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

Re: [Air-L] Internet Use in Public Universities
by Sandra Harrison 31 Mar '08

31 Mar '08

Kutoma Wakunuma, who completed her PhD here at Coventry University in 2007, wrote her thesis on Gender and ICTs in Zambia - you may like to contact her. Kutoma is now at Sheffield Hallam University, email k.j.wakunuma(a)shu.ac.uk. Sandra Dr Sandra Harrison Coventry University School of Art and Design Email s.harrison(a)coventry.ac.uk -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of air-l-request(a)listserv.aoir.org Sent: 21 March 2008 20:45 To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org Subject: Air-L Digest, Vol 44, Issue 24 Send Air-L mailing list submissions to air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to air-l-request(a)listserv.aoir.org You can reach the person managing the list at air-l-owner(a)listserv.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. Re: Internet Use in Public Universities (Emma Duke-Williams) 2. The Open Scholar: Professors Are People Too (Gerry Mckiernan) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:37:04 +0000 From: "Emma Duke-Williams" <emma.dukewilliams(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Air-L] Internet Use in Public Universities To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org, shrwan1976(a)gmail.com Message-ID: <3161e05e0803210837y6bd40be7n2b22323c24350740(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 On 18/03/2008, Shrwan Khanal <shrwan1976(a)gmail.com> wrote: > I am researching on "Internet Use among the students in Public Universities: > A case study of University of Zambia". I am basically looking at the factors > affecting internet use, purpose and knowledge of internet (at the moment two > major factors Gender and School-hard science vs. art and science). Could any > one give me some suggestion or information about similar studies done in > other universities. Situation in other developing countries would be > appreciable. Looking for your cooperation. I guess you've already looked at the wealth of information they've got on http://www.elearning-africa.com/ and http://www.col.org/colweb/site - which cover a fair chunk of the majority world between them. I've recently been reading an article (at home & I'm not) about Women & IT use in the US; basically it was saying that women tend to underestimate their ability to use the net, though testing seemed to show that they were just the same as men. However, if people don't think they can use something, they're probably less inclined to use it. The study was done in 2002 I think, but not published till 2006, so a few things to look out for. You may already have that report! Let me know if you want more details & I'll dig it out. Emma -- Emma Duke-Williams: School of Computing/ Faculty eLearning Co-ordinator. Blog: http://userweb.port.ac.uk/~duke-wie/blog/ ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:24:56 -0500 From: "Gerry Mckiernan" <gerrymck(a)iastate.edu> Subject: [Air-L] The Open Scholar: Professors Are People Too To: <lita-l(a)ala1.ala.org>, <asis-L(a)asis.org>, <CHEM-EDUCATION(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK>, <air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org>, <web4lib(a)webjunction.org> Message-ID: <47E3C542.B59E.0067.0(a)lib.iastate.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-15 ***Apologies for Receipt of Duplicate Postings*** Friends/ >>A Top E-Mailed Story From The NY Times<< March 20, 2008 The Professor as Open Book By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM IT is not necessary for a student studying multivariable calculus, medieval literature or Roman archaeology to know that the professor on the podium shoots pool, has donned a bunny costume or can*t get enough of Chaka Khan. Yet professors of all ranks and disciplines are revealing such information on public, national platforms: blogs, Web pages, social networking sites, even campus television. [snip] There was a time when professors did not outrank music premieres on television. They were buttoned-up authority figures, like the legendary fictional Professor Kingsfield, portrayed by John Houseman in *The Paper Chase.* The personal lives of professors could only be imagined from the sparse clues of clothing, handwriting and the contents of offices. These days, the clues are usually digital and are broad invitations to get to know the person behind the Ph.D. It is not uncommon for professors* Web pages to include lists of the books they would take to a deserted island, links to their favorite songs from bygone eras, blog posts about their children, entries *written* by their dogs and vacation photographs. [snip] Certainly, professors have embraced the Internet since its earliest days, using it as a scholarly avenue of communication, publication and debate. Now it is common for many to reveal more personal information that has little connection to their work. Some do so in hopes it will attract attention for a book or paper they have written; others do so inadvertently, joining Facebook to communicate with students and then finding themselves lured deeper by its various applications. Many, though, say that by divulging family history and hobbies, they hope to appear more accessible to students. [snip] Mr. Irwin updates his Facebook page with photos and titles of books he is reading, but he misses what he calls the Las Vegas feel of MySpace. Still, his postings ignite a conversation with students. *Anything I can do to kind of meet them halfway,* he said, *I try to do.* [MORE] Excerpted Story Available at [ http://onlinesocialnetworks.blogspot.com/2008/03/open-scholar-professors -are-people-too.html ] Happy Full Day of Spring! /Gerry Gerry McKiernan Associate Professor Science and Technology Librarian Iowa State University Library Ames IA 50011 gerrymck(a)iastate.edu There is Nothing More Powerful Than An Idea Whose Time Has Come Victor Hugo [ http://www.blogger.com/profile/09093368136660604490 ] Iowa: Where the Tall Corn Flows and the (North)West Wind Blows [ http://alternativeenergyblogs.blogspot.com/ ] ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ 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/ End of Air-L Digest, Vol 44, Issue 24 ************************************* -------------------------------------------------------- NOTICE This message and any files transmitted with it is intended for the addressee only and may contain information that is confidential or privileged. Unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you are not the addressee, you should not read, copy, disclose or otherwise use this message, except for the purpose of delivery to the addressee. Any views or opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Coventry University.

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IRBs
by Marj Kibby 31 Mar '08

31 Mar '08

Given the research being done in medicine here I think our IRB does waste too much time policing cultural studies research where the potential for harm is comparably negligible. For a student project they insisted that we get the names and addresses of discussion forum participants who were being 'interviewed' through the forum - so that we could send them a ststement saying we wouldn't use their names and addresses. Marj Dr Marjorie Kibby, Senior Lecturer in Communication & Culture Faculty of Education and Arts The University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby(a)newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604

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CfP: 2008 Global Internet Governance Academic Network Symposium, Hyderabad
by Ralf Bendrath 31 Mar '08

31 Mar '08

more on GigaNet: http://www.igloo.org/giganet Third Annual GigaNet Symposium 2 December 2008 - Hyderabad, India Hyderabad International Conference Center (HICC) Call for Papers The Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet) is a scholarly community that promotes the development of Internet governance as a recognized, interdisciplinary field of study and facilitates informed dialogue on policy issues and related matters between scholars and governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society. Each year, GigaNet organizes a one-day research symposium in conjunction with the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and in the same premises. After the first two editions in Athens, Greece (October 2006) and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (November 2007), the third GigaNet Annual Symposium will be held on December 2, 2008, in Hyderabad, India, the day before the 3rd IGF meeting. Attendance at the Symposium will be open to all and free of charge. The Symposium will be at the same location as the IGF and registration with the UN as an IGF participant may be necessary to gain entry to the building. This is a call for papers from scholars interested in presenting an original research paper at the conference. Submission topics In addition to papers on methodological aspects of Internet governance-related studies, this year's Symposium particularly encourages submissions on the following themes, which are described in more detail below: 1. Comparing Internet Governance to other Global Governance Domains 2. Networked Governance Theories and the Institutionalization of Internet Governance 3. The Role of NGOs, Social Movements and Civil Society in Internet Governance 4. Year 3 of the UN Internet Governance Forum: Assessing its Structure, Process and Impact 5. Law and Jurisdictions in Internet Governance 6. Copyright Protection, Internet Service Providers and Technical Mechanisms of Control 7. Internationalized Domain Names: Expanding Access or Tower of Babel? Submission requirements Applicants should submit: 1) an abstract of 800-1000 words, in English, of the proposed paper that describes the main research question(s), methods employed, and the paper’s relevance and value to the thematic area; and 2) a one page summary curriculum vitae listing in particular the applicant’s current institutional affiliation(s), advanced degrees, scholarly publications relevant to Internet governance, and web sites, if available. Submission materials should be emailed directly to the chairperson of the 2008 Program Committee, Dr. Meryem Marzouki, at Meryem.Marzouki(a)lip6.fr by no later than July 15, 2008, midnight GMT. Members of the 2008 program committee will review submissions according to the same criteria. In order to ensure fairness of the evaluation process, submissions that do not conform to the requested format will not be considered. The Program Committee will notify applicants of its decisions via email by September 15, 2008. A full paper upon which oral or poster presentation will be based must be delivered to the same address by October 10, 2008, midnight GMT in order for the author(s) to be included in the program. While GigaNet asserts no copyright to authors’ work, it is expected that the version of the paper presented orally or as poster will be made available for posting on the GigaNet website. Travel scholarships for a few outstanding accepted papers may be available for scholars who would otherwise be unable to attend. Applicants who are accepted will be informed of these opportunities after September 15. 2008 GigaNet Symposium Program Committee: - Ana Abreu, Labeurb/Unicamp and Paulista University, Campinas (SP), Brazil - Slavka Antonova, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand - Meryem Marzouki, LIP6/PolyTIC-CNRS Laboratory, Paris, France (Chair) - John Mathiason, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse (NY), USA - Milton Mueller, Syracuse University School of Information Studies, Syracuse (NY), USA - Max Senges, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain - Rolf H. Weber, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland Important dates: - 15 July 2008: abstract submission deadline (to be sent to: Meryem.Marzouki(a)lip6.fr) - 15 September 2008: notification to applicants - 10 October 2008: full papers due - 15 October 2008: 2008 GigaNet symposium program finalized - 2 December 2008: 2008 GigaNet symposium, HICC, Hyderabad, India Topics Description 1. Comparing Internet Governance to other Global Governance Domains The concept of global governance has flourished in a number of fields: trade, security, environment, development -- as well as Internet. However, most general analyses of global governance ignore global Internet governance. Conversely, very few Internet governance analyses are conducted through comparative frameworks. Submissions are invited to help frame Internet governance in a broader, global governance perspective. What could be learnt from experiences of global governance in other fields? Are there any general instruments and methods of global governance, irrespective of the domain area it addresses? Could some similarities or invariants of a global governance process be identified? 2. Networked Governance Theories and the Institutionalization of Internet Governance The global policy discourse on Internet governance involves more diverse actors and newly created institutions. There is a need to explore the dynamics of this changing institutionalization process through theoretical and empirical analysis. Recent work explores network forms of organization in political and governance contexts, at national and international levels, most notably with the concept of “transgovernmental networks” to solve sector-specific problems. We call for papers that apply, test and criticize ideas of “networked governance” in the context of global Internet governance. We encourage submissions that analyze collaborative policy-making in related institutions and interactions between them. We are especially interested in papers that critically analyze these forms of governance in terms of fairness and accountability and their relationship to democratic principles. Can presently excluded or minority communities enhance their participation? Beyond the expert discourse and the interplay amongst dedicated stakeholders, can networked governance represent people, rather than just established interests and agencies? What are the available tools and practices to facilitate their participation and deliberation, in terms of discourse, collaboration and decision-making? 3. Role of NGOs, Social Movements and Civil Society in Internet Governance Important but subtle transformations have occurred in the role and participation of non-governmental and non-business actors in the 6 years since the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS). WSIS witnessed a somewhat usual situation, where organized social actors participated from inside the process through structured non-governmental organizations, and social movements exercised some more radical pressure from the outside. Since the creation of the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF), this mode of participation has turned into a “consensus-based cooperation”, where civil society actors are supposed to contribute on equal footing with governments and business actors, in most cases in their individual capacity and rather disconnected from social movements. We seek papers that analyze the evolution of involved social actors and their structuring, especially with regards to the historical evolution of the concept of civil society, and to explore in which ways and to what extent these transformations may be related to the move from government to governance. 4. Year 3 of the UN Internet Governance Forum: Assessing its Structure, Process and Impact The WSIS created and mandated the IGF to address critical, value-adding global Internet governance functions that cannot be entirely performed by any existing institution. This includes: highlighting emerging issues, assessing the embodiment of WSIS principles, and strengthening the participation of stakeholders in Internet governance mechanisms. Furthermore, the IGF was defined as “multilateral, multi-stakeholder, democratic and transparent” body; it has been structured through a Secretariat, a multi-stakeholder advisory group (MAG), and a special advisory group to the MAG’s chair; and for 3 years, it has been operating as an open discursive space, prepared through open consultation sessions. Submissions are invited to explore whether the IGF has fulfilled its mandate at this step, which difficulties can be identified and how they could be solved. Has the IGF structure, management and advisory mechanisms proven to be adequate and compliant with the WSIS Tunis Agenda requirements? What strengths could be reinforced and weaknesses overcome? 5. Law and Jurisdictions in Internet Governance The Internet must now be considered a major factor when elaborating regulatory principles to deal with the circulation of content and data and with the protection of the general communications infrastructure. This is not an easy task because of its implications on the respect for universal human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, where States differ widely on their implementation of these international standards, even among coherent regional entities. The task becomes even more complex due to conflicts of competences among overlapping jurisdictions. We seek papers that identify and explore conflicts among national laws and attempts to harmonize them. We also seek papers that explore the relevance to the global Internet of public and private international law currently in force or being considered in ongoing international negotiations. Submissions analyzing the role and positions of various players in these processes are also encouraged. 6. Copyright Protection, Internet Service Providers and Technical Mechanisms of Control We encourage papers that examine attempts to impose copyright protection on the Internet through the intermediary of Internet service providers. This theme bridges the topics of network neutrality and intellectual property, inspired by recent incidents, such as a Belgian ISP’s order by a court to use deep packet inspection to catch copyright infringement in transit, and Comcast's notorious interference with BitTorrent, which also was probably stimulated in part by copyright protection concerns. Papers can explore the feasibility and “state of the art” of packet inspection and other relevant techniques, analyze copyright industry and ISP industry interactions from a political economy standpoint, or examine appropriate policy responses to new and powerful packet inspection techniques. 7. Internationalized Domain Names: Expanding Access or Tower of Babel? We encourage papers on the economic, cultural and compatibility issues raised by the migration to a new standard for Internet domain names that allows them to reflect non-Roman scripts such as Chinese or Cyrillic. Internationalized domain names (IDNs) have a double-edged effect: they widen access for non-English or ASCII readers by making domain names easier to use, but they also introduce compatibility problems among people communicating across language boundaries, as one party may not know how to read or input the address of the other party. There are also interesting questions of competition policy, as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) must decide whether to give new generic top level domains (TLDs) in IDN scripts to incumbents operating ASCII TLDs with similar meanings, or to new competitors. Issues of consumer confusion and cross-linguistic disputes can also arise.

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People Are The Bioeconomy: Social Media For Engaged Information Conversations
by Gerry Mckiernan 30 Mar '08

30 Mar '08

Colleagues/ I will give the first of three presentations at the American Chemical Society Spring Conference a week from today on April 6th 2008, 9:15-9:45, in New Orleans. _People Are The Bioeconomy: Social Media For Engaged Information Conversations_ Gerry McKiernan, gerrymck(a)iastate.edu Library, Iowa State University, 152 Parks, Ames, IA 50011 While a substantial portion of the primary literature on alternative energy is published in scholarly journals, significant research is also reported in conference publications, dissertations, reports, theses, white papers, and other *gray* literature. This presentation will discuss this literature and the efforts of the Iowa State University Library to identify and acquire key gray publications on the production, use, and impact of biofuels, to support university scientific, technical, and sociological research initiatives. Two alternative energy blogs established to promote core publications and resources to a world community will also be profiled. Major current and future research alternative energy projects at Iowa State will be described as well. The presentation will conclude with speculation on the potential use of social networking services, such as 2collab, chemistry.org/exchange, and the Nature Network to facilitate and support university/industry/government communication, collaboration, and coordination of bioenergy projects. [ http://oasys2.confex.com/acs/235nm/techprogram/P1163116.HTM ] _Engineering the Transition to the Bioeconomy_ The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008 9:15 AM-9:45 PM, Sunday, April 6, 2008 Marriott Convention Center -- Blaine Kern D Links and Additional Information and The PPT (by May 1st) are/will be accessible at [ http://scitechnet.blogspot.com/2008/03/people-are-bioeconomy-social-media-f… ] OR [ http://tinyurl.com/2yeqh3 ] If You're Attending ACS, And Are Interested Please Stop By ... BTW: My Second ACS Presentation _Being There: Using Social Networking Services For Engaged Library Instruction_ is scheduled for Monday, April 7th 2008, 9:15-9:35 [ http://onlinesocialnetworks.blogspot.com/2008/03/social-networking-services… ] Regards, /Gerry Gerry McKiernan Associate Professor Science and Technology Librarian Iowa State University Library Ames IA 50011 gerrymck(a)iastate.edu There is Nothing More Powerful Than An Idea Whose Time Has Come Victor Hugo [ http://www.blogger.com/profile/09093368136660604490 ] Iowa: Where the Tall Corn Flows and the (North)West Wind Blows [ http://alternativeenergyblogs.blogspot.com/ ]

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Reminder: Tomorrow: Second Life/IRC presentation: Avatars Identity and the Expression of Disability
by Kathy Mancuso 29 Mar '08

29 Mar '08

> presented by www.gimpgirl.com, a group for disabled women that meets > weekly on Sundays at 3 PM SLT: > > This is an online, international event that will be held in Second > Life, but is accessible to those not on Second Life via IRC chat. See > below for details. > > Hosted by JennyLin Arashi and Aleja Asturias: > > GimpGirl Community and the Avatar Identity Research Center present: > > "Avatars, Identity, and the Expression of Disability" > > Rivka Rau is the director of the Avatar Identity Research Center, and > a professor of sociology in real life. The AV-ID Center is the home of > the Editing Appearances project, an interview study of avatar > embodiment and selfhood in SL. Rivka Rau has conducted over 200 hours > of interviews for this project. In addition, through AV-ID she offers > a seminar series on topics related to identity and the SL body. She > will presenting on our current topic of the month, disability identity > on-line, at our Second Life parcel. There will be time for Q & A as > well as general discussion. > > Open to the public. > > When: > Sunday, March 30th, 2008 from 12:00 - 1:30 PM SLT/Pacific Time (3:00 > PM Eastern Time) > > > Second Life location: > http://slurl.com/secondlife/3DE/139/61/22 > > IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO SECOND LIFE: > You can still attend this presentation online via IRC. To visit our > IRC/Second Life chatroom, go to: > http://chat.on.quickfox.net/GimpGirl > > ...and choose the option that works best for you. > > (If you'd like more information on how IRC works, you can go to: > http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/new2irc.html) > > -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Katherine Mancuso: caped crusader of community art, technology, & disability! ~content manager, web writer, blogger, & designer for hire~ ~Social Software Superpowers And Cybernetic Wings~ blog: http://museumfreak.livejournal.com linkblog: http://del.icio.us/museumfreak linked-in: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kathymancuso (ask me for IM & gaming contact info) ~Because all superheroines need pink leotards!~ Technology Workgroup Co-Chair, Alternate ROOTS (arts & activism): http://www.alternateroots.org Spitzer Dance Company: http://www.spitzerdance.org Atlanta Contact Improv: http://www.atlantacontact.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Analyzing Interview Data
by Bella Minw 29 Mar '08

29 Mar '08

Hello All: Could you provide me with some information on the best book / article that will be of help on the best method to analyzing my telephone interview? Thanks! Bella Ezuma --------------------------------- You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total Access, No Cost.

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CFP Global Internet Governance Academic Network Symposium 2008
by Ismael Peña-López 29 Mar '08

29 Mar '08

----- Call for Papers Third Annual GigaNet Symposium 2 December 2008 - Hyderabad, India Hyderabad International Conference Center (HICC) The Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet http://tinyurl.com/ynsuuf) is a scholarly community that promotes the development of Internet governance as a recognized, interdisciplinary field of study and facilitates informed dialogue on policy issues and related matters between scholars and governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society. Each year, GigaNet organizes a one-day research symposium in conjunction with the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and in the same premises. After the first two editions in Athens, Greece (October 2006) and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (November 2007), the third GigaNet Annual Symposium will be held on December 2, 2008, in Hyderabad, India, the day before the 3rd IGF meeting. Attendance at the Symposium will be open to all and free of charge. The Symposium will be at the same location as the IGF and registration with the UN as an IGF participant may be necessary to gain entry to the building. This is a call for papers from scholars interested in presenting an original research paper at the conference. Submission topics In addition to papers on methodological aspects of Internet governance-related studies, this year's Symposium particularly encourages submissions on the following themes, which are described in more detail below: 1. Comparing Internet Governance to other Global Governance Domains 2. Networked Governance Theories and the Institutionalization of Internet Governance 3. The Role of NGOs, Social Movements and Civil Society in Internet Governance 4. Year 3 of the UN Internet Governance Forum: Assessing its Structure, Process and Impact 5. Law and Jurisdictions in Internet Governance 6. Copyright Protection, Internet Service Providers and Technical Mechanisms of Control 7. Internationalized Domain Names: Expanding Access or Tower of Babel? Submission requirements Applicants should submit: 1) an abstract of 800-1000 words, in English, of the proposed paper that describes the main research question(s), methods employed, and the paper's relevance and value to the thematic area; and 2) a one page summary curriculum vitae listing in particular the applicant's current institutional affiliation(s), advanced degrees, scholarly publications relevant to Internet governance, and web sites, if available. Submission materials should be emailed directly to the chairperson of the 2008 Program Committee, Dr. Meryem Marzouki, at Meryem.Marzouki(a)lip6.fr by no later than July 15, 2008, midnight GMT. Members of the 2008 program committee will review submissions according to the same criteria. In order to ensure fairness of the evaluation process, submissions that do not conform to the requested format will not be considered. The Program Committee will notify applicants of its decisions via email by September 15, 2008. A full paper upon which oral or poster presentation will be based must be delivered to the same address by October 10, 2008, midnight GMT in order for the author(s) to be included in the program. While GigaNet asserts no copyright to authors' work, it is expected that the version of the paper presented orally or as poster will be made available for posting on the GigaNet website. Travel scholarships for a few outstanding accepted papers may be available for scholars who would otherwise be unable to attend. Applicants who are accepted will be informed of these opportunities after September 15. 2008 GigaNet Symposium Program Committee: - Ana Abreu, Labeurb/Unicamp and Paulista University, Campinas (SP), Brazil - Slavka Antonova, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand - Meryem Marzouki, LIP6/PolyTIC-CNRS Laboratory, Paris, France (Chair) - John Mathiason, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse (NY), USA - Milton Mueller, Syracuse University School of Information Studies, Syracuse (NY), USA - Max Senges, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain - Rolf H. Weber, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland Important dates: - 15 July 2008: abstract submission deadline (to be sent to: Meryem.Marzouki(a)lip6.fr) - 15 September 2008: notification to applicants - 10 October 2008: full papers due - 15 October 2008: 2008 GigaNet symposium program finalized - 2 December 2008: 2008 GigaNet symposium, HICC, Hyderabad, India Topics Description 1. Comparing Internet Governance to other Global Governance Domains The concept of global governance has flourished in a number of fields: trade, security, environment, development -- as well as Internet. However, most general analyses of global governance ignore global Internet governance. Conversely, very few Internet governance analyses are conducted through comparative frameworks. Submissions are invited to help frame Internet governance in a broader, global governance perspective. What could be learnt from experiences of global governance in other fields? Are there any general instruments and methods of global governance, irrespective of the domain area it addresses? Could some similarities or invariants of a global governance process be identified? 2. Networked Governance Theories and the Institutionalization of Internet Governance The global policy discourse on Internet governance involves more diverse actors and newly created institutions. There is a need to explore the dynamics of this changing institutionalization process through theoretical and empirical analysis. Recent work explores network forms of organization in political and governance contexts, at national and international levels, most notably with the concept of "transgovernmental networks" to solve sector-specific problems. We call for papers that apply, test and criticize ideas of "networked governance" in the context of global Internet governance. We encourage submissions that analyze collaborative policy-making in related institutions and interactions between them. We are especially interested in papers that critically analyze these forms of governance in terms of fairness and accountability and their relationship to democratic principles. Can presently excluded or minority communities enhance their participation? Beyond the expert discourse and the interplay amongst dedicated stakeholders, can networked governance represent people, rather than just established interests and agencies? What are the available tools and practices to facilitate their participation and deliberation, in terms of discourse, collaboration and decision-making? 3. Role of NGOs, Social Movements and Civil Society in Internet Governance Important but subtle transformations have occurred in the role and participation of non-governmental and non-business actors in the 6 years since the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS). WSIS witnessed a somewhat usual situation, where organized social actors participated from inside the process through structured non- governmental organizations, and social movements exercised some more radical pressure from the outside. Since the creation of the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF), this mode of participation has turned into a "consensus-based cooperation", where civil society actors are supposed to contribute on equal footing with governments and business actors, in most cases in their individual capacity and rather disconnected from social movements. We seek papers that analyze the evolution of involved social actors and their structuring, especially with regards to the historical evolution of the concept of civil society, and to explore in which ways and to what extent these transformations may be related to the move from government to governance. 4. Year 3 of the UN Internet Governance Forum: Assessing its Structure, Process and Impact The WSIS created and mandated the IGF to address critical, value- adding global Internet governance functions that cannot be entirely performed by any existing institution. This includes: highlighting emerging issues, assessing the embodiment of WSIS principles, and strengthening the participation of stakeholders in Internet governance mechanisms. Furthermore, the IGF was defined as "multilateral, multi-stakeholder, democratic and transparent" body; it has been structured through a Secretariat, a multi-stakeholder advisory group (MAG), and a special advisory group to the MAG's chair; and for 3 years, it has been operating as an open discursive space, prepared through open consultation sessions. Submissions are invited to explore whether the IGF has fulfilled its mandate at this step, which difficulties can be identified and how they could be solved. Has the IGF structure, management and advisory mechanisms proven to be adequate and compliant with the WSIS Tunis Agenda requirements? What strengths could be reinforced and weaknesses overcome? 5. Law and Jurisdictions in Internet Governance The Internet must now be considered a major factor when elaborating regulatory principles to deal with the circulation of content and data and with the protection of the general communications infrastructure. This is not an easy task because of its implications on the respect for universal human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, where States differ widely on their implementation of these international standards, even among coherent regional entities. The task becomes even more complex due to conflicts of competences among overlapping jurisdictions. We seek papers that identify and explore conflicts among national laws and attempts to harmonize them. We also seek papers that explore the relevance to the global Internet of public and private international law currently in force or being considered in ongoing international negotiations. Submissions analyzing the role and positions of various players in these processes are also encouraged. 6. Copyright Protection, Internet Service Providers and Technical Mechanisms of Control We encourage papers that examine attempts to impose copyright protection on the Internet through the intermediary of Internet service providers. This theme bridges the topics of network neutrality and intellectual property, inspired by recent incidents, such as a Belgian ISP's order by a court to use deep packet inspection to catch copyright infringement in transit, and Comcast's notorious interference with BitTorrent, which also was probably stimulated in part by copyright protection concerns. Papers can explore the feasibility and "state of the art" of packet inspection and other relevant techniques, analyze copyright industry and ISP industry interactions from a political economy standpoint, or examine appropriate policy responses to new and powerful packet inspection techniques. 7. Internationalized Domain Names: Expanding Access or Tower of Babel? We encourage papers on the economic, cultural and compatibility issues raised by the migration to a new standard for Internet domain names that allows them to reflect non-Roman scripts such as Chinese or Cyrillic. Internationalized domain names (IDNs) have a double- edged effect: they widen access for non-English or ASCII readers by making domain names easier to use, but they also introduce compatibility problems among people communicating across language boundaries, as one party may not know how to read or input the address of the other party. There are also interesting questions of competition policy, as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) must decide whether to give new generic top level domains (TLDs) in IDN scripts to incumbents operating ASCII TLDs with similar meanings, or to new competitors. Issues of consumer confusion and cross-linguistic disputes can also arise. -- Private discussion list of 2008 GigaNet Program Committee. Archived. List homepage: http://www-rp.lip6.fr/wws/info/giganet-pc2008 ----- Ismael Peña-López ICTlogy.net Public Policies for Development and ICT4D Faculty of Law and Political Science Open University of Catalonia

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Extended deadline | Call for papers: ICT skills and economic opportunities for marginalized groups
by Maria Garrido 28 Mar '08

28 Mar '08

We receive several requests and decided to allow for a two extension to submit the articles. The new deadline is April 14th Thanks Maria Garrido -------------------- The Journal of Information Technologies and International Development (ITID) invites submissions for a special issue titled ICT goes to work: Skills and economic opportunities for marginalized groups. New Submission deadline: April 14th. Please visit http://mitpress.mit.edu/itid for more information about ITID, its author guidelines, and to submit a paper for this issue. When submitting the paper please indicate in the field "comments to the editors" that it is for the ICT skills and employability special issue Guest editors : Christopher T. Coward and Maria Garrido (Center for Information & Society, ICT and Development Group, University of Washington) and Akthar Badshah (Community Affairs, Microsoft Corporation) A fundamental premise of ICT and international development is that people equipped with basic ICT skills should be more employable than those without these skills, and in turn have access to increased economic opportunities. Many nongovernmental organizations, telecenters in particular, state that improving the economic livelihood of their communities is one of their most important missions. Many training programs from donor and public-supported to privately operated, have been built with the express purpose of providing the people who come into the centers with the basic skills they need to be hired by a local company, obtain a better-paying job, or start a microenterprise. This special issue on ICT goes to work: Skills and economic opportunities for marginalized groups invites papers that address this topic with novel, theoretically grounded, and methodologically sound research. We will also accept a limited number of practitioner submissions. Papers may address the following questions, for example: * To what extent does having basic ICT skills affect an individual's employment prospects (e.g., quantitative analyses of income differentials, numbers and types of jobs that are available)? * Have basic ICT skills positively affected microenterprise creation? * How does gaining ICT skills affect employability compared with gaining other types of skills (e.g., learning English, learning how to search for jobs)? * What are the approaches and outcomes of different training programs? * What government policies and other factors influence employability? This special issue is primarily concerned with basic ICT skills (e.g., computer fundamentals, productivity applications, employment sector specific applications) and programs targeting marginalized populations, not with the advanced engineering skills needed for employment in, for instance, the IT export service sector. The topic of this ITID special issue is inherently multidisciplinary. The editors welcome a diverse pool of submissions from fields such as economics, development communications, education, rural sociology, engineering, and public policy. Information Technologies and International Development (ITID) is the leading journal focusing on the intersection of information and communication technologies (ICT) with international development. ITID is published by the MIT Press and edited at the University of Southern California and the Georgia Institute of Technology. If you have any questions related to this special issue, please contact: Maria Garrido, PhD Research Associate ICT and Development Program Center for Information & Society University of Washington www.cis.washington.edu/ictd P. 1 (206) 685 08 12 * Please consider your environmental responsibility before printing this e-mail

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The Open Scholar: Professors Are People Too
by Gerry Mckiernan 28 Mar '08

28 Mar '08

***Apologies for Receipt of Duplicate Postings*** Friends/ >>A Top E-Mailed Story From The NY Times<< March 20, 2008 The Professor as Open Book By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM IT is not necessary for a student studying multivariable calculus, medieval literature or Roman archaeology to know that the professor on the podium shoots pool, has donned a bunny costume or can*t get enough of Chaka Khan. Yet professors of all ranks and disciplines are revealing such information on public, national platforms: blogs, Web pages, social networking sites, even campus television. [snip] There was a time when professors did not outrank music premieres on television. They were buttoned-up authority figures, like the legendary fictional Professor Kingsfield, portrayed by John Houseman in *The Paper Chase.* The personal lives of professors could only be imagined from the sparse clues of clothing, handwriting and the contents of offices. These days, the clues are usually digital and are broad invitations to get to know the person behind the Ph.D. It is not uncommon for professors* Web pages to include lists of the books they would take to a deserted island, links to their favorite songs from bygone eras, blog posts about their children, entries *written* by their dogs and vacation photographs. [snip] Certainly, professors have embraced the Internet since its earliest days, using it as a scholarly avenue of communication, publication and debate. Now it is common for many to reveal more personal information that has little connection to their work. Some do so in hopes it will attract attention for a book or paper they have written; others do so inadvertently, joining Facebook to communicate with students and then finding themselves lured deeper by its various applications. Many, though, say that by divulging family history and hobbies, they hope to appear more accessible to students. [snip] Mr. Irwin updates his Facebook page with photos and titles of books he is reading, but he misses what he calls the Las Vegas feel of MySpace. Still, his postings ignite a conversation with students. *Anything I can do to kind of meet them halfway,* he said, *I try to do.* [MORE] Excerpted Story Available at [ http://onlinesocialnetworks.blogspot.com/2008/03/open-scholar-professors-ar… ] Happy Full Day of Spring! /Gerry Gerry McKiernan Associate Professor Science and Technology Librarian Iowa State University Library Ames IA 50011 gerrymck(a)iastate.edu There is Nothing More Powerful Than An Idea Whose Time Has Come Victor Hugo [ http://www.blogger.com/profile/09093368136660604490 ] Iowa: Where the Tall Corn Flows and the (North)West Wind Blows [ http://alternativeenergyblogs.blogspot.com/ ]

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Review comments please
by bl506＠york.ac.uk 26 Mar '08

26 Mar '08

Thanks very much to all of you who have taken so much time and trouble to review the abstracts for the IR 9.0 conference to be held in Copenhagen. It really is much appreciated. We are in the process of attempting to notify everyone who submitted a paper abstract before 31st March and would therefore urge the last few remaining reviewers to post your comments in asap. We have had a very enthusiastic response to the call for panels and roundtables and will hope to make decisions on these by the the end of next week if not before. Proposals for workshops on Wednesday 15th October are still very welcome. Brian -- Brian D. Loader, Co-Director, Social Informatics Research Unit, Department of Sociology, Wentworth College, University of York, Heslington, YORK YO1 5DD. United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1904 432639 Fax: +44 (0) 1904 433043 email: bl506(a)york.ac.uk

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