ePortfolios and PLTs

I would like to draw your attention on a google group John Pallister has started:

The purpose of this group is to encourage and promote thinking and discussion about ePortfolios and how they might support the development of Personal Learning and Thinking Skills.

* Please post anything that you think will move the discusion forward.
* Please invite others into this group if you think they would contribute to, or take something from the discussion.

The group will be considered succesful if:

* it attracts a membership of 100 with 10% being active contributors;
* members contribute and share their thinking about ePortfolios and PLTs within the group and through other networks;
* information, ideas and resources that the group share are used by members and non-members for the benefit of learners.

John Pallister
And here is a contribution from John who could trigger discussion on the topic of digital identity and protection of our personal data...:

eTimeTravel – the contribution of the ePortfolio
In the Year 2121, for some reason, my great, great grandson decides that he wants a chat with me. Obviously I will not be around – No need to trouble the physicists to sort out the worm-holes, and black-holes, the Information Technologists will have the solution. The system that they create would pick up my digital identity. It would know what I looked like, what I sounded like, what I did when I was talking and something of my character/style. From my Google profile it would know what I searched for and what I was interested in, from my Blog archives it would know what I choose to talk about and who I talked
to. From my private Blog and ePortfolio it would know what I thought, felt and wanted to do. From the rest of my digital identify it would know where I had worked, what I had bought, where I had been and who I was related to etc.

The system that they create would be a virtual model of me, a V-me. It would be presented as an accurate audio/video (3D) representation of me, a real treat for my great, great grandson! The V-me would be able answer factual questions, when I did what etc quite easily. To answer questions about why I did whatever and what I thought it would need to search my ePortfolio and Blogs. If V-me was asked for advice, I am sure by then a tool will have been developed that will analyse the
choices/decisions that I made during my life, and that will be able predict decisions that I would have made in given circumstances.

No need to transport me through time when my information footprint is there for anyone to use, or abuse? An information technology solution for an information problem. So we have sorted out the travelling back in time bit, what about travelling forward in time?

Any there any creative writers out there able to knock something like this up into a little story that might promote discussion about digital identity? – I have started the story for you on a eTimeTravel Page, have you time for a bit of collaborative, creative writing? – could be a best seller! – Ahh - intellectual property, copyright, taking the bread out of the mouths of proper writers, nobody will read it, why do it etc?
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You are invited to join the group:
http://groups.google.com/group/eportfolios-and-plts/about?hl=en