February 2010 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Re: [Air-L] Privacy Buzz
by Andrejevic, Mark 17 Feb '10

17 Feb '10

Thanks for these observations: the Buzz story is one more example of what we might expect to happen (as Christian points out), when, in the name of convenience, access, lack of better alternatives, etc., we develop and conduct significant portions of our communicative and transactional lives (whether social, professional, or educational -- think of the Google/Microsoft battle over who will take over university email accounts) on commercially supported platforms whose business model is based on data collection and processing. I wonder if Google's "clumsiness" in rolling out something like this lies in the way it thinks about information, which has much to do with finding applications for making sense out of (and putting to use) large amounts of data. Our contact lists, viewed in this light, are just one more data set that can be multi-purposed, for them and for us. From such a perspective, it might seem like such a waste not to put that information to "good use." It's a perspective that is perhaps implicit in the media charges of "clumsiness" (that Google just didn't handle this right, that they're too willing to release applications in beta form, not fully tested, etc.), which seems to assume, that yes, all of this info is useful for multi-purposing, if it's just done right. I suspect that this is just the beginning of an ongoing series of revelations regarding what it means to rely on privatized, data-driven, commercially supported platforms for an increasing range of our communication and information-related activities. It's really an unprecedented level of commercialization and privatization. Against the background of Google taking over university email (and perhaps, eventually secondary school email accounts, document storage, and so on) previous concerns about commercial organizations in the schools (Channel One, in the US for example) seem almost quaint. The "value proposition" is clear: commercial companies will provide us with a range of communication and information services in exchange for detailed data collection about these various aspects of our lives -- data that can be used in non-transparent ways to sort, manipulate and manage users. It's not the kind of choice we might make in theory, when laid out in stark terms, but it does seem to be the kind of choice we're willing to make in practice, perhaps out of a lack of better alternatives to address the social and economic pressure to network, respond, stay in contact, etc. I think Christian makes a very interesting point about the focus on potential ~abuses~ of Buzz data by "other" authoritarian regimes, a focus that implicitly sanctions the "proper" commercial use of personal information and backgrounds the state's use of private sector data by, say, the United States. At the same time, the line between government use and corporate use continues to be reconfigured and blurred. The "investment arm" of the CIA puts money into data-mining companies, which in turn purchase data from an increasingly entrepreneurial state for commercial use, and so on. ________________________________________ From: air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org [air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Richard Forno [rforno(a)infowarrior.org] Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 7:38 PM To: Christian Fuchs Cc: List Aoir Subject: [Air-L] offlist - Re: Privacy Buzz I agree .... again, while I don't use Gmail or Facebook, etc......I am more concerned with the personal privacy "violation" to/for friends than I am anything having to to with a state government. Why? Because i presume that anything I do/say in cyberspace, or has the possibility to transit through or exist on a server/service that I don't have positive control over, potentially can be intercepted or compromised for any number of legitimate or nefarious purposes. That reality is not something one should fear only in totalitarian societiies, by the way. That said, to me, the more sinister "motive" is what Christian talks about: economic exploitation -- but I certainly acknowledge and appreciate those with political concerns here as well. It's also one of the reasons I've been slow to embrace things like Facebook (I don't) and only recently began dabbling with Twitter and LinkedIn. Put bluntly, I just don't like the idea of a for-profit entity knowing my social network, which can be used for marketing or other purposes that I may not appreciate or agree with. Am I paranoid? Perhaps. But I am under no obligation to use these services, so if I chose 'not to play' it's no big deal for me .... even though many of my friends would love it if I joined them on Facebook. ;) -rf On Feb 13, 2010, at 7:59 PM, Christian Fuchs wrote: > I think Buzz is an interesting new phenomenon. > > I find interesting about the NY Times article and the reactions of some users to Buzz that they primarily stress the danger that China, Iran, etc could use Buzz for engaging in the (political) surveillance of political oppositionists and that they label such endeavaours totalitarian, while at the same time they do not provide a critique of the economic surveillance machine constituted by Google's expanding services, its collection, storage, analysis, and commodification of personal data, and its market dominance. > > Surveillance and Big brother are not only somewhere out there in China or Iran, they are also present in the heart of capitalism itself - in the form of economic surveillance, and Google is one of its primary executors. > > Buzz privacy policy for example says: > "When you use Google Buzz, we may record information about your use of the product, such as the posts that you like or comment on and the other users who you communicate with. This is to provide you with a better experience on Buzz and other Google services and to improve the quality of Google services" > "If you use Google Buzz on a mobile device and choose to view "nearby" posts, your location will be collected by Google." > > The task is to collect as many data about users and to then to sell this data as commodity to advertising clients. Google fears the competition by Facebook and Twitter in the social networking market, and so has set up its own service (although I doubt that I will be so successful because until now it only supports rather trivial functions). > > To only focus on the political surveillance capabilities that Buzz provides for some non-Western societies and to ignore the immanence of economic surveillance, is a form od Digital Orientalism that is ideologically blind for the forms of stratification that are at the heart of Western economies. > > Cheers, Christian > > >> On Feb 13, 2010, at 11:33 AM, Aziz Douai wrote: >>> Hi everyone, >>> >>> I guess I am one of the lurkers on the listserv, but here goes my first >>> contribution: Buzz. If you have used the new google social network service, >>> how do you feel about the seeming violation of privacy? A few days ago, I >>> decline my Gmail's insistence on adding trying the new feature/service. Now, >>> the New York Times has a great article (Critics Say Google Invades Privacy >>> with New Service: >>> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/technology/internet/13google.html) on how >>> users' rights to privacy appear to have been violated. The article raises >>> the interesting question of how totalitarian regimes may use the service to >>> suppress political dissent. Google's rhetoric and carefully constructed >>> image following its row with China is put to test. >>> >>> Anyway, I am curious as to how AIR members have found the feature with >>> regard to both privacy and security. >>> >>> Cheers, >>> >>> Aziz >>> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> Aziz Douai, Ph.D. >>> Assistant Professor, Communication Program >>> Faculty of Criminology, Justice and Policy Studies >>> University of Ontario Institute of Technology >>> 2000 Simcoe Street North >>> Oshawa, ON L1H 7K4 >>> E-mail: aziz.douai(a)uoit.ca/ azizdouai(a)gmail.com >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> "A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring >>> it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both." James >>> Madison, 1822 >>> >>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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/ >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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/ > > > -- > - - - > Priv.-Doz. Dr. Christian Fuchs > Associate Professor > Unified Theory of Information Research Group > ICT&S Center > University of Salzburg > Sigmund Haffner Gasse 18 > 5020 Salzburg > Austria > christian.fuchs(a)sbg.ac.at > Phone +43 662 8044 4823 > Personal Website: http://fuchs.uti.at > Research Group: http;//www.uti.at > Editor of > tripleC - Cognition, Communication, Co-Operation | Open Access Journal for a Global Sustainable Information Society > http://www.triple-c.at > Fuchs, Christian. 2008. Internet and Society: Social Theory in the Information Age. New York: Routledge. > http://fuchs.uti.at/?page_id=40 > _______________________________________________ > 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/ > _______________________________________________ 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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Operation Titstorm, Project Freeweb and the Australian Internet censor ship debacle
by Pearse Stokes 17 Feb '10

17 Feb '10

Hello All, It's been a while since I posted anything here. I was just wondering if anyone is following the regulatory battle that is taking place in Australia at the moment? P cyberanthro.net

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Lessons in Second LIfe
by jeremy hunsinger 16 Feb '10

16 Feb '10

distribute as appropriate -jh Every Week, on Wednesday(4pm-5pm EST) join us for Lessons in Second Life, an open table forum centering on what can be learned in sl in both formal and informal settings. The forum is open to faculty, students, and interested parties of all kinds. im buridan simon for more information. Come share your ideas for learning in Second Life http://slurl.com/secondlife/Aloft%20Nonprofit%20Commons/69/214/24 the home of GamesforChange.org (with their support and consent) in world. This weeks Lessons sponsored by: Committee to Save the Hippos Next weeks Lessons sponsored by: Groups for The Conservative Forgetting of Histories jeremy hunsinger Center for Digital Discourse and Culture Virginia Tech Information Ethics Fellow, Center for Information Policy Research, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (www.cipr.uwm.edu) www.tmttlt.com () ascii ribbon campaign - against html mail /\ - against microsoft attachments http://www.stswiki.org/ sts wiki http://transdisciplinarystudies.tmttlt.com/ Transdisciplinary Studies:the book series

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OII Summer Doctoral Programme 2010 (Last Call!)
by Rebecca Eynon 16 Feb '10

16 Feb '10

Dear friends and colleagues, This is the last call for the OII's Summer Doctoral Programme 2010, which will be taking place in Oxford on 5-16 July 2010. The deadline for applications is Monday 22 February 2010. The SDP aims to bring together doctoral students engaged in dissertation research relating to the Internet and other ICTs. By sharing their work and learning from leading academics in the field, students can enhance the quality and significance of their thesis research and join a peer network of excellent young researchers. We welcome applications from students from any discipline: economics, geography, computer sciences, information sciences, communication, sociology, law, cultural studies, psychology, etc. http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/teaching/sdp/Y2010.cfm Email: mailto:sdp@oii.ox.ac.uk But rather than tell you more about it ourselves, we asked past students and tutors to share their own experiences... 1. The OII SDP: The Words of Others 2. Apply for SDP2010! 3. Contact -------------------------------------------------- 1. The OII SDP: The Words of Others -------------------------------------------------- Why do students apply to the Summer Doctoral Programme? What do they expect from it? 'I have to admit I went into the OII's Summer Doctoral Programme not knowing quite what to expect. To be honest, I was hesitant about applying because part of me just wanted to have a relaxing summer after a rather intense year. It was one of the best decisions I have made since I started my doctorate.' Christine Madsen, SDP2008 http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=1105 One of the OII's strengths is its truly multidisciplinary approach to the Internet. This is reflected in the programme tutors, but also in the varied disciplinary backgrounds of the students themselves: 'The graduate students were from all over the world, representing several disciplines, including Computer Science, Law, Communication, Information Science, Political Science, Media Studies, Economics, and Education.' Monica Bulger, SDP2008 http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=1036 As well as a full programme of lectures, the programme is arranged to provide students with guidance and feedback on their work: '.. the SDP was a transformative experience for many of us. By design, the program prioritized in-depth feedback on our research from several specialists in the field, including our graduate student peers. Our work was the focus of the two-week program and we had many opportunities for direction and mentorship.' Monica Bulger, SDP2008 http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=1036 For some, it might be the first time they have presented their thesis work to a wider audience: 'It felt a bit like stepping out on a limb - presenting this idea that is somewhat controversial to this amazing group of students, faculty, and Internet moguls from around the world - but the feedback I got that day and during the rest of the programme is still helping me craft my thesis today as I finish writing up [...] My SDP presentation was the first time I had presented on one of the core themes in my research to a diverse audience.' Christine Madsen, SDP2008 http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=1105 Tutors have always been enthusiastic about the programme, and quick to lead and join discussions: 'The SDP is a unique academic experience in which the diversity of the subject matter and methods is matched by the breadth, skill and commitment of the students. This results in a dynamic, challenging and productive environment, which is fostered by tutors and guided by the participating institutions. It is a wonderful peer production at its core...' Colin Maclay (tutor), Berkman Center http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=835 'The SDP is a unique opportunity to interact with highly gifted students from diverse backgrounds being tutored by senior researchers in the field. It offers a chance to broaden one's disciplinary horizon, bounce ideas off each other, and form a continuing network of peers. The combination of disciplinary excellence and social embeddedness makes it a very prolific and fun environment with lasting memories.' Marcus Foth (tutor), QUT http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=977 As well as the formal learning provided through lectures, seminars and tutorials, another big aim of the SDP is to encourage collaboration and networking, not only during the programme, but afterwards: '...the friendships formed at SDP, as well as the network of research contacts that I established, have helped guide my research and my career in the years since.' Matthew Weber, SDP2008 http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=879 'Most importantly, we built networks [...] Over the past year and a half since the SDP, I have had daily contact with the friends I made in Oxford.' Monica Bulger, SDP2008 http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=1036 And this networking activity is noticed by the tutors too: 'Finally, there's the social networking, online and off: if and when you go to AoIR (Association of Internet Researchers) you meet a growing body of ex-SDP'ers, many now moved into academic and other jobs.' Ralph Schroeder (tutor), OII http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=1235 But the SDP is not only about creating networks: the SDP2009 students are publishing a book ('Nexus: New Intersections in Internet Research') based on the work they presented during the programme - ranging from linguistic interactivity on Wikipedia to a public sphere interpretation of the China-Taiwan cyberconflict. 'The idea for a book actually came from Ralph Schroeder who put it forward during one of the student sessions 'You should make a book!' and everybody was straight away enthusiastic about it. You could feel the electricity in the air [...] The motivation was so high after SDP09 that we had to transform it rapidly into a concrete book project.' Yana Breindl, SDP2009 http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=1025 There's a huge amount to pack into just two weeks: lectures, seminars, tutorials, as well as a varied social programme. And how to describe the experience? Exhilarating, intense, stimulating, overwhelming, exhausting: these are the words usually used. It's the most exciting fortnight of the OII's year: a sudden and welcome influx of new faces discussing, sharing and picking over their thoughts and experiences in meeting rooms, libraries, over lunch, in corridors, on stairwells, on the lawn. The energy and intellectual buzz is palpable. 'An accomplished, precocious group that wasn't afraid to ask questions, we quickly established a challenging, funny, and engaging rapport. Together, we presented, debated, ate, punted, picnicked, hiked, and studied.' Monica Bulger, SDP2008 http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=1036 'It's an outstanding experience as you'll meet amazing people and be confronted with exciting ideas - it's very intense but only lasts 2 weeks ... so enjoy every second of it!' Yana Breindl, SDP2009 http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=1025 So how did it all begin? The OII SDP has been run since 2003 by Dr Victoria Nash. We asked her: Why was it launched, all those years ago? 'Looking around we couldn't see much on offer for post-graduates working on Internet-related dissertations. It seemed like a good idea - who could resist the chance to spend a couple of weeks punting and picnicking in Oxford, with the opportunity to study with some world-renowned academics thrown in?' Victoria Nash (convenor), OII http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=1215 But the SDP is probably best expressed by her closing thoughts: 'What has most thrilled me over the past seven years is not the calibre of the participants (generally outstanding) or the range of tutors we have been able to attract (pretty stellar). No, it's what comes out of the Programme at the end of the two weeks - genuine lasting friendships and strong academic partnerships that have generated some really great results.' How to join in? The first step is to apply... More thoughts and responses from SDP students and tutors: http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?tag=sdp2010 The SDP2009 student group produced a video documentary: http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=1133 And here is a collection of everything blogged since 2003: http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=711 -------------------------------------------------- 2. Apply for SDP2010! -------------------------------------------------- The SDP2010 Application Form is available at: http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/teaching/sdp/Y2010.cfm All applications must be received by 17:00 GMT on Monday 22 February 2010. Successful applicants will be notified by 1 April 2010. The Summer Doctoral Programme 2010 is brought to you by the Oxford Internet Institute (University of Oxford) with the kind support of: the Annenberg School of Communication (USC), the Berkman Center for Internet and Society (Harvard University), the Creative Industries Faculty (QUT), the i-School (University of Toronto). Berkman Center are SDP2010 partners: http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=835 QUT are SDP2010 partners; they discuss SDP2009: http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/?p=977 -------------------------------------------------- 3. Contact -------------------------------------------------- Summer Doctoral Programme 2010 Oxford Internet Institute University of Oxford 1 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3JS United Kingdom Email: mailto:sdp@oii.ox.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)1865 287222 http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/teaching/sdp/ Alumni: The SDP Alumnus list stands currently at 134 past-SDPers. Would you like to keep in contact with your group? Contact: mailto:sdp@oii.ox.ac.uk if you would like to be added to the list, giving your name and year of attendance. [Editor: David Sutcliffe] Oxford Internet Institute University of Oxford 1 St Giles Oxford OX1 3JS United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1865 287210 Fax: +44 (0)1865 287211 Email: enquiries(a)oii.ox.ac.uk Web: http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk ------------------------------------------------------------ To subscribe, change email address or unsubscribe from the OII News mailing list, please visit: http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/mailinglist/ FAQs are available at: http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/mailinglist/faqs.cfm To keep improving the content of the newsletters we need to know what you think! You can provide feedback by emailing: mailto:newsletter@oii.ox.ac.uk

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Re: [Air-L] Privacy buzz
by William Bain 16 Feb '10

16 Feb '10

Alejandro Tortolini wrote >This remind me the work of Viktor Mayer-Schoenberger, who suggest that our digital data should have an "expiration date".< I've been watching this "buzz" thread with some interest and I just wanted to add that, Yes, an "expiration date" seems in some ways desirable. I would even say that in a sense one already exists, simply using the logic of context. That said, the hegemonic positons of given companies, as already touched on by several people, is indeed worrying. It relates I think not only to the increasing porousness of internetting but to whether technology increases inhumane actions. Notably, these are all things that have been previously discussed on this list, as a search through the archives reveals. In times of different perceived crises maybe these things stricke us more forcefully. The British newspaper _The Independent_ (15 Jan 10) carries, for example, an article by Bruce Anderson "sanctioning" torture, though to what extent this is senseationalistic or "humble propositional" people may judge for themselves. (Ten "pages" of readers' comments follow the article, by the way.) So I wonder, which is more troublng, Google's beta bumbles or a business as usual in other spheres (if there is more than a single punning sphere). Best wishes, Bill William Bain PhD Student Area de teoria literaria Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona

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IR 11.0 EXTENDED DEADLINE 28th Feb.
by Torill Mortensen 16 Feb '10

16 Feb '10

Traditionally, this deadline has been extended, and who am I to break with such great traditions! This means that the new deadline is 28th of February 2010. I hope this will make up for the fact that the submission site opened late, and that it will result in a rush of wonderful, interesting submissions which have all been worked on just a little bit more to reach the peak of perfection! Hope to see you all in Gothenburg Torill Mortensen, Program chair IR 11.0 Sustainability, Participation, Action http://ir11.aoir.org/

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Web of silence? - Article in Daily Dawn Pakistan by Huma Yusuf
by Fouad Bajwa 16 Feb '10

16 Feb '10

Sharing an article that appeared in the Pakistani Newspaper Daily Dawn for information sharing purposes only of an existing article of interest to community members. Web of silence? By Huma Yusuf Sunday, 14 Feb, 2010 Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper…

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Call for Papers: The Second Workshop on E-Learning Security (ELS-2010)
by i-Society 2010 15 Feb '10

15 Feb '10

Apologies for cross-postings. Please send this Call for Papers to your colleagues, faculty members and postgraduate students. Thanks! The Second Workshop on E-Learning Security (ELS-2010) in conjunction with The International Conference on Information Society (i-Society 2010), Technical Co-Sponsored by IEEE UK/RI Computer Chapter June 28-30, 2010, London, UK (www.i-society.eu) Objectives The aim of the ELS-2010 Workshop is to bring together researchers and practitioners interested in E-Learning Security and to discuss the latest advanced technologies in this area. This workshop is expected to stimulate discussions about the future development of appropriate models, methods, and tools for building E-Learning Security. Topics of Interest include but are not limited to: • Security and Privacy in E-Learning • Security Issues on E-Learning Assessments • E-Learning Security Auditing • Biometrics in E-Learning • Secure E-Learning Development and Application • Digital Rights Management (DRM) for E-Learning • Emerging E-Learning Markets Important Dates: Paper Submission Deadline: March 10, 2010 Notification of Paper Acceptance/Rejection: March 15, 2010 Camera Ready Paper Due: March 31, 2010 Conference Dates: June 28-30, 2010 Paper Submission The style file and templates is available at Paper Submission. Please submit your full paper(s) in PDF format via email to els-2010(a)i-society.eu For further details, please visit http://www.i-society.eu/Workshops.html

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Privacy Buzz
by Aziz Douai 15 Feb '10

15 Feb '10

Hi everyone, I guess I am one of the lurkers on the listserv, but here goes my first contribution: Buzz. If you have used the new google social network service, how do you feel about the seeming violation of privacy? A few days ago, I decline my Gmail's insistence on adding trying the new feature/service. Now, the New York Times has a great article (Critics Say Google Invades Privacy with New Service: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/technology/internet/13google.html) on how users' rights to privacy appear to have been violated. The article raises the interesting question of how totalitarian regimes may use the service to suppress political dissent. Google's rhetoric and carefully constructed image following its row with China is put to test. Anyway, I am curious as to how AIR members have found the feature with regard to both privacy and security. Cheers, Aziz -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aziz Douai, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Communication Program Faculty of Criminology, Justice and Policy Studies University of Ontario Institute of Technology 2000 Simcoe Street North Oshawa, ON L1H 7K4 E-mail: aziz.douai(a)uoit.ca/ azizdouai(a)gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both." James Madison, 1822 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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FW: [MCJ] 2nd CFP: M/C Journal 'ambient' Issue
by Axel Bruns 15 Feb '10

15 Feb '10

G'day ! Last call for article submissions: > -----Original Message----- > From: Axel Bruns [mailto:editor@media-culture.org.au] > Sent: Monday, 15 February 2010 9:57 > To: Axel Bruns > Subject: [MCJ] 2nd CFP: M/C Journal 'ambient' Issue > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 15 Feb. 2010 > > M/C - Media and Culture > http://www.media-culture.org.au/ > is calling for contributors to the 'ambient' issue of > > M/C Journal > http://journal.media-culture.org.au/ > > M/C Journal is looking for new contributors. Founded in 1998, M/C is a > crossover journal between the popular and the academic, and a blind- and > peer-reviewed journal. Our Website at http://journal.media-culture.org.au/ > provides open access to all past issues. > > To find out how and in what format to contribute your work, visit > http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/about/submissions. > > Call for Papers: 'ambient' > Edited by Luke Jaaniste > > Ambience is all around us. Wherever we are. Conditioned as we are as > being-in-the-world, we are always surrounded. A surrounding that affords > meaningful pathways and places of action and thought, that is intelligently > geared up with us. The fundamental surroundings might be the earth itself, > upon which multiple worlds, spaces, zones, nets, webs, districts, precincts > and the like occupy our lives, as we occupy them. > > Ambience can be contrasted with salience. What is salient is what is of > immediate interest and attention. Before us right now, taken up. Hopefully, > dear reader, these words you are reading have particular salience for you. > Right now. But when something is taken up in our field of attention and > action, there is so much that remains, always already there, in the > background, in the periphery, in the ether, in the air. So when Brian Eno > famously coined the term 'ambient music' in the 1970s - and triggered off a > whole raft of terms like ambient video, ambient art, ambient architecture, > ambient tv, ambient media, ambient marketing, ambient journalism, ambient > computing, ambient screens, ambient poetics and ambient literature - he was > doing something a little odd. Making ambience salient. In his music and in > his discourse about it. > > Ambience has been palpably in place, since the dawn of time, but as way of > talking about the world is helps gear us towards the all-around and how so > much of being human is conditioned and affected by our surrounds, in a age > when place and place-making has changed in dramatic ways, locally and > globally. In this issue, we ask: what ideas and interaction take place in > ambience? > > Please send a 100-word abstract to the editors at > ambient(a)journal.media-culture.org.au. Articles of 3,000 words in length > should be submitted online at http://journal.media-culture.org.au/ and > should be prepared in accordance with the M/C Journal style guidelines, > available at > http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/about/submissions. > > Article deadline: 5 Mar. 2010 > Issue release date: 5 May 2010 > > M/C Journal was founded (as "M/C - A Journal of Media and Culture") in 1998 > as a place of public intellectualism analysing and critiquing the meeting of > media and culture. Contributors are directed to past issues of M/C Journal > for examples of style and content, and to the submissions page for > comprehensive article submission guidelines. M/C Journal articles are blind > peer-reviewed. > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Further M/C Journal issues scheduled for 2010/11: > > 'ambient': article deadline 5 Mar. 2010, release date 5 May 2010 > 'deaf': article deadline 30 Apr. 2010, release date 30 June 2010 > 'waste': article deadline 25 June 2010, release date 25 Aug. 2010 > 'pig': article deadline 20 Aug. 2010, release date 20 Oct. 2010 > 'coalition': article deadline 15 Oct. 2010, release date 15 Dec. 2010 > 'doubt': article deadline 21 Jan. 2011, release date 23 Mar. 2011 > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > M/C - Media and Culture is located at <http://www.media-culture.org.au/>. > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > M/C Journal is online at <http://journal.media-culture.org.au/>. > All past issues of M/C Journal on various topics are available there. > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > end > > > Dr Axel Bruns > > -- > General Editor editor(a)media-culture.org.au > M/C - Media and Culture http://www.media-culture.org.au/ > -- > M/C Journal http://journal.media-culture.org.au/ -- Dr Axel Bruns http://snurb.info/ - http://produsage.org/ ARC Centre for Creative Industries and Innovation http://cci.edu.au/ Associate Professor, Media & Communication a.bruns(a)qut.edu.au Creative Industries Faculty, Z1-515, CIP Twitter: @snurb_dot_info Queensland University of Technology +61 7 31385548 Musk Ave, Kelvin Grove, Qld. 4059, Australia CRICOS No.: 00213J

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