February 2002 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

gender, age, social support and info tech use?
by Eszter Hargittai 05 Feb '02

05 Feb '02

Hi, My study (http://www.webuse.org ) looks at differences in people's online skills. As I try to write up some of my findings, I'm seeking some related literature. I'm looking for references on theorizing gender and age differences in the use of information technologies as well as the role of social support networks in people's use of info tech. Let me clarify as these can all mean lots of things. I'm less interested in pointers to differences in what people do (e.g. x% women do this online y% men do that online) and more curious to find literature that tries to explain these differences. In particular, I'm interested in theorizing gender and age differences in people's ability to use technologies (especially info tech). I'm thinking there may also be a gender*age interaction effect and would be especially curious to see pieces that address that relationship. Please note that I am NOT looking for literature on gender identity expression online and am in general less interested here in the literature on use of email, chat and other person-to-person communication media.. my focus is on the ability to use technologies. I know of a lot of gender-related literature on the former, less on the latter. Regarding social support networks, I'm looking for references on the effects of people's social support networks on their use of information technologies. Please note that I am NOT looking for the reverse - that is: how use of info tech enhances or doesn't one's social capital - I'm interested in works that discuss how one's social support networks may affect one's use of info tech. (I realize this can get tricky as once people start using info tech some of their social support networks may be from interactions via those media.) I'm mainly curious about 1. how people may be motivated to start using info tech due to their networks; and 2. how they may turn to their support networks for help with use of info tech. Thanks for pointers to specific pieces (i.e. something more specific then "xyz.org may have this info"). Also, I don't mean to be hostile by stating what I'm not interested in, I'm just trying to focus since there is so much material out there and I don't want to waste people's time. I'll post a compilation of responses to the list. Thanks! Eszter --- http://www.eszter.com

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RE: [Air-l] FW: user ranking to web search engines
by Kris Gowen 05 Feb '02

05 Feb '02

Media Metrics should have that online... > -----Original Message----- > From: Paul M.A. Baker [SMTP:paul.baker@gcatt.gatech.edu] > Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 7:07 AM > To: air-l(a)aoir.org > Subject: [Air-l] FW: user ranking to web search engines > > One of my students asked me if there are any recently published > articles (or > sources) that > rank which web search engine is the most used search engine by the > general > public? > > Thoughts? > ********************************************************************* > Paul M.A. Baker, Ph.D. > Associate Director, Policy Research > Office of Technology Policy and Programs (OTP) > Georgia Centers for Advanced Telecommunications Technology (GCATT) > Atlanta, GA 30318 404.894.0073 [paul.baker(a)gcatt.gatech.edu] > ********************************************************************* > > > > _______________________________________________ > Air-l mailing list > Air-l(a)aoir.org > http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l

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FW: user ranking to web search engines
by Paul M.A. Baker 05 Feb '02

05 Feb '02

One of my students asked me if there are any recently published articles (or sources) that rank which web search engine is the most used search engine by the general public? Thoughts? ********************************************************************* Paul M.A. Baker, Ph.D. Associate Director, Policy Research Office of Technology Policy and Programs (OTP) Georgia Centers for Advanced Telecommunications Technology (GCATT) Atlanta, GA 30318 404.894.0073 [paul.baker(a)gcatt.gatech.edu] *********************************************************************

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come to Finland for conference
by Jonathan Lillie 05 Feb '02

05 Feb '02

Anyone want to go to Finland for a conference in lat June...enjoy never-ending days, Nordic cities, smoked fish, etc??!!! I am trying to find one or two colleagues to round-out the paper session that I am organizing called "Doing Cultural Studies in Cyberspace" for the Crossroads in Cultural Studies conference June 29-July 2 in Tampere, Finland. Grad students or faculty are welcome. Beside a general research interest in the topic the MOST IMPORTANT criteria is the willingness and ability to go/get to the conference. All I need is your interest and a 150 word abstract. For more information about the conference, see the Crossroads web site at www.crossroads2002.com. Thanks, Jonatan. Organiser: Jonathan Lillie The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Journalism and Mass Communication 129 Windsor Cir. Chapel Hill North Carolina, USA 27516 E-mail: jlillie(a)email.unc.edu

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Outreach Working Group Charge, with a minor tweak
by david silver 05 Feb '02

05 Feb '02

folks, i fear that i haven't done a good job articulating my position on the outreach project. first, i think that via a number of avenues -- individual recruitment, word of mouth, successful conferences, media coverage, etc -- word of air has gotten out. within a few short years, the organization has grown in leaps and bounds. fantastic. this is a result of all of our, and many others', work. for the most part, however, air membership it seems to me is composed of scholars who self-identify themselves as internet scholars or new media scholars, etc. nothing wrong with that of course but i think it's safe to say that we have done a great job getting the word out to them. when i ran for office, i ran on a platform that stressed further inclusion of scholars and scholarship working on a number of avenues collected (in)conveniently under cultural diversity. i'm not sure what the final results were (were they ever posted to air-exec?) but i do know that i had some strong support. i don't translate that into votes for david cause we like him, but rather votes for my platform, which suggested that we begin defining ourselves in many ways, including a more diverse spectrum (in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class) of scholarship. my involvement into this discussion is not one fed by ego but rather one driven by a very tame intellectual ideology, one that suggests that cultural markers should be proactively made visible. that is all i'm suggesting. there are dozens of directions air can go into -- coupling with industry, becoming more technical, etc -- and this is one i'm suggesting. the reason i think this suggestion is legit is that it appears to be the one i was elected to represent. with that in mind (and knowing that the following paragraph won't satisfy everyone but may make for some interesting conversation), what about this for the second paragraph: The purpose of this working group is to recommend an "external relations" plan that considers how we might raise awareness of AoIR in the world, and assesses what "worlds" to reach. WE ARE ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN FINDING, HEARING FROM, AND WORKING WITH SCHOLARS INTERESTED IN RESEARCH AND TEACHING THAT EXPLORES THE MANY CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC ELEMENTS -- RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER, SEXUALITY, CLASS, AND DISABILITY -- THAT INTERSECT WITH THE NET AND NET USE. The goal is not to target particular people or institutions, but to assess where there are internet researchers are not aware of, or not participating in, AoIR and to develop a strategy for letting those sectors know that we exist and welcome their participation. david

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Improving IP connectivity in LDCs - Workshop
by Sarrocco, Claudia 05 Feb '02

05 Feb '02

Dear Mr Abramson, The International Telecommunication Union, in the framework of its New Initiatives Programme, is organizing an expert workshop to examine the feasibility of a project to promote IP connectivity in the Least Developed Countries. It will be held at ITU headquarters in Geneva, starting on Thursday 11 April in the afternoon, and continuing on Friday April 12. The workshop will provide an opportunity for representatives from the public and private sectors, as well NGOs and other development professionals, to discuss the proposal, provide new input, and explore the possible contribution of the international community. The background study, together with other information and links, can be found at: www.itu.int/ipdc. It would give us great pleasure if you could participate in the workshop, in view of your interest in Internet networks and infrastructures for global communications. The project would certainly benefit greatly from your experience and inputs. If you are interested in participating, or would like more information, please contact me at: claudia.sarrocco(a)itu.int. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Kind regards, Claudia Sarrocco ________________________________ Claudia Sarrocco Strategy and Policy Unit International Telecommunication Union Place des Nations, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)22 730 6301 Fax: +41 (0)22 730 6453 e-mail: claudia.sarrocco(a)itu.int

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RE: [Air-l] Computer-Mediated-Communication.
by Steve Fox (NLG) 05 Feb '02

05 Feb '02

Interesting...I want to say I agree, but then I hesitate. I tend to associate community with CMC, maybe because much of what I've read on the subject relates to virtual/online community studies. More household technological innovations, however, will allow one to communicate via a host of devices that go beyond the PC. For example, smart device technology such as refridgerator inventory tracking systems that prompt you to buy (or order for you) food supplies when they are running low. While it might be argued that a computer chip stores the applications that drive this technology, it can also be argued that the hardware (fridge) is not a computer - assuming our household devices don't all fall under the general classification of a 'computer'. Is there community here? And what communication is being exchanged - other than pure inventory data? -----Original Message----- From: Sandeep Krishnamurthy [mailto:sandeep@u.washington.edu] Sent: Monday, February 04, 2002 4:04 PM To: air-l(a)aoir.org Subject: [Air-l] Computer-Mediated-Communication. Friends, All of you have seen the term computer-mediated-communication(e.g. http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/) A friend recently asked me about the PC-centric nature of this definition. "Why is this not screen-mediated-communication or device-mediated communication?", he asked me. I argued that, starting with the Internet, connectivity with others (or community, if you like) had to be a component of CMC, but not other forms of screen-based-communication. By this standard, communicating through PDAs or e-mail devices such as Blackberry was, indeed, CMC. But, checking out the weather on a kiosk was not. What do you think? Is the term CMC too restrictive? Best, Sandeep -- To learn more about me, visit-http://faculty.washington.edu/sandeep _______________________________________________ Air-l mailing list Air-l(a)aoir.org http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l

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CAPI or CASI software
by John White 04 Feb '02

04 Feb '02

All, I need to know if anyone is familiar with BLAISE or competing products? Help in the form of URL's to product pages or personal experiences using any of these products to deliver surveys via the WWW or in person would be appreciated. --JW

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Re: CAPI or CASI software (Blaise)
by Dmitri Williams 03 Feb '02

03 Feb '02

John- I did some Blaise coding and part of the experimental design using it for a political communication project here at Michigan a couple of summers ago. We used it in a lab setting and had a very good experience. Can't beat the upsides of having Ss do the data entry. It's also a very flexible product, and you can insert AV stimuli in it. Some of the downsides are that the code is not particularly straightforward and that it wasn't designed to be a particularly user-friendly self administered product. Still, there are some decent ways around it with patience. There's a very big PDF manual online at www.westat.com/blaise/pdf/RefManual.pdf but it isn't particularly helpful or easy to use. I can answer programming stuff off-list to the extent that I remember the details. Mostly, myself and one other grad student self-taught and did trial-and-error. The folks here at the Survey Research Center (part of the Michigan ISR) have expertise for hire, I believe. **************** Dmitri Williams Ph.D. Candidate University of Michigan Department of Communication Studies dcwillia(a)umich.edu

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Re: [Air-l] Space and territoriality
by Chris Heckler 03 Feb '02

03 Feb '02

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