March 2006 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

CFP- HICSS-40 VIrtual Communities
by Karine Barzilai-Nahon 15 Mar '06

15 Mar '06

Sorry for cross-posting CALL FOR PAPERS for the Virtual Communities minitrack Forty Annual Hawai'i International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-40) January 3-6, 2007 Hilton Waikoloa Village, Big Island Additional detail may be found on HICSS primary web site: http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu Virtual Communities have been studied from a variety of different perspectives and disciplines. Examples range from political communities, communities of interest, communities of relationship, and gaming communities to communities of transactions. Community building and community management can be a key success factors in the digital economy and society. They can either supplement existing or even represent new business models in the digital economy. The communities we target may be constituted as Internet shops, portal sites, educational, groupware systems, electronic auctions, billboards, peer-to-peer file sharing infrastructures, enterprises or organizations, social communities and more. Online communities differ in their orientation. Nevertheless, there are common features which all types of communities share: common interests, practices, languages and ontologies with common semantics as well as normative issues. Communities are a sociological phenomenon. They can foster a social atmosphere for interactions, relationships and transactions. We call for papers that address communities as a social and business phenomenon. Possible topics include, but are not limited to: - Social, political and economic impact of Virtual Communities - Communities as a sociological phenomenon in the digital economy - Sense of community - Community-related business models, services and best practices and lessons learned - Management and organizational behavior of communities - Transaction-oriented Virtual Communities, Customer collaboration - Peer-to-Peer or mobile services for Virtual Communities - Personalization and use of customer profiles - Recommendation systems - Case studies and topologies of Online Communities - Design principles for community platforms - Formal or semi-formal models of communities and their platforms: Conceptual frameworks, Organizational models, Cognitive models, Multi-agent systems, Formalizations MINITRACK CHAIR: Karine Barzilai-Nahon Assistant Professor The Information School University of Washington Mary Gates Hall, Room 370B, Box 352840 Seattle, WA 98195-2840, Tel- (206) 685-6668 Email - karineb(a)u.washington.edu Website - www.ischool.washington.edu/karineb IMPORTANT DEADLINES Abstract Authors may contact Minitrack Chair for guidance and indication of appropriate content at anytime. June 15 Authors submit full papers to the Peer Review System, following Author Instructions found on the HICSS web site (www.hicss.hawaii.edu) Papers undergo a double-blind review. August 15 Acceptance/Rejection notices are sent to Authors via the Peer Review System. September 15 Authors submit Final Version of papers to the Peer Review System web site. The Virtual Community minitrack is part of the Internet & the Digital Economy Track Co-chaired by David King (david.king(a)jda.com) and Alan Dennis (ardennis(a)indiana.edu) ------------------------------------------------------------- Karine Barzilai-Nahon Assistant Professor The Information School University of Washington Mary Gates Hall, Room 370B, Box 352840 Seattle, WA 98195-2840 (206) 685-6668, http://www.ischool.washington.edu/karineb

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E-Gov Track @ HICSS40: 1st CfP
by Jochen Scholl 15 Mar '06

15 Mar '06

Apologies for unintended double-postings-- CALL FOR PAPERS E-GOVERNMENT TRACK at the 40th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 40) ( http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/ ) Over the past several years, the emergent study domain of electronic Government (e-Government, e-Gov) research (EGR), also referred to as digital government, has produced a rapidly increasing number of academic and practitioner contributions at HICSS and other leading conferences and journals around the world. At HICSS, this growing stream of research is represented through eight minitracks within the e-Government Track ( http://www.ctg.albany.edu/conference/hicss/ ) * E-Democracy * E-Government Emerging Topics * E-Government Information and Knowledge Management * E-Government Information Security * E-Government Infrastructure and Interoperability * E-Government Organization and Management * E-Government Services and Information * E-Policy, Law, and Governance HICSS40 also features a Symposium of the Global Electronic Government Research and Practice Community (January 3, 2007- first day of HICSS40) ( http://www.ctg.albany.edu/conference/hicss/egovsymposium?sub=egovsymposium ) Please find the detail minitrack calls under the specified URLs: E-Democracy, co-chairs: S. Beaumaster (lead), A. Macintosh, & E. Welch http://www.ctg.albany.edu/conference/hicss/edemocracy?sub=edemocracy E-Gov Emerging Topics, co-chairs: T. Pardo (lead), J. Millard, & J. Scholl http://www.ctg.albany.edu/conference/hicss/egovresearch?sub=egovresearch E-Gov Information and Knowledge Management, co-chairs: Maria Wimmer (lead), Nichael Goul, & Jing Zhang E-Gov Information Security, co-chairs: G. White (lead) & S. Jones http://www.ctg.albany.edu/conference/hicss/egovsecurity?sub=egovsecurity E-Gov Infrastructure and Interoperability, co-chairs: M. Janssen (lead), R. Klischewski, & H. Demirkan http://www.ctg.albany.edu/conference/hicss/egovinfra?sub=egovinfra E-Gov Organization & Management, co-chairs: S. Dawes (lead), C. Leitner, & T. Horan http://www.ctg.albany.edu/conference/hicss/egovmgmt?sub=egovmgmt E-Gov Services & Information, co-chairs: A. Cresswell (lead), K. Eschenfelder, & K. Andersen http://www.ctg.albany.edu/conference/hicss/egovsvcs?sub=egovsvcs E-Palicy, Law, and Governance, co-chairs: R. Krimmer (lead), K. Schildt, & P. Walden http://www.ctg.albany.edu/conference/hicss/epolicy?sub=epolicy IMPORTANT DEADLINES AND INFORMATION Abstracts Authors may contact Minitrack Chairs for guidance and indication of appropriate content at anytime. June 15, 2006 Authors submit full papers to the Peer Review System, following Author Instructions found on the HICSS web site (www.hicss.hawaii.edu) All papers will be submitted in double column publication format and limited to 10 pages including diagrams and references. Papers undergo a double-blind review. August 15, 2006 Acceptance/Rejection notices are sent to Authors via the Peer Review System. September 15, 2006 Authors submit Final Version of papers following submission instructions on the Peer Review System web site. At least one author of each paper must register by this date with specific plans to attend the conference to present the paper. Early Registration fee applies. September 16, 2006 General Registration fee applies until December 15. October 15, 2006 Cancellation penalties apply after this date. After cancellation of registration, papers will not be included in the Proceedings. December 1, 2006 Hotel rates are not guaranteed after this date. December 15, 2006 On site registration fee applies after this date. No refunds after this date. Hans J (Jochen) Scholl Chair, HICSS40 Electronic Government Track The Information School University of Washington Mary Gates Hall, Suite 370C Box 352840 Seattle, WA 98195-2840, USA Tel: 1-206-616-2543 Fax: 1-206-616-3152 jscholl(a)u.washington.edu

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Re: [Air-l] Internet as medium with different sub-media or channels?
by Silke Force 15 Mar '06

15 Mar '06

William Bain wrote: Equally humbly seeking further information in relation to Bob Rehak's very interesting contribution [snip] I'd like to comment that I see nothing illogical (or technologically unsound?) about calling the Internet a medium, which it seems to be, (and in a/some layered form). But while "the 'hardware' is materially implicated in the medium's *expressive* activity" does it follow that the hardware can be assigned an *affective* activity? In the spirit of the seeker, William Bain, UAB, Barcelona ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please forgive a relative newbie an impertinent question here. Would it be fair to draw an analogy between the internet and the library? Silke Force Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada

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Re: [Air-l] Action Researchers
by Maria Elisa Peirano 15 Mar '06

15 Mar '06

Hello Andy, I am a PhD Student, unfourtunately I cannot help you with action research, but I am studying communities of practice. So in that area perhaps we can share/exchange some information. Nice to meet you Maria Elisa Maria Elisa Peirano de Peluffo Direccion: Casilla Postal # 105 Carlos Casares - C.P. 6530 Prov. de Buenos Aires Argentina Tel: 02395 15403047 --------------------------------- Yahoo! Mail Bring photos to life! New PhotoMail makes sharing a breeze.

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Re: [Air-l] not wishing to start a war . . .
by Christopher J. Richter 15 Mar '06

15 Mar '06

Nathaniel states "Really I think this is interesting, but moot: it just depends on your definition" I would add that your definition depends on your perspective (also, I'll accept that the issue of definition is moot in the sense of debatable, but I'll debate whether it's moot in the sense of no practical value!) In any case, I think I understand Bob's perspective as reflected in his question "if packet transmission methods are specialized according to different end needs, then doesn't this argue for the presence of the internet as a medium, in the sense that its protocols are made to serve specific expressive functions?" But another perspective emerges if starting with a different analogy, i.e. instead of 'news paper is to printing press as IM, e-mail, whatever, is to internet,' try 'piece of mail is to postal system as IM, e-mail, whatever, is to internet.' >From this perspective, I can argue that the mail is the medium, the postal system is implicated in it and a necessary condition, but in and of itself, arguably not a medium. It takes the specific pieces of mail actually to convey/share meaning. Without them the system is only an organization and hardware. This may not technically be a comparable issue to the internet vs. its uses, but does reflect a (possibly less tech savvy) user's perspective. In any case, I echo others in saying that this discussion is fascinating, useful, and more fun than the grading I'm avoiding. One more citation for consideration: Susan Douglas, in Inventing American Broadcasting: 1899-1922 (1987, Johns Hopkins UP)traces out the complex interrelations of institutional, technological, economic and cultural factors involved in defining a medium when she addresses the question of when, how and why wireless became radio. Eagerly waiting for the next contribution to the discussion Chris Christopher J Richter, PhD Assoc. Prof. & Chair, Communication Studies Hollins University P.O. Box 9652 Roanoke, VA 24020 Tel. 5403626358 Fax 5403626286 e-mail crichter(a)hollins.edu www.hollins.edu ww.aoir.org/

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11th International Conference of the International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics
by Isidro F. Aguillo 15 Mar '06

15 Mar '06

Dear colleague, This is the first Announcement of the 11th International Conference of the International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics (ISSI) to be held in June 25-27 2007 in Madrid (Spain) hosted by the Spanish Research Council (CSIC). Please, find the First Announcement at the conference website: http://issi2007.cindoc.csic.es Best regards, Isidro F. Aguillo on behalf of the Organising Committee isidro(a)cindoc.csic.es CINDOC-CSIC Spanish Research Council Joaquin Costa, 22 28002 Madrid. SPAIN http://www.cindoc.csic.es

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Re: [Air-l] not wishing to start a war . . .
by Matthew Allen 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

Denise wrote: > In my book the packet doesn't care what it is carrying. Carrying a bit > of binary code or a text message is all the same. Doesn't make the > packet a container of expressive content. That content appears to the > reader on the other end. While Bob has produced some argument against this position from a conceptual perspective (and I think Bob and Denise are both right depending on one's conceptual starting point), it might be worth pondering the longer-term impact of IPv6 on the received wisdom that the packet doesn't care what it is carrying. One of the empirical reasons why Denise's position has become, for some, a legitimate conceptual position is that the original design of internet protocol was heavily weighted towards 'all information is equivalent' within a particular packet, with very limited capacity to differentiate packets while they remained in transit and not being sent or received. Clearly though IPv6, by increasing the size of the header and permitting significant additional information about the packet might produce experiences in the world which will require some revision of the 'packet doesn't care'. Perhaps though, it's not the packets that care or don't care but, rather, the systems which use those packets (both technological and economic)? There's an extraordinarily complex and altogether unseen world within the network (which in fact Denise helped educate me in over coffee somewhere at an AoIR conference I think) which is mostly divorced from packet contents. IPv6 however has the potential to bring some interaction between packet content and packet-switching system. M Dr Matthew Allen Associate Professor in Internet Studies President Association of Internet Researchers Faculty of Media Society and Culture Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider Code 00301J http://smi.curtin.edu.au/NetStudies/allen.htm +61 8 92663511 (v) +61 8 92663166 (f)

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CFP: “Computer Game-based Learning” - ITSE Journal special issue
by Panayiotis Zaphiris 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

Call for papers: Special Issue of International Journal of Interactive Technology and Smart Education on “Computer Game-based Learning” Guest Editors Panayiotis Zaphiris & CS Ang, Centre for HCI Design City University London This special issue aims at discussing and examining the educational potential of computer games whose commercial success has recently attracted the scholarly study from various fields. Theoretical issues and practical challenges in game-based learning such as pedagogical principles for computer games, design and evaluation methodologies as well as implementation will be the focus of this issue. RATIONALE There is now almost no doubt that games and play are something worth studying academically due to its commercial importance, its increasing recognition from the society regarding its cultural importance, and its application on non-play/serious domains particularly education. The need of understanding game design in particular and the nature of games in general are evident in computer games as the basics of game design are still unexplored that we need to take a largely formalist approach to discover and explore the fundamental, intrinsic learning aspects of games. Despite the lack of formalist methodologies, some computer games are highly successful commercially. It is believed that this is due to the fact that games that people cannot learn to play and from which they do not get the enjoyment of learning would not sell. In other words, the commercially successful games are designed with good learning theories even though it is not intentional. Good game designers are already doing a very good job at making learning happen. Also, a good game is often accompanied by the pleasure of socialising and interaction with other players. Thus it is argued that learning and sociability are two important criteria game designers may want to apply to game design. THEMES Contributions from both the academic community and industry are most welcomed. Potential topics include (but are not limited to) the following: * Design approaches and techniques suitable for Computer Game Based Learning * Usability studies regarding Computer Game Based Learning * Theoretical and/or pedagogical foundations for analysing learning in/through the use of Computer Games * Within-game and/or out-game learning activities and their analysis * Computer Games and Online Learning Communities * Social and Cultural Issues and Computer Game Based Learning * Accessibility of Computer Game Based Learning SUBMISSION PROCESS Prospective authors should as soon as possible (but before 1st of April 2006) submit a tentative title and a short abstract (maximum 150 words) to Panayiotis Zaphiris (zaphiri(a)soi.city.ac.uk) Authors of abstracts that are judged to fit the themes of the special issue will be promptly invited to submit a full paper. Full paper should follow the journal’s suggested writing format (http://www.troubador.co.uk/image/journals/1-1-7-Janvier3411.pdf) and should be submitted to the editors (zaphiri(a)soi.city.ac.uk) Important dates: Title & Abstract submission: By 1st of April 2006 Full paper submission: 15th June 2006 Response to authors: 15th August 2006 Final version of papers: 10th October 2007 Date of Publication: Autumn of 2007 Dr. Panayiotis Zaphiris (zaphiri(a)soi.city.ac.uk) and CS Ang Centre for HCI Design, City University London Guest Editors Special issue of International Journal of Interactive Technology and Smart Education on “Computer Game-based Learning” -- Dr. Panayiotis Zaphiris Senior Lecturer Center for Human-Computer Interaction Design City University London, EC1V 0HB Tel: +44-(0)-20-7040-8168 Fax: +44-(0)-20-7040-8859 zaphiri(a)soi.city.ac.uk http://www.zaphiris.org/

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IRL teaser online
by stuszyn＠bgnet.bgsu.edu 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

For those of you who either were at AoIR 6.0 and didn't make it to the screening or weren't there at all, the teaser for "IRL (In Real LIfe)," which is one of the first documentaries to look exclusively at online groups, is now online. http://www.dlfilms.com/irl The link to the teaser, which is in Quicktime format and just over a minute long, is mid-way down the page. Please right-click and save if you want to view it and spare our servers. The film is currently being submitted to a couple of film festivals around the US. There is additional information on the website, or people can e-mail me here or at stevie AT dlfilms.com. if they'd like to learn more. Stevie Tuszynski, PhD Critical Media Studies Track American Culture Studies Program Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH ----- "Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art. It has no survival value. Rather, it is one of the things that give value to survival." --C.S. Lewis.

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Re: [Air-l] Internet as medium with different sub-media or channels?
by Christopher J. Richter 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

To state the obvious, whether considering "'real' communication between embodied individuals," or the ostensible communication between embodied and non-embodied beings, or even oil paint as medium of expression, the key commonality is the "between," specifically, that which (or s/he who) mediates. Granted the term "mediate" is itself open to varying interpretations, but it emphasizes process. In this sense, to the degree that each of the different applications mediates in different ways, enables and constrains different aspects of communication, you should consider them different media, as Anders suggests. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the internet taken broadly shouldn't be considered as a medium at all, but a domain or infrastructure for various media. But as Anders also suggests, since "media" and "medium" are already invested with other meanings it might be most practical to use another term altogether, genre, mode, even application. >From another perspective, whether medium or mediate, the more I think about it the more the terms imply a conceptualization of communication as something that can be more or less direct--a sort of sender-receiver model, with communication somehow changed, for better or worse, depending on mode and amount of mediation. This makes sense, but at the same time, what does it really mean, if the level or amount of mediation doesn't correspond necessarily to degree of ambiguity--physical touch, as relatively direct communication can be more ambiguous than a TV message or a web page; a television message can mislead, but so can the spoken word. All communication seems mediated through the intersection of physical perception, culture and psychology . . . ? I'm not quite sure where this line of reasoning leads, but in any case, these latter reflections are probably of no im-mediate help to you, Michaël! Christopher J Richter, PhD Assoc. Prof. & Chair, Communication Studies Hollins University P.O. Box 9652 Roanoke, VA 24020 Tel. 5403626358 Fax 5403626286 e-mail crichter(a)hollins.edu www.hollins.edu -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Alex Halavais Sent: Monday, March 13, 2006 11:26 AM To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org Subject: Re: [Air-l] Internet as medium with different sub-media or channels? Ulla: > A fifth meaning for the word "medium" is "person who can talk to ghosts and otherwise > dead people." This meaning doesn't really pertain to what most of us are studying... In "Speaking into the Air," John Durham Peters takes this idea--angelic communication and communion with the dead--as the starting point for thinking about what we do when we (fail to) communicate. If "real" communication is between embodied individuals, it seems that most of us study ghosts in some form. But I'm pretty sure that's not what your students mean :). _______________________________________________ The air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/

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