Liz Henry video response.

Ms. Henry discussed the importance of open-source software.

I personally believe that open-source software is going on the rise, and will only become more important in coming years. As I indicated in my entry on web radio, a looming redefinition of copyright will change how web developers will need to approach how they share their software.

Personally, I think that a common approach will become distributing an open-source, free version of software, and then offering a full, more powerful version for download. This will, I think, satisfy an online world where the definition of ownership grows hazier by the day.

Lena West video response

Lena West stressed the importance of responsibility in the use of social media like Facebook. She pointed out that employers today will often look at Facebook pages to determine if someone is of the character that the company is looking for. While that's not something I'm particularly comfortable with, it is reality.

While being selective about what images and posts you put online is a good idea, I prefer an alternative approach. I make sure not to associate with behavior that I would not be proud of displaying publicly, because in this day and age everything is public. By maintaining good private character, I ensure that I will maintain my employable status.

Anaezi Modu video response

Ms. Modu's chat had a lot to do with visual branding, and especially with logos. Her site has a highly entertaining section examining the changes in logos over the years, and the different impressions that they impart.

This struck a particularly resonant chord with me, as the game design group I am presently involved with just designed its own logo. As we are the "Jersey Devil Design Studios," our logo consists of a lower case "j" and upper case "D" arranged in such a way as to resemble a flying dragon, with a stylized plume of red flame the only color on the logo.

We wanted to create something that was simple, clever, and showed what we believe we stand for. The logo is recognizable, and yet calls to mind the mysterious imagery of dragons, showing the mystique that we want to generate around our company.

Ms. Modu's chat about what logos tell you about a company is important for us to consider as we do graphic design for our games going forward.

Randall Rothenberg video response

Mr. Rothenberg discussed, among other things, his belief that a liberal arts education was an important aspect of any matriculation. He felt that no education was complete without the diversity that the liberal arts offer, something that is very strongly opposed among the proponents of older, more mathematically-based education.

I'm of two different thoughts on that matter. On one hand, I do feel that a diverse education is nothing but an asset to students of more artistic pursuits. As important as technical skills are to us, nothing, absolutely nothing, is as critical as inspiration, and the best way to obtain inspiration is by diversifying our interests and experiences.

However, for science students, I feel the opposite is true. For those who intend to become engineers, I think that liberal arts courses could detract their focus from more challenging material and hurt their grades.

It's an interesting position, Rothenberg's, and it's certainly one that merits consideration.