December 2001 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Major Online Communities Report from Pew Internet and American Life Project
by Steven Clift 14 Mar '02

14 Mar '02

This time with a subject line ... P.S. I would be interested in the results of similar studies in other countries. - SLC *** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do *** The Pew Internet and the American Life Project <http://www.pewinternet.org> has released one of the most important studies about the "two-way" Internet to date - "Online Communities: Networks that nurture long-distance relationships and local ties." Below is the press release. Access the full report from: http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=47 For my full Democracies Online commentary visit: http://mail.tc.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0110&L=do-wire&D=1&H=1&O=D&F=&S=&P=3 265 The report states that most people find local online groups in the off-line world. I also see tremendous potential for online efforts which make it easier to find, evaluate, and join online communities based on geography and other key factors. This happens to tie extremely closely with the proposed Open Groups standards effort that I am promoting <http://www.publicus.net/opengroups/>. To receive notice of the pending release of a major technical draft, send an e-mail to <open-groups-announce-subscribe(a)yahoogroups.com>. With support, Open Groups could help increase online group interactivity many times over. Read on for the press release and pass this on to others. Steven Clift Democracies Online Newswire http://www.e-democracy.org/do Provided to DO-WIRE by: http://www.pewinternet.org FOR RELEASE AT 6 P.M., OCTOBER 31, 2001 CONTACT: Lee Rainie or John Horrigan at 202-296-0019 http://www.pewinternet.org/about/about.asp?page=5 90 million have participated in online groups Many use the Internet to connect with online communities that embrace their hobbies, their professions, their passions, and their beliefs 28 million go online with church groups, sports leagues, and social organizations in their home towns WASHINGTON- The Internet allows tens of millions of Americans to participate in a thriving social world where they enjoy serious and satisfying contact with online communities. Some 84% of Internet users have contacted an online group. That means that more Americans have used the Internet to contact a group than have gotten news online, or searched for health information, or bought a product. Many of these online groups are far flung and allow Internet users to connect easily with others around the world who share their passions, beliefs, hobbies, and lifestyles. At the same time, 26% of online Americans use the Internet to intensify their connection to their local community by planning church meetings, organizing neighborhood gatherings, arranging local sports league operations, coordinating charity activities, and petitioning local politicians. These findings represent some hopeful news that the Internet can be a tool for vigorous social engagement, rather than a technology that spurs isolation and alienation among users. · 50% of those who participate in online groups say the Internet has helped them get to know people they would not otherwise have met. · More than a third (37%) of those who participate in online groups say the Internet has helped them meet others from different generations than their own. · More than a quarter (27%) of those who participate in online groups say the Internet has helped them connect with people from different racial, ethnic, or economic backgrounds than their own. These results come in a survey of Internet users by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, a research organization that examines the social impact of the Internet. They are contained in a report entitled, "Online Communities: Networks that nurture long-distance relationships and local ties." "For vast numbers of Americans, use of the Internet simultaneously expands their social worlds and connects them more deeply to the place where they live," says Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project. "Online groups are comfortable places for people to congregate and get to know organizations and people they might never have encountered." Many online Americans are using the Internet to connect to traditional groups that exist in the offline world such as professional and trade associations, hobby enthusiast organizations, religious groups, ethnic and racial fraternal organizations, and political groups. A surprisingly large number of those contacting online groups (56%) say they became active in a group -- even traditional, offline organizations -- after they began communicating with it over the Internet. At the same time, millions of online Americans now use the Internet to connect to groups to which they belonged before they began using the Internet - and they report that their use of the Internet has helped them become more involved with those groups. One other encouraging sign is that use of the Internet is drawing new kinds of people to groups. In particular, young adults and minorities are using the Internet to participate in all kinds of online clubs and organizations and this is leading to new forms of civic involvement. "The network of networks has become a collection of communities," said John Horrigan, senior researcher at the Pew Internet Project and principal author of the report. "Many actively engage in cyber groups through email and bulletin boards that are lively forums for sharing ideas, hashing out issues, and making new friends." The Pew Internet Project study identifies 9 different types of Internet users who are attracted to online groups. Many belong to several types: On average, a Cyber Groupie (or someone who has checked out an online group) has visited 4 different online groups at one time or another. The different types are: · The Getting Ahead group - 51% of Internet users who have checked out trade and professional associations or labor unions. They are more likely to be college-educated men. · The Getting By group - 43% of Internet users who use Internet groups to mange day-to-day responsibilities, such as parenting or medical conditions. Women, especially those in the 35-44 age bracket, gravitate to this group. · Belief groups - 56% of Internet users who go to religious online groups or those relating to spiritual beliefs. Those in Belief groups value making personal connections more than the average Cyber Groupie. · Lifestylers - 28% of Internet users who go to online groups to contact people with similar lifestyles. Lifestylers tend to be men under age 34 and are among the very active emailers of other online community members. · Ethnic and racial groups - 15% of Internet users who have contacted an ethnic group online. This is the most racially diverse set of Cyber Groupies; this group is also younger and more urban than other categories of online communitarians. · Civic Engagement group - 45% of Internet users who have contacted an online group such as a neighborhood association or local charitable group. This group is older than average, and active in emailing online groups close to home. · Political Groupies - 22% of Internet users who have contacted a political group online. This group is mostly educated white males, and they are among most active emailers of others in online groups, and report that online groups have deepened their involvement in groups to which they already belong. · Entertainment groupies - 60% of Internet users who go to online groups about TV shows or fan sites of particular performers. This Cyber Groupies are younger than average, and have been online longer than others who go to online groups. · Sports Junkies - 42% of Internet users go to online groups about their favorite sports teams or local teams in which they participate. These users fit a perhaps predictable profile: they tend to be suburban men between the ages of 35 and 44. Here are some other key findings from the survey: · Men tend to be drawn to online groups involving professional activities, politics, and sports. · Women tend to be drawn to online medical support groups, local community associations that are online, and cyber groups relating to entertainment. · Lurking is not prevalent among Cyber Groupies; fully 60% email their group, 43% several times a week. · 35% of all Internet users go online for news about their local community or community events. · 30% of all Internet users go online to get information about their local government. · 11% of Internet users know of a local issue in which the Internet played a role in organizing citizens to communicate with public officials. · 51% percent of all Americans know of a place in their community where the Internet is publicly available. Overwhelmingly, these places are public libraries. African-Americans are the most likely to say that their community lacks public access to the Internet; 42% of African-Americans say their community does not have publicly available Internet terminals somewhere, compared with 29% of whites and 33% of Hispanics. The Pew Internet & American Life Project is a nonpartisan, independent research organization funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts to study the impact of the Internet on families, communities, health care, education, civic and political life, and the work place. ^ ^ ^ ^ Steven L. Clift - W: http://www.publicus.net Minneapolis - - - E: clift(a)publicus.net Minnesota - - - - - T: +1.612.822.8667 USA - - - - - - - ICQ: 13789183 *** Please send submissions to: DO-WIRE(a)TC.UMN.EDU *** *** To subscribe, e-mail: listserv(a)tc.umn.edu *** *** Message body: SUB DO-WIRE *** *** To unsubscribe instead, write: UNSUB DO-WIRE *** *** Please forward this post to others and encourage *** *** them to subscribe to the free DO-WIRE service. ***

3 2

Science magazine article
by Barry Wellman 18 Feb '02

18 Feb '02

Folks, I'm delighted to alert folks to a review article I wrote in Science, reviewing work about computer networks as social networks. In addition to arguing that computer networks are social networks, it substantively focuses on how the Internet fits into everyday (nonwork) life and computer-mediated tools for knowledge acquisition and management in networked organizations. You can access this article via my website. The URL is below, just click on Publications. While you're there, feel free to sightsee some of my other recent, relevant stuff. Cheers, Barry ___________________________________________________________________ Barry Wellman Professor of Sociology NetLab Director wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman Centre for Urban & Community Studies University of Toronto 455 Spadina Avenue Toronto Canada M5S 2G8 fax:+1-416-978-7162 ___________________________________________________________________

2 2

Airport access
by Steve Jones 24 Jan '02

24 Jan '02

[Pursuant to an earlier thread, this article appeared in today's New York Times. -Sj] November 1, 2001 Airports Press Ahead on Wireless Access By GLENN FLEISHMAN HIGH-SPEED wireless data networks, which many airports once saw as the perfect intersection of traveler, revenue and technology, have faced serious hurdles this year, including the demise of some Internet service providers and a lackluster response from travelers with laptop computers. Yet a handful of companies continue to expand their networks. The year started out positively enough, as millions of laptops and other devices were shipped with built-in antennas or cards supporting the industry standard known as Wi- Fi, which allows high-speed, short- range connections. But customer demand lagged. Vancouver International Airport, for example, switched on its wireless network, built by Nokia (news/quote) Internet Communications, in February 2000, but "the traveling public did not greet the network as rapidly as anticipated," said Kevin Molloy, the airport's vice president for information technology and telecommunications. Nokia began operating the network on its own after an early partner pulled out of the market. Another airport, San Francisco International, had successive contracts with two firms that both failed without installing a single network access point. John Payne, the airport's director of information technology and telecommunications, said that the airport had "made some bets early on, when things were a little rosier than they were now." "You really need to pick your vendors carefully," he said. Still, Mr. Payne anticipates that high-speed wireless service will be available in one to two years. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is also slowly moving ahead under an agreement with Concourse Communications to roll out service gradually to the three major airports it runs - LaGuardia, Newark and Kennedy International - starting sometime next year. Concourse, which is a recent addition to the wireless Internet service provider market and is based in Springfield, Mass., plans to offer limited service at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport starting this month. Dick Snyder, senior vice president for business development, said that Concourse would extend coverage to more terminals as demand rises. The three New York-area airports now have active wireless networks only in the Admirals Club sites of American Airlines, with coverage provided by MobileStar, which also operates in Admirals Club lounges in 14 other airports. MobileStar has had the highest profile among wireless service providers through its contract with Starbucks (news/quote), for which it equipped 700 outlets. Although MobileStar laid off its entire staff in mid- October, it has remained active in airports and some other areas as its investors seek new financing or a buyer. Among other companies keeping the faith in wireless airport service is Wayport, a company in Austin, Tex., that serves airports in Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle and San Jose, Calif. An Ottawa-based venture known as Sky.Link Internet Plus offers service in Ottawa and Calgary, Alberta. Both companies also serve hotels. Wayport hopes to continue expanding in airports through its recent acquisition of nine Laptop Lanes locations across the United States. These Laptop Lanes sites offer private cubicles with wired Ethernet connections for an hourly rate. Wayport's vice president for marketing, Dan Lowden, said the company hoped to add wireless service at each Laptop Lanes site. "We have to do it store by store, work with each one of the airports, and find out if they're accepting of it," he said. Prices for the services vary. In Vancouver, Nokia offers credit-card purchases in five-minute increments for the equivalent of 63 cents. It also sells a Wi-Fi PC Card bundled with unlimited permanent access. Users of MobileStar must create an account under one of five payment plans ranging from 20 cents per minute to $60 per month for unlimited time. Wayport charges a minimum rate of $5 for 24 hours of use in airports and $8 for 24 hours of use in hotels, with both rates relying on $50 prepaid debit accounts; prices are somewhat higher without the prepaid account. Wayport users may also pay $50 a month for unlimited time in all venues. Denver International Airport finds itself in an unusual situation: although Nokia finished installing and testing the airport's extensive Wi-Fi coverage in June, the wireless company has been unable to find a partner willing to take over network operations like customer accounts and maintenance. Sky.Link charges 10 Canadian dollars (about $6.30) per hour with no sign-up required or $20 per month for unlimited time. Concourse has not yet set prices but expects them to be in line with those of other operators. Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company

4 4

Fwd: New CME Teens Online Study
by Nancy Baym 10 Jan '02

10 Jan '02

>CENTER FOR MEDIA EDUCATION > >FOR RELEASE: December 12, 2001 >Report available at: http://www.cme.org/teenstudy/ >CONTACT: Ellen O'Brien or Sharon Flynn - CME >(202) 331-7833 > >From Sales Pitches to Civics Lessons: Something for Everyone Online > >New CME Study Explores the Online World of Teens > >Washington, D.C. -- The Center for Media Education (CME) today released >a new study that surveys the burgeoning new-media culture directed >at--and in some cases created by--teens. TeenSites.com-A Field Guide to >the New Digital Landscape examines the uniquely interactive nature of >the new media, and explores the ways in which teens are at once shaping >and being shaped by the electronic culture that surrounds them. > >With nearly three-quarters of 12- to 17-year-olds online, the Internet >is having a profound and far-reaching impact on the lives of today's >youth. "Young people are as comfortable growing up with digital media >as their parents' generation was with the telephone and TV," explained >Kathryn Montgomery, Ph.D., president of the Center for Media Education. >The book-length report examines this online teen world, from the glitzy >commercial sites designed by marketers to capture the lucrative online >teen demographic, to civic youth sites that promote political, cultural, >and community engagement. And with an eye toward the future of the new >media, the report also looks at some of the next-generation technology >that is transforming the digital landscape. > >But for the teens themselves, the impact of the new technology is often >much more immediate. As they grappled with the September 11 attacks, >for example, many teens turned to the Internet as a forum in which to >sort out the facts--and to share their feelings. "For many teens the >Web surpassed television as the medium of choice in dealing with this >crisis," Montgomery pointed out. "Within this unfiltered space, young >people could speak out in their own online communities and join with >others in their struggle to make sense of the suddenness and severity of >this national tragedy." > >In many ways young people are the defining users of this new digital >media culture. "Teenagers have embraced the new online world with great >enthusiasm," Montgomery explained, "responding eagerly to its invitation >to share ideas, contribute content, and otherwise place their stamp on a >media system that they themselves create and manage. However, even as >this new medium is becoming a pervasive presence in teens' lives, it >remains largely under the radar of parents, scholars, and policymakers." > > >Thus Teensites.com is designed to shed light on the new digital media >culture, which is often overshadowed by sensational stories about the >alleged dangers of cyberspace, or about the rise and fall of various >dot-com empires. But Internet usage continues to grow, and young people >are at the center of that revolution. "How today's young people consume >and participate in new media," explained Montgomery, "will help >determine the future shape and direction of the media system." > >Among its findings, the study highlights the following aspects of the >new media culture: > >* The economic underpinnings of the teen Web sites--advertising, >e-commerce, market research, and data collection. >* The prospects for a teen "civic culture" that subordinates profits to >public service. >* An assessment of future directions in the new media as the Internet >reaches further into everyone's life through a variety of wired and >wireless devices. > >"Conducting a study of such a volatile industry was not without its >challenges," Montgomery explained. "During the period when we were >researching the online marketplace, the dot-com crash claimed a number >of casualties, including some of the teen sites we were examining. Even >as the final report was in production, several of the sites we wrote >about closed, and there were further consolidations in the online teen >market," she added. "But these stops and starts in the dot-com business >should not divert our attention from the inexorable movement of digital >media into the lives of teens." > >In its new study CME calls for academic researchers to look more closely >at the impact of new media on youth. "Much of what is known about how >teens are interacting with the new digital media," the report notes, "is >confined to the proprietary domain of market research, which is either >completely off-limits to outsiders or priced so prohibitively as to be >inaccessible to the public." CME also points to a combination of >government policy, responsible industry self-regulation, public >education, and citizen activism as the best means of realizing the full >potential of the digital revolution. > >The study makes a number of recommendations for policymakers, industry, >scholars, health professionals, and parents, including calls for the >following: > >* Research on new media and teens, especially policy-relevant, focused >research that addresses specific issues and needs, and which is broadly >disseminated in a much more timely fashion than is the norm for most >academic studies. > >* Consumer protection policies ensuring that teens are not taken unfair >advantage of in the new-media marketplace, either through deceptive >marketing or exploitative advertising practices. > >* Policies that ensure equitable access, not simply to the most basic >Internet services, but also to the emerging broadband environment that >will bring increasing amounts of multimedia resources into homes and >schools. > >Support for a quality civic media culture, one that serves teens not >simply as consumers, but also as citizens, with a robust array of civic >content and opportunities for teens themselves to contribute to a new >"electronic commons." > >The full study, Teensites.com-A Field Guide to the New Digital >Landscape, is available at http://www.cme.org/teenstudy/ >----------------------------------------------- >The Center for Media Education (CME) is a national nonprofit, >nonpartisan organization dedicated to creating a quality electronic >media culture for children and youth. CME's cutting-edge studies on the >new-media marketplace have had major impacts on a number of key public >policy decisions during the past decade. Its documentation of online >marketing and data collection practices targeted at children established >the groundwork for the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). >CME's Research and Public Education Initiative on New Media, Children >and Youth is designed to stimulate research on digital media and serve >as a clearinghouse of research and policy developments for academics, >industry, the public, and policymakers. The organization's current >research and public education project, "Youth as E-Citizens: The >Internet and Youth Civic Engagement," will help ensure that the Internet >serves young people as a bridge to community and civic engagement. > >########################################## >_______________________________________________________________________ >Ellen O'Brien eobrien(a)CME.org >Communications Director http://www.CME.org >Center for Media Education (CME) >2120 L St., NW, Suite 200 202/331-7833, ext. 31 >Washington, DC 20037 fax: 202/331-7841 > _________________________________________________________ Nancy Baym nbaym(a)ku.edu http://www.ku.edu/home/nbaym Communication Studies, University of Kansas 102 Bailey, 1440 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045, USA Association of Internet Researchers: http://aoir.org

2 1

Call for reviewers
by Klaus Bruhn Jensen 02 Jan '02

02 Jan '02

As program chair for the AoIR 3.0 conference, I would appreciate your service as a reviewer of the papers that have started to come in. Below, I indicate the categories in which papers are being submitted, as well as the volunteers so far (thanks!). Bold indicates categories in which we have only one reviewer; the minimum for the review process will be two reviewers for each paper. Please get in touch with me OFF LIST and indicate your preferred category(-ies). Thanks, Klaus. ***** Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to Internet Research *Michel Menou <Michel.Menou(a)wanadoo.fr> * XXXXX Internet Access, Use, and Effects *Ulla Bunz <ulla(a)ukans.edu> *Leslie Shade <shade(a)aix1.uottawa.ca> Psychology and the Internet *Laura Gurak <gurakl(a)umn.edu> *Greg Monaco <greg(a)greatplains.net> Individuals, Groups, and Communities Online *Caroline Haythornthwaite <haythorn(a)uiuc.edu> *Lori Kendall <Lori.Kendall(a)purchase.edu> Privacy, Surveillance, and Security on the Internet *Ellis Godard <ellisgodard(a)starband.net> *Nilz Zurawski <zurawsk(a)uni-muenster.de> Internet Policy, Law, Ethics, and Politics *Jeremy Hunsinger <jhuns(a)vt.edu> *Wendy Sutherland-Smith <wsutherlandsmith(a)bigpond.com.au> Teaching and Learning on the Internet *Robin Cheesman <robin(a)ruc.dk> *Simon Heilesen <simonhei(a)ruc.dk> The Internet in Writing and Publishing *Radhika Gajjala <radhika(a)cyberdiva.org> * XXXXX Ethnicity, Race, Identity, Gender, and Sexuality Online *Sue Cranmer <sue(a)jcranmer.freeserve.co.uk> *Greg Monaco <greg(a)greatplains.net> The Internet in Cultural Contexts *Lori Kendall <Lori.Kendall(a)purchase.edu> *David Silver <dsilver(a)u.washington.edu> The Internet in History *David Silver <dsilver(a)u.washington.edu> * XXXXX Digital Art and Aesthetics *Ira Nayman <ira(a)ecommons.net> * XXXXX Gaming on the Internet *Gitte Stald <stald(a)hum.ku.dk> * XXXXX E-Commerce, E-Business, and the Value of Digital Content *Mattia Miani <katanankes(a)yahoo.com> * XXXXX New Technologies and New Media *Nicole Ellison <nellison(a)usc.edu> * XXXXX E-Sectors (e-health, e-entertainments, e-other...) *Nancy Baym <nbaym(a)ku.edu> *Monica Murero <Monica.Murero(a)MERIT.UNIMAAS.NL> -- ____________________________________ Klaus Bruhn Jensen Associate Professor, dr.phil. Department of Film and Media Studies University of Copenhagen Njalsgade 80 DK-2300 Copenhagen S Denmark kbj(a)hum.ku.dk http://www.ifm.ku.dk ____________________________________

2 1

In One Year and Out the Other
by Ken Friedman 31 Dec '01

31 Dec '01

In One Year and Out the Other On New Year's Eve, make a telephone call from one time zone to another so that you are conducting a conversation between people located in two years. 1975 I have been performing this event every year since 1975. I invite you to join me this year using telephone, telefax, or email to send New Year's greetings across the shifting time boundary between 2001 and 2002. Ken Friedman

1 0

Summer Conference on Computers & Industrial Engineering at Tinos Island, Greece
by mboudour＠upatras.gr 31 Dec '01

31 Dec '01

Dear all, Happy New Year! I would like to inform you about the 30th International Conference on Computers and Industrial Engineering that is going to take place in the Island of Tinos at the Cyclads (Aegean sea), Greece, June 29 - July 2, 2002. The conference URL is: http://cda2.imse.lsu.edu/tinos2002/index.htm Although the deadline for submission of papers has already expired, the organizers might be a little flexible for those interested in submitting a paper now. For this purpose, those interested in submitting a paper should contact the Conference Co-Chair and Program Chair: Evangelos (Vangelis) Triantaphyllou <trianta(a)lsu.edu> Furthermore, as I am organizing the following special session in this conference: "Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to Internet Research and Webometrics" for this purpose I am soliciting 3 papers closely related to each other on this topic. Therefore, I would appreciate if partners from the EU project EICSTES (http://www.eicstes.org/) or COMMORG (http://www.commorg.net/) who are interested in contributing into the above special session might contact me as soon as possible by sending to me the abstract of their intended contribution in this session. Best, --Moses M.A. Boudourides Associate Professor Department of Mathematics University of Patras 265 00 Rio-Patras Greece Tel.: +30-61-996318 Fax: +30-61-992965 http://www.math.upatras.gr/~mboudour

1 0

Non Profit Informatics Research List
by John McNutt 29 Dec '01

29 Dec '01

At the ARNOVA (Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action) meeting a few weeks ago, some of us got together to discuss the possibility of setting up a group to discuss and promote research on technology in the nonprofit sector. We decided to set up a discussion list and consider where to go from there. This is primarily a group for researchers and scholars but others are welcome. If you are interested in exploring the exciting world of nonprofit technology, join the conversation! The instructions for the list are: Post message: NIRG(a)yahoogroups.com Subscribe: NIRG-subscribe(a)yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: NIRG-unsubscribe(a)yahoogroups.com John John G. McNutt Graduate School of Social Work Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 617.552.4036-Voice 617.552.1080-Fax www: http://www.geocities.com/john_g_mcnutt/ Be Ashamed to Die Until You Have Won Some Victory for Humanity-- Horace Mann Computing is not about computers anymore. Its about living --Nicholas Negroponte Abyssus abyssum invocat--C.S. Lewis

1 0

CSCW02
by Barry Wellman 28 Dec '01

28 Dec '01

Folks, CSCW conferences, announcements below, generally attract smart computer scientists interested in building and studying groupware and communityware. They tend to be academics, corporate software researchers and developers, and a few government folks. The conference is held every other year. This year in New Orleans!! I've gone to 3 in the past decade -- and have learned much and enjoyed the congenial group. There are some important gaps in CSCWniks' purview -- as there are in any other groups -- but I do want to encourage you to attend. Barry ___________________________________________________________________ Barry Wellman Professor of Sociology NetLab Director wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman Centre for Urban & Community Studies University of Toronto 455 Spadina Avenue Toronto Canada M5S 2G8 fax:+1-416-978-7162 ___________________________________________________________________ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2001 11:13:17 -0800 From: Elizabeth Churchill <churchill(a)pal.xerox.com> To: 'Barry Wellman' <wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca> Subject: RE: networking Hi there Barry Anyway wanted to wish you all the best for the holiday season and send you the call for papers for CSCW - do pass it around to those you think may be interested and I do hope you will come. All the best, --Elizabeth Dear Colleague, We would like to invite you to participate in the ACM 2002 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, which will convene November 16-20 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference program will include research papers, videos, interactive posters, demonstrations, panels, tutorials, workshops, a doctoral colloquium, and other exciting activities. Please forward this message to anyone who you think may be interested; our apologies if you receive multiple copies. If you have any questions, please visit our web site (http://www.acm.org/cscw2002) or contact us by email (cscw2002-info(a)acm.org) We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans! Elizabeth Churchill & Joe McCarthy, Conference Co-Chairs =============================================================== ACM 2002 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW 2002) Sponsored by the ACM Special Interest Groups on Supporting Group Work (SIGGROUP) and Computer-Human Interaction (SIGCHI). New Orleans, Louisiana, 16-20 November 2002 http://www.acm.org/cscw2002 cscw2002-info(a)acm.org Call for Participation The CSCW Conference is an ideal venue for presenting research and development achievements in the design, introduction, and use of technology that affect groups, organizations communities and societies. Although work is an important area of focus for the conference - the conference has traditionally focused on such topics as the use of email, chat, voicemail and videoconferencing in supporting people's work activities and working relationships - technology is increasingly supporting a wide range of recreational and social activities. As consumer markets continue to expand, more and more people are able to connect online and we are moving toward a Computer Supported Cooperative World. Appropriate topic areas for CSCW 2002 therefore include all contexts in which technology is used to mediate communication, coordination, cooperation and even competition among people, including entertainment, games, art, music and the remote sharing of intimate moments. Given its broad scope, CSCW is a multi-disciplinary conference, and participation of people from diverse backgrounds, cultures and perspectives is strongly encouraged. We welcome submissions from researchers and practitioners in all sectors, including academia, industry and government. CSCW has consistently been at the leading edge of thinking about the role of coordination and communication technologies in our lives. With your help, CSCW 2002 will play an important role in continuing this tradition. Come and help us make CSCW a stimulating and exciting event. Topics of interest include but are not restricted to the following: * Innovations and experiences with Intranets, the Internet, WWW * Innovative installations: CSCW and the arts * Innovative technologies and architectures to support group activity, awareness and telepresence * Social and organizational effects of introducing technologies * Theoretical aspects of coordination and communication * Methodologies and tools for design and analysis of collaborative practices * Ethnographic and case studies of work practice * Working with and through collections of heterogeneous technologies * Emerging issues for global systems The following are brief descriptions of the CSCW 2002 participation categories; prospective participants should visit our web site (http://www.acm.org/cscw2002) to learn more about these categories. STUDENT VOLUNTEERS: Students are invited to apply to volunteer at CSCW 2002. In exchange for 20 hours of volunteer work, students will receive complimentary conference registration and an invitation to the conference reception. The number of student volunteer positions will be limited. Interested students enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program for the 2001-2002 school year should apply using the form on the conference website as soon as possible. RESEARCH PAPERS: Papers should present original, unpublished research on technological mediation of activities affecting groups of people. Potential areas of interest include theory, methodology, empirical investigations, architectures, prototypes and experiences related to the development, deployment and use of computer systems supporting all aspects of shared activities, including, but not limited to, activities at work, in the home, in education, and the arts. Papers should be no longer than 10 pages, including the abstract, all figures and references. VIDEOS: Videos are a great way to present work that involves dynamic interaction, ranging from demonstrations of new systems to complex aspects of group communication and work practice. Potential topics include, but are not limited to demonstrations of innovative research prototypes; demonstrations (but not marketing) of innovative aspects of commercial systems; studies of work practice that have implications for CSCW; retrospective collections of significant CSCW fields of work; and visions of future technologies. INTERACTIVE POSTERS: Interactive Posters provide an opportunity for researchers to present work in a more open format where authors interact directly with groups of conference attendees. We especially encourage submission of late-breaking and preliminary results, smaller results not suitable for a full paper, innovative ideas not yet validated through user studies, student research, and other research best presented in this open format. Interactive Poster submissions should include a poster abstract of no longer than 2 pages, including all figures and references. DEMONSTRATIONS: Demonstrations allow conference participants to view novel or noteworthy CSCW systems in action, discuss the systems with those who created them, and perhaps to try them out. Appropriate demonstrations include applications, technologies, research prototypes and products. This forum is not an opportunity for marketing or sales presentations. Presenters must have been directly involved with the development of the system and be able to explain the differentiating and novel contributions of the system. Demo proposals should be a maximum of 4 pages. PANELS: Panels should examine innovative, provocative, controversial, or late-breaking issues. The best panels are often structured as a debate with an opportunity for audience participation. We also welcome novel suggestions of topics or formats such as impromptu design by a panel or comparative empirical analyses by expert panelists who have divergent perspectives. We are open to innovative formats including live demonstrations and/or technology competitions. Panel proposals should be no longer than 4 pages. TUTORIALS: Tutorials should be designed to give participants the opportunity to learn about CSCW concepts and techniques in intensive sessions. Proposals are solicited for half-day and full day tutorials. Tutorial proposals should be no longer than 5 pages. WORKSHOPS: Workshops provide an opportunity to discuss and explore emerging areas of CSCW research with a group of like-minded researchers and practitioners. Workshops may focus on any aspect of CSCW theory or practice, established concerns or new ideas. The goal of the workshop is to share understandings and experiences, to foster research communities, to learn from each other and to envision future directions. Workshops are typically run for a full day. DOCTORAL COLLOQUIUM: This Colloquium is a forum in which Ph.D. students can meet and discuss their work with each other and a panel of experienced CSCW researchers and practitioners. We welcome applicants from a broad range of disciplines and approaches that inform CSCW, including sociology, computer science, cognitive science, and related fields. Applicants should be beyond the proposal stage and into their dissertation research. The Colloquium committee will select approximately 10 participants who will be expected to give a short, informal presentation of their work during the Colloquium, to be followed by a discussion. Submissions should be no longer than 3 pages. SUBMISSIONS: CSCW 2002 requires online submission. Please see the CSCW 2002 website (http://www.acm.org/cscw2002) for information about online submission information. All submissions should be formatted according to the standard ACM SIGCHI publication guidelines. IMPORTANT DATES March 22, 2002 Papers due April 19, 2002 Videos, Panel Proposals, Tutorial Proposals and Workshop Proposals due June 7, 2002 Notification of accepted Papers, Videos, Panels, Tutorials and Workshops June 28, 2002 Interactive Posters due July 12, 2002 Demonstration Proposals and Doctoral Colloquium submissions due July 19, 2002 Final version of Papers due August 9, 2002 Final version of Videos and Video Abstracts due August 16, 2002 Notification of accepted Interactive Posters, Demonstrations and Doctoral Colloquium submissions October 5, 2002 Final versions of Panel abstracts, descriptions and position statements; Tutorial notes; Interactive Posters; Demonstrations abstracts; and Doctoral Colloquium submissions due November 16, 2002 CSCW 2002 conference begins For more information, please visit our web site (http://www.acm.org/cscw2002) or send us email (cscw2002-info(a)acm.org)

1 0

community and kreplach
by david silver 27 Dec '01

27 Dec '01

So many great posts, so little time. (And a related quandary: so much leftover turkey and kreplach, so little stomach space.) I've been influenced by and intrigued with Wendy's work for years now and I take her very seriously when she asks: "Are virtual communities different today (this may have been partially what David was initially inquiring about)? Can they still be theorized as utopian, even other worldly? If so, does that take us back to 1992, rather than helping us develop theory for post-dot-com 2002?" Following Wendy's post is Mike Gurstein who notes that little if any has been said about community networks, CTCs, etc. In my mind, these two posts are somehow linked. I'm a bigtime fan of community networks but am currently finding it difficult to take them seriously in (almost) 2002. (This is not a flame, hardly; I'd like to see some evidence that they are still relevant these days.) And I wonder -- along with Wendy, and perhaps with Jonathan, too -- whether we're stuck in an outdated paradigm when we focus on community (read: non commercialized online environments). I know the Net-radio comparison has become a bit of a cliche but I still believe it extremely useful and find myself thumbing through the work of Susan Douglas, Susan Smulyan, and Daniel Czitrom, looking for clues. Like the Net, radio was ushered in on a red carpet of utopian hype and, also like the Net, was somewhat quickly commercialized. For the three scholars noted above, the commercialization of radio resulted in profound changes to the content and form of the medium. Now, if we were to take an informal vote on the last few years' most influential Net developments, I have little doubt that commercialization would top the list. (Any naysayers?) Which leads me back to Wendy's questions and another one: Why has the field been so resistant to tackle -- critically -- this development? david silver http://faculty.washington.edu/dsilver

2 1