February 2011 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Kindle Page Number Redux
by Alex Halavais 09 Feb '11

09 Feb '11

Just to close the circle on an earlier discussion. Kindle's most recent software release includes page numbers that correspond to the physical book. Problem solved, very temporarily, I suspect. http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/quickwire-amazon-adds-real-page-numb… Best, Alex -- // // This email is // [x] assumed public and may be blogged / forwarded. // [ ] assumed to be private, please ask before redistributing. // // Alexander C. Halavais, ciberflâneur // http://alex.halavais.net //

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Academic work on the website 4chan?
by Jana Herwig 09 Feb '11

09 Feb '11

Hi there, I (Phd candidate in Theatre, Film and Media Studies, University of Vienna, Austria -> https://tfm.univie.ac.at/personal/tfm-staff/jana-herwig/) am also currently working on 4chan, with one article appearing in English this year, and two in German Two are written from a theatre / performance studies perspective, one from a media studies perspective (Unfortunately: Not the English one, but if anyone is working on a 4chan reader - or interested in putting one together, for that matter, I'd be most happy to rework it into an English version.) You can download the manuscripts from here (with section titles for the English article, to convey an idea of the content) Herwig, Jana, "The Archive as the Repertoire. Mediated and Embodied Practice on Imageboard 4chan.org", in: Günther Friesinger/Thomas Ballhausen (eds.): Mind and Matter. Paraflows 10 Symposium, conference proceedings, to appear in print in 2011. (It’s a Dance, Not a Website; The Real vs. Virtual Fallacy; Archival Memory and Embodied Practice; The Archive as Repertoire: Hybrid Practice on 4chan.org; 4chan and Beyond) http://homepage.univie.ac.at/jana.herwig/PDF/Herwig_Jana_4chan_Archive_Repe… Herwig, Jana, "'Post your desktop!'" – Analyse eines Sonderfalls der Verhandlung von Nähe und Identität im Web", in: Media and Proximity / Medialität der Nähe, Tagungsband, Siegen, Graduiertenschule Locating Media, erscheint 2011 http://homepage.univie.ac.at/jana.herwig/PDF/Herwig_Jana_Post_Your_Desktop_… Herwig, Jana, "Fluktuierende Kollektive, lebendiges Archiv: Semiologische Praktiken im Imageboard 4chan", in: Christine Ehardt/Daniela Pillgrab/Marina Rauchenbacher/Barbara Alge (Hg.): Inzenierung von „Weiblichkeit“. Zur Konstruktion von Körperbildern in der Kunst, Wien: Loecker 2011 (im Erscheinen). http://homepage.univie.ac.at/jana.herwig/PDF/Herwig_Jana_Fluktuierende_Koll… Take care Jana

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CfP: Research for Action: Networking University and Community for Social Responsibility
by Marcus Foth 09 Feb '11

09 Feb '11

Call for Papers Research for Action: Networking University and Community for Social Responsibility Special issue of the Journal of Community Informatics http://www.ci-journal.net/ Submissions close 31 March 2011. Theme Following on from the successful workshop held in conjunction with Making Links 2010, this special issue of the Journal of Community Informatics will bring together contributions from a diverse range of disciplines to discuss how academic researchers and community practitioners and activists can work together to explore the use of information and communication technologies, social media, augmented reality, and other forms of network technologies for research and action in pursuit of social responsibility. The aim is to connect people with ideas, ideas with research projects, and harness new media to further inquiry into socially just outcomes in our communities. Topics Relevant topics include but are not limited to the following: Action research Civic intelligence Community engagement strategies, methods and approaches Community research partnerships for mutual advantage Ethical considerations Funding, managing and maintaining community-university research partnerships Participatory design Research impact assessment Role of university researchers in community-based research Organisation and Submission Details Authors are requested to follow the instructions at http://www.ci-journal.net/. We invite the submission of conceptual or empirical (quantitative and/or qualitative) work up to 6000 words on the special issue's theme. Deadline for completed manuscripts: 31 March 2011. Papers should follow the Author Guidelines, and be submitted online to http://www.ci-journal.net/. Acceptance notifications are sent to authors by 31 May 2011. Final revised papers are due by 30 June 2011. The special issue is scheduled for publication early 2012. Inquiries about possible topics are welcome. Submissions and inquiries should be directed to the guest editors. Guest Editors Professor Matthew Allen (@netcrit) Internet Studies, Curtin University of Technology m.allen AT curtin.edu.au Associate Professor Marcus Foth (@sunday9pm) Urban Informatics, Queensland University of Technology m.foth AT qut.edu.au Making Links 2010 workshop archive http://www.makinglinks.org.au/research-for-action/ -- Assoc. Prof. Marcus Foth Principal Research Fellow Urban Informatics Research Lab Institute for Creative Industries and Innovation Queensland University of Technology (CRICOS No. 00213J) 130 Victoria Park Road, Brisbane QLD 4059, Australia Phone +61 7 313 x88772 - Fax x88238 - Office K506, KG m.foth(a)qut.edu.au - http://www.urbaninformatics.net/

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Re: [Air-L] FW: Academic work on the website 4chan?
by Gabriella Coleman 08 Feb '11

08 Feb '11

Hi, So some other work to look out for: Andres Monroy-Hernandez (and co-authors) are submitting a great article on 4chan http://www.mit.edu/~amonroy/ Mike Wesch has a forthcoming chapter that looks at the anti-celebrity ethic among Anon. Also excellent. http://ksuanth.weebly.com/wesch.html Be on the look out for Luke Simcoe and Alex Leavitt who have also done really great work on 4chan and Anonymous. http://alexleavitt.com/ http://lukesimcoe.tumblr.com/ Kris Cohen has a great chapter on trolls in his dissertation http://humanities.uchicago.edu/faculty/mitchell/students.htm#Kris%20Cohen There is an edited collection The Offensive Internet that takes a look at anonymity, harassment, and offensive speech and has great pieces but generally fails to distinguish between behavior and the cultural tradition/norms at play. I have a chapter tracing the politics of spectacle from phreaks to trolls coming out soon in an edited volume on social media and it should be posted on my website when it is (there is a small bit on 4chan). A piece of mine on Anonymous will come out here in about a month: http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/tne/about I might be missing some folks so I might be back later with more. All best, Gabriella > ------ Forwarded Message > From: Iain Smith <iainrobertsmith(a)gmail.com> > Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2011 18:38:13 +0000 > To: <air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org> > Subject: Re: [Air-L] Academic work on the website 4chan? > > Hi Iain, > > As Matt Gold suggests, Gabriella Coleman's work would be very useful. > You can listen to her talk on the topic at the following address > http://thenexthope.org/talks-list/ and there are a series of videos at > http://turbulence.org/blog/2010/04/13/free-speech-anonymous-vs-scientology/ > > Other academic work in the area that I have come across: > > Alex Bair has a paper on Anonymous from an anthropological perspective > http://www.isu.edu/~holmrich/senior_symposium/seniors2008.pdf#page=47 > > Bill Kirkpatrick has an In Media Res post > http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/imr/2010/08/23/please-feed-trolls-4c > han-and-vernacular-media-policy > > Henry Jenkins has a post on his blog (from an anonymous grad student) > http://henryjenkins.org/2008/04/anon.html > > Whitney Philips is a PhD student in Oregon doing some work on trolling > and 4chan although I'm not sure if she has published any of it yet > > Hope that is helpful! > > Iain > > ----------------- > Dr Iain Robert Smith > Lecturer in Film > Department of Media, Culture and Language > Roehampton University > London SW15 5SL > Email: Iain.Smith(a)roehampton.ac.uk > > > > > On 6 February 2011 14:15, Iain Ros MacKenzie <IRosMacKenzie(a)gmail.com> > wrote: >> Hello everyone, >> >> I am curious to know if anyone on this list knows if there have been any >> pieces of academic work on the subject of 4chan and the phenomenon of >> anonymity on the Internet? I've been doing some hunting of my own and have >> so far only found a TED presentation by the website's founder >> > here<http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/christopher_m00t_poole_the_case_for_anon > ymity_online.html?awesm=on.ted.com_8Mmx>, >> newspaper articles, and of course the Wikipedia and Encyclopedia dramatica >> entries for the website, which, while interesting, will not be adequate (at >> least on their own) for the literature review section of my project. >> >> If anyone would be willing to point me in the right direction it would be >> much appreciated! >> >> Yours sincerely, >> Iain MacKenzie >> _______________________________________________ >> 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/ > > ------ End of Forwarded Message > -- Gabriella Coleman, Assistant Professor NYU, Department of Media, Culture, & Communication On Leave 2010-2011, The Institute for Advanced Study http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/faculty_bios/view/Gabriella_Coleman

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Fwd: internship opportunities - Experience Insights Lab, Intel Labs
by Nancy Baym 07 Feb '11

07 Feb '11

Some on this list might be interested in this opportunity. > -----Original Message----- > From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and > related research in Design [mailto:PHD-DESIGN@JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On > Behalf Of Loi, Daria A > Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 9:31 PM > To: PHD-DESIGN(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK > Subject: internship opportunities - Experience Insights Lab, Intel Labs > > Candidates should send a letter of introduction, curriculum vitæ, and > a project proposal of no more than two (2) pages to Linda Illig > (linda.illig(a)intel.com<mailto:linda.illig@intel.com>). > > The earlier candidates can apply the better. Review will begin > February 15, and continue until both positions are filled. Interns > must work in Portland, OR. Relocation assistance is available. > > Description > Intel's Experience Insights Lab (XIL) is accepting applications for > two internship positions. You would join our group within Intel Labs, > Interaction & Experience Research (IXR), a multidisciplinary team of > social scientists, design researchers, technologists, and business > analysts. IXR was recently established by Intel Fellow Genevieve Bell > as a world-class, industry-leading research organization to deliver > breakthrough technologies that will bring the benefits of the ongoing > digital revolution to everyone and fundamentally change the way > computing is experienced. > > Internships are limited to currently-enrolled graduate students. > Preferred areas of study include: social sciences, media art + design, > informatics/human-computer interaction, cultural studies, and > business. Interns must be willing to relocate to the Portland, Oregon > area during the course of the internship to work on-site with the > research team, and must be eligible to work in the US. Duration > (preferably at least 13 weeks) and start date are flexible. > > Project Proposal > Candidates should include in their application a brief proposal for a > project they would like to work with us on, with relevance to one or > more of the following ongoing research initiatives: > > · Personal/Social Media. How can digital media better support > the recording, representation, expression, and presentation of lived > experience? How can we move beyond thinking in terms of "writing", > "photographs", "audio recordings", and "videos" towards something more > directly or richly experience-based? In a future of ubiquitous media > how will people want to think about, share, and re-live/re-imagine > their lives? > > · Social Participation. How does the proliferation of > increasingly connected, increasingly capable devices enable new forms > of collective action? How can people coordinate their activities to > address needs and aspirations, and effect change in their environment > at the local and global scale? What new forms of social organization > arise in the Internet age, and how will they shape the next generation > of digital technology? > > · Life In-Between. Everyday life is full of rhythms and > rituals as we move from place to place and from being alone to being > together. As we move through every-day practices and temporalities > questions arise about the relationship of ourselves to our > environments. These include: What does immersion mean in a world full > of spatial and temporal interruptions, and how do people work with or > around these discontinuities? How are seemingly coherent experiences > like affect, complexity, and privacy, actually fraught with > discontinuity and "in-betweenness"? How do massive influxes and flows > of data aggravate interaction or move us towards more immersion? > > · Trust-Risk. As the world becomes technologically richer, we > routinely connect to more people and sets of information than ever > before. How are practices around assessing risk and granting trust > changing? How are individuals becoming their own professional-amateur > experts at using financial, health, or consumer data etc., to mitigate > risk and increase reward? How do our social networks in helping us > mitigate risk? Do these play out differently between generations or > geographies? With on-line relationships gaining strength, for both > individuals and institutions, what are the practices that enable > trust? How do reputation systems operate in this realm? Are they to be > trusted? > > · Citizen Economics. While citizen science is a well > established practice, what would it mean to do "citizen economics"? > With the proliferation of user-generated datasets, are their ways that > citizens can help economists provide answers to economic problems of > public interest? Conversely, how could people use rich datasets to > challenge formal economic models, and to develop models of their > economic lives that reflect their values? With sensor technologies > tying datasets more readily to natural and built environments, are > there new ways of re-valuing the physical environment? > > · Models of Ownership. How are everyday experiences of > ownership changing? How are timeframes and interests in owning > products and services starting to change? Why and how is reputation > valued? How are shifting practices of exchange creating new states of > ownership? How do people use their individual interests in exchange to > create communities not just to circulate products and services but to > generate new forms of social capital? > > Responsibilities > > · Refining and implementing their research plan in > collaboration with the XIL team > > · Conducting primary research > > · Analyzing and reporting on secondary research > > · Coordinating relationships with vendors and study participants > > · Documenting and reporting research findings > > Qualifications > > · Applicants should be college graduates with a bachelor's > degree or higher, currently pursuing an advanced degree (master's or > PhD). > > · Experience planning and conducting research, and analyzing > and rolling up findings > > · Ability to work autonomously and respond to guidance from a > multidisciplinary team > > · Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills > > · Self starter with ability to lead a project and > independently implement an action plan > > · Ability to influence internal project stakeholders and drive > engagement and participation in your project > > · Ability to network in a large, diverse organization in order > to drive high quality results in a short time frame > > · Ability to balance personal research interests and > objectives with the needs of the research group > > · High tolerance for a dynamic work environment with rapidly > changing priorities > > · Willingness to jump in and lend a hand on multiple projects > > · Willingness and ability to travel > > PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL ME FOR THIS POSITION - DIRECT YOUR QUERIES TO > LINDA ILLIG, AS STATED AT THE START OF THE CALL. THANK YOU.

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Reminder - Call for Papers - Platform Politics
by Hands, Joss 07 Feb '11

07 Feb '11

* FINAL REMINDER Platform Politics - Call for papers deadline, Monday 14 February 2011* Platform Politics - Call for Papers A Multidisciplinary Conference in Cambridge, UK, 12 & 13 May, 2011 Wired recently announced the death of the Web, based on the premise that platforms are becoming the primary mode of access to the Internet. Platforms are portals or applications that offer specific Internet services, frameworks for social interaction, or interfaces to access other networked communications and information distribution systems. Additionally the prevalence of mobile computing and its operating systems, that prioritise Internet access via apps not web browsers, is intensifying this transformation, and this model is now being applied to tablet computing - and may well soon spread into general computing and computer mediated communication. These platforms are able to take advantage of the scale-free architecture of the Internet to built very large user bases and communities of interest. However, unlike the world-wide-web, these platforms are often proprietorial, have closed protocols and operate as a kind of privatised public space. As such platforms themselves are becoming the object and enabler of politics, but also new arenas of control. Therefore network politics can be seen as pertaining not only to the question of content (what questions, agendas and activities are taken up and promoted as political?) but also to the role of platforms and apps as political objects that shape the form and the structure of political mediation. Such proprietorial platforms as Facebook and Twitter have been used in the various modes of organization of political events, both on and offline, and have been discussed with enthusiasm as new tools for stimulating the democratic process, with electoral campaigns, and as organising tools to influence public opinion and create pressure groups. At the same time the proprietorial nature of these platforms and their role as an integral part of a communicative capitalism works to create a situation of great ambiguity and has not gone unnoticed in either network theory or software development. There is, however, an emerging movement of software development for activism, and non-proprietorial social networking, that places at its core the values of openness, decentralisation and not-for-profit projects - such as Diaspora and Thimbl - that are emblematic of the alternative political economies of network politics. So the question of how politics is increasingly processed through the form of software and hardware design, as well as the hacking of closed platforms and creation of peer-to-peer networks, is a pressing one. This conference thus wishes to engage with the full range of these concerns and to map out the place of software, hardware and online platforms, as a realm of both control, but also as opportunity for radical political practices, in the democratising of democracy, and in the challenge to the interpassive political economy of communicative capitalism. Hence, this conference is interested in such questions as: ? What are the platforms on which network politics takes place and what can we think of as political action in this context? ? What are the particular forms of platform politics and how can we theorize such forms and practices? ? Can we extend critical theory into such new modalities as media critique through software? ? How to think circuit bending, hardware hacking and such practices as political? ? What are the future forms and new conceptualisations of hacking that merit attention? ? Can we really conceive the openness of FLOSS (Free, Libre, Open Source Software) as a genuinely radical practice or rather another circuit in the production of communicative capital? ? Is it too late to de-monetise social media? We invite theoretical interventions, empirical papers, as well as case studies from theorists, practitioners, and activists to engage with the question of platform politics. Speakers include: Nick Couldry (Goldsmiths College, University of London), (Michael Goddard (University of Salford), Tim Jordan (Kings College, University of London), Dmytri Kleiner (Telekommunisten), Tiziana Terranova (University of Naples, LOrientale). Also with Greg Elmer (Ryerson University) and Ganaele Langlois (University of Ontario Institute of Technology) representing the Infoscape Research Lab. Please send your abstracts of up to 400 words by Monday 14 February 2011 to both organisers:joss.hands@anglia.ac.uk and jussi.parikka(a)anglia.ac.uk - acceptances will be announced by Monday 7 March 2011. This conference is part of the project Exploring New Configurations of Network Politics, funded by the AHRC and situated at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK. The projects previous events have tackled methodological and theoretical questions underpinning network politics, as well as new object oriented approaches for interdisciplinary analysis. More info on the project: http://www.networkpolitics.org ------------------------------------------ -- EMERGING EXCELLENCE: In the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008, more than 30% of our submissions were rated as 'Internationally Excellent' or 'World-leading'. Among the academic disciplines now rated 'World-leading' are Allied Health Professions & Studies; Art & Design; English Language & Literature; Geography & Environmental Studies; History; Music; Psychology; and Social Work & Social Policy & Administration. Visit www.anglia.ac.uk/rae for more information. This e-mail and any attachments are intended for the above named recipient(s)only and may be privileged. If they have come to you in error you must take no action based on them, nor must you copy or show them to anyone please reply to this e-mail to highlight the error and then immediately delete the e-mail from your system. Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Anglia Ruskin University. Although measures have been taken to ensure that this e-mail and attachments are free from any virus we advise that, in keeping with good computing practice, the recipient should ensure they are actually virus free. Please note that this message has been sent over public networks which may not be a 100% secure communications Email has been scanned for viruses by Altman Technologies' email management service - www.altmanco.uk/emailsystems

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New book on digital activism: '@ is for Activism'
by Hands, Joss 07 Feb '11

07 Feb '11

My new book exploring digital and networked activism has just been published by Pluto Press, and I hope may be of interest to IoIR members and mailing list subscribers. Full Title: '@ is For Activism: Dissent, Resistance and Rebellion in a Digital Culture' About the book: @ is For Activism examines the transformation of politics through digital media, including digital television, online social networking and mobile computing. Joss Hands maps out how political relationships have been reconfigured and new modes of cooperation, deliberation and representation have emerged. This analysis is applied to the organisation and practice of alternative politics, showing how they have developed and embraced the new political and technological environment. Hands offers a comprehensive critical survey of existing literature, as well as an original perspective on networks and political change. He includes many case studies including the anti-war and global justice movements, peer production, user created TV and 'Twitter' activism. @ is For Activism is essential for activists and students of politics and media. About the Author: Joss Hands is Senior Lecturer in Communication, Film and Media and Co-Director of the Anglia Research Centre in Digital Culture at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Available now in North America - http://tinyurl.com/5u2w4mh Or world wide with free postage and packing - http://tinyurl.com/6j7el85 Or in the UK direct from the publisher, with a special publishers 28% discount and free postage and packing http://www.Bit.ly/josshands Many thanks, Joss --------------------------------------------------------------------- -- EMERGING EXCELLENCE: In the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008, more than 30% of our submissions were rated as 'Internationally Excellent' or 'World-leading'. Among the academic disciplines now rated 'World-leading' are Allied Health Professions & Studies; Art & Design; English Language & Literature; Geography & Environmental Studies; History; Music; Psychology; and Social Work & Social Policy & Administration. Visit www.anglia.ac.uk/rae for more information. This e-mail and any attachments are intended for the above named recipient(s)only and may be privileged. If they have come to you in error you must take no action based on them, nor must you copy or show them to anyone please reply to this e-mail to highlight the error and then immediately delete the e-mail from your system. Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Anglia Ruskin University. Although measures have been taken to ensure that this e-mail and attachments are free from any virus we advise that, in keeping with good computing practice, the recipient should ensure they are actually virus free. Please note that this message has been sent over public networks which may not be a 100% secure communications Email has been scanned for viruses by Altman Technologies' email management service - www.altmanco.uk/emailsystems

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SOTU Data
by Stuart Shulman 07 Feb '11

07 Feb '11

We have made available Facebook and Twitter raw data from the State of the Union: http://discovertext.com/sotu.aspx The tweets are for the two days leading up to SOTU and the Facebook content goes back about 6 months. * Huffington Post (Twitter, de-duplicated) (14,476 documents, 11 MB) * Redstate (Twitter, de-duplicated) (1,571 documents, 1 MB) * Sean Hannity (Twitter) (1,170 documents, 930 KB) * #SOTU (Twitter, de-duplicated) (53,369 documents, 40 MB) * #SOTU (Twitter, full dataset) (109,601 documents, 82 MB) * Sarah Palin (mentions on Twitter in #SOTU feeds) (1,271 documents, 927 KB) * Whitehouse Official Facebook Page (Facebook) (423,358 documents, 315 MB) * Obama (Twitter, de-duplicated) (116,776 documents, 87 MB) * Obama (Twitter, full dataset) (222,441 documents, 166 MB) To what end? The automated classifiers really don't tell anything useful, thought they do make pretty pictures: http://blog.texifter.com/index.php/2011/02/03/text-analysis-during-the-2011… I guess the hope is that other users will dive into particular slices of the data and do content analytic or interpretive qualitative work that let's us know if all the chatter really does matter. Meanwhile, we are working on some better classifiers in the lab. ~Stu -- Stuart Shulman President & CEO Texifter, LLC <http://www.texifter.com/> Have you tried DiscoverText? http://discovertext.com *Featuring the Facebook Graph & Twitter APIs*

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FW: Blogpost: Is Facebook a Human Right? Egypt and Tunisia transform social media.
by Michael Gurstein 07 Feb '11

07 Feb '11

This may be of interest. http://gurstein.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/is-facebook-a-human-right-egypt-and -tunisia-transform-social-media/ If we see human rights as seamlessly encompassing activities and associations in both physical and virtual environments perhaps then we must begin to look at the virtual world as something other than a normless wild west which to this time has been the broad perception . Rather cyberspace should be seen as a "place" where the kinds of protections and regulatory frameworks (including existing human rights legislation) would apply equally as for off-line behaviours. It follows then that owners of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube should be seen not as owners of the space and behaviours being manifest through their systems but rather as proprietors of virtual venues where these behaviours are taking place. Comments/critique sincerely welcomed... Best, M

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Egypt is burning and the Internet is burning with Surveillance, Spying and Tracking citizens and Internet users.
by William Bain 07 Feb '11

07 Feb '11

Narus was mentioned in the media the other day and it's good to see it here. I think there's a danger of a kind of avenuism that could block the way forwaqrd in Egypt, and known cooperation between Jewish and Palestinian peadce groups seems a reasonable forward looking model. Regards, William

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