November 2003 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

FW: future of war conference website
by Gina Neff 08 Nov '03

08 Nov '03

Of interest given the recent discussion here. Proceedings are online. http://www.lmcc.net/futureofwar/index.html The Future of War: Aesthetics, Politics, Technologies Presented at The New School by Thundergulch -the new media initiative of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council- in association with the Vera List Center for Art and Politics, the World Policy Institute, and the Computer Instruction Center at the New School. What do the Department of Defense and the computer gaming industry have in common? What kinds of strategic alliances is the Pentagon making with Hollywood? How is the American Institute of Architects connecting with the military's designs for a "new security environment?" Are artists collaborating with, exposing, or resisting the military by deploying technologies of simulation, data surveillance, tracking, and computer vision in their work? A group of internationally renowned panelists explored these and other questions in The Future of War: Aesthetics, Politics, Technologies, a two-day conference that examined the increasingly complex exchanges between the military, the entertainment industry, the computer industry, the media, and the arts. What impact do these exchanges have on war, technology and related visual cultures in the American public sphere? How is war -as concept, technique, and practice-reorganizing our everyday life and sense of future? The conference looked at war not simply as a utilitarian means to an end, or within the more familiar political and strategic accounts of it, but as a cultural process involving particular ways of seeing, narrating, and imagining: from the physical and virtual spaces of war, to the cinematic language of Hollywood combat films; from online gaming and military simulations, to the computer and installation work of artists. The Future of War was organized by Wayne Ashley, LMCC's curator of New Media and public programs.

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CfP Designing for Civil Society: A Special Issue of Interacting w ith Computers
by Dearden, Andrew M 07 Nov '03

07 Nov '03

(Apologies for cross postings) Call for Papers DESIGNING FOR CIVIL SOCIETY A special issue of Interacting with Computers ================================================================================= BACKGROUND We invite contributions to a special issue of the journal Interacting with Computers examining the challenges of designing systems to support democractic participation in civil society. Democratic participation is not merely an issue of electronic voting, but also of campaigning, organising and participation in policy formation through a wide variety of groups. Such organisations may be formally constituted, e.g. trade-unions, political parties, voluntary groups or campaigning 'non-governmental organisations' (NGOs), or may be informal collections of individuals and organisations conducting conversations and sharing electronic material e.g. email petitions, weblogs and satirical emails such as those circulated opposing the war in Iraq. This special issue of Interacting with Computers will explore how existing knowledge of human computer interaction (HCI) and of the use of information & communication technologies (ICT) can be applied by such groups, and what questions such groups pose for our emerging understanding of HCI and information systems. ========================================================================== IMPORTANT DATES * Full paper submission: 20th Feb 2004 * Response to authors 16th April 2004 * Final revisions due 21st May 2004 * Planned publication: November 2004 ====================================================== FURTHER DETAILS Papers should be submitted by email to the editors (s.walker(a)lmu.ac.uk / a.m.dearden(a)shu.ac.uk ) Full details of the call and instructions for authors are available from: http://www.shu.ac.uk/schools/cms/teaching/amd/CivilSociety <http://www.shu.ac.uk/schools/cms/teaching/amd/CivilSociety> For more information contact: Andy Dearden (a.m.dearden(a)shu.ac.uk) or Steve Walker (s.walker(a)lmu.ac.uk) Andy Dearden School of Computing and Management Sciences Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield S1 1WB UK Tel: +44 (0)114 225 2916 Fax: +44 (0)114 225 3161 Web: http://www.shu.ac.uk/schools/cms/teaching/amd <http://www.shu.ac.uk/schools/cms/teaching/amd>

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What is Tactical Cyberfeminism? Book release event for DOMAIN ERRORS!
by jeremy hunsinger 07 Nov '03

07 Nov '03

> > > What is Tactical Cyberfeminism? Book release event for DOMAIN ERRORS! > > CYBERFEMINIST PRACTICES by subRosa > > Faith Wilding, political artist, subRosa member, and co-editor of the > new > Autonomedia book DOMAIN ERRORS! CYBERFEMINIST PRACTICES, will give a > presentation outlining the various areas of investigation of the book, > discussing the work of subRosa, and showing videos of some of subRosa's > interventions. Part performative intervention, part radical polemic and > activist manual, DOMAIN ERRORS! introduces a diverse international > group of > feminist writers, artists, theorists, and activists engaged in > formulating a > contestational politics for tactical cyberfeminism. The book highlights > intersections of feminist and postcolonial discourses through critical > analyses of the embodied politics of digital culture. Opening areas > repressed in previous cyberfeminist discourses, the authors map > contemporary > social relations between women as they are mediated and transformed by > digital and bio-technologies. > > Bluestockings Bookstore, > 172 Allen Street, Manhattan, NY > 212-777-6028 > Sunday, November 9th, 2003, 7-9 PM > More information on the book is at > http://www.autonomedia.org/domainerrors > > *********************************************************************** > ************* > Distributed through Cyber-Society-Live [CSL]: CSL is a moderated > discussion > list made up of people who are interested in the interdisciplinary > academic > study of Cyber Society in all its manifestations.To join the list > please visit: > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/cyber-society-live.html > *********************************************************************** > ************** > > jeremy hunsinger jhuns(a)vt.edu on the ibook www.cddc.vt.edu www.cddc.vt.edu/jeremy www.cddc.vt.edu/jeremy/blog () ascii ribbon campaign - against html mail /\ - against microsoft attachments

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RE: [Air-l] recent cyberpunk/Internet culture fiction
by Kendall, Lori 06 Nov '03

06 Nov '03

Michele, Thanks so much for that list, and thanks to others for their suggestions as well. I've had a similar problem in my classes. Although I get a few fellow nerds (meant affectionately and as an "in-group" term), most of my students are completely unfamiliar with science fiction writing and find it off-putting. So I'm looking for ways to get them past that and into contemplation of the meanings of how computers are depicted. Lori

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recent cyberpunk/Internet culture fiction
by Michele White 06 Nov '03

06 Nov '03

I appreciate the suggestions for cyberpunk and Internet culture fiction. These considerations are a vital part of the ways that the Internet has been conceptualized and help students to understand the political issues through other kinds of writings. However, I should note that some of my students find the unfamiliar terminology and narrative difficult to initially grasp. I have used a variety of short stories in my class as well as longer works. My ongoing concern is to include more diversity in the authors and representations we deploy. I am suggesting a few additions and would appreciate hearing more suggestions. All my best, Michele Butler, Octavia. Bloodchild and Other Stories. New York: Davis Publications, 1995. Cadigan, Pat. "Rock On" and "Pretty Boy Crossover," Patterns. New York: Tor Books, 1989: 57-65 and 129-138. Cadigan, Pat, "Icy You . . . Juicy Me," The Register (2001) http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/17497.html Delany, Samuel R. Dhalgren. New York: Vintage Books, 2001. The dystopian technoculture, breakdown of text, and shifting narrative relate this novel to cyberpunk even if the computer is not a featured technology. Gomez-Pena, Guillermo. Friendly Cannibals. San Francisco: Artspace Books, 1996. Hopkinson, Nalo, "A Habit of Waste," Women of Other Worlds: Excursions through Science Fiction and Feminism. Hellen Merrick and Tess Williams, eds. Nedlands: University of Western Australia Press, 1999: 261-276. Her "Ganger (Ball Lightning)," might be more in the "cyberculture" category since it considers VR suits, gender bending, and sexuality. Hopkinson, Nalo. "Ganger (Ball Lightning)," Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora, Sheree R. Thomas, ed. New York: Warner Books, 2000. Mixon, Laura. Glass Houses. New York: Tor Books, 1992. Scott, Melissa. Trouble and Her Friends. New York: Tor Books, 1994.

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Re: Recent Cyberculture Novels...
by JASON NOLAN 06 Nov '03

06 Nov '03

I didn't see anyone mentioning Jeff Noon. Then again he's not the biggest thing in North America. In my cyberculture cosmology the trajectory is Gibson > Stephenson > Noon. His major works: Vurt, Pollen, Automated Alice, Nymphomation, Cobralingus, Needle in the Goove, Pixel Juice (short stories), Falling Out of Cars are simply astounding. Cobra's actually written in a form of code. Noon is the only cyberwriter I would gush endlessly over. I'm putting together an annotated bibliography of research on him (though it is presently in rough notes), and will be republishing Noon's short story "Chromosft Mirrors (v.4.2)" in _The International Handbook of Virtual Learning Environments_ that Joel Weiss and I are editing. His world is very much a restructuring of _Through the Looking Glass_, as Celia Hobart (Alice's doll) actually is credited with having invented the Vurt Feathers (cyberspace). And stylistically Noon is heavily influenced by early JG Ballard (1950s, 1960s). Noon can't be missed, though he's hard to find. Check on amazon for used copies. I'm collecting a class set of Vurt... slowly. J

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Re: Muds in Education...
by JASON NOLAN 06 Nov '03

06 Nov '03

First and foremost you need to look at the Lost Library of MOO (http://www.hayseed.net/MOO/) Here's a spam of my stuff on MOOs and Education. I can send a last paper if anyone wants to email me. Nolan, J. (1995). "Research into Educational Computer Mediated Communication." http://achieve.utoronto.ca/tortoise/comps/comp3.html Nolan, J. (1995). "The I came, I Mooed, I logged out: Muds, MOOs, Mushes, and Moose." http://achieve.utoronto.ca/tortoise/moo.html Nolan, J. (1995). "Gowan's VEE: An application of Gowin's Vee Heuristic Model to Educational Research into Multi User Simulated Environments as a Mechanism for Applying the Story Model to Transformative and Holistic Learning Situations." http://achieve.utoronto.ca/tortoise/gowinMOO.html Nolan, J. (1995). "Lust for Life: A discussion which considers the possibility of applying ideas of Integrated Curriculum development with Moos." http://achieve.utoronto.ca/tortoise/holon.html Davie, L., Abeygunawardena, H., Davidson, K., Nolan, J. (May, 1998). "Universities, Communities, and Building Sites: An Exploration of Three On-line Systems." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Educational Computing Organization of Ontario. http://jasonnolan.net/papers/ECOO98.html Nolan, J. (1998). "MOOkti: Helping teachers and students work together. SchoolNet Magazine. http://www.schoolnet.ca/revue/e/archives/spring98/article11.html Lynn Davie &Jason Nolan (1999) "DOING LEARNING: BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONIST SKILLS FOR EDUCATORS" http://jasonnolan.net/papers/doing.html Nolan, J. (April 14, 2000). "Vase: The Virtual Assignment Server Environment." Paper and online discussion presented at the Fifth Annual Teaching in the Community Colleges Online Conference, "A Virtual Odyssey." University of Hawaii, Hawaii. http://achieve.utoronto.ca/vase/ Nolan, J. (2001). "The Techneducator Effect: Colliding Technology and Education in the Conceptualization of Virtual Learning Environments." http://achieve.utoronto.ca/jason/dissertation.PDF Weiss, J. and Nolan, J. (2001) "Internet Literate: The Hidden and Null Curricula of the Internet" Paper presented at Teaching as if the World Matters, 2nd Annual Conference ( http://www.utoronto.ca/baitworm/ ), University of Toronto, May 11-15, 2001 http://jasonnolan.net/papers/baitworm2001.html Nolan, J. and Weiss, J. (2002) Learning Cyberspace: An Educational View of Virtual Community. Building Virtual Communities: Learning and Change in Cyberspace. Cambridge Unviersity Press. K. Ann Renninger and Wesley Shumar (Editors) . Cambridge: Cambridge U.P. (draft version at http://jasonnolan.net/papers/learning_cyberspace.html) Robbins-Sponaas, R. and Nolan, J. (In press) "MOOs: Polysynchronous Collaborative Virtual Environments" In Workplace Internet-Based Communication: Industry and Academic Perspectives. Pavel Zemliansky, and Kirk St. Amant eds. Idea Group. (I can get you a copy of this. Just email me.)

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cyberculture novels
by Philipp Budka 06 Nov '03

06 Nov '03

Dear all, Its not new but its very good: 20 years before Gibson wrote Neuromancer, Stanislaw Lem wrote in his book "Summa technologiae" about a concept he called "Phantomatik" which today could be described as "Cyberspace". Lem wrote a couple of novels including "Der futurologische Kongress", 1974; or "Transfer", 1976; a selection of parts of his novels with the special topic virtuality can be found in: "Die Endeckung der Virtualität", 1996. I am sure that some of his work (for example "Solaris") was translated into english. greetings, Philipp -- Philipp Budka e-mail: philbu(a)gmx.net tel.: +43 (0)1 95 28 244 tel. mobil: +43 (0)6991 95 28 244 Rustengasse 5/10 1150 Wien, Austria http://www.philbu.net http://www.lateinamerika-studien.at -- NEU FÜR ALLE - GMX MediaCenter - für Fotos, Musik, Dateien... Fotoalbum, File Sharing, MMS, Multimedia-Gruß, GMX FotoService Jetzt kostenlos anmelden unter http://www.gmx.net +++ GMX - die erste Adresse für Mail, Message, More! +++

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Re: RE: [Air-l] recent cyberculture novels?
by K.S.O-Riordan＠sussex.ac.uk 06 Nov '03

06 Nov '03

Lori posted: >Have you used it in a class? What was >the student reaction to it? Positive by and large - they've usually enjoyed the content with some reservations about style - it can be seen as a bit of a breathless romp and it is not subtle - I've only used it with MAs although I have got it on an undergraduate reading list as well. The text is hard to get hold of in the UK but it goes well with themes around sexuality and cultural change as well as technology/sex/gender and identity/internet. best Dr. Kate O'Riordan Lecturer in Continuing Education (Media Studies) Centre for Continuing Education Sussex Institute Essex House University of Sussex Falmer Brighton BN1 9QQ Tel: 01273 877774 Email: k.s.o-riordan(a)sussex.ac.uk Web: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Users/qlff7

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RE: [Air-l] recent cyberculture novels?
by Kendall, Lori 06 Nov '03

06 Nov '03

Kate suggested: > Sullivan, C and Bornstein, K (1996) Nearly Roadkill: An Infobahn Erotic > Adventure. London and New York: High Risk Books. Aha! I've thought about using this. Have you used it in a class? What was the student reaction to it? Lori

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