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

peace
by david silver 12 Apr '03

12 Apr '03

i attach a few preemptive apologies to this post: apologies if the topic strays from what some believe to be appropriate discussion areas for the list, apologies for leaping to a soapbox to exclaim a personal position. i am writing to inquire why there is so much silence regarding a topic that deserves a bit more than silence. the historian in me wonders what future historians will think when they look back into the archives of lists like air-l and notice that while the world is on fire, there were only a handful of posts about it. why is this? i run a resource center which puts me in communication with a ton of international scholars, most of whom like us focus their academic interests on the internet and digital culture. over the last few weeks, i've received a few dozen emails asking me about americans' positions about the impending war with iraq. i'm very nervous about being some kind of spokesperson for a country as large and diverse as the US but i'm equally nervous about some of the ideas they are getting from the press. (example: today's washington post reports a poll saying 7 out of 10 americans support a war with iraq, with or without UN support.) i think it's important to say that i live and thrive in seattle, a particularly progressive (in some ways) city that has a history of political action -- in the last few years along: the anti-WTO protests; indymedia.org, which started in part (please: if i'm wrong here someone correct me) in seattle; curbside recycling, which has spread to much of the country -- and cultural creation: jimi hendrix; grunge bands like nirvana and pearl jam; and in nearby olympia, the riot grrl movement. so perhaps my reality is tweaked (*always* a possibility, i freely and proudly admit), but here in seattle there is a massive anti-war movement: seen in the streets, on campuses, on storefronts and homes, and with furious and earnest INTERNET USE to organize, education, mobilize, and give counsel. while the mainstream media may portray americans as standing firmly behind their president select, there are massive numbers that think this war (and the series of wars that many of us fear will follow), the way in which it has been developing unilaterally, and the global disarray it will produce are insane, dangerous, undemocratic, and, well, suicidal. through talking with friends and colleagues -- via interpersonally, through the phone and letters, and especially OVER THE INTERNET -- i have come to believe that it is not only in seattle. such beliefs can be found throughout the country, as well as of course throughout the world. with HELP FROM THE INTERNET i have learned that many global protestors understand this: recent protests seem to me to be more anti-bush than anti-american but i could be wrong. i would love to hear more about this from anyone who cares to post. if some believe this has little to do with internet research, i offer, again, my preemptive apologies. but i think we are missing a massively important topic here: as my friend jay babcock has taught me, this war -- if and when it happens -- will be the first (or one of the first, that can certainly be debated) INTERNET WAR. by the phrase, jay means and i agree the first major war that will be conducted since a critical mass has gone online. what are the repercussions? it's possible -- i say possible; please save the "you technological determinist!" flames -- that the net's distributive nature and massive user base will allow a more free flow of information from the front lines. if and when the war begins, will we see gifs and jpegs of killed civilians, bombed out cities and villages, and general horror that will not be shown on CNN and fox news? will we read -- in the form of emails, list postings, and blogs, to name a few -- first hand accounts of what's going down rather than the canned press releases being fed to american (and others?) media outlets? perhaps an early example of this -- one that i, as a jew who has grave reservations about israeli imperialism, am a bit nervous to post in fear of fostering misguided anti-semitism -- can be found here: <http://www.palsolidarity.org/rachel.htm>. any interest in discussing this? peace, david

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Re: [Air-l] Aljazeera back on line
by Frank Schaap 11 Apr '03

11 Apr '03

Sue wrote: > For info, Aljazeera is back on line > http://english.aljazeera.net I see they're 'hosted' through Akamai now. That at least should provide them with enough distributed bandwidth to deal with a lot traffic. Frank.

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Senior Lecturer in Digital Media - University of Washington
by david silver 11 Apr '03

11 Apr '03

fyi. david *** feel free to distribute *** *** This job listing is available online at this address: http://jobs.chronicle.com/id.php?id=253126 Senior Lecturer -- University of Washington at Seattle -- Washington Senior Lecturer: Digital Media Graduate Program, University of Washington Department of Communication. The Department of Communication at the University of Washington seeks a Senior Lecturer for an innovative professional Master of Communication program in Digital Media. The successful candidate will be a mid-career professional in the field of digital media with a master's degree or MFA (doctorate preferred), demonstrated excellence in teaching on the college level, and the ability to work in a team-based environment. This position will have a three-year renewable contract. The University of Washington Master of Communication in Digital Media is designed for mid-career professionals to exploit the challenges and opportunities in an emerging media convergence environment. The program stays abreast with developments in the workplace through an international advisory board consisting of leading digital media communication professionals. Directed and taught by Department of Communication faculty, it maintains the rigorous academic standards of the University of Washington Graduate School. Courses are based on the theory and practice of the communication discipline. The degree program emphasizes two concentrations: content creation; and management in the context of business and economics. The successful candidate will have industry and academic experience in at least one of these two concentrations, with a special preference toward content creation expertise. Senior lecturers are expected to teach 5-6 courses during a three-quarter academic year and supervise master's students on coursework, internships and projects. The successful candidate will work with the chair of the Department of Communication and the M.C. program director in the development and growth of this innovative program. Salary is competitive and dependent upon experience and academic credentials. The University of Washington is the largest and most active research and teaching institution in the northwest with several extensive libraries and substantial computing and support facilities. Applications will be reviewed beginning April 15, and until the position is filled. Candidates should send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, statement of digital media interests, copies of teaching evaluations and three letters of recommendation to: Digital Media Search, c/o Gerald Baldasty, Chair, Department of Communication, Box 353740, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-3740. The Department of Communication is committed to building a culturally diverse faculty and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and covered veterans. The University of Washington is an equal opportunity employer.

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FW: [Reader-list] Open Cultures :: Conference Announcement
by Michael Gurstein 11 Apr '03

11 Apr '03

-----Original Message----- From: reader-list-admin(a)mail.sarai.net [mailto:reader-list-admin@mail.sarai.net]On Behalf Of Felix Stalder Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 8:29 AM To: reader-list(a)mail.sarai.net Subject: [Reader-list] Open Cultures :: Conference Announcement OPEN CULTURES: FREE FLOWS OF INFORMATION AND THE POLITICS OF THE COMMONS + Vienna, June 5 & 6, 2003 + http://opencultures.t0.or.at + open(a)t0.or.at ** Conference Announcement ** Call For Resources ** Travel Grants Available ========================================== ** CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT ========================================== Today's infosphere allows a quick and easy exchange of digitized information. The tools of creation and the means of distribution are becoming more affordable by the month, thus continuously expanding the range of creators and users. Yet, not everyone is happy with this. A coalition of large media conglomerates calls for Draconian measures to stop this free flow of information. New restrictive technologies and new oppressive laws are being developed right now, in an attempt to create scarcity out of the digital abundance. The current security fears are manipulated to equate openness with danger in a cynical effort to protect the assets of large industries against the forces of innovation. Against this backdrop, a counter movement is taking shape that is guided by the idea of 'the commons': resources accessible to all. Rather than expanding the means of control to catch up with the ease of data processing, this movement takes the free availability of information as its starting point. It recognizes that a free society needs free flows of information, that the attempt to control information quickly leads to controlling people. Creativity - commercial, scientific and artistic - requires the ability to easily and freely built upon what others have created. The Open Cultures conference will survey the new territory of the commons by bringing together leading thinkers and practitioners from different corners of this vast field. We will talk about access to scientific information, free software, patents and other forms of knowledge monopolies, wireless community networks, open distribution channels, about the economics and the aesthetics of the commons. We want to strengthen the understanding of the shared visions and goals, learn from the different experiences and approaches and send a signal that, yes, openness is possible, indeed, it's the only direction to move forward. The conference will focus on the following topics: * Information Commons Open Access Journals and other institutional initiatives to build a infrastructure for free access to information * Media of the Commons Grassroots publishing, peer-to-peer, free distribution, freenet * Wireless Community Networks Rather than buying bandwidth from global telecom giants rebuilding information flows locally, from the ground up. One wireless cell at a time. * Politics Of the Commons International treaties and international governing bodies. What are the possibilities of using them to advance openness and access? * Culture of the Commons What culture and art is emerging in the commons? The conference will include workshops of streaming technologies and on wireless networks as well as exhibition of media installations who explore the ideas of openess and free access. Speakers and Guest include: Shu Lea Cheang (Artist, Kingdom of Piracy), Vera Franz and Darius Cuplinskas (Open Society Institute, Budapest, osi.hu), Adam Hyde (Artist, Frequency Clock), Jaromil (Developer, Dyne:bolic), Jamie Love (CPTech), Armin Medosch (Artist), Eben Moglen (Professor of Law, Columbia University NYC, EFF Pioneer 2003), Eric Moeller (Journalist, infoanarchy.org) Andy Mueller-Maguhn (Chaos Computer Club, ccc.de, ICANN), Bruce Sterling (Novelist), Alan Toner (NY University, Media activist, freedistro.org) ========================================== ** CALL FOR RESOURCES ========================================== As we all know, a conference as a live event has a limited reach: a few dozen people at worst, a few hundred at best. Nevertheless, its value can be much greater. The event character of a conference serves to focus attention, to create a defined context in which people, ideas and projects meet, learning takes place and new ideas can grow. Made accessible and archived on line, this focus can become an important reference point for the larger discussion way beyond the actual event. We would like to invite you to expose your ideas/projects to this focus on Open Cultures without the burden of having to travel to Vienna. How? By submitting a resource to the "Open Cultures Repository". A resource can be a text, a media file, a project, or a call for participation. We are in the process of assembling critical resources for the theory/practice of free information flows. We invite you to contribute to this collection of resources, by submitting one, or more, resource(s) either as original media files, or as links to resources already out-there but hard to find. The resource that you want the community to know about can be your's or someone else's. Please browse the resources that are already online and contribute to expanding the scope and value of this open collection. Should you have any questions / comments to this project, please do not hesitate to contact us. http://opencultures.t0.or.at open(a)t0.or.at ========================================== ** TRAVEL GRANTS AVAILABLE ========================================== Thanks to a generous contribution from the Open Society Institute (OSI), a small number of stipends are available to cover participants' travel costs. Participants eligible for these stipends should be from countries outside the US and EU. If you wish to apply for a stipend, please send an email to open(a)t0.or.at indicating your interest in the conference and travel expenses. Deadline for applying is April 30, 2003. The stipends will be awarded in consultation with the OSI and recipients will be notified by May 15. ----+-------+---------+--- http://felix.openflows.org _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request(a)sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>

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Script Tracking Boards
by Art McGee 11 Apr '03

11 Apr '03

Story Number 1: Wired Magazine May 2003 (Issue 11.05) To Live and Die in L.A. I've been tipped to the network of semisecret cyberhallways, called tracking boards, that are open only to the most elite power players in the industry. In simplest terms, these boards are sophisticated chat rooms and BBSes where high-level executives at various studios trade information about potential projects. They may seem innocuous at first glance, but the boards are where a writer meets his fate. Before a script goes out, it either gets deep-sixed or hyped up. Often, it's said, execs will go online and leak privileged information or even lie about projects in order to drive prices up - or down. If the rumors are true, it means that the fix is in: major collusions between studios, arbitrary blackballing, a system that mocks any standard of fair play. It's not just scripts - books, directors, even actors are tracked. Full Story: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.05/hollywood.html --- Story Number 2: Online Journalism Review October 30, 2002 Hollywood's Hidden Digital Ether Within a year, thanks to this and parallel efforts, virtually all of young Hollywood was wired together in a guerrilla network so complete, that people on the film industry's bottom rung seemed suddenly to know everything worth knowing about a crucial commodity, hot scripts, while their older bosses, who weren't invited to the party, remained shut out. Thus was the "tracking monster" born - and with it, according to some, came new values that altered not just the film business, but film itself, as the race for material changed from a competition among Jeffrey Katzenberg-inspired "Golden Retrievers" to an intricately wired swarm in which young gatekeepers, sharing identical information, go thumbs up or thumbs down on new scripts, en masse, in a nanosecond. "I think its the major reason films have gotten worse, and scripts have been having a tough time selling," said David Warden, whose Warden, White & Associates is one of the entertainment industry's best known boutique writers agencies. Full Story: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/entertainment/1036017275.php --- Story Number 3: Online Journalism Review October 30, 2002 Where the Network is Today Today, most professional script tracking boards are set up as private, password-only networks hosted by commercial operations like Hollywood Media Corp's Filmtracker. After paying a subscription fee, users either create their own groups or request placement with an appropriate one. A new subscriber working for a producer with a Sony deal might get plugged into a group missing Sony representation, for example. Full Story: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/entertainment/1036017147.php -end- Art McGee Principal Consultant Virtual Identity Communications+Media+Technology 1-510-967-9381

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Re: [Air-l] migration literature?
by Andrew Herman 11 Apr '03

11 Apr '03

Can you be more specific, Greg? Andrew Herman, Ph. D. Visiting Associate Professor of Sociology College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA 01610 (508) 793-2531 >>> elmergr(a)bc.edu 04/11/03 01:13PM >>> Any suggestions on literature that deals with the migration of previously autonomous networks, protocols, and platforms onto the web? Greg Elmer ---------------------- Greg Elmer, Assistant Professor Department of Communication Boston College 215 Lyons Hall Chestnut Hill, MA USA 02170 tel. 617.552.1928 fax. 617.552.1928 _______________________________________________ Air-l mailing list Air-l(a)aoir.org http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l

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migration literature?
by Greg Elmer 11 Apr '03

11 Apr '03

Any suggestions on literature that deals with the migration of previously autonomous networks, protocols, and platforms onto the web? Greg Elmer ---------------------- Greg Elmer, Assistant Professor Department of Communication Boston College 215 Lyons Hall Chestnut Hill, MA USA 02170 tel. 617.552.1928 fax. 617.552.1928

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Aljazeera back on line
by Sue Cranmer 11 Apr '03

11 Apr '03

For info, Aljazeera is back on line http://english.aljazeera.net Sue

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new international mailinglist on gender and ICT has started
by Els Rommes 11 Apr '03

11 Apr '03

A new international mailinglist has started for everybody interested in international gender & ICT developments, e.g. policy-makers, academics, women's organizations and software designers. Through this mailinglist,anouncements of workshops, conferencements, new websites, job openings and the latest research results will be disseminated. If you want to keep informed of international policy- and research activities in Gender & ICT, you can subscribe to this moderated list by sending an email to: majordomo(a)let.uu.nl with the following text: subscribe genderandict Make sure there is no other text in your message and that your message is in plain text. If you want to post a message to this list send your message to genderandict(a)let.uu.nl It might take a while for your message to appear on the list because it has to be approved by the listminder. This to prevent misuse of the list. If you are experiencing problems please contact the listminder at owner-genderandict(a)let.uu.nl We hope you will join us! On behalf of the projects below, Els Rommes (E.Rommes(a)ped.kun.nl) Erna Kotkamp (erna.kotkamp(a)let.uu.nl) Amongst others, the following European projects and organizations will disseminate information through this list: Athena-ICT: The ICT workgroup of ATHENA, the Advanced Thematic Network in Activities in Women's Studies in Europe. http://www.athena2.org SIGIS: Strategies of Inclusion of Gender in the Information Society http://www.rcss.ed.ac.uk/sigis/index.html @gender: the develepment of a full ODL online MA in Gender and Technology http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/atgender Gender and Technology Association Netherlands: http://www.indexsociety.nl/genderictsymposium/aboutvgt.htm WiC (Women in Computing in UK): http://www.wic.org.uk/index.htm WWW-ICT (EU project Widening Women's Work in Information and Communication Technology) http://www.ftu-namur.org/www-ict/

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participating in internet governance
by Sandra Braman 11 Apr '03

11 Apr '03

Jeremy's question regarding global governance is a good one, a lot has been written about it, and a number of public interest advocacy groups are actively pursuing the problem. But it should be noted that several of the key groups require an ability to cope with engineering, and social scientists and those in the humanities often choose to exclude themselves from such conversations as if the technical matters aren't also political. Robin Mansell, of the London School of Economics, has provided a role model in her acquisition of an engineering degree on top of all she knows about the social sciences, in order to sit on pertinent committees, etc. Sandra Braman

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