Why Vine’s Six-Second Videos Have Become An Artistic Medium

“That authenticity is driving a distinct emerging culture. One that stars people like Riff Raff and Tyler, the Creator, and an army of kids whose names you’ve never heard of but who can still generate hundreds of thousands of likes and re-Vines, and even large scale in-person meetups. It’s the triumph of the loop, yes, but it’s also the triumph of youth.”

So Maybe MOOCs Aren’t Revolutionary After All?

“They’re not bound for extinction, nor are the companies that rose to prominence on the strength of the MOOC hype doomed. But political, regulatory, administrative, and faculty barriers to the kind of unfettered online education that MOOC promoters originally envisioned have proved quite high, and it’s starting to look as if what they have to offer to universities may be technology tools and services that are more helpful than revolutionary.”

With War-Torn Syria So Close By, Lebanon’s Baalbek Festival Decamps For Beirut

A world-famous event in the ’60s and early ’70s, closed for 20 years due to the civil war, the music/dance/theatre festival held at Baalbek’s famous Roman ruins has been making a steady comeback since it was relaunched in 1996. But with the town being near the Syrian border, and with weapons and refugees passing through daily, organizers aren’t canceling the festival but are moving it to the relatively safe capital.