October 2024 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

CfP Digital Solidarity Economies, Internet Policy Review Special Issue
by Rafael Do Nascimento Grohmann 17 Oct '24

17 Oct '24

Hi AoIR, We would like to invite you to submit an abstract for the special issue we are editing on digital solidarity economies for Internet Policy Review journal. The guest editors are me, Belen Albornoz (Equador), Denise Kasparian (Argentina) and Ricard Espelt (Spain). Link: https://policyreview.info/node/1808 Call for Papers: Digital solidarity economies Special Issue of Internet Policy Review Abstract submission deadline: November 15, 2024 Full paper submission deadline: April 15, 2025 Recent years have seen not only an expansion of the platform power in the world of work but also the construction of alternatives to them. In addition to regulatory frameworks, workers and communities, not without difficulties and tensions, are organising from below to design, develop and govern their own technologies. These efforts span data, platforms, artificial intelligence (AI) or other technological forms. Besides workers and communities, practitioners, activists, scholars and policymakers around the world have been engaged in projects related to notions such as platform cooperativism (Scholz, 2023), alternative platforms (Sandoval, 2020), worker-owned platforms (Hauben, 2020; Grohmann, 2023), among others. However, to fully understand digital solidarity economies, it is important to differentiate these concepts from earlier digital phenomena, such as the Web 2.0 era, when platforms like Airbnb and Uber initially adopted solidarity-based ideals but eventually evolved into conventional market-driven entities (Srnicek, 2016; Sadowski, 2020; Steinberg, Zhang, Mukherjee, 2024). We aim to underscore the distinct characteristics of digital solidarity economies by focusing on their roots in alternative economic traditions, their commitment to equity, and their emphasis on democratic governance and shared ownership. Solidarity economies can present ambivalent relationships with conventional business environments. They can sometimes open the door to business models that undermine the solidarity principles they were originally based on (Sandoval, 2020). For instance, as cooperatives are simultaneously associations of people and collectively operated companies (Vuotto, 1994), they face the challenge of developing strategies that would enable the adoption of democratic operation rules with an adequate development of management structures that are operational and effective throughout time (Petriella, 1998).This dynamic tension will be a key area of investigation in this special issue. We will also expand on the comparative governance forms found within digital solidarity economies, exploring differences from other platform models (Scholz, 2016). By incorporating key literature from fields like digital labour (De Stefano, 2016; Grohmann & Qiu, 2020, Jarrett, 2021), platform studies (Chen et al., 2024, Grohmann & Salvagni, 2023), platform cooperativism (Scholz, 2023; Barbosa et al., 2024, Rubim & Milanez, 2024; Kasparian, forthcoming), and social/solidarity economy movements (Utting, 2015, Gualavisí & Vizuete-Sandoval, 2023), this special issue seeks to offer an academically robust foundation for understanding these economies. The term solidarity economy itself has different origins across geographical and theoretical contexts. Anchored in the Latin American tradition (Miller, 2009; Coraggio, 2021), solidarity economies encompass self-managed experiences with democratic governance and alternative political, cultural, and economic visions. Meanwhile, in Europe and North America, solidarity economies often intersect with social and cooperative movements (Utting, 2015). To reflect this diversity, we propose to view digital solidarity economies as a plural concept, with contributions highlighting marginalised groups' efforts, including racialised, gendered, Indigenous, and Majority World people (Hossein & Pearson, 2023). If we cannot talk about only one “platform capitalism”, as Steinberg, Zhang and Mukherjee (2024) suggest in their frame of “platform capitalism and platform cultures”, we cannot talk about only one alternative to them, geographically, politically and economically speaking. This means understanding the “varieties of co-operativism” (Hossein, 2024) and platform cooperativism (Barbosa et al, 2024). This notion has implications for researchers, workers, communities and policymakers alike. For example, the Social Economy Action Plan (European Commission, 2021) considers the uniqueness of the solidarity economy. In this way, the Plan for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy 2021-2023 (Barcelona City Council, 2021), includes strategies to reinforce digital platforms based on the solidarity economy. Also, the Brazilian government, through the Secretary of Solidarity Economy, has just launched a primer entitled Digital Solidarity Economy, in order to inform the national policy on this topic. This special issue seeks to advance the understanding of digital solidarity economies by addressing both their digital transformation and their role in fostering a more solidarity-based digital economy. We invite empirical studies, theoretical work and policy-oriented research to build upon these perspectives. Scope of the special issue For this special issue, we invite contributions from various parts of the world that focus theoretical, empirical and policy efforts on digital solidarity economies. This may include (but are not limited to) the following topics: * Sectoral applications and case studies * Digital solidarity economies in specific sectors (e.g., culture, agriculture, technology). * Case studies addressing financial, political, governance, and technological challenges. * Historical and geographical perspectives * Historicisation of digital solidarity economies globally. * Regional differences and local adaptations of digital solidarity economy models. * Digital solidarity economies in relation to frameworks on diverse and inclusive economies. * Intersectionality in digital solidarity economies. * Black solidarity economy and the digital. * Policy-making for digital solidarity economies. * Governance of data and AI in digital solidarity economies. * Technological innovation and infrastructure in digital solidarity economies. * Digital sovereignty in the context of solidarity economies. * Relationships between digital solidarity economies and social, solidarity, and popular economies. * Tensions and dialogues between different movements and institutions. * Methodological challenges in researching digital solidarity economies. * Theoretical advancements in understanding digital solidarity economies. * Cross-sector and cross-country comparative studies. * Networks and federations in digital solidarity economies. * Diverse and inclusive economies * Policy and governance * Innovation and infrastructure * Institutional and movement relationships * Methodological and theoretical contributions: * Comparative studies and networks: Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from a broad range of disciplines and perspectives, including sociology, economics, political science, law, digital humanities, socioeconomics, media and communication studies, critical studies, data science, and computer science, etc., are invited to submit proposals. We also strongly encourage non-native English speakers to submit proposals. Special issue editors Belén Albornoz, Professor, Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences FLACSO Ecuador Ricard Espelt, Associate Professor, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Rafael Grohmann, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Denise Kasparian, Assistant Professor, University of Buenos Aires, Assistant Researcher, CONICET Important dates * 400-500 words abstracts should be sent to digitalsolidarityeconomies(a)gmail.com<mailto:digitalsolidarityeconomies@gmail.com> by 15 November 2024. The abstracts should delineate the issue or research question to be discussed, the case study on which the article builds, the methodological or critical framework used, an indication of the expected findings or conclusions. * Decisions will be sent to the authors by 15 December 2024. * There will be an online workshop between January and March 2025, on a date to be confirmed. * Full papers of the selected abstracts should be submitted by 15 April 2025. * Submissions must be around 6,000 words in length and have to follow the submission guidelines of the Internet Policy Review. They will be peer-reviewed between April and July 2025. * The planned publication date of this special issue is Q4 2025. References Barbosa, A. et al. (2024). Owning Platform Cooperativism(s): With More Voices, Sans Tech Solutionism. Bot Populi. https://botpopuli.net/owning-platform-cooperativisms-with-more-voices-sans-… Chen, J. et al (2024). Introducing Platforms & Society. Platforms & Society, Online First. Coraggio, J. L. (2021). Introducción. In: Coraggio, J. L. (ed), Miradas sobre la economía social y solidaria en América Latina. Buenos Aires: CLACSO-UNGS, pp. 11-15. De Stefano, V. (2016). The rise of the "just-in-time workforce": On-demand work, crowdwork, and labor protection in the "gig economy". Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal, 37(3), 471-504. Grohmann, R. (2023). Not just platform, nor cooperatives: Worker-owned technologies from below. Communication, Culture & Critique, 16 (4). Grohmann, R. & Salvagni, J. (2023). Trabalho por plataformas digitais. São Paulo: Edições Sesc. Grohmann, R. & Qiu, J. (2020). Contextualizing Platform Labor. Contracampo: Brazilian Journal of Communication, 39 (10). Gualavisí, B. and Vizuete-Sandoval, D. (2023). Pensar los desafíos de las Plataformas Cooperativas Solidarias en América Latina desde una aproximación situada: en busca de otros futuros. In: Curso Otra economía digital es posible. Experiencias y desafíos de las plataformas digitales cooperativas solidarias en América Latina. Quito: Fairwork Ecuador-Flacso. Available at: https://ctslab.org/otra-economia-digital-es-posible-experiencias-y-desafios… Hauben, H. (Eds). (2020). The platform economy and precarious work. European Parliament. Hossein, C. (2024). The Banker Ladies: Vanguards of Solidarity Economics and Community-Based Banks. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Hossein, C. & Pearson, M. (2023). Black feminists in the third sector: Here is why we choose to use the term solidarity economy. The Review of Black Political Economy, 50 (2). Jarrett, K. (2021). Digital Labor. New York: Polity. Kasparian, D. (forthcoming). Avenues for social empowerment: the cooperative model for app-based food delivery and beyond. In: Vandaele K. and Rainone S. (eds.), The Elgar companion to regulating platform work. Insights from the food delivery sector. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2025. Miller, E. (2009). Solidarity Economy: Key Concepts and Issues. In Solidarity Economy: Building Alternatives for People and Planet. Petriella, Á. 1998. Nuevas preguntas y nuevas respuestas del movimiento cooperativo a fin de siglo. Revista Idelcoop, 115. Available at: https://www.idelcoop.org.ar/revista/115/nuevas-preguntas-y-nuevas-respuesta…. Rubim, E. & Milanez, L. (2024). Economia Solidaria Digital. Rosa Luxemburg Foundation/ DigiLabour/ Brazil’s Ministry of Labor. https://www.gov.br/trabalho-e-emprego/pt-br/noticias-e-conteudo/2024/Agosto… Sadowski, J. (2020). The internet of landlords: Digital platforms and new mechanisms of rentier capitalism. Antipode, 52 (2). Sandoval, M. (2020). From passionate labour to compassionate work: Cultural co-ops, do what you love and social change. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 23(2), 288-305. Scholz, T. (2016). Platform Cooperativism: Challenging the Corporate Sharing Economy. Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Scholz, T. (2023). Own This: How Platform Cooperatives Help Workers Build a Democratic Internet. London: Verso. Srnicek, N. (2016). Platform Capitalism. Polity Press. Steinberg, M. Zhang, L. & Mukherjee, R. (2024). Platform Capitalisms and Platform Cultures. International Journal of Cultural Studies. Online first. Utting, P. (2015). Social and Solidarity Economy: Beyond the Fringe. Zed Books. Vuotto, M. (1994). Paradojas de la organización cooperativa. In: Giarraca, N. (ed.), Acciones colectivas y organización cooperativa. Reflexiones y estudios de caso. Buenos Aires: Centro Editor de América Latina, pp. 56-80. -- dr. Rafael Grohmann Assistant Professor of Media Studies Department of Arts, Culture and Media<https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/acm/rafael-grohmann> Faculty of Information<https://ischool.utoronto.ca/profile/rafael-grohmann/> University of Toronto 2024-2025 Faculty Fellow, Queer and Trans Research Lab, Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, University of Toronto<http://qtrl%20Cohort%202024-25%20–%20Mark%20S.%20Bonham%20Centre%20for%20Se…> Leader, DigiLabour<https://digilabour.com.br/> Founding Editor, Platforms & Society<https://journals.sagepub.com/home/PNS> Principal Investigator, Worker-Owned Intersectional Platforms (WOIP)<https://digilabour.com.br/worker-owned-intersectional-platforms-woip/> Researcher, Fairwork<https://fair.work/> <https://fair.work/> International Experts Coordinator, Platform Work Inclusion Living Lab<https://pwill.eu/>

1 0

Fwd: IGF Policy Network on AI Workshop - Tuesday 22.10. - Sustainable Gen-AI Value Chain + Interoperability in AI Governance
by Yik Chan Chin 16 Oct '24

16 Oct '24

Dear Colleagues. you are warmly invited to *Join the IGF’s **Policy Network on Artificial Intelligence (PNAI) <https://www.intgovforum.org/en/content/policy-network-on-artificial-intelli…>** for a workshop * *on two important AI governance topics: * *Sustainable Generative AI Value Chain* *& * *Interoperability in AI Governance* *Tuesday 22 October, 11:00-12:30 UTC* *What should be the first priorities in mitigating the environmental impact of Gen-AI technologies? Do Gen-AI and traditional AI applications differ in their environmental impact? Should initiatives to regulate and govern AI globally work together to become more impactful?* PNAI *Sub-groups <https://intgovforum.org/en/content/pnai-sub-groups>* have prepared *Discussion Papers* on *Environmental Sustainability and the Generative AI Value Chain* and *AI governance, Interoperability, and Good practices*. Your feedback is needed! All are invited to participate and share their thoughts and opinions in the online workshop by *registering* *HERE <https://intgovforum.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJckce6uqT4sGtYUhExU-By-ZQUuYp…>* *.* Further details are available *HERE <https://intgovforum.org/en/content/pnai-multistakeholder-working-group>*. The draft Discussion Papers will be published on PNAI website and sent to all registered participants before the workshop. *PNAI looks forward to your participation!* Best wishes, Yik Chan *Recent publications* Chin, Yik Chan (2024) Right to Data Access in the Digital Era: the Case of China in Minna Horowitz & Hannu Nieminen; Katja Lehtisaari; Alessandro D’Arma (2024) (eds.) Epistemic Rights in the Era of Digital Disruption, Palgrave-MacMillan: London. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-45976-4_13 Yik Chan Chin (2024) AI Governance Under the UN System. *China Information Security*, 04：62-66, 71. Marwala, Tshilidzi et al. (2024) *Recommendations on the Use of Synthetic Data to Train AI Models*, Policy reported produced by the United Nations University’s Expert Group on Synthetic Data. https://unu.edu/publication/recommendations-use-synthetic-data-train-ai-mod… Wendehorst, Christiane et al. (2024) *Academies for Global Innovation and Digital Ethics*. Policy report produced by the Austria Academy of Science, Austria. https://verlag.oeaw.ac.at/produkt/narratives-of-digital-ethics/99201018?nam… Chin, Yik Chan (2023) The Application of International Law in Cyberspace in OEWG Process. *China Information Security*, 05：76-78. Yik Chan Chin, et al (2023) Interoperability of AI governance in Policy Network on Artificial Intelligence (2023). Strengthening multistakeholder approach to global AI governance, protecting the environment and human rights in the era of generative AI. Sipinen, M. (Ed.) United Nations Internet Governance Forum, https://www.intgovforum.org/en/filedepot_download/282/26545 Chin, Yik-Chan, and Jingwu Zhao. 2022. Governing Cross-Border Data Flows: International Trade Agreements and Their Limits. *Laws*, 11: 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/laws11040063 Chin, Yik Chan, Park, Ahran, & Li, Ke (2022). A comparative study on false information governance in Chinese and American social media platforms. *Policy & Internet*, 14, 263–283. https://doi.org/10.1002/poi3.301 ----------------- Dr. Yik Chan Chin Associate Professor School of Journalism and Communication Beijing Normal University Beijing, P.R. China 215123 Email: yik-chan.chin@bnu.edu.cn；yikchanchin@gmail.com https://xwcb.bnu.edu.cn/as/ap/114761.htm https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1362-7481 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yik_Chan_Chin http://ssrn.com/author=1377946 https://bnu.academia.edu/YikChanChin https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=u41w5b4AAAAJ&hl=en

1 0

WEBCAST OCT 16 – The Power of Song: Repercussions for Freedom of Expression and Digital Rights in Hong Kong
by Joly MacFie 16 Oct '24

16 Oct '24

The tl;dr of this is that China is tightening its grip on Hong Kong, and a major symptom is the banning of 'Glory to Hong Kong' a popular rallying song, including banning it online. I take a personal interest in matters HK, since it was to my great uncle Cecil Harcourt the Japanese surrendered it <https://www.alexautographs.com/auction-lot/the-japanese-surrender-of-hong-k…>, back in 1945. Add to calendar https://calndr.link/event/s8LQC7vzY7 [image: isoc live] <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=13c9423e6d6645861b59c34…> On *Wednesday, October 16 2024* at *09:00-10:00 EDT* (13:00-14:oo UTC) *Columbia Global Freedom of Expression <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=bc36018f2f4936de6a66eb0…>* (CGFoE), along with co-sponsors *Georgetown Center for Asian Law <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=27438f347b4fd3bdbe72073…>* and *ARTICLE 19 <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=8ee3892ca494d6ef3cc4ca1…>*, present a webinar '*The Power of Song: Repercussions for Free Speech and Digital Freedoms in Hong Kong <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=726c636dd4d7407ceb2e5eb…>* ' Earlier this year, a Hong Kong Court banned the dissemination of “*Glory to Hong Kong <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=970e7f0275973ec4c719890…>*,” a popular protest “anthem,” which had become an important symbol of dissent in Hong Kong. Between 2019 and 2022, the song was regularly used by protesters in over 400 demonstrations, and versions of it were erroneously promoted as the national anthem of Hong Kong, leading to arrests and prosecution for illegal activities and sedition. The song was available through online music streaming platforms, receiving millions of views. In 2023, the Secretary for Justice sought an injunction to prevent the “broadcasting, performing, printing, publishing, selling, distributing, displaying, or reproducing the song with the intent to incite secession or seditious intention, as defined by NSL (National Security Law) and the Crimes Ordinance in Hong Kong.” The case highlights the struggle within the Hong Kong judiciary to hold on to its independence in the face of immense pressure from the Chinese authorities. Last year, the Court of First Instance dismissed the application, finding that despite the fundamental importance of national security, the injunction was not necessary and balanced unfavorably against individual rights. However, in May 2024, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Court of Appeal justified the use of a civil injunction as necessary to assist the criminal law in safeguarding national security, deferring to the executive’s assessment of the risks posed by the song. The use of a civil injunction as a mechanism to apply the National Security Law made compliance by the online platforms to take down the content more justifiable. This is just one example among many others brought against those protesting the crackdown on fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong by the Chinese authorities. In June 2024, two foreign Non-Permanent Judges in Hong Kong from the United Kingdom resigned over concerns that their role in the Hong Kong judicial system made them not only complicit in the prosecution of protesters and other human rights activists but also lent credibility to the crackdown. The erosion of the legal system continues in Hong Kong, with the first two criminal prosecutions for sedition under the new Safeguarding National Security Ordinance being handed down on September 19. A panel of experts will delve into the court’s decision to block the protest song and the impact of the National Security Law. *SPEAKERS* *Michael Caster* - Asia Digital Program Manager, ARTICLE 19 *Chung Ching Kwong* - Senior Analyst at Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China *Eric Yan-ho Lai* - Research Fellow, Georgetown Center for Asian Law (GCAL) Moderator: *Doreen Weisenhaus* - Director, Media Law and Policy Initiative, Northwestern University *LIVESTREAM https://livestream.com/internetsociety/cgfoe-hk <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=e1cf34a74f0127949075203…>* *PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM https://bit.ly/4ezSm9H <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=bd86431e345720016031b6e…>* *REAL TIME TEXT (see ISOC.LIVE <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=13c9423e6d6645861b59c34…>)* *TWITTER #GlorytoHongkong <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=c93fdc2bb12a1c5620005dc…> #HongKong #freespeech @ColumbiaGFoE @GeorgetownCAL @article19org @article19asia @michaelcaster @laiyanhoeric @chungchingkwong Doreen Weisenhaus @MedillSchool* *MASTODON #freespeech <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=6405f426b302032056c1e90…>* *SIMULCASTS* *https://twitter.com/ISOC_Live <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=4e657bae09b229fcb63c423…>* *https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=ff3a64040b64a3d25304bc6…>* *https://www.facebook.com/liveisoc/ <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=cb40949fb23faa290eeea2a…>* *ARCHIVE* *https://archive.org/details/cgfoe-hk <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=e7b5858e69c3f417db0a528…>* *** ISOC.LIVE is free community webcasting support service sponsored by the the Internet Society New York Chapter (ISOC-NY) - ISOC LIVE is currently unfunded - if you would like to become a monthly sponsor - contact support(a)isoc.live *** - -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

1 1

New session of 'Behind the Scenes: Conversations on Empirical Platform Governance Research'
by J.C. Vieira Magalhaes 16 Oct '24

16 Oct '24

Dear all, We're excited to announce the 12th session of 'Behind the Scenes: Conversations on Empirical Platform Governance Research', happening online this coming 22nd of October from 3-4 pm (CET). Dr. Rébecca Suzanne Franco from the University of Amsterdam will join us to discuss the challenges of researching workers' rights in the online adult/porn industry with a talk titled: 'An Industry Perspective on Regulating Platformized Sexual Content'. Abstract: The rise of digital platforms has transformed sexual commerce, raising questions about how sexual content is sold and regulated and on what terms at the intersection of several regulatory domains: pornography and sex work, user-generated content, and gig labor.Regulation of platformized pornography and sex work is no longer the sole domain of state actors; it now involves a complex network of stakeholders, including platform providers, high-risk payment processors, and content moderation services that shape and provide the infastructure for the digital sexual economy. This talk delves into empirical research that examines the evolving regulatory landscape of platformized sex work and adult content, often described as a regulatory ‘grey zone.’ This talk will highlight the necessity of an iterative and investigative approach to understanding how this stigmatized and rapidly changing industry is governed. I will reflect on fieldwork experiences, the role of researcher positionality towards dynamic understandings of ‘vulnerability’ and ‘harm’, and — drawing on engaged scholarship on sex workers’ rights — the importance of community engagement. Bio: Dr Rébecca Suzanne Franco is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research working on the NWO research project ‘The Platformization of the Sex Industry: Morals, Markets and Mass Intimacy’, where she investigates the regulation of platformized sexual content and sex work. Previously, she completed a PhD in the regulation of (post)colonial migration and intimacies. Rébecca’s research interests revolve around the regulation of sex and intimacies, both historically and in the digital platform era. Register here: https://platform-governance.org/online-talk-series/session-12-rebecca-suzan… Joao, on behalf of Paloma and Christian -- João C. Magalhães Assistant Professor in Media, Politics and Democracy University of Groningen | Centre for Media and Journalism Studies https://jcmagalhaes.com/ Selected publications: Governance by technological design, a critique <https://www.elgaronline.com/edcollchap/book/9781800887206/book-part-9781800…>, 2024 (Handbook of Media and Communication Governance) | A history of objectionability in Twitter’s moderation practices <https://academic.oup.com/joc/advance-article/doi/10.1093/joc/jqad015/720476…>, 2023 (Journal of Communication, w/ Emillie de Keulenaar, Bharath Ganesh) | Social media, social unfreedom <https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/commun-2022-0040/html>, 2022 (Communications, w/ Jun Yu) | Big Tech, data colonialism and the reconfiguration of social good <https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/15995>, 2021(International Journal of Communication, w/ Nick Couldry) | Algorithmic visibility and bottom-up authoritarianism in the Brazilian crisis <http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/4042/>, 2019 (PhD, LSE) | Considering algorithmic ethical subjectivation <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2056305118768301>, 2018 (Social Media + Society)

1 0

New book - Intellivision (Tom Boellstorff)
by Tom Boellstorff 16 Oct '24

16 Oct '24

Dear all: after an incredible journey of many years with my colleague Braxton Soderman, our book Intellivision: How a Videogame System Battled Atari and Almost Bankrupted Barbie® will be released November 5 by MIT Press. Due to the incredible generosity of the community of former programmers, marketers, executives, and others, as well as the community of retrogaming experts, we were able to draw on over 150 interviews and many thousands of pages of never-before-accessed documents to build what we hope you’ll find to be an interesting and useful account of Intellivision, its impact on the social history of videogames, and its implications for today. Through the links on Intellivision’s MIT Press website (https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262549509/intellivision/) you can preorder the book now. If you purchase Intellivision on November 5 you can get a 30% discount by using the code PUBDAY30; anytime after that, you can get a 20% discount by using the code READMIT20 (go here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/763346/intellivision-by-tom-boells…) A few days after the November 5 release date, there will be a link on the MIT website to the open access version of the book. Here’s a brief description: The engaging story of Intellivision, an overlooked videogame system from the late 1970s and early 1980s whose fate was shaped by Mattel, Atari, and countless others who invented the gaming industry. Astrosmash, Snafu, Star Strike, Utopia—do these names sound familiar to you? No? Maybe? They were all videogames created for the Intellivision videogame system, sold by Mattel Electronics between 1979 and 1984. This system was Atari's main rival during a key period when videogames were moving from the arcades into the home. In Intellivision, Tom Boellstorff and Braxton Soderman tell the fascinating inside story of this overlooked gaming system. Along the way, they also analyze Intellivision's chips and code, games, marketing and business strategies, organizational and social history, and the cultural and economic context of the early US games industry from the mid-1970s to the great videogame industry crash of 1983. While many remember Atari, Intellivision has largely been forgotten. As such, Intellivision fills a crucial gap in videogame scholarship, telling the story of a console that sold millions and competed aggressively against Atari. Drawing on a wealth of data from both institutional and personal archives and over 150 interviews with programmers, engineers, executives, marketers, and designers, Boellstorff and Soderman examine the relationship between videogames and toys—an under-analyzed aspect of videogame history—and discuss the impact of home computing on the rise of videogames, the gendered implications of play and videogame design at Mattel, and the blurring of work and play in the early games industry. “As field officers, we often engage in skirmishes and battles. Boellstorff and Soderman superbly portray our elemental precursor in the nuanced context and depth of the broader games war.” Bill Gillis, President, WF Gillis & Associates; former Marketing VP, Intellivision “Through a rich investigation of Intellivision, this book beautifully weaves together an attention to both the technical and the social components of producing computational gaming. A must read for all scholars of media.” T. L. Taylor, Professor of Comparative Media Studies, MIT “Boellstorff and Soderman balance the heroic and the tragic stories of Intellivision's business, technology, and people. Intellivision takes readers deep inside the confidential silos within the secretive toy industry of the 70s and 80s.” Don Daglow, Director of Intellivision Game Development, Mattel --- Tom Boellstorff Professor, Department of Anthropology University of California, Irvine

1 0

Job: 2 Open Rank Positions, Digital Media at Georgia Tech
by Wong, Richmond Y 15 Oct '24

15 Oct '24

Hello all, The Digital Media graduate program, housed within the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology, invites applications for two tenure-track faculty positions in Digital Media. This is an open rank search for two positions at the advanced assistant, associate, or full professor levels. Preference will be given to candidates whose research relates to one or more of the following current areas of focus in LMC: * Philosophy of Technology, Science and Technology Studies * Media Theory, Media Studies * Games designer / practitioner / theorist, Games, Game design, Games and culture/history * Interaction design, Tangible Embodied Interaction, Queer Design, Design Research, and Craft * Interactive Narrative / Experimental Digital Games Collaboration with faculty and students working in these and other related fields across the school and the institute is encouraged. Candidates are expected to demonstrate an exceptional commitment to the teaching and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students. Application deadline is November 18, 2024 Application and full advertisement at: https://careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psp/careers/CAREERS/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL… Requests for information may be directed to magerko+dmhire(a)gatech.edu. Warmly, Richmond Richmond Y. Wong Assistant Professor, Digital Media School of Literature, Media, and Communication Georgia Tech Creating Ethics Infrastructures Lab<https://sites.gatech.edu/ethicsinfrastructures/> https://richmondywong.com Pronouns: he/him/his

1 0

Reminder: SI online launch on 'Transnational Queer Cultures and Digital Media'
by Lukasz Szulc 15 Oct '24

15 Oct '24

Hello everyone, Just a quick reminder about our Special Issue launch that will take place tomorrow, 16th October 2024, at 4pm (BST). The Special Issue is titled ‘Transnational Queer Cultures and Digital Media’ and was edited by Yener Bayramoğlu, Łukasz Szulc, and Radhika Gajjala for Communication, Culture & Critique (see: https://academic.oup.com/ccc/issue/17/3) During the launch, the editors will explain the rationale behind the Special Issue and some authors will summarize their papers. There will be time for questions and discussion. There is no need to register. Simply join us on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/99557251541?pwd=QsbxElMTLDqMG56dEM2H3xSeX8wbKh.1 Meeting ID: 995 5725 1541 Passcode: 744986 We hope to see many of you there! Łukasz, Yener and Radhika Dr Łukasz Szulc<https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/%C5%82ukasz-szulc> (he/him) Senior Lecturer in Digital Media and Culture School of Arts, Languages and Cultures University of Manchester UNITED KINGDOM RECENT PUBLICATIONS (2024) Special Issue: Transnational Queer Cultures and Digital Media. https://academic.oup.com/ccc/issue/17/3 (2023) Culture is transnational. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13678779221131349 (2022) Uncanny Europe and Protective Europeanness: When European Identity Becomes a Queerly Viable Option. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00380385211024117 (2020) Digital Gender Disidentifications: Beyond the Subversion Versus Hegemony Dichotomy and Toward Everyday Gender Practices. https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/15396

1 0

Invitation | "Reimagining AI for Environmental Justice and Creativity" public panels (Oct 23 & 24)
by Jess Reia 15 Oct '24

15 Oct '24

Dear colleagues, We invite you to join us next week for two public panels at the "Reimagining AI for Environmental Justice and Creativity" workshop that takes place on October 23 and 24, 12:00 pm EDT, on Zoom and at the Bond House on our main campus in Charlottesville, VA. The two-day event will explore the dynamics of power and trust, in technology and governments, from perspectives not always included in the deployment, regulation and policies centered on artificial intelligence. We will discuss the possibilities to reimagine (or contain) AI from the margins, questioning the narrative of its inescapability and what public interest AI systems might look like -- and if such systems are even possible. The workshop will cover topics such as creativity, heritage, the right to the city and cultural policy on the first day, and environmental justice, climate crisis and the materiality of big data on the second day. One of the main outcomes of this conversation will be an open access publication featuring short essays from all participants that will be available in English and Spanish. The panels are free and open to the public but require registration for either in-person or remote participation: https://karshinstitute.virginia.edu/events/reimagining-ai-environmental-jus…. PROGRAM OCT 23, 12:00 PM EDT | WHEN AI MEETS CULTURAL POLICY, HERITAGE, AND CREATIVITY Blair Attard-Frost, *University of Toronto* Raheem Manning, *Philadelphia's Director of Nighttime Economy* Martina Massari, *University of Bologna* Mark Olson, *Duke University* Will Straw, *McGill University* OCT 24, 12:00 PM EDT | THE ROLE OF AI IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Mehan Jayasuriya, *Mozilla Foundation* Tamara Kneese, *AIM Lab* *at Data and Society Research Institute* Anne Pasek, *Trent University* Damien P. Williams, *UNC-Charlotte* The workshop is co-organized by Jess Reia, MC Forelle and Yingchong Wang and co-sponsored by UVA's Digital Technology for Democracy Lab, Environmental Institute and School of Data Science. *Jess Reia, Ph.D. (they/them)* Assistant Professor of Data Science, University of Virginia reia(a)virginia.edu | https://datascience.virginia.edu/ 2024 Visiting Scholar, Institute for Global Public Policy <https://igpp.fudan.edu.cn/igppen/main.htm>, Fudan University 2024-2025 Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Democracy & Technology <https://cdt.org/> Faculty-lead, Digital Technology for Democracy Lab, UVA Karsh Institute <https://karshinstitute.virginia.edu/>

1 0

Open Secret | Edinburgh | Internet Cinema Screening | 22nd October
by Ian Rothwell 15 Oct '24

15 Oct '24

Open Secret<https://www.instagram.com/_opensecrett_/> is a touring screening of internet cinema curated by artist and researcher Dana Dawud, which to date has been exhibited in different forms in Sweden, Hungary and America. The works showcased integrate current and emerging technologies within internet culture such as AI, deep fakes, video games, and internet-found footage. As well as a screening of moving image works, there will be the launch of an eponymous publication, edited by Y7<https://www.instagram.com/_y7_y7_y7_/>, that builds on the themes and provocations of Open Secret. This will be followed by a Q&A with Dawud and Y7 convened by Ian Rothwell<https://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/profile/dr-ian-rothwell> and Tamara Trodd<https://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/profile/dr-tamara-trodd> (History of Art, ECA) and a drinks reception. Tuesday 22nd October 17:30 - 20:30, West Court, Edinburgh College of Art. This event is organised by the Global Contemporary Research Group<https://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/groups-and-clusters/global-contemporary>, History of Art. All welcome ;) Please sign up here<https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/open-secret-edinburgh-tickets-1042646241977?…> The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. Is e buidheann carthannais a th' ann an Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, clàraichte an Alba, àireamh clàraidh SC005336.

1 0

Call For Book Chapters - Religion and AI - Nov 1st Deadline!
by Ruth Tsuria 15 Oct '24

15 Oct '24

We are inviting book chapter proposals for the edited collection entitled Religion and AI: Theoretical and empirical approaches (Bloomsbury Publishing). The book will draw on cross-disciplinary conversations between scholars in media studies, sociology of religion, and visual arts with a focus on architecture. The project brings together various theoretical and empirical perspectives on religion and Artificial Intelligence and aims to investigate the impact and promise of AI for religious institutions, communities, and individuals; as well as the role AI might play in the representation of religion. The book aims to provide a comprehensive look into uses, understandings, narratives, and projections of the relationship between religion and AI. while the book will include theoretical chapters and reflective essays from the editors, this call is specifically for empirical case studies (4000-6000 words) in one of the following area: * AI and Judaism * AI and Hinduism * AI and Buddhism * AI and religion in the Global South * AI and religious art * AI and religious architecture * AI and religiously or spiritually related visual communication If you are interested, please send Ruth Tsuria (ruth.tsuria(a)shu.edu<mailto:ruth.tsuria@shu.edu>) an abstract (250 words) by November 1 , 2024. Full chapters will be submitted by February 15th, 2025. Best, Ruth Tsuria Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts College of Human Development, Culture, Media Seton Hall University, NJ, USA Keeping Women in Their Digital Place<https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-09718-3.html> (2024, Penn State University Press) Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture<https://brill.com/view/journals/rmdc/rmdc-overview.xml> (Brill) For more publications: https://works.bepress.com/ruth-tsuria/

1 0