by Geetha Gangireddy
Major websites like Twitter, Google, and Facebook have begun implementing security measures to protect both their and users’ data. When surfing the ‘Net, rather than the “http” that most of us are accustomed to seeing precede our favorite web addresses, “https” denotes an extra layer of security. But what exactly does HTTPS do? O’Reilly Answers helps us understand what that extra consonant means for everyday Web users. Take a look at the picture below, then get a better understanding by reading O’Reilly’s explanation. 
by Geetha Gangireddy
Training and ongoing learning have always been an integral part of life as a soldier. Our nation’s service men and women are constantly learning new ways to protect our country and its citizens. Equally important is their continuing education while serviing in the military — whether living stateside or stationed abroad. That is why the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC), which educates up to 10,000 Army majors a year, has made a commitment to its students to support their continuous learning efforts through current technologies.
by Kevin Alansky
This week, Next Level Learning places the spotlight on Selling Power, a blog written by sales management expert Gerhard Gschwandtner, that provides news and insight for sales leaders. Of course, we selected it for the innovative coverage of the ways that sales training leads to sales success, but Gschwandtner also looks at other topics and trends that are driving sales power, including leadership, marketing, and social media. One of the postings that we highlight below is on “Salesperson 2.0” — definitely an interesting concept!
I like the ideas that Gschwandtner suggests but believe that sales training will play an equally important role in building “Salesperson 2.0″. I believe that sales training will evolve into more of a “sales coaching” role or “sales facilitating” role over the years, due to the conditions that Gschwandtner mentions, like real-time and collaborative communications. In fact, training can even improve due to these exact conditions. But either way, there will always be a role for sales training in the sales process!
by Angela Goldman
Last week, Blackboard attended the 2011 Chief Learning Officer magazine Symposium hosted by CLO Media. Entitled Learning Evolution, Alignment, Agility, and Adaptability; the event focused on how social learning has transitioned from a cutting-edge technology to an expected medium amongst learners. It was not long ago that people were wary of “electronic” mail. Many corporate stakeholders pushed back on this emerging tool and the Internet altogether. Looking back, it almost seems absurd that anyone ever objected to the idea. Today, not only do we regularly use email but we also, as learners, are taking advantage of public forums online to absorb everything we can – from our daily news to backchannel discussions from conferences like the CLO Symposium.
by Andrea Meier