January 2004 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Re: qual and quant (fwd)
by Barry Wellman 25 Jan '04

25 Jan '04

As Charles Tilly didn't have access to the list, he asked me to forward for him. My pleasure. FWIW, I think his point complements mine, rather than replacing it. Barry Wellman ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2004 16:39:07 -0500 From: Charles Tilly <ct135(a)columbia.edu> To: Barry Wellman <wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca> Cc: aoir list <air-l(a)aoir.org>, communication and information technology section asa <citasa(a)mit.edu> Subject: Re: qual and quant You're opening up a question of broad significance, but quantitative vs. qualitative understates the problem. People at the leading edge of a technology and/or at the center of a communications network have different experiences and form different impressions from those located elsewhere. In the study of transnational social movement organizing by such experts as Lance Bennett, for example, new developments in electronic coordination receive great attention. But we have reason to believe that a) unmediated person to person connections still play crucial parts in the bulk of transnational social movement organizing and b) if those connections do shrivel, social movements will lose some of their longer-term impact on local, regional, and national politics in favor of wavelike short-term mobilizations. I have in circulation papers on the two subjects -- quantitative vs. qualitative and 21st century social movements that I'll be glad to send electronically. Chuck Charles Tilly Joseph L. Buttenwieser Professor of Social Science, Columbia University Office 514 Fayerweather Hall, letters and packages 413 Fayerweather Hall, Mail Code 2552, Columbia University, New York 10027-7001, USA telephone 212 854 2345, fax 212 854 2963, electronic ct135(a)columbia.edu Barry Wellman wrote: > Dear Friends and Colleagues, > >[snip] > I think the reason that immersive virtual communities have been so > prominent in the media and in analysts' eyes is that they are so imageable > and so amenable to study by qualitative means. I am thinking here of > really fine stuff such as Nancy Baym's soap opera study and Lori Kendall's > Hanging Out in the Virtual Pub. OTOH, quant. survey stuff is better at > placing prevalence in perspective, even though it is much harder to tell a > good story about it. > > I am not taking sides on qual-quant debate (which, being bi-, I find > tiresome), but on the different outcomes in public and scholarly discourse > of the different forms of research. Obviously, we need both. > > Barry >

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qual and quant
by Barry Wellman 25 Jan '04

25 Jan '04

Dear Friends and Colleagues, I've been meditating on the buzz on the AoIR list about 2 weeks ago that very few people use MUDs, chat rooms etc. (This from the Cdn Ipsos-Reid survey, but we all assumed that US was similar.) Most list members who commented reported that their undergrads had never really heard of such stuff. In fact, many of their students didn't even think they were on the Internet. They were "just IM'ing," etc. This low immersion in virtual community culture is not a new phenomenon, because our National Geographic 2000 survey data (collected in 1998) showed the same thing. So, I suspect have (and will) other studies. I think the reason that immersive virtual communities have been so prominent in the media and in analysts' eyes is that they are so imageable and so amenable to study by qualitative means. I am thinking here of really fine stuff such as Nancy Baym's soap opera study and Lori Kendall's Hanging Out in the Virtual Pub. OTOH, quant. survey stuff is better at placing prevalence in perspective, even though it is much harder to tell a good story about it. I am not taking sides on qual-quant debate (which, being bi-, I find tiresome), but on the different outcomes in public and scholarly discourse of the different forms of research. Obviously, we need both. Barry PS: At the risk of going even further out on a limb, I think that's what happened re Howard Dean in Iowa. The 20-something Meetup/Moveon campaign was so bloody imageable, from the NY Times Sunday mag. to Wired. Meanwhile, Kerry just kept organizing in traditional ways, but nobody wrote stories about that. (Of course, Dean was ahead in the polls till the last week, but why spoil a good story?) _____________________________________________________________________ Barry Wellman Professor of Sociology NetLab Director wellman at 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 To network is to live; to live is to network _____________________________________________________________________

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Re: [Air-l] qual and quant
by Mark D. Johns 24 Jan '04

24 Jan '04

At 12:20 PM 1/24/2004 -0500, you wrote: >PS: At the risk of going even further out on a limb, I think that's what >happened re Howard Dean in Iowa. The 20-something Meetup/Moveon campaign >was so bloody imageable, from the NY Times Sunday mag. to Wired. >Meanwhile, Kerry just kept organizing in traditional ways, but nobody >wrote stories about that. (Of course, Dean was ahead in the polls till the >last week, but why spoil a good story?) As an Iowan and a caucus participant, Barry, I'd say your observation is half right. The 20-something first-timers and Dean's use of the Web all made good copy for the media, and Kerry was well organized. But Dean had a pretty fair organization from any traditional perspective also, and nobody but nobody was better organized than Gephardt, who had the labor unions working for him. Perhaps the least organized of the "serious" candidates was John Edwards, who came in a strong second (32%) with Kerry (38%), to Dean's and Gephardt's very distant third (18%) and fourth (11%) respectively. Edwards' organization was minimal, yet he did very well. In fact, by some counts Edwards had more voters than Kerry, but because of the Byzantine caucus math, did slightly poorer in the delegate count. The pundits talk organization because they understand it, but the truth of the matter is that most of the caucus participants had had the opportunity to actually see and/or meet several of these guys in person in the weeks prior to the caucuses. If they hadn't seen them personally, they all had a trusted friend or neighbor who had. They were sick of the phone calls (6 to 10 per day at our house), the TV spots (average 150 per day per local broadcast station according to the University of Wisconsin ad watch project), and the direct mail (mostly from the better organized campaigns, Dean and Gephardt especially). People weren't talking about the media messages, but they were talking a great deal about personal impressions. I think the real story here is how relatively LITTLE impact the organizations and the media had, and how MUCH Iowans wanted to feel as if they were circumventing those to decide on the basis of personal experience with the candidates. When I saw Kerry in person (twice) I was rather shocked at how much better he came across than he did in his TV spots. I was likewise shocked at how poorly Gephardt played in person compared to his television persona. Edwards seemed to come across well both interpersonally and in mediated form, but the event of his I attended was filmed and segments of it made into his two most frequently aired TV spots, so my analysis there may be biased by having been present at the taping of the spots. I didn't have opportunity to see Dean, but many who did said things like, "he isn't like he looks on TV." (By the bye, I heard second hand from someone who had been at Dean's "non-victory" celebration and saw his now infamous "yee-haw!" or "I have a scream" speech in person, and thought it lots less weird than it looked on TV.) As a media studies person, I know most of the nation will not have the benefit of personal experience, but will decide on the basis of the 30 second spot, the 10 second sound byte, or the one minute scan of the home page, so it's questionable how it will translate beyond Iowa, and perhaps New Hampshire. But I really think that the Iowa result was because when people saw Dean and Gephardt "up close and personal" they didn't like what they saw and felt the media had deceived them. Just the opposite with Kerry and Edwards, who looked in person as good as, or better than, they did on TV. The news media simply failed to consider the power of non-mediated encounters. ------ Mark D. Johns, Ph.D. Asst. Professor of Communication/Linguistics, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa http://faculty.luther.edu/~johnsmar/ ----------------------------------------------- "Get the facts first. You can distort them later." ---Mark Twain

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Re: Air-l digest, Vol 1 #957 - 2 msgs
by Jacob Hecht 24 Jan '04

24 Jan '04

תודה ----- Original Message ----- From: <air-l-request(a)aoir.org> To: <air-l(a)aoir.org> Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 7:01 PM Subject: Air-l digest, Vol 1 #957 - 2 msgs > Send Air-l mailing list submissions to > air-l(a)aoir.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > air-l-request(a)aoir.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > air-l-admin(a)aoir.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Air-l digest..." > > > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Ethnography Conference April 30th - Call for Papers/AbstracMilagros > Pena <mpena(a)soc.ufl.edu>ts (fwd) (Barry Wellman) > > --__--__-- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2004 11:13:07 -0500 > From: Barry Wellman <wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca> > To: asa com&urb section e-list <comurb_r21(a)email.rutgers.edu>, > aoir list <air-l(a)aoir.org>, > communication and information technology section asa <citasa(a)mit.edu> > Subject: [Air-l] Ethnography Conference April 30th - Call for Papers/AbstracMilagros > Pena <mpena(a)soc.ufl.edu>ts (fwd) > Reply-To: air-l(a)aoir.org > > FYI. However, I have deleted the attachment, as per list practice. > > I say the usual "Apologies for cross-posting". Yet, every polite person > knows that and sometimes it's advisable to cross-post. It's become minor > spam masquerading as politeness. > > So I've said it now, but for the last time. > > Happy New Year from North America's Largest Chinese City, > Barry > _____________________________________________________________________ > > Barry Wellman Professor of Sociology NetLab Director > wellman at 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 > To network is to live; to live is to network > _____________________________________________________________________ > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2004 10:50:27 -0500 > From: Michael Schwartz <mschwartz(a)ms.cc.sunysb.edu> > To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;> > Subject: Fw: Ethnography Conference April 30th - Call for > Papers/AbstracMilagros Pena <mpena(a)soc.ufl.edu>ts > > > Dear All > > Please circulate this invitation to anyone who may be interested. Thanks. > > > "Ethnographies of Practice: From Suburbia to the Globe" > > > Call for Abstracts > > One page proposals for presentations are welcome from graduate students > based on ethnographic methods, including field research, and in-depth > interviews. If you are working on, or have completed an ethnographic > project, consider making a presentation at this spring's conference. > Preference will be given to papers that explore suburban life in a > global context or other connections between the local and global, > although papers of all topics are welcome. > > Keynote speakers for the event will be Jack Katz from UCLA, author of > Poor People's Lawyers in Transition, Seductions of Crime: Moral and > Sensual Attractions in Doing Evil, and How Emotions Work; and Marjorie > Default from Syracuse University, author of Feeding the Family: The > Social Organization of Caring as Gendered Work and Liberating Method: > Feminism and Social Research. > > Abstracts of no more than 500 words should be received by March 1, 2004. > The conference will be held on April 30th at SUNY- Stony Brook. > > Abstracts Due: March 1, 2004 > > If interested, please email your abstract, the title of your > presentation, your university affiliation, and your contact information > (name, mailing address, and email address) to > sunysbethnography(a)yahoo.com > > Please specify whether there is any special equipment that you will need > for your presentation (overhead projectors, power point capability, > etc.) > > > > > > > --__--__-- > > _______________________________________________ > Air-l mailing list > Air-l(a)aoir.org > http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l > > > End of Air-l Digest

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Ethnography Conference April 30th - Call for Papers/AbstracMilagros Pena <mpena@soc.ufl.edu>ts (fwd)
by Barry Wellman 24 Jan '04

24 Jan '04

FYI. However, I have deleted the attachment, as per list practice. I say the usual "Apologies for cross-posting". Yet, every polite person knows that and sometimes it's advisable to cross-post. It's become minor spam masquerading as politeness. So I've said it now, but for the last time. Happy New Year from North America's Largest Chinese City, Barry _____________________________________________________________________ Barry Wellman Professor of Sociology NetLab Director wellman at 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 To network is to live; to live is to network _____________________________________________________________________ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2004 10:50:27 -0500 From: Michael Schwartz <mschwartz(a)ms.cc.sunysb.edu> To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;> Subject: Fw: Ethnography Conference April 30th - Call for Papers/AbstracMilagros Pena <mpena(a)soc.ufl.edu>ts Dear All Please circulate this invitation to anyone who may be interested. Thanks. "Ethnographies of Practice: From Suburbia to the Globe" Call for Abstracts One page proposals for presentations are welcome from graduate students based on ethnographic methods, including field research, and in-depth interviews. If you are working on, or have completed an ethnographic project, consider making a presentation at this spring's conference. Preference will be given to papers that explore suburban life in a global context or other connections between the local and global, although papers of all topics are welcome. Keynote speakers for the event will be Jack Katz from UCLA, author of Poor People's Lawyers in Transition, Seductions of Crime: Moral and Sensual Attractions in Doing Evil, and How Emotions Work; and Marjorie Default from Syracuse University, author of Feeding the Family: The Social Organization of Caring as Gendered Work and Liberating Method: Feminism and Social Research. Abstracts of no more than 500 words should be received by March 1, 2004. The conference will be held on April 30th at SUNY- Stony Brook. Abstracts Due: March 1, 2004 If interested, please email your abstract, the title of your presentation, your university affiliation, and your contact information (name, mailing address, and email address) to sunysbethnography(a)yahoo.com Please specify whether there is any special equipment that you will need for your presentation (overhead projectors, power point capability, etc.)

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Fwd: [Air-l] CfP GOR 2002
by lizabeth rodriguez 22 Jan '04

22 Jan '04

To whom it may concern: I would like to cancel my subscription to Air-1 and stop receiving the messages on my email. Please let me know if I have written to the correct person or if I need to do something else for cancellation. Thank you for your time and cooperation. Liz (rodrigl)

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CFP: Online Journalism
by Charlie Breindahl 22 Jan '04

22 Jan '04

2004 Call for Papers Announcement The 2004 International Symposium on Online Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin - April 16-17, 2004. For the first time, the symposium will include presentations of original research into online journalism. All presentations will take place on the second day of the conference. The first day is devoted to presentations and panels of online journalism professionals. Prior symposia have included representatives of the NYTimes.com, MCNBC.com and WashingtonPost.com. Deadlines for papers or three-page abstracts: March 1, 2004 Submission requirements: Academic papers should present original research into any aspect on online journalism including, but not limited to, changes in news content and presentation, business models for online journalism, shifting roles of journalists and readers, and the legal and ethical implications of globally accessible journalism. Papers should not have been published or presented at a prior conference. If a completed paper is not yet available, please submit a three-page abstract including details on research questions and methodology. Papers should be completed by time of the conference. All submissions will undergo a blind review. Authors will be notified of acceptance by March 15, 2004. All submissions should be made electronically. Submit Today - http://journalism.utexas.edu/onlinejournalism/04callforpapers.htm For more information on the symposium, visit - http://journalism.utexas.edu/onlinejournalism/index.html

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factcheck.org
by Christian Nelson 22 Jan '04

22 Jan '04

I just recently became aware of factcheck.org (at www.factcheck.org)--a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which is housed at the Univ. of Pennsylvania and funded by the Annenberg Foundation. It's headed by Brooks Jackson, who created the "adwatch" and "fact check" series for CNN. Like Jackson's CNN projects, factcheck.org is devoted to publishing research about the accuracy of political claims on their web site. (They also have an email service that sends their reports out when completed.) As far as I can tell, this is something new on the Internet, that could really only happen with the Internet. Clearly, this project couldn't get off the ground if it had go to teh expense of distributing its product like a newspaper. And it seems differenet than other Internet political sites, in that it strives to be independent and is independently funded. Am I right about its uniqueness? --Christian Nelson

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Mobile Entertainment Conference: Early Bird deadline
by Jason Rutter 22 Jan '04

22 Jan '04

Apologies for x-posting. Hi All, This is just a quick reminder that Friday is the deadline for the early bird registration fee for the conference "Mobile Entertainment: User-centred Perspectives". Up to and including Friday 23rd Jan standard registration is 225 UKP and Student registration 110UKP. Registration is available via www.mobile-ent.org. The event is hosted by the University of Manchester as part of the European Commission funded mGain project - www.mgain.org - and is taking place between 25th and 27th March 2004. Invited speakers include: Andrew Bud, mBlox Patricia Charlton, Motorola Labs John Chasey, IOMO Patrice Chazerand, ISFE Bo Karlson, Wireless@KTH Anna Polishchuk, New Millennium Investment Tim Regan, Microsoft Research A draft programme as well as a list of events, speakers, and workshops is also available on the conference website www.mobile-ent.org. Jase -- Dr Jason Rutter Mobile Entertainment: User Centred Perspectives 25th-27th March 2004 www.mobile-ent.org ESRC DigiPlay Seminar series www.cric.ac.uk/cric/digi/digisems.htm ESRC Centre for Research on Innovation and Competition (CRIC), The University of Manchester, Harold Hankins Building, Booth Street West, Manchester, M13 9QH. UK PH: +44 (0) 161 275 6859 Fax: +44 (0) 161 275 7361 http://www.cric.ac.uk/cric/Jason_Rutter

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Sixth International GOR Conference: approaching end of early registration
by Ulf-Dietrich Reips 21 Jan '04

21 Jan '04

Dear colleagues, please note the approaching deadline for fee-reduced early registrations at the end of this month, if you would like to attend the Sixth International GOR Conference GOR 04 GERMAN ONLINE RESEARCH '04 30th and 31st March, 2004 at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany Conference Website: http://www.dgof.de/gor04/index_e.htm Program: http://www.dgof.de/gor04/programm_en.html Hoping to see you in Duisburg! Best wishes, --ur -- ---------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Ulf-Dietrich Reips Universität Zürich ICQ: 16739325 Psychologisches Institut Rämistr. 62 CH-8001 Zürich, Switzerland http://www.psychologie.unizh.ch/sowi/reips/reipspers.html

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