February 2008 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Content Analysis Information
by Laura B Nielsen 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

2/25/08 TO: Political Science Methodolgy-POLMETH Association of Internet Researchers-Air-L Please find attached the consolidated submissions from my inquiry: “I am looking for reference material for use in my work at EPA. We are planning to launch a discussion board with a limited number of comment fields. But we also want to analyze discussion content in order to better understand the needs and interests of our customers--in particular those who come to EPA seeking environmental information. 1) Have any of you been teaching about content analysis methods lately? If so, what's your favorite reference? 2) Has anyone been working on content analysis of discussion boards as a research method?” Thanks to everyone for all the helpful responses! Content Analysis Reference 3) Sent by: Harald Klein <intext(a)GMX.DE> , Alexander Semenov <semenoffalex(a)googlemail.com if you are looking for an overview on content analysis research methodes, Klaus Krippendorff's book is excellent: Krippendorff, Klaus (2004): Content Analysis. An Introduction ot Its Methodology. Thousand Oaks. Sage. 411 pages 2) Sent by: "Callahan, Ewa S. Prof." <Ewa.Callahan(a)quinnipiac.edu> Following Alexander's note, I am a big fan of Krippendorff, especially his method of intercoder reliability testing. For his, and other methods you can check: http://www.temple.edu/sct/mmc/reliability/ followed up by: http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/krippendorff/dogs.html Content Analysis Research 0) Sent by: Muhammad Abdul-Mageed <mumageed(a)yahoo.com> Herring, S. C. (2007). Web(log) content analysis: Expanding the paradigm. Submitted to J. Hunsinger, M. Allen, & L. Klastrup (Eds.), The International Handbook of Internet Research. Springer Verlag. 1) Sent by: James Honaker <tercer(a)UCLA.EDU> There is a project that is quite close to what you want at the ISI at USC. Their page, with a number of project papers and abstracts, is: http://www.isi.edu/division3/discourse/ Their nlp goals are analysis of classroom discussion boards to create some degree of automated answering of student questions, direction to previous threads, and links between students with similar interests or research problems. The project is specifically about discussion boards commonly used for class teaching, but other than the classroom focus it is very close to the subject you are seeking. (Full disclosure, my wife worked on this project.) 2) Sent by : Henry Kim <h27kim(a)EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> There is a group called "Dark Web" here at Univ of AZ where computer scientists are doing content analysis on web sites connected to terrorism and more. Some of the techniques they are using may be of use for your purposes. Content Analysis Teaching 1) Sent by: Kevin Guidry <krguidry(a)gmail.com> , Muhammad Abdul-Mageed <mumageed(a)yahoo.com> , Alexander Semenov <semenoffalex(a)googlemail.com> You may like to have a look at the course description, and syllabus, of Prof. Susan Herring in Indiana University, for her course titled "Content Analysis for the World Wide Web". Herring has been teaching it for a long time and she has been trying to develop methodologies for analyzing the WWW. Web site at http://www.slis.indiana.edu/faculty/herring/. Specifically: http://ella.slis.indiana.edu/~herring/web.syll.06.html The following article is her last written paper on the issue, as far as I know: Herring, S. C. (2007). Web(log) content analysis: Expanding the paradigm. Submitted to J. Hunsinger, M. Allen, & L. Klastrup (Eds.), The International Handbook of Internet Research. Springer Verlag. Content Analysis Software 0) Sent by: Harald Klein <intext(a)GMX.DE> An overview on text analysis software gives http://www.textanalysis.info 1) Sent by: Paul Kellstedt <kellstedt(a)politics.tamu.edu> I'm the co-editor of The Political Methodologist. Tyler Johnson wrote a review for us of the software package WordStat, which he liked. You could find the back issue of TPM as a .pdf at the polmeth web site. http://polmeth.wustl.edu/thepolmeth.php 2) Sent by: Michael Evans <evans.michael(a)gmail.com Over the past few years I have experimented with various methods of computer-assisted textual data analysis, including traditional and new approaches to content analysis. In the process, I have developed an expertise in two particularly useful software packages produced by Provalis Research: QDA Miner and WordStat. Provalis' approach is to closely integrate several methods of textual data analysis that have traditionally (and misleadingly) been thought of as solely "qualitative" or "quantitative." The result is a mixed-methods approach that does not merely provide the convenience of having several quantitative and qualitative functions in one package, but also allows for creative synthesizing of the functions in order to accomplish entirely new analytical tasks. You can learn more about QDA Miner here (http://www.provalisresearch.com/QDAMiner/QDAMinerDesc.html) and WordStat here (http://www.provalisresearch.com/wordstat/Wordstat.html) Related Topic – Analysis of Public Comments on Regulations 1) Sent by: schrodt <schrodt(a)ku.edu> Contact Stuart Shulman at the University of Pittsburgh -- he has some quite sophisticated software that does this sort of thing with public input on proposed regulations, and I assume it would work for your project as well. In fact I think he has already done contract work for EPA -- or at least I know he has analyzed environmental regulations 2) Sent by: John D Wilkerson <jwilker(a)u.washington.edu> There are a lot of people working on public commenting in agencies in the field of information sciences. you should contact Stu Shulman (shulman(a)pitt.edu) who works with Jamie Callan. But as far as I know this is a pretty rich area of research in the e-government field. 3) Sent by: Russell Winn <ruwinn(a)nmsu.edu> Last summer I worked with public comments about designating Wilderness Areas in southern New Mexico. The approach we took was to treat each comment (e-mail, letter, etc.) as a separate document and then used NVIVO to code and organize the responses(NVIVO is a nice program for analyzing qualitative data but there are other programs as well). Most of the ‘hand coding’ was done by a group of graduate students who were enrolled in an Environmental Policy class I was teaching at the time. As a class we reviewed some of the documents, met with staff from the agency that had collected the comments, and drew up a list of potential codes (NVIVO calls them nodes) along with a brief description of when that node would be appropriate. I had every document separately coded by 2 students. If there was a disagreement about the coding the students met and agreed on a coding. Even with this reliability check there was some confusion about the coding. I ended up recoding many of the documents myself. If I were doing this again I would probably do all the coding myself, or go through a more lengthy training with the students that involved group coding of a number of the documents. In the end we had too many nodes and the comments were a bit difficult to analyze although we did find some interesting patterns. Your project sounds more limited looking for needs and interests. 4) Sent by: Stephen Purpura <stevepurpura(a)gmail.com> I'm a PhD student at Cornell (and graduate of the Kennedy School of Government) and I pretty much just work on automating content analysis of government data. I have two papers set for publication at dgo.2008 (digital government research) on automating finding issues in regulatory rule comments (I can send the drafts) and another in press with JITP (see http://www.stephenpurpura.com/20080116_HillardPurpuraWilkerson-revised.pdf) My other publications are listed at http://www.purpuras.net/publications.html. Laura B. Nielsen, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor of Public Policy Georgetown Public Policy Institute 3520 Prospect Street, Suite 308F Washington, DC 20007 WEB http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/lbn4/ Program Analyst Environmental Analysis Division, MC 2842T Office of Information Analysis and Access Office of Environmental Information U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (202) 566-0621

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Re: [Air-L] Content Analysis Information
by NANCY MCDONALD-KNWRTHY 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

Hi, Laura... I am in the midst of "content analysis" right this moment while preparing for my general exams in Cultural Studies/virtual ethnography. I also have a folklore "bent" to my work as well (one of my committee members is Amy Shuman, folklorist and anthropologist in the English Dept) so you can tell that these references might be of the linguistic/narrative perspective. 1. Michael Toolan's book: Narrative: a Critical Linguistic Introduction 2. Elinor Ochs and Lisa Capps' book" Living Narrative: Creating Lives in Everyday Storytelling 3. Wm. Labov whom Toolan devotes a major chapter (ch 5) in his book: Labov's references date back to the 60s... his work is "classic" and proves a model in a couple of seminal essays. These are a start.. Nancy McDonald-Kenworthy, GA CSTW Writing Center Tutor www.cstw.org ----- Original Message ----- From: Laura B Nielsen <lbn4(a)georgetown.edu> Date: Thursday, February 28, 2008 9:38 am Subject: [Air-L] Content Analysis Information > 2/25/08 > TO: Political Science Methodolgy-POLMETH > Association of Internet Researchers-Air-L > Please find attached the consolidated submissions from my inquiry: > > “I am looking for reference material for use in my work at EPA. We > are planning to launch a discussion board with a limited number of > comment fields. But we also want to analyze discussion content in > order to better understand the needs and interests of our customers- > -in particular those who come to EPA seeking environmental > information.1) Have any of you been teaching about content analysis > methods lately? If so, what's your favorite reference? > 2) Has anyone been working on content analysis of discussion boards > as a research method?” > > Thanks to everyone for all the helpful responses! > > Content Analysis Reference > 3) Sent by: Harald Klein <intext(a)GMX.DE> , Alexander Semenov > <semenoffalex(a)googlemail.com if you are looking for an overview on > content analysis research methodes, Klaus Krippendorff's book is > excellent:Krippendorff, Klaus (2004): Content Analysis. An > Introduction ot Its Methodology. Thousand Oaks. Sage. 411 pages > 2) Sent by: "Callahan, Ewa S. Prof." <Ewa.Callahan(a)quinnipiac.edu> > Following Alexander's note, I am a big fan of Krippendorff, especially > his method of intercoder reliability testing. For his, and other > methodsyou can check: > http://www.temple.edu/sct/mmc/reliability/ > > followed up by: > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/krippendorff/dogs.html > > Content Analysis Research > 0) Sent by: Muhammad Abdul-Mageed <mumageed(a)yahoo.com> > Herring, S. C. (2007). Web(log) content analysis: Expanding the > paradigm. Submitted to J. Hunsinger, M. Allen, & L. Klastrup > (Eds.), The International Handbook of Internet Research. Springer > Verlag. > 1) Sent by: James Honaker <tercer(a)UCLA.EDU> > There is a project that is quite close to what you want at the ISI > at USC. > Their page, with a number of project papers and abstracts, is: > > http://www.isi.edu/division3/discourse/ > > Their nlp goals are analysis of classroom discussion boards to > create some degree of automated answering of student questions, > direction > to previous threads, and links between students with similar > interests or > research problems. The project is specifically about discussion > boards > commonly used for class teaching, but other than the classroom > focus it is > very close to the subject you are seeking. > (Full disclosure, my wife worked on this project.) > 2) Sent by : Henry Kim <h27kim(a)EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> > There is a group called "Dark Web" here at Univ of AZ where computer > scientists are doing content analysis on web sites connected to > terrorismand more. Some of the techniques they are using may be of > use for your > purposes. > > Content Analysis Teaching > 1) Sent by: Kevin Guidry <krguidry(a)gmail.com> , Muhammad Abdul- > Mageed <mumageed(a)yahoo.com> , Alexander Semenov > <semenoffalex(a)googlemail.com> > You may like to have a look at the course description, and > syllabus, of Prof. Susan Herring in Indiana University, for her > course titled "Content Analysis for the World Wide Web". Herring > has been teaching it for a long time and she has been trying to > develop methodologies for analyzing the WWW. > > Web site at http://www.slis.indiana.edu/faculty/herring/. > Specifically: http://ella.slis.indiana.edu/~herring/web.syll.06.html > > The following article is her last written paper on the issue, as > far as I know: > > Herring, S. C. (2007). Web(log) content analysis: Expanding the > paradigm. Submitted to J. Hunsinger, M. Allen, & L. Klastrup > (Eds.), The International Handbook of Internet Research. Springer > Verlag. > Content Analysis Software > 0) Sent by: Harald Klein <intext(a)GMX.DE> > An overview on text analysis software gives > http://www.textanalysis.info > 1) Sent by: Paul Kellstedt <kellstedt(a)politics.tamu.edu> > I'm the co-editor of The Political Methodologist. Tyler Johnson > wrote a > review for us of the software package WordStat, which he liked. You > couldfind the back issue of TPM as a .pdf at the polmeth web site. > http://polmeth.wustl.edu/thepolmeth.php > 2) Sent by: Michael Evans <evans.michael(a)gmail.com > Over the past few years I have experimented with various methods of > computer-assisted textual data analysis, including traditional and new > approaches to content analysis. In the process, I have developed an > expertise in two particularly useful software packages produced by > Provalis Research: QDA Miner and WordStat. > Provalis' approach is to closely integrate several methods of textual > data analysis that have traditionally (and misleadingly) been thought > of as solely "qualitative" or "quantitative." The result is a > mixed-methods approach that does not merely provide the convenience of > having several quantitative and qualitative functions in one package, > but also allows for creative synthesizing of the functions in order to > accomplish entirely new analytical tasks. You can learn more about > QDA Miner here > (http://www.provalisresearch.com/QDAMiner/QDAMinerDesc.html) and > WordStat here > (http://www.provalisresearch.com/wordstat/Wordstat.html) > > Related Topic – Analysis of Public Comments on Regulations > 1) Sent by: schrodt <schrodt(a)ku.edu> > Contact Stuart Shulman at the University of Pittsburgh -- he has > some > quite sophisticated software that does this sort of thing with > public > input on proposed regulations, and I assume it would work for your > project > as well. In fact I think he has already done contract work for EPA - > - or > at least I know he has analyzed environmental regulations > 2) Sent by: John D Wilkerson <jwilker(a)u.washington.edu> > There are a lot of people working on public commenting in agencies > in the field of information sciences. you should contact Stu > Shulman (shulman(a)pitt.edu) who works with Jamie Callan. But as far > as I know this is a pretty rich area of research in the e- > government field. > 3) Sent by: Russell Winn <ruwinn(a)nmsu.edu> > Last summer I worked with public comments about designating > Wilderness Areas in southern New Mexico. The approach we took was > to treat each comment (e-mail, letter, etc.) as a separate document > and then used NVIVO to code and organize the responses(NVIVO is a > nice program for analyzing qualitative data but there are other > programs as well). > Most of the ‘hand coding’ was done by a group of graduate students > who were enrolled in an Environmental Policy class I was teaching > at the time. As a class we reviewed some of the documents, met with > staff from the agency that had collected the comments, and drew up > a list of potential codes (NVIVO calls them nodes) along with a > brief description of when that node would be appropriate. I had > every document separately coded by 2 students. If there was a > disagreement about the coding the students met and agreed on a > coding. Even with this reliability check there was some confusion > about the coding. I ended up recoding many of the documents myself. > If I were doing this again I would probably do all the coding > myself, or go through a more lengthy training with the students > that involved group coding of a number of the documents. > In the end we had too many nodes and the comments were a bit > difficult to analyze although we did find some interesting > patterns. Your project sounds more limited looking for needs and > interests.4) Sent by: Stephen Purpura <stevepurpura(a)gmail.com> > I'm a PhD student at Cornell (and graduate of the Kennedy School of > Government) and I pretty much just work on automating content > analysis of > government data. I have two papers set for publication at dgo.2008 > (digitalgovernment research) on automating finding issues in > regulatory rule > comments (I can send the drafts) and another in press with JITP (see > http://www.stephenpurpura.com/20080116_HillardPurpuraWilkerson- > revised.pdf).My other publications are listed at > http://www.purpuras.net/publications.html. > Laura B. Nielsen, Ph.D. > Adjunct Professor of Public Policy > Georgetown Public Policy Institute > 3520 Prospect Street, Suite 308F > Washington, DC 20007 > WEB http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/lbn4/ > > Program Analyst > Environmental Analysis Division, MC 2842T > Office of Information Analysis and Access > Office of Environmental Information > U.S. Environmental Protection Agency > (202) 566-0621 > > _______________________________________________ > 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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CFP - Computers, Freedom, & Privacy: Technology Policy '08
by Michael Zimmer 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

Dear AoIR-ers: Please distribute widely the following call for proposals for this year's Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference. -mz ----- Michael Zimmer, PhD Microsoft Fellow, Information Society Project Yale Law School e: michael.zimmer(a)yale.edu w: http://michaelzimmer.org ----------- COMPUTERS, FREEDOM, AND PRIVACY: TECHNOLOGY POLICY '08 http://cfp2008.org/ 18th Annual CFP conference May 20-23, 2008 Omni Hotel New Haven, CT CALL FOR PROPOSALS This election year will be the first to address US technology policy in the information age as part of our national debate. Candidates have put forth positions about technology policy and have recognized that it has its own set of economic, political, and social concerns. In the areas of privacy, intellectual property, cybersecurity, telecommunications, and freedom of speech, an increasing number of issues once confined to experts now penetrate public conversation. Our decisions about technology policy are being made at a time when the architectures of our information and communication technologies are still being built. Debate about these issues needs to be better- informed in order for us to make policy choices in the public interest. This year, the 18th annual Computers, Freedom, and Privacy conference will focus on what constitutes technology policy. CFP: Technology Policy '08 is an opportunity to help shape public debate on those issues being made into laws and regulations and those technological infrastructures being developed. The direction of our technology policy impacts the choices we make about our national defense, our civil liberties during wartime, the future of American education, our national healthcare systems, and many other realms of policy discussed more prominently on the election trail. Policies ranging from data mining and wiretapping, to file-sharing and open access, and e-voting to electronic medical records will be addressed by expert panels of technologists, policymakers, business leaders, and advocates. Open participation is invited for proposals on panels, tutorials, speaker suggestions, and birds of a feather sessions through the CFP: Technology Policy '08 submission at http://www.cfp2008.org/submissions/. Suggested topics for discussion include: * Information Privacy * Anonymity Online * Government Transparency * Voting Technology * Online Campaigning * Social Networks * Citizen Journalism * Cybercrime & Cyberterrorism * Digital Education * Copyright and Fair Use * Patent Reform * Open Access * P2P Networks * Information Policy and Free Trade * Media Concentration * Genes & Bioethics * Electronic Medical Records * Web Accessibility * Open Standards * Network Neutrality * High-Speed Internet Access Policy * Freedom of Information * Technology Policy Administration Submission Deadlines: Panel, Tutorial, and Speaker proposals: March 21, 2008. Birds of a Feather Session (BoFs) proposals: April 21, 2008. Panel, Tutorial, and Speaker proposals accepted by the Program Committee will be notified by April 7, 2008. Registration available online at http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp? EventId=193762. _______________________________________________ Isp-internal mailing list Isp-internal(a)mailman.yale.edu http://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/isp-internal

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Fwd: CfP Immersive Virtual, Mixed, or Augmented Reality Art - International Journal of Arts and Technology
by Steve Jones 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

Begin forwarded message: > > Call for Papers on Immersive Virtual, Mixed, or Augmented Reality Art > a Special Issue of the International Journal of Arts and TechnologyΒ > > http://www.inderscience.com/browse/callpaper.php?callID=914 > > Important Dates > Submission intent (title and 300-word abstract): 1 September, 2008 > Deadline for full paper submission: 31 October, 2008 > Review results returned to authors: February 29, 2009 > Deadline for camera-ready papers: June 30, 2009 > > Guest Editors: > Maria Roussou, makebelieve design & consulting, Greece > Maurice Benayoun, UniversitΓ© Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, France > > For the past fifteen years, virtual reality (VR) and, more recently, > mixed reality (MR) and augmented reality (AR) environments that > immerse their participants in imaginary space, have emerged to > define an area that blurs the lines between the seemingly different > worlds of research, creativity, and technological practice, while > exploring the interdependencies between the virtual and the > physical. From the immersive, yet more esoteric, CAVEΒ®-based > projects of the mid-nineties to the contemporary open experiences > spread out in virtual as well as physical space, creative VR/MR/AR > applications are challenging the ways we perceive both digital art > and the science and engineering behind them. > > Early enthusiasm with the use of projection-based display structures > and the development of authoring solutions for application-building > has brought a level of maturity, characterized by the emergence of > new technical and conceptual forms. It is this particular moment in > the evolution of immersive VR/MR/AR art practice that this special > issue seeks to capture. Hence, in this special issue, we aim to > bring forth the topic of immersive art in its current maturity, > present the newest developments and explore its evolving forms, > aspiring to shape a framework that will help us to develop the next > generation of environments. > > Therefore, this special issue will not include contributions that > deal solely with describing a narrow and specific piece of art or > research without reference to a conceptual framework or a critical > analysis; rather we encourage contributions that take a broad and > integrative view of relevant topics, encompassing both theoretical > and empirical perspectives of digitally-generated creative spaces. > > > Submissions are invited that touch on but are not limited to the > following themes: > Theoretical discourse on immersive virtual, mixed or augmented > reality art environments. > Novel design concepts, applications, implementations and experiences > from the actual deployment of immersive VR/MR/AR art applications > Research or empirical work addressing some of the open questions in > the design of immersive art environments. For example: > Issues concerning creativity and aesthetics, visual depiction, > storytelling and narrative, triggering other senses, embodiment, etc. > The fine line between designing for entertainment or for artistic > pleasure > Issues in the design of interactivity, interfaces, and interaction > methodologies, such as navigation by and tracking of multiple users, > meaningful group interaction, the integration of multi-modal > interfaces (e.g. tactile and haptic displays, sensing technologies), > etc. > Issues concerning the design and development process of immersive > artwork, such as the conceptualisation and collaboration challenges > presented by multitalented interdisciplinary teams working together, > the unavailability of resources and work environments, etc. > Issues in the deployment of different display configurations, sizes, > and installations, as well as challenges in the practical use with > diverse audiences (e.g., the need to guide people in experiencing > the artwork) > Contributions are encouraged from different disciplinary > perspectives, including fine arts, computer science, performance > art, theatre, design, architecture, communications and social > sciences, philosophy, cognitive psychology, and enabling technologies. > > Contributions should take a broad and integrative view of relevant > topics, rather than merely describing a narrow and specific piece of > art or research. > > > See http://www.inderscience.com/browse/callpaper.php?callID=914 for > more information.

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CFP - The 10th Persistent Conversation minitrack
by Tom Erickson 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION Persistent Conversation Minitrack Digital Media and Content Track at HICSS 42 January 5-8, 2009 Hilton Waikoloa Village, the Big Island, Hawai'i See http://www.visi.com/~snowfall/HICSS_PC.html for an online version and further information. IN ONE PARAGRAPH The Persistent Conversation minitrack is a yearly gathering of people who design and study systems that support computer-mediated communication. Persistent conversation is not limited to asynchronous textual communication: It includes instant messaging, voice chat, and other 'ephemeral' media. Nor do we limit our focus to systems explicitly designed to support conversation: We are interested in conversational exchanges as manifested in applications (for instance, blogs, annotation systems, distance education) and in sites oriented around the use of photos, video and other media. If you're interested in presenting a paper in the minitrack, the first step is to submit an abstract by March 15, 2008. A 10-page paper would be due June 15th. IMPORTANT DATES -03/15: Prospective authors submit 300-word abstracts -03/31: Feedback on abstracts sent -06/15: 10-page papers due (see http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/hicss_42/authorinstruction.htm for details) -08/15: Accept/Conditional Accept/Reject notices sent -09/15: Final papers due; at least one author must register for conference ABOUT THE MINITRACK This interdisciplinary minitrack and workshop brings designers and researchers together to explore persistent conversation, the transposition of ordinarily ephemeral conversation into the potentially persistent digital medium. Persistent conversations occur via instant messaging, text and voice chat, email, blogs, web boards, MOOs, graphical and 3D virtual environments, gaming systems, video sharing sites, document annotation systems, mobile phone texting, etc. Such communication is persistent in that it leaves a digital trace, and the trace in turn affords new uses. It permits conversations to be saved, visualized, browsed, searched, replayed, and restructured. Persistence also means that conversations need not be synchronous: They can be asynchronous (stretching out over hours or days) or supersynchronous (with multiple parties 'talking' at the same time). Finally, the creation of persistent and potentially permanent records from what was once an ephemeral process raises a variety of social and ethical issues. ABOUT PAPER TOPICS We are seeking papers that address one or both of the following two general areas: * Understanding Practice. The burgeoning popularity of the internet (and intranets) provides an opportunity to study and characterize new forms of conversational practice. Questions of interest range from how various features of conversations (e.g., turn-taking, topic organization, expression of paralinguistic information) have adapted in response to the digital medium, to new roles played by persistent conversation in domains such as education, business, and entertainment. * Design. Digital systems do not currently support conversation well: It is difficult to converse with grace, clarity, depth and coherence over networks. But this need not remain the case. Toward this end, we welcome analyses of existing systems as well as designs for new systems which better support conversation. Also of interest are inquiries into how participants design their own conversations within the digital medium -- that is, how they make use of system features to create, structure, and regulate their discourse. Examples of appropriate topics include, but are not limited to: - Turn-taking, threading and other structural features of CMC - The dynamics of large scale conversation systems (e.g. blog networks) - Methods for summarizing or visualizing conversation archives - Studies of virtual communities or other sites of digital conversation - The roles of mediated conversation in knowledge management - Studies of the use of instant messaging in large organizations - Novel designs for computer-mediated conversation systems - Analyses of or designs for distance learning systems NEXT STEPS Submit a 250 to 300 word abstract of your proposed paper via email to the chairs: Tom Erickson (snowfall at acm dot org), Susan Herring (herring at indiana dot edu) by the deadline noted above. We will send you feedback on the suitability of your abstract by the deadline noted above. FOR MORE INFORMATION - About the minitrack, see http://www.visi.com/~snowfall/HICSS_PC.html or contact: Thomas Erickson (snowfall at acm.org) and Susan Herring (herring at indiana.edu) - About previous years' papers (including pdf's) and participants, see: http://www.visi.com/~snowfall/HICSS_PC_History.html - About the HICSS conference, see: http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/ ----------------- Tom Erickson http://www.visi.com/~snowfall/

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The Truth About Autism: Scientists Reconsider What They Think They Know
by Pamela Rosengren 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/16-03/ff_autism? currentPage=all At the risk of teaching my grandmother to suck eggs! This is from my ISP-based e-mail account. I'm also pamrosengren(a)gmail.com and pamela.rosengren(a)postgrad.curtin.edu.au - those two are more reliable than this. Lochie did well with the CSIRO, and is happily wasting time now. Also grading for a black belt in Hap Ki Do soon, then off to Japan in early April. If you want me to come to one of your afternoon teas this year, I'll seriously try. My health seems to be more stable than it was last year or the year before. Must go, Cheers, Pam

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Other conferences in Europe in October?
by Brügger Niels 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

And another conference in Europe/Denmark Conference title: Web_site Histories: Theories, Methods, Analysis One-day conference, October 14th 2008. The main purpose of Web_site Histories is to place the new and emerging field of Web History on the research agenda and to map the field of historical website studies. Organizer: The Centre for Internet Research, University of Aarhus, Denmark. The conference is associated the AoIR 9.0 conference "Rethinking Communities, Rethinking Place" in Copenhagen (http://conferences.aoir.org ) Confirmed keynote speakers: Kirsten Foot, Associate Professor, University of Washington Steven Schneider, Professor, State University of New York Title: Object-Oriented Web Historiography. Abstract: Foot & Schneider will present a keynote address that focuses on their proposal of an “object-oriented” approach to researching and writing Web history. They will consider the various meanings of object entailed within the notion of object-oriented Web historiography in order to advance both the theoretical foundation and methodological rigor of developmental analyses of Web artifacts in their hyperlinked contexts. Developmental analyses of any aspect of the Web, whether engaged in contemporaneously or retrospectively, entail dynamics within and between the (co)producers of Web artifacts, production practices and techniques, and Web artifacts themselves. These dynamics make it difficult but very important for scholars to identify and situate their object(s) of analysis historically and theoretically. See extended description at http://www.cfi.au.dk/en/events/conferences/wsh08/keynote . Kirsten Foot and Steven Schneider are the authors of Web Campaigning (MIT Press 2006) as well as a number of articles about Web Sphere Analysis. A panel will round off the conference by discussing the future directions of studies of Web History. Besides Kirsten Foot and Steven Schneider panel participant will be Niels Brügger, Associate Professor, the Centre for Internet Research, University of Aarhus. The main purpose of Web_site Histories is to place the new and emerging field of Web History on the research agenda and to map the field of historical website studies. The focus on the Web can be seen as a specialization within the larger field of Internet History, but with another subset of questions and challenges. The underscore in the title reflects the uncertainty and variability of the object of study – are we talking about the Web in general, Web Spheres, individual websites, or web pages? The conference welcomes papers on any of these approaches or any other theme, topic or idea connected to the theories, methods or analysis of Web History. Theoretical approaches could be discussions of the object of study or reflections on doing historical research on this particular subject. Methodological approaches may include abstract or more specific considerations of the range of applicable methods, both old and new, to Web History. Finally, the analytical approach welcomes contributions exploring the practical hazards and possibilities of this special kind of empirical material, as well as papers on concrete empirical studies. Papers are also welcome on a wide array of historically-grounded themes. The topics below are examples of the kinds of issues paper presenters are invited to address — but are not intended to limit topics suitable for paper submissions: · General as well as more specific histories of the development of the Web, focusing on, for instance, technology, graphic design, culture etc. · The history of the Web as a subset of the history of the Internet, with emphasis on, for instance, the development of hardware, software and protocols · The organizational architecture of the Web in a global, national, transnational or local perspective · Defining moments and events on the Web, either in terms of how the Web was conceived and built, or in terms of how it is or was perceived and used · Demographical, social, cultural, or other factors influencing Web use and uptake · Political, economic, institutional or personal histories of the Web · The growing popularity of social networking sites in a historical perspective · Interactivity, genre and media discussions in relation to the Web · The histories of expectations in pre-web time meeting the reality of the Web · Source availability and validity – the archiving of the Web · The history of the Web in the larger framework of media history Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words by April 15th 2008 (further instructions at http://www.cfi.au.dk/en/wsh08) After a process of double-blind peer review, authors will be notified of accepted papers by May 15th. Full papers will be due by August 31st 2008. Please note that there is a maximum of 30 participants, and priority will be given to paper presenters. Paper presentations will consist of short presentations with opponents/discussants and roundtable-style discussions. Presenters are therefore also expected to act as opponents/discussants. Participation in the conference is free, and coffee and lunch is included (yes, there is such a thing as a free lunch). Following the conference, papers will be considered for inclusion in an edited volume on Web Histories. The conference takes place at the University of Aarhus, two days before the start of the AoIR 9.0 conference in Copenhagen (http://conferences.aoir.org ). Aarhus is situated west of Copenhagen and is the second largest city in Denmark with a population of approximately 300,000. It is accessible by train or by air via the Aarhus or Billund airports. Read more about Aarhus and the university:http://www.au.dk/en/why and http://www.au.dk/en/aarhus.htm . The Centre for Internet Research is located at the Institute of Information and Media Studies, and was established in September 2000 in order to promote research into the social and cultural implications and functions of the internet. Read more about the Centre:http://www.cfi.au.dk/en/about/profile Conference website: http://www.cfi.au.dk/en/wsh08. The conference is sponsored by: · 'The Knowledge Society', a joint research priority area at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Aarhus, · the Institute of Information and Media Studies, University of Aarhus · the Centre for Internet Research, University of Aarhus. About the organisers: Niels Brügger (PhD, MA) is Associate Professor at the Institute of Information and Media Studies, University of Aarhus, and co-founder of the Centre for Internet Research. His primary research interests are website history, web archiving, and the internet and media theory, and he recently started the research project "The history of www.dr.dk, 1996-2006" (read more at http://imv.au.dk/~nb) Vidar Falkenberg (MSc) is a PhD fellow at the Institute of Information and Media Studies, University of Aarhus, and a member of the Centre for Internet Research. His research is on the development of online newspapers in Denmark (read more at http://www.internetaviser.dk) --------- Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:36:04 +1000 From: Sal Humphreys <s.humphreys(a)qut.edu.au> Subject: [Air-L] Other conferences in Europe in October? To: "air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org" <air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org> Message-ID: <19028EE6749791428D823CD27E7F30AC2733488425(a)QUTEXMBX03.qut.edu.au> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi All I am aiming to come to Copenhagen for the conference this year, but Brisbane to Denmark is a long way to go for one conference, so I am wondering whether anyone is running, or knows of, any other conferences in the area of internet/new media/games studies that might be happening in the 2 weeks either side of the AoIRs conference, somewhere in the European general vicinity. cheers Sal Dr Sal Humphreys Post Doctoral Fellow Creative Industries Faculty Z6 501 The Hub Queensland University of Technology Musk Ave Kelvin Grove 4059 Brisbane, Australia s.humphreys(a)qut.edu.au Ph. 61 7 3138 8175 Mob. 0414 456 078 http://www.salhumphreys.org Projects: http://edgex.org.au http://www.cci.edu.au/programs/gamesandlaw ------------------------------------------------------------ LATEST PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS Website History: Theoretical and Methodological Problems in an Emerging Field, Internet Research 8.0: Let's Play, The 8th annual conference of the Association of Internet Researchers, Vancouver 2007, 25 pages Abstract: http://conferences.aoir.org/viewabstract.php?id=930&cf=6 A Critical Textual Philology of the Website: Why and How?, The pre- AoIR 8.0 Workshop 'Internet Histories', Vancouver 2007, 22 pages Abstract: http://wiki.aoir.org/index.php?title=IR8_Pre-conference_workshops The website as unit of analysis? Bolter and Manovich revisited, Digital Aesthetics and Communication (Northern Lights: Film and Media Studies Yearbook, vol. 5) (red. A. Fetveit, G.B. Stald), Intellect, Bristol 2007, 75-88 About the publication: http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals.appx.php?issn=1601829X NIELS BRÜGGER, Associate Professor, PhD Dept. of Information and Media Studies University of Aarhus Helsingforsgade 14 8200 Aarhus N Denmark Phone (switchboard) +45 8942 1111 Phone (direct) +45 8942 9226 Telefax + 45 8942 5950 E-mail nb(a)imv.au.dk Webpage http://imv.au.dk/~nb Profile at LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/1/50a/555 Profile at Kommunikationsforum [in Danish]: www.kommunikationsforum.dk/Niels-Brugger The Centre for Internet Research http://cfi.imv.au.dk Theories of Media and Communication http://www.medieteori.dk Internet Archive in Denmark http://www.netarkivet.dk

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Google Trends / Buzzwords
by Stephan Humer 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

Hello. Does anyone of you know any study about Google Trends (would be quite new, I bet) or simply buzzword usage in a digital context? (Meaning: Is there any sign that people prefer remembering buzzwords, but not real content - because they know where to look when it´s necessary to get the facts?) Thanks! Best -- Dr. des. Stephan G. Humer Digital Class, University of the Arts Berlin humer(a)udk-berlin.de - stephan.humer(a)web.de Phone: +49 (0)176 6719 3413 - www.humer.de

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this might be something some of you are interested in
by Jeremy Hunsinger 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

http://ni9e.com/public_domain_donor.php donate your IP to the public domain upon death, sent to me by Dylan Wittkower (who btw, is on the market) editor of the IPOD and Philosophy (for which he is still seeking 4k word papers). Jeremy Hunsinger Information Ethics Fellow, Center for Information Policy Research, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (www.cipr.uwm.edu ) Words are things; and a small drop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think. --Byron

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ICA in Montreal, late May
by Barry Wellman 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

Matt, et al. The International Communication Association is having its AGM in Montreal, May 22-26, 08. http://www.icahdq.org/conferences/index.asp The CAT section (our sort of Cat People) is a lively and sizeable group. Research oriented. Other sections have interesting stuff too, and all are welcome to attend all. I'm leading a panel with Jan Van Dijk, Jeffrey Boase, Helen Wang, Diana Mok, Jessica Collins and Kakuko Miyata. "Do ICTs Foster Social Connectivity or Social Isolation? Evaluating Cross-National Evidence" Barry Wellman _______________________________________________________________________ S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director Centre for Urban & Community Studies University of Toronto 455 Spadina Avenue Room 418 Toronto Canada M5S 2G8 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-7162 Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php Elvis wouldn't be singing "Return to Sender" these days _______________________________________________________________________

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