reply to acdha ReplyRetweetFavorite
- @dancohen Re nGram phrases I stand by "The United States are" vs. "The United States is" as my fav search http://t.co/T8ag7vDZ about 13 hours ago from Tweetbot for iPhone in reply to dancohen ReplyRetweetFavorite
On typos
I blog because I want to. I don't get paid to do this. It isn't fancy like that. I am also not a particularly careful editor. I just wasn't wired that way. Every once and a while I get an email from someone who points out typos in my text. Sometimes they apologize for sending me those comments. I am always deeply grateful to them. If you see a typo, misspelling, or otherwise grammatically incorrect issue on my site and send me an email I will be thrilled. I will thank you. My email is trevor dot johnowens at gmail do com.
Tag Archives: Games
Newbs, N00bs and Elitists: Neologisms for learners and teachers in open online communities
The openness of online communities is one of the things that make them so exciting. Anyone, anywhere, can create an account and start participating. The more I think about some of the research I did on RPGmakerVX.net the more I think … Continue reading
Divergent Design Competence in the RPG Maker Community: GLS Presentation
I am thrilled to be back in Madison, if only for a few days, for the Games Learning and Society conference. Now in it’s 6th year, it is very cool to see how much the conference has grown and matured … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Games
Tagged #gls2010, digital literacy, game design, Games, learning, programing, RPG Maker
2 Comments
The Interest Driven Curriculum and Online Affinity Communities
The more I explore informal affinity communities, like the Civ modder community, or the RPG Maker Community, the more intriguing I find them. While the communities are themselves interesting, I think there are lessons in these spaces for rethinking more … Continue reading
Becoming Storytellers and Game Makers in the RPG Maker VX Community
A while back, I wrote a post about a very neat piece of software called RPG Maker. I never really got to building a game with it, but I have become fascinated with the community that has come together around … Continue reading
Posted in Digital Tools, Education, Games
Tagged composition, design, digital literacy, Education, Games, informal, learning, mapping, RPG Maker, Video Games
5 Comments
Evolution in Spore: A Case Study in Player Agency
Spore is not a good game for learning about evolution. As many have eloquently articulated the games mechanics clearly place the player in the role of intelligent designer. With that said, I think this case provides an interesting moment to … Continue reading
Simulation As A Way of Knowing: First Reflections on Will Wright's Keynote at the 5th Annual Innovations in e-Learning Conference.
It’s not everyday that one gets to swoon as a big time fan boy. Will Wright spoke at the Innovations and e-Learning Symposium and I had the chance to stake out a spot right in the center of the room … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Games, History
Tagged #iel09, Games, knowing, learning, simulation, will wright
5 Comments
New Genre: Non-Fiction Video Games
I think our games vocabulary is a bit impoverished. When most people think of games they think of fictional, often fantastic stories. Killing elves, post apocalyptic settings, shooting up all sorts of big bads. But games can also offer interesting … Continue reading
Posted in Games
Tagged educational games, Games, games as journalism, games for change, non-fiction games, resilient planet, serious games
1 Comment