March 2023 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

TODAY at 11am Eastern: Book Talk by Aynne Kokas on "Trafficking Data: How China is Winning the Battle for Digital Sovereignty"
by Joshua Braun 20 Mar '23

20 Mar '23

Hi All, A friendly final reminder of today's book talk, accessible by Zoom (free registration here<https://umass-amherst.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUoce-hqDIiGtLjzd6PH8FPFNQx…>). It's worth mentioning that Dr. Kokas's work extensively explores and contextualizes the debate around the proposed TikTok ban that has been in the news for the past week, and so may be of particular interest to students. Dr. Aynne Kokas, Associate Professor of Media Studies, C.K. Yen Chair, and Director of the East Asia Center at the University of Virginia will be speaking on her new book, Trafficking Data: How China is Winning the Battle for Digital Sovereignty<https://global.oup.com/academic/product/trafficking-data-9780197620502?cc=u…> (Oxford University Press, 2022) here at UMass Amherst. The talk will take today, March 20th from 11am to 12:15pm Eastern and will be livestreamed on Zoom for anyone who is interested (free registration required). The registration link is here<https://umass-amherst.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUoce-hqDIiGtLjzd6PH8FPFNQx…> and book details are below. In Trafficking Data: How China is Winning the Battle for Digital Sovereignty, Dr. Aynne Kokas looks at how technology firms in the two largest economies in the world, the United States and China, have exploited government policy (and the lack thereof) to gather information on citizens. Kokas argues that US government leadership failures, Silicon Valley's disruption fetish, and Wall Street's addiction to growth have fueled China's technological gold rush. In turn, American complacency yields an unprecedented opportunity for Chinese firms to gather data in the United States and quietly send it back to China, and by extension, to the Chinese government. Drawing on case studies from rapidly growing areas of global media investment like social media apps TikTok, WeChat, and Grindr, and gaming platforms like Fortnite, Trafficking Data explains how China is fast becoming the global leader in internet governance and policy, and thus of the data that defines our public and private lives. This free event is co-sponsored by the UMass Amherst College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Journalism Department, the Department of Communication, the School of Public Policy, the Public Interest Technology Initiative, and the Public Engagement Project. All the Best, Josh Braun and Emily West -- Josh Braun, Ph.D. Associate Professor // Journalism Department University of Massachusetts Amherst Mastodon: @josh@sciences.social Distribution Matters series @ The MIT Press https://mitpress.mit.edu/search-result-list/?series=distribution-matters "Maybe the only gift is a chance to inquire, to know nothing for certain. An inheritance of wonder and nothing more." William Least Heat-Moon

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[Call for Papers] TikTok and Children Symposium (8 May 2023)
by Jin Lee 20 Mar '23

20 Mar '23

Dear colleagues, I hope everyone is keeping well. I am delighted to share a CfP for a one-day virtual Symposium "TikTok and Children", hosted by TikTok Cultures Research Network and Australian Research Council of Centre for Excellence of the Digital Child. Please feel free to circulate among interested parties. I look forward to seeing you at the Symposium! Thank you in advance Jin * *Call for Papers: TikTok and Children Symposium* (*8 May 2023*) <also see our CfP here <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kLznGxAwInxUYwaRBoTwcmJE9hslbAOn-xAtus5…> > The popularity of the short-video social media platform TikTok is prominent across the globe with more than 1 billion monthly active users in over 150 countries (Doyle, 2023). Social media culture is being rapidly reshaped around this relatively new platform through the creative lens of the short-video format. Its creative and playful culture has particularly attracted young demographics of social media users, especially children who are below the age of 18 years. According to a US statistics report, 30% of the users are assumed to be children under 19 years old (Doyle, 2023). A recent UK study reveals that 16% of toddlers in the UK are introduced to TikTok by their parents despite the app users having to be 13 or older to sign up to the platform (Waterson, 2022). TikTok is now the most-used app among children, outranking other social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram (Perez, 2023). For some young people TikTok serves as a playground where they make connections with their peers (Bresnick, 2019). TikTok’s pedagogical potential is also acknowledged for child education, such as language learning (Karimah et al., 2022), and identity development (Sarwatay et al., 2021). Children’s political voice is also actively formed and amplified on the platform as children take up the platform space and discuss various issues of social injustice, climate change, and electoral politics (Literat & Kligler-Vilenchik, 2021). However, children’s use of the platform, and how they are represented on TikTok also gives rise to new challenges and concerns. Many parents are concerned about children’s exposure to harmful content and potential risks of children’s health (Collins, 2022). Data insecurity of the app has been widely criticized, which is more serious for especially younger children who are in need of guidance as to how to protect their digital privacy in the highly surveillant environment of social media (Sawers, 2022). Indeed, several countries fined TikTok for mishandling children’s data without parents’ consent, such as the UK (Sawers, 2022) and South Korea (BBC, 2020). Countries like India even banned the platform ostensibly to protect children from potential sexual trafficking and graphic content (Bursztynsky, 2020). Being aware of these concerns, TikTok announced a new feature, “Family Safety Mode” that allows parents to manage their children’s use of TikTok by linking their accounts to their children’s ones (Brown, 2022). Nevertheless, TikTok is still an arena for debate on children’s healthy and sound use of social media (Sawers, 2022). In response to such potentials and pitfalls in children’s use of TikTok, we will be holding a one-day online Symposium (on Zoom) to discuss crucial issues to understanding children’s rights on TikTok and to examine their wellbeing and safety on the platform. The Symposium will showcase the emergent research on characteristics, climate, concerns, and chances of children growing up with and on TikTok, and discuss these issues with the industry and TikTok studies scholars. We seek to provide a meaningful opportunity to think about balanced and practical approaches to ensure children’s rights and agencies in the popularly emerging platform and cultures, to make the best use of the platform cultures for child development, while protecting children from possible risks of surveillance and harmful content. We invite submissions on themes that include, but are not limited to: - Child influencers on TikTok - Children and play culture on TikTok - Children and digital wellbeing on TikTok - Children and education on TikTok - Children and identity on TikTok - Children and creator culture on TikTok - Children and technologies on TikTok - Parenting and TikTok - Child policies and regulations and TikTok HDRs, ECRs, and scholars in/or from the Global South are strongly encouraged to apply. A selection of papers will also be considered for inclusion in a Special Issue tentatively entitled “TikTok and Children” that will be published in a top-ranked peer-reviewed journal in the field of Media and Communication Studies. For consideration in this Symposium, please submit abstracts (up to 250 words) on previously unpublished papers and a short bio (up to 100 words) to TikTok Cultures Research Network (tiktokcultures(a)gmail.com) *Key Dates*: - *03 April 23:* Abstracts and biographies due - *12 April 2023:* Notifications of acceptance - *08 May 2023: *TikTok and Children Symposium We look forward to receiving your submissions! Please contact TikTok Cultures Research Network (tiktokcultures(a)gmail.com) with any questions about this event. This Symposium is the seventh event organized by the TikTok Cultures Research Network and its first collaboration with the Australian Research Council of Centre for Excellence of the Digital Child. TCRN is an Asia Pacific-based Network dedicated to understanding and developing qualitative and cultural approaches to studying the impact of TikTok on society, founded by Prof Crystal Abidin and supported by a network of Founding Members in October 2020. This event is supported by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Digital Child, Curtin’s Centre for Culture and Technology (CCAT), and the Faculty of Humanities at Curtin University. TikTok and Children team, Prof. Crystal Abidin, Dr Jin Lee, and Prof. Tama Leaver -- Jin Lee, PhD Research Fellow, Internet Studies, Curtin University & ARC Centre of Digital Child Affiliated researcher, Korean Research Centre of Western Australia Visit my website <https://ljin8788.wixsite.com/website> for more

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Analysis of Whatsapp chat conversations
by Basirat Oyalowo 19 Mar '23

19 Mar '23

Hi! Can anyone share resources on the ethical use and analysis of whatsapp chat conversations? Thank you, Basirat *Dr Basirat A. OYALOWO* *Senior Lecturer, Department of Estate Management University of Lagos * *Centre Manager, **University of Lagos **Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development * Google Scholar <https://scholar.google.com/citations?pli=1&authuser=1&user=-GYUM9cAAAAJ> Research Gate <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Basirat_Oyalowo> *Keep the Peace!!!*

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Re: [Air-L] RIP Twitter Search API
by Shulman, Stu 19 Mar '23

19 Mar '23

Much of this may reflect the instability of a system down 75% of its staff rather than a plan being carefully executed. In the last 15 hours a single query of four terms separated by Boolean ORs against the Search API generated >159,000 Tweets, which seems like an accelerated rate of data flowing for the Search API. If this remains true, anyone reading this could build a million-Tweet project over the next week. There should be some political history made in the United States. The bots and trolls will have everyone on edge. On Sun, Mar 19, 2023 at 8:25 AM Vergeer, M.R.M. (Maurice) < maurice.vergeer(a)ru.nl> wrote: > The search API today seems to work, although I use is not that often. > However the streaming API seems down as of March 14. Can any other users > confirm this? > best > Maurice > > ________________________________________________ > Maurice Vergeer > www.mauricevergeer.nl > > ________________________________________________ > ------------------------------ > *From:* Air-L <air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org> on behalf of Shulman, Stu > via Air-L <air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org> > *Sent:* Saturday, March 18, 2023 10:53 PM > *To:* stuart.shulman(a)gmail.com <stuart.shulman(a)gmail.com> > *Cc:* AoIR mailing list <air-l-aoir.org(a)listserv.aoir.org> > *Subject:* Re: [Air-L] RIP Twitter Search API > > I am not sure how or why, but access to the Twitter Search API is back via > DiscoverText. I did get a number of notes saying "Are you sure?" after the > RIP note and I was fairly certain until today and our API keys were > renewed. We are also looking at connecting some new social data APIs so > please send ideas if you have suggestions of open, reliable, stable APIs. > One non-social media platform we are exploring for medical research is: > > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://clinicaltrials.gov__;!!HJOPV4FYYWzcc1ja… > . > > On Sat, Mar 11, 2023 at 12:08 PM Stuart Shulman via Air-L < > air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org> wrote: > > > The Twitter Search API we have used for gathering data since 2010 appears > > to be gone. Is the academic API also gone? I have heard the price of > access > > is prohibitive. What does this mean? Foremost, if you do research on > > Twitter data, back up everything you already have. If you have any > Twitter > > datasets you are now an archivist with precious cargo. Limiting access to > > new data hinders the ability of researchers to understand the evolving > ways > > in which the platform is used in ongoing information warfare operations, > > for example to exacerbate polarization in democratic countries and > trigger > > future insurrections here in the United States. However, at the scale of, > > say a university or even all universities, there is a massive amount of > > stored data. One thing I notice about misinformation propagandists > > weaponizing Twitter is they like to stick with what they know already > > works. While we figure out how to access and study new data we should > > meanwhile be aware that the tactics previously used give important clues > > about what is coming. I don't think Mr. Musk bought Twitter to make > money. > > So the concern for me is more about what other reasons would inspire him > to > > overpay for a money losing business and then set about changing the user > > composition, researchers access, governance mechanisms, and other really > > important elements. I am worried specifically that the future power users > > able to pay for API access points will shape more of what goes onto the > > platform and shows up at the top of the feeds. The general trend is > > disconcerting and dangerous with proto-fascists running about banning > books > > and Elon platforming white supremacists and their fellow travelers. > > _______________________________________________ > > The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list > > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://aoir.org__;!!HJOPV4FYYWzcc1jazlU!8wpW2TI… > > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: > > > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoi… > > > > Join the Association of Internet Researchers: > > > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.aoir.org/__;!!HJOPV4FYYWzcc1jazlU!8w… > > > > > -- > Dr. Stuart W. Shulman > Founder and CEO, Texifter > Editor Emeritus, *Journal of Information Technology & Politics* > _______________________________________________ > The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://aoir.org__;!!HJOPV4FYYWzcc1jazlU!8wpW2TI… > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoi… > > Join the Association of Internet Researchers: > > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.aoir.org/__;!!HJOPV4FYYWzcc1jazlU!8w… > -- Dr. Stuart W. Shulman Founder and CEO, Texifter Editor Emeritus, *Journal of Information Technology & Politics*

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RIP Twitter Search API
by Stuart Shulman 18 Mar '23

18 Mar '23

The Twitter Search API we have used for gathering data since 2010 appears to be gone. Is the academic API also gone? I have heard the price of access is prohibitive. What does this mean? Foremost, if you do research on Twitter data, back up everything you already have. If you have any Twitter datasets you are now an archivist with precious cargo. Limiting access to new data hinders the ability of researchers to understand the evolving ways in which the platform is used in ongoing information warfare operations, for example to exacerbate polarization in democratic countries and trigger future insurrections here in the United States. However, at the scale of, say a university or even all universities, there is a massive amount of stored data. One thing I notice about misinformation propagandists weaponizing Twitter is they like to stick with what they know already works. While we figure out how to access and study new data we should meanwhile be aware that the tactics previously used give important clues about what is coming. I don't think Mr. Musk bought Twitter to make money. So the concern for me is more about what other reasons would inspire him to overpay for a money losing business and then set about changing the user composition, researchers access, governance mechanisms, and other really important elements. I am worried specifically that the future power users able to pay for API access points will shape more of what goes onto the platform and shows up at the top of the feeds. The general trend is disconcerting and dangerous with proto-fascists running about banning books and Elon platforming white supremacists and their fellow travelers.

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Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy at McGill University
by Jonathan Sterne, Dr. 18 Mar '23

18 Mar '23

Dear colleagues — McGill University is hiring for the Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy position in the Faculty of Arts. The Department for the tenured line will be determined at time of hire, based on the field(s) of the candidate. Please apply and share the ad in your networks. If you should have questions about the position, you can contact the hiring committee chair, Prof. Andrew Piper, at andrew.piper(a)mcgill.ca<mailto:andrew.piper@mcgill.ca>. Review of applications will begin after Friday April 21, 2023. The job ad and application portal can be found here: https://mcgill.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/mcgill_careers/job/Arts-Building…<https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcgill.wd…> The full job announcement is posted below. —Jonathan -- Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy Position Description: The Faculty of Arts invites applications for the Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy. Established through a generous gift from a family foundation, the purpose of the Chair is to encourage better understanding of scientific and technological concepts across the general undergraduate student population, undertake research to provide broad and fundamental insights into the crucial importance of science and technology in society, and train graduate students to advance this field of study. The Wolfe Chair will be expected to direct an academic and research program designed to ensure that students become familiar with critical scientific, technological and media concepts and terminology. Candidates from a diversity of fields are encouraged to apply, including but not limited to one or more of the following areas: science and technology studies; history of science and technology; race and technology studies; disability studies; critical data studies; algorithms and society; ethical AI; science communication; technology and media policy; information studies; media studies; communications; digital humanities; and cultural studies of technology. At a time when rapid scientific and technological advances are transforming societies, we view this position as a critical component of the university's responsibility to help students navigate and better understand the implications of technological change. Qualifications and Education Requirements: The successful candidate will ideally have the academic credentials necessary for a tenured appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or, in exceptional circumstances, Full Professor. Advanced Assistant Professors are also eligible to apply. The candidate will be hired into a home department in the Faculty of Arts, based on their field identity and areas of inquiry; as such, the hiring department is not yet determined. Faculty/Department/Unit: Faculty of Arts Job Type: Tenure-track Rank: Associate Professor Salary: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Posting Period: The position start date is currently scheduled for January 1, 2024. Review of applications will begin on April 21, 2023, and will continue until the position is filled. Required Documents: Complete applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, contact information for three referees, evidence of teaching experience and effectiveness (e.g., sample course syllabi), and two writing samples (of article or chapter length). All materials should be submitted here https://mcgill.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/McGill_Careers/job/Arts-Building/Assoc…<https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcgill.wd…> For inquiries please contact Andrew Piper, recruitment committee chair at andrew.piper(a)mcgill.ca<mailto:andrew.piper@mcgill.ca> McGill University is located on the unceded territory of Tiohtià:ke, now known as Montréal; the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation are the traditional custodians of these lands and waters. McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities. At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry. McGill further recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have had an effect on their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate’s record. McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure the equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities by striving for the implementation of universal design principles transversally, across all facets of the University community, and through accommodation policies and procedures<https://www.mcgill.ca/hr/benefits/disabilities>. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence,accessibilityrequest.hr(a)mcgill.ca<mailto:accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca>. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

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Register for the PlatGov Research Network 2023 Conference! [Free/online]
by Robyn Caplan 17 Mar '23

17 Mar '23

Hello everyone, The PlatGov Research Network is hosting its second (ever) conference, on April 3rd and April 4th, 2023. The conference is free and entirely online and is designed to accommodate platform governance researchers in academia/civil society living and working across multiple time zones. We have some really incredible papers this year, and we are planning some (hopefully fun) interactive networking elements as well. We have just opened public registration on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/platform-governance-research-network-conference… *Please circulate this widely *via your institutional channels, socials, and networks. Registration is free, and we're trying to get as many people in the rooms as we can! We will be sending out the final conference program and the zoom links through eventbrite. I hope that you all will be able to join us on April 3 and 4! You can find out more about the PlatGov Research Network at PlatGov.net <http://platgov.net/>. - Robyn Caplan -- Senior Researcher Data & Society Research Institute @RobynCaplan

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Invitation for submissions - Nobel Prize Summit
by Marie Santini 17 Mar '23

17 Mar '23

Dear colleagues, The Digital Public Goods Alliance and UNDP, with support from Omidyar Network and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, have launched a campaign to highlight solutions that can combat information pollution and restore informational integrity. The chosen solutions will be presented at the Nobel Prize Summit, organized by the National Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Foundation. I will have the honour of being part of the *expert advisory panel* that will choose the best proposals from around the world to receive the prize. It is essential that we have submissions from academia, especially from the Global South. If you work on a solution or #OpenSource concepts to combat misinformation, submit your proposal at the link <http://bit.ly/DPGs-Info-Integrity>. Campaign Overview The Digital Public Goods Alliance and the United Nations Development Programme, with support from Omidyar Network and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, are collaborating to discover and promote open-source solutions and concepts that tackle the problem of information pollution. A call for submission is now open. Selected projects will be showcased at the Nobel Prize Summit "Truth, Trust and Hope," hosted by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Foundation from 24-27 May 2023 in Washington, D.C. and online. Important Dates - February 15th: Call for submissions opens - April 2nd: Call for submissions closes - April 10th - 14th: Advisory panel selects recipients - May 24 - 26th: Nobel Prize Summit in Washington, D.C. Relevant links Nobel Prize Summit Website <https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/nobel-prize-summit-2023-truth-tr…> Launch Blog <http://bit.ly/DPGs-Info-Integrity> Submission form for Existing Open Source Solutions <https://forms.gle/KY8NEeuuDtyFmrmw7> Submission form for Open Source Concepts <https://forms.gle/MLi6hbkPDtAvxgLL7> Key messaging About the campaign - The Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), have joined forces, with support from the Omidyar Network and Craig Newmark Philanthropies to launch a campaign to source digital public goods that can help combat information pollution and restore information integrity that will be showcased at the Nobel Prize Summit. - The Nobel Prize Summit will be supporting the DPG-sourcing campaign by providing a global platform where leading technologies and solutions will be presented. - The Nobel Prize Summit is committed to advancing solutions that can address mis- and disinformation, which is why they strongly support and are aligned with the DPG-sourcing campaign and its organisers. - An expert advisory panel, composed of professionals with experience working to combating information pollution globally, will be convened by co-chairs Alice Munyua, Senior Director, Africa Mradi at Mozilla Corporation and Nicole Tisdale, Principal, Advocacy Blueprints and former Director, The White House National Security Council, to evaluate and select the most promising submissions. Why open source and digital public goods? - At the heart of this campaign is the belief and vision that technology can be a powerful catalyst for positive change globally. Digital public goods, with their open-source nature, offer a unique opportunity to empower stakeholders all over the world to tackle the challenges posed by mis- and disinformation. - With transparency on how they have been built, including how privacy and other best practice features have been integrated, digital public goods can be a trustworthy tool for action at scale, helping to restore truth and rebuild trust. - Maximising the potential of existing solutions is crucial in the battle against mis- and disinformation. Open-source solutions and digital public goods offer the flexibility to be adapted and quickly scaled to meet the needs of new contexts, especially in areas prone to misinformation and help build trust in the digital world. Why apply? - The individuals, organisations, and teams behind the selected digital public goods and concepts will receive financial compensation ranging from $5000 - $10000 USD. Additionally, their work will be showcased at the Nobel Prize Summit, with the goal of increasing their exposure, adoption, and ultimately, their impact. - Beyond the Summit, particularly promising concepts and solutions will be offered opportunities to network to help further their development and impact. Apply now 👉 http://bit.ly/DPGs-Info-Integrity -- Dr. R. Marie Santini Associate Professor at the School of Communication Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil Av. Pasteur, 250 – fundos, Urca, 22290902 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Brazil Founding member and Research Director of NetLab / UFRJ Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0657-7217 Website: http://www.netlab.eco.ufrj.br <http://www.netlab.eco.ufrj.br/home-en>

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Panel: Are Games Disinformation Tools?
by Scott DeJong 17 Mar '23

17 Mar '23

Hi Everyone! Sorry for crossposting. I wanted to draw your attention towards the inaugural panel of the disinformation and games research group. Happening *Friday March 17 from 12-1pm EST*. Focused on the overlap of disinformation and games, this panel discusses the state of research in the field, areas in need of attention, and how to not only study but make an impact in this key area. The panel also signifies the launch of the Games and Disinformation Research Project at Concordia University and the establishment of a global network of scholars pursuing work in this area. Featuring some incredible scholars such as: *Dr. Lindsay Grace, Dr. Mia Consalvo, Dr. Rachel Kowert, Dr. Adrienne Massanari, *and *Étienne Quintal* You can learn more and register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/panel-are-games-disinformation-tools-tickets-57… Thanks and any questions let me know, Scott DeJong -- *Scott DeJong* Concordia Public Scholar <https://www.concordia.ca/sgs/public-scholars/profiles/scott-dejong.html> / Communications PhD Candidate <https://www.concordia.ca/content/shared/en/profiles/artsci/coms/phd/scott-d…> Twitter <https://stratagem.blog/> / LinkedIn <https://stratagem.blog/> / Personal Website <https://stratagem.blog/> Lizards and Lies Boardgame <https://www.lizardsandlies.ca/>

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Mastodon Research CFP, June 2023
by nathaniel tkacz 17 Mar '23

17 Mar '23

*Call for Presentations * Mastodon: Research Symposium and Tool Exploration Workshop Date: 22nd and 23rd of June, 2023 Place: University of Warwick, UK + online (hybrid event, GMT time) Although established in 2016, Mastodon grew rapidly in the second half of 2022. From an estimated 500,000 monthly active users (MAUs) it reached an apparent peak of 2.5 million MAUs in December 2022 before settling back to a reported 1.4 million as of late January 2023. The rise of Mastodon cannot be separated from the tragi-spectacle of Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, and this raises new questions about the relationship between social media platforms and their alternatives. How should we understand the significance of Mastodon, both as an alternative to Twitter and in its own right? We know Mastodon has long appealed to users invested in the infrastructural politics of open-source and federated architectures. But less is known about Mastodon’s forms of sociality and how its infrastructural characteristics shape this sociality. Can Mastodon sociality scale without the viral dynamics of algorithmic feeds? Should we even evaluate Mastodon based on its potential for growth on the scale of the commercial platforms? Are its new users simply on a Twitter sabbatical? How has the influx of users altered the dynamics of Mastodon? Mastodon users are spared from the advertising-derived attention economy, but ads are relatively low down on the scale of undesirable interactions on social media. How is Mastodon handling racism, trolling, and content moderation? Is there a specificity to the violence and abuse experienced on Mastodon as compared to its commercial counterparts? Mastodon introduces a novel level of social media governance, the instance, whose structures of authority can take various forms, from mini-chiefdoms to more deliberative collectives. What do we know about how different Mastodon instances handle governance and the exercise of their ‘instance- power’? Conversely, which tactics have malicious users developed to circumvent moderation or blocking? If platform politics emerges through the unique affordance of a platform, what might we expect from the federated architecture of Mastodon? Finally, Mastodon’s architecture presents new challenges and opportunities for digital research. What kinds of research do the existing tools (such as the R package “rtoot”) enable and what other tools and software might we want to develop? Could Mastodon be used to explore more conscientious ways of doing API-style research? This event seeks to take the pulse of current Mastodon research. It will involve a one-day symposium featuring research presentations and a plenary address by alternative social media researcher, Robert Gehl. This will be followed by a one-day tool exploration workshop featuring RToot developers David Schoch and Chung-hong Chan. The symposium will be a hybrid event based at the University of Warwick. The tool exploration will be in-person only. If you would like to participate in this event, please submit an application via the following website by midnight (anywhere) on the 14th of April: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/cdi/news-events/mastodon_research/. You will be asked for the following: - a 300-word presentation abstract - either a URL link to your research profile or a 150-word biography - an indication of attendance mode (in-person or online) - an indication of whether you wish to participate in the tool workshop (in-person only) Possible topics might include: - Mastodon governance - Mastodon feature analysis or interface criticism - Cultural studies of Mastodon - Black Mastodon - Mastodon sociality and/or community dynamics - Platform migration - Mastodon and Twitter relations - Mastodon apps - Instance politics - Cross instance research - Methods and tools for studying Mastodon - Novel use cases of Mastodon instances If you have any questions, please get in touch with n[dot]tkacz[at]warwick[ dot]ac[dot]uk. Thanks for your consideration, Nate Tkacz, Carlos Cámara-Menoyo and Fangzhou Zhang

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