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

Re: [Air-l] ATTN: Race, Place, and Information Technology
by Art McGee 18 Sep '03

18 Sep '03

> There has been little or no apparent rejection, as far as > I can tell, of the Internet as a "white man's technology", > as extraneous and irrelevant to local cultural life, or as > an overpriced commodity imported from abroad (and that it > definitely is). And why should there be? The problem with the normal interrogation of this issue is that there is a failure to recognize that while the physical technology may have been developed elsewhere, the concepts which undergird it's use and operation are often indigenous. If anything, the real "white man's" technology is anything that is based on unidirectional broadcast and private property ownership (broadcast television, etc.), as opposed to the multidirectional and communal tendencies of the internet and other forms of online communication. The internet comes closer than any other "outside" form to what non-white people would create if given a choice. The barriers they face in acquiring the physical tools to participate says nothing about how the idea of the internet resonates with many of their cultural values. So, if there is a digital divide, it's brought about not by lack of interest, laziness, nihilism, or apathy, but by economic and institutional barriers to getting at the means of production and consumption. > This of course speaks to the particularities of Trinidad, > and I would not expect similar findings in all parts of > whatever one may call it, the Third World, the lesser > developed countries, ex-colonies, etc., etc. There is nothing surprising to me about the Trinidadian situation, and in reading the research it in many ways mirrored my perceptions and personal experience as a Black person here in the United States. Obviously there are many objective differences, but there is a Pan-African thread, however thin it may be, that ties them together. Art McGee Principal Consultant Virtual Identity Communications+Media+Technology 1-510-967-9381 Copyrights and Copywrongs <http://nytimes.com/imagepages/2003/09/16/arts/20030916_POPLIFE_IMAGE.html>

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Source of research sought
by Christine L. Ogan 17 Sep '03

17 Sep '03

I'm looking for research on people who respond to opinions or ideas they read in listservs or on Internet sites. If I remember correctly, people who write in response to an idea they read on a listserv tend to disagree with the published statement. Is that so? Who has conducted research on this phenomenon? I am studying email responses to an essay that appeared in a political opinion web site. Thanks for any help you can provide. Chris Ogan Professor of Journalism School of Journalism 206a Ernie Pyle Hall 970 E. Seventh Street Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47405-7108 812-855-1699 Fax: 812-855-0901 www.indiana.edu/~oganjour Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research Professor of Informatics 211 Informatics 901 E. Tenth Street Bloomington, IN 47408-3912 812-855-1699 Fax: 812-856-4764

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LAST CALL FOR HILTON BOOKINGS!
by Rhiannon Bury 17 Sep '03

17 Sep '03

Dear AOIR conference delegates: September 19 is the LAST day that rooms at the Hilton will be set aside for delegates at the rate of $224 CDN per night. Bookings made by telephone or through our webpage can still be made but will depend on availability. I've already had one person email me to say there was no availability through the hotel's own website. Our block *still* has availability but that will change quickly enough when the rooms are released into the system. Business may have been slow back in May and June but the group services manager tells me October will very busy. So sign up ASAP: once again, here's our link with instructions. > http://www.ecommons.net/aoir/hotel_travel.phtml Email me privately if you run into problems or need assistance. Apparently the excel form link wasn't working but I hope it's been fixed by now. Rhiannon

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Politics on the Internet (from APSA)
by Wainer Lusoli 17 Sep '03

17 Sep '03

Dear all - hopefully of interest to the politicos on the list. We have presented a paper at APSA on the uses of IBTs (Internet base technologies) by British political parties' members, and related implication for intra-party democracy. http://www.esri.salford.ac.uk/ESRCResearchproject/papers/lusoli_ward_apsa20… Several conference sessions might also be of interest to members interested in the ICT-politics connection: http://www.apsanet.org/mtgs/program/program.cfm?event=1417188 http://www.apsanet.org/mtgs/program/program.cfm?event=1417448 http://www.apsanet.org/mtgs/program/program.cfm?event=1417318 http://www.apsanet.org/mtgs/program/program.cfm?event=1417428 http://www.apsanet.org/mtgs/program/program.cfm?event=1415608 To retrieve the papers (upload deadline: October, 1, therefore some can still be missing): http://archive.allacademic.com/publication/apsa_index.php All the best, Wainer ------------------------------------------------- Wainer Lusoli Researcher @ ESRI University of Salford IPOP - http://www.ipop.org.uk Tel: +44 (0)161 295 5654 -------------------------------------------------

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Global Information Village Plaza
by Nadia Caidi 17 Sep '03

17 Sep '03

CONTRIBUTE YOUR VOICE TO THE GLOBAL INFORMATION VILLAGE PLAZA A major feature in the so-called "information society" or else "digital economy" is its global nature. This aspect is analyzed, described and commented upon by many "specialists." The same specialists and other happy few are involved in the preparation of policies and programs supposed to support the transition into this "new era." Yet the lay professional public has little opportunity to express and confront its views in a truly open and participative fashion, unbiased by corporate, political or career stakes. While general economic and social challenges or current practices are often debated, what do this "new" society mean and imply for people is more often than not overlooked. Take advantage of a unique opportunity to express your personal views and share opinions with members of the ASIS&T and with information professionals at large.Tell us in a short (300 words maximum) position statement what in your opinion will be radically changed in your professional life and in your personal life as a result of the globalization of the information society? In other words, what does ‘globalization’ and ‘information society’ mean to you in a very real and concrete sense, both as an individual and as an information professional? What changes (if any) do you feel you have to undergo in order to cope? What should the information science community do to help you cope with the change? What should the information science community do to help itself cope with the change? To get your started, example of issues/themes are provided below. You may want to select one or a few of the following themes and articulate what is really new and challenging about each; what individuals and professional societies should do in order for all to better deal with the issue. The goal is to deepen our understanding of the problem and propose research and action agendas. Your own contributions and additions to the list of topics are of course welcome. · Multiculturalism and multilingualism · Lifelong learning for information professionals · Transformation of the public sphere and information ‘spaces’ · Strategies for coping with information overload and pollution · Distance education and interactive learning · User-friendliness and reliability of ICT applications · New patterns of work and social life · ICT and information as instruments of domination and/or liberation on the international scene · The state of information post 9/11 In keeping with the spirit of the Plaza -e.g., the 'public place' or shared community space reminiscent of the public sphere-, a wide initiative called the Global Information Village Plaza is currently taking place. Its aim is to bring people together to reflect on these issues. Beyond the individual opinions, the social interaction between the various participants and contributors is an important part of the process (hence, the idea of a global plaza). Take the opportunity to share your position statement with others through the discussion list of the Special Interest Group on International Information Issues (SIG/III) of ASIS&T, which hosts the public discussion around the Global Information Village Plaza. The email for the list is: sigiii-l(a)asis.org <mailto:sigiii-l@asis.org> Messages should clearly indicate "Plaza" in the subject line. All position statements are due by October 5. Note: Anyone can post messages to the sigiii-l list but if you wish to see what others have posted and participate in further discussion, consider subscribing to the list (see http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sigiii-l for details on how to subscribe). The sigiii list is a moderated list (mainly to avoid spamming and unrelated announcements). Of course, you may send your comments about others’ statements posted on the list. For more information, contact Nadia Caidi (caidi(a)fis.utoronto.ca) or Michel Menou (Michel.Menou(a)wanadoo.fr)

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ATTN: Race, Place, and Information Technology
by Art McGee 17 Sep '03

17 Sep '03

This is a paper being presented at the upcoming Telecommunications Policy Research Conference: Race, Place, and Information Technology By Karen Mossberger and Caroline J. Tolbert http://intel.si.umich.edu/tprc/archive-search-abstract.cfm?PaperID=184 Two points in the paper mirror what I've been saying and experiencing forever: 1. "Social networks facilitate technology use, according to our survey. Computers and the Internet are used far more frequently at the homes of friends or relatives than at public access sites. Twenty percent of all respondents reported using computers and the Internet at the homes of others, and twenty-four percent of respondents without home computers relied on friends and relatives. This is about 10 percentage points higher than rates of usage of public access computers at libraries (Mossberger, Tolbert, and Stansbury 2003). Informal processes of learning about computers and their uses may be as significant as public access and formal training." 2. "Race and ethnicity influence attitudes toward technology, in a surprising way. African-Americans had more positive attitudes toward information technology than similarly-situated white respondents, across a range of questions. While over 2/3 of Americans view the Internet and computers as important for keeping up with the times, or as important for economic opportunity, African Americans are significantly more likely to agree with these statements. They are also more likely than whites to be willing to learn new computer skills in a variety of ways, and are more willing to use public access sites for computers and the Internet. In terms of actual behavior, we found that African-Americans are more likely than whites to have used computers for job search or to have taken an online course. Our findings agree with other survey research on Internet job search (Pew 2000), but our analysis shows that these racial differences are statistically significant even after controlling for differences in income and education. Ethnic differences are less pronounced, but Latinos are more likely than whites to say that the Internet is necessary to keep up with the times, and are more willing than white respondents to take computer classes to learn new skills. Otherwise, their attitudes differ little from white respondents in the sample. Taken together, these statements show a fairly consistent pattern of positive attitudes about information technology for African Americans especially, as well as Latinos. Some other studies have also shown that African- Americans, Latinos, and urban residents are among the Internet nonusers who are most likely to say they will use the Internet someday (Lenhart 2003). Because apathy is an insufficient explanation for racial and ethnic differences, and individual income is also insufficient to account for these differences, environmental influences may be at work." Art McGee Principal Consultant Virtual Identity Communications+Media+Technology 1-510-967-9381

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Workshop Program at the German Online Research 04
by u.matzat＠t-online.de 16 Sep '03

16 Sep '03

Dear Internet Researchers, the German Society for Online Research offers the following tutorial workshops that will be held at the German Online Research 04 (March 30 + 31, 2004): - The Analysis of Online Groups:Topics, findings, techniques, and applications - The Analysis of Social Networks in the field of Internet Research: Subjects, Techniques, and Applications - Non-Reactive Methods of Data Collection on the Internet: Techniques, Software, and Applications for Researchers and Users - On-line Experimenting, from planning stage to logfile analysis: Basic concepts, software, techniques, and insider tricks - Online Employee Surveys - Data-Mining for the E-Business Please find more information about the details of the workshops, the organizers, fees, and opportunities for registration at http://www.dgof.de/gor04/work_e.htm The workshops are for registered visitors of the German Online Research 04 only. More information about the German Online Research 04 can be found at http://www.dgof.de/gor04/cfp_e.htm Regards, Uwe Matzat +++++++++++++++++++++ Uwe Matzat Institute of Social Sciences Sociology Chair I University of Duesseldorf Universitaetstr. 1 40225 Duesseldorf phone: +49 211 8112851 matzat(a)uni-duesseldorf.de http://www.uni-duesseldorf.de/~matzat !I send this email from my private !email address; please respond only to matzat(a)uni-duesseldorf.de +++++++++++++++++++++++++

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RE: Course Readings
by Greg Wise 16 Sep '03

16 Sep '03

You might try Graham Meikle's Future Active: Media Activism and the Internet (Routledge, 2002) or Martha McCaughey and Michael D. Ayers Cyberactivism: Online Activism in Theory and Practice (Routledge, 2003). I suspect, from your description of your students, the former might work better. greg J. Macgregor Wise, Chair Department of Communication Studies College of Human Services Arizona State University West 4701 West Thunderbird Road Glendale, AZ 85306-4908 office: (602) 543 6646 fax: (602) 543 6612 --__--__-- Message: 3 Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 14:25:56 -0500 From: Ed Lamoureux <ell(a)bradley.edu> To: Air-l(a)aoir.org Subject: [Air-l] course readings/esp. books Reply-To: air-l(a)aoir.org I'm starting to work on a 400 level (senior) undergraduate seminar for the spring focused on non-commercial uses for multimedia. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to use Rich Media Poor Democracy as one of the texts (the one that "establishes the nature of the problem") . . . but I'm not having much luck finding the "and here's what we can do about it with new media" text for the other side of the equation. Any suggestions? Our students are very very practical . . . the program itself is a production major at a comprehensive institution . . . the students aren't very well positioned for "critical theory." I'm looking for practical ways to leverage what we do with web/cd/dvd authoring as positive contributions to our culture as opposed to only showing students how to make stuff that works in commercial products and projects. thanks for any suggestions. Edward Lee Lamoureux, Ph. D. Interim Director, Multimedia Program and New Media Center Associate Professor, Speech Communication 1501 W. Bradley Bradley University Peoria IL 61625 309-677-2378 Editor, Journal of Communication and Religion

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Three internet/media vacancies, Indiana
by Charlie Breindahl 16 Sep '03

16 Sep '03

Three Tenure-Line Faculty Positions in Telecommunications Indiana University, Bloomington The Department of Telecommunications seeks three additional tenure-line faculty. One of the hires may be at the associate or full level. Candidates should hold the Ph.D., M.F.A. or other appropriate terminal degree, and present a promising program of (1) scholarly research using social scientific, legal, or historical methods related to electronic media/communications, or (2) creative activity in interactive new media. They also must be able to teach effectively in one or more of our undergraduate or graduate areas of concentration. On the undergraduate level, these are Media and Society, Design and Production, and Industry and Management. On the graduate level, these are Processes and Effects, Law and Policy, Management, and Interactive New Media Design. In light of the departments current needs, we especially seek individuals with teaching and research or creative interests in the following areas: * Electronic media / telecommunications law and policy. Scholars with expertise in Internet law and policy (and related areas) or in global/international telecommunications law and policy are encouraged to apply. Candidates for this position may have a background in legal/historical research, economics, political science, or other appropriate disciplines. * Management of media enterprises. The department is especially interested in scholars of traditional or new media, with a background in management, organizational communication, economics, or any other appropriate discipline. We seek applicants who can teach such courses as telecommunications management, media entertainment/programming, broadband and web economics, and/or media advertising/marketing/e-commerce. The ideal candidate will strengthen our media management curriculum, especially at the master's level. * Computer game design and interactive storytelling. Candidates for this position will have interests in interactive entertainment design and with demonstrated competence in linear script-writing for television and/or non-linear script-writing for interactive storytelling and game design; interactive sound and music; 3D modeling for character animation and level design, or networked game programming. Applicants must be able to teach effectively in the departments Design and Production undergraduate area as well as in its Interactive New Media Design graduate area of concentration (MIME). Beyond this, our overriding objective is to attract the best applicants in the field. We encourage qualified applicants who would contribute to any of the graduate or undergraduate areas of concentration indicated above. The department offers a B.A. in Telecommunications as well as M.A., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. It features a special program on the graduate level in new media (MIME) and a joint M.S./J.D. degree with the IU School of Law. It also offers an undergraduate Certificate in New Media and Interactive Storytelling. Applicants should submit 1) a cover letter summarizing their qualifications for the position, 2) a current vita, 3) selected publications or a portfolio documenting recent creative work, including recent student work if relevant and 4) evidence of effective teaching. Three letters of recommendation should be submitted directly by recommenders. Direct questions and application materials to Professor Walter Gantz, Chair, Department of Telecommunications, Radio-TV Center, Indiana University, 1229 East Seventh Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405-5501. Professor Gantz can be reached by phone at (812) 855-1621, fax at (812) 855-7955, or via e-mail at gantz(a)indiana.edu. Those interested in the position are invited to learn more about our faculty and programs by visiting the departments Web site at http://www.indiana.edu/~telecom/. Openings begin August 16, 2004. Review of applications will begin November 19, 2003 and will continue until the positions are filled. Indiana University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We strongly encourage applications from women and minority candidates as well as from two-career couples.

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course readings/esp. books
by Ed Lamoureux 15 Sep '03

15 Sep '03

I'm starting to work on a 400 level (senior) undergraduate seminar for the spring focused on non-commercial uses for multimedia. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to use Rich Media Poor Democracy as one of the texts (the one that "establishes the nature of the problem") . . . but I'm not having much luck finding the "and here's what we can do about it with new media" text for the other side of the equation. Any suggestions? Our students are very very practical . . . the program itself is a production major at a comprehensive institution . . . the students aren't very well positioned for "critical theory." I'm looking for practical ways to leverage what we do with web/cd/dvd authoring as positive contributions to our culture as opposed to only showing students how to make stuff that works in commercial products and projects. thanks for any suggestions. Edward Lee Lamoureux, Ph. D. Interim Director, Multimedia Program and New Media Center Associate Professor, Speech Communication 1501 W. Bradley Bradley University Peoria IL 61625 309-677-2378 Editor, Journal of Communication and Religion

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