January 2026 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

International Conference on Software and Systems Reuse, Product Lines, and Configuration (VARIABILITY 2026): First Call for Project Showcases
by Announce 12 Jan '26

12 Jan '26

*** First Call for Project Showcases *** International Conference on Software and Systems Reuse, Product Lines, and Configuration (VARIABILITY 2026) 29 September - 2 October 2026, 5* St. Raphael Resort and Marina Limassol, Cyprus https://conf.researchr.org/home/variability-2026 The VARIABILITY conference series brings together the communities previously served by ICSR, SPLC, and VaMoS, forming a unified venue for research on variability, configuration, customization, and related disciplines in software and systems engineering. As part of this mission, VARIABILITY 2026 invites submissions to its Project Showcase Track, a forum dedicated to presenting ongoing or recently completed research projects. The track offers a stage for research teams to share their vision, goals, early outcomes, intermediate results, final achievements, and lessons learned from funded projects of all scales, including collaborative research centers, EU projects, and nationally or regionally funded initiatives. The goal is to encourage interaction, foster collaboration opportunities, and help disseminate project insights to the broader community. Objectives and Scope We welcome submissions on research projects that address reuse, product lines, and variable/configurable software systems. A list of research topics that are relevant for this track is available from the call for the papers for the VARIABILITY 2026 Research Track, at: https://conf.researchr.org/track/variability-2026/variability-2026-papers#C… Submissions are expected to describe ongoing or recently completed research projects within this scope. This track is not intended for publishing mature research results. Instead, it focuses on project summaries and overviews, highlighting goals, structure, challenges, insights, and project level impact. Examples of suitable submissions include: • Ongoing projects focusing on goals, challenges, methodology, or early findings • Recently completed projects summarizing outcomes, evidence, and impact • Large scale, collaborative, or multi partner efforts, where visibility and networking are beneficial • Smaller or emerging projects that would benefit from early feedback and exposure PhD thesis projects are not in scope for this track. We warmly encourage PhD candidates to submit their work to the VARIABILITY 2026 Doctoral Symposium. Submission Format • Length: 7 to 10 pages, excluding references • Format: LNCS (Springer), single blind submissions Each submission will receive feedback from three reviewers. All submissions must adhere to the LNCS (Springer) format. Please refer to the official LNCS template at https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… . Submissions must be in PDF format and submitted via EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=variability2026 (Select “Projects Showcase Track”). Presentation and Publication Accepted papers will appear in the VARIABILITY 2026 Companion Proceedings published by Springer in the LNCS series. Accepted submissions will receive a presentation slot. At least one author of each accepted paper must: • Register for the full conference, and • Present the contribution at the event Evaluation Criteria Submissions will be evaluated on: • Relevance to the conference scope • Clarity of project goals, context, and contributions • Potential for impact, collaboration, reuse, or technology transfer • Value for discussion and interaction at the conference The focus is on clarity, relevance, and value to the community rather than scientific novelty. Important Dates (AoE) • Submission of Papers: 1 June 2026 • Notification of Acceptance: 21 June 2026 • Camera-Ready Submission: 15 July 2026 • Author Registration: 15 July 2026 Organisation General Chairs • George A. Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus • Gilles Perrouin, FNRS & University of Namur, Belgium Research Track Chairs • Thorsten Berger, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany • Ina Schaefer, KIT, Germany Industry Track Chairs • Shaukat Ali, Simula Research Lab and Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway • Martin Becker, Fraunhofer IESE, Germany Journal First Track Chairs • Mathieu Acher, University Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, France • Xhevahire Tërnava, LTCI, Télécom Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France Doctoral Symposium Track Chairs • Rick Rabiser, LIT CPS, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria • Iris Reinhartz-Berger, University of Haifa, Israel Demos and Tools Track Chairs • Sandra Greiner, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark • Leopoldo Teixeira, Federal University of Pernambuco Projects Showcase Chairs • Daniel Struber, Chalmers, University of Gothenburg, Radbound University, Sweden • Dalila Tamzalit, Nantes Université, France Hall of Fame Chairs • Martin Becker, Fraunhofer IESE, Germany • Goetz Botterweck, Lero - The Irish Software Research Centre and University of Limerick, Ireland • Natsuko Noda, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan Workshops Chairs • Lidia Fuentes, Universidad de Malaga, Spain • Malte Lochau, University of Siegen, Germany Tutorials Chairs • Loek Cleophas, Eindhoven University of Technology and Stellenbosch University, The Netherlands • Mahsa Varshosaz, IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark Proceedings Chair • Sophie Fortz, King's College London, UK Publicity Chairs • Wesley Assunção, North Carolina State University, USA • Kentaro Yoshimura, Hitachi Ltd, Japan Local Organiser and Finance Chair • George A. Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus

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REMINDER: Blueprints for a good digital society: funding opportunity
by Helen Kennedy 12 Jan '26

12 Jan '26

Hello all The ESRC Digital Good Network <https://digitalgood.net/> asks what a good digital society looks like and how we get there. We are inviting applications from individuals (or small teams) to produce blueprints as part of a series on what a good digital society looks like. Each one will focus on an aspect of social life or societal institution (eg a family, a museum, a practice like health tracking). Funding recipients will also produce a briefing document making targeted recommendations, with our support. We will fund up to 15 in the series, and ask applicants to identify the aspect of social life or societal institution on which they will focus in their application. Application deadline: Thursday 12 February 2026 16.00 UK time Maximum project duration: 6 months (in the period of June 2026-January 2027) The maximum level of funding that each project can apply for is £15,000 (£12,000 at 80% fEC). We will distribute £215,000 (£172,000 at 80% fEC). Further information can be found on this webpage: https://digitalgood.net/blueprints-for-a-good-digital-society-call-for-appl… The opportunity can be shared via this LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/digital-good-network_our-research-fund-appli… Best wishes Helen -- Professor Helen Kennedy FBA FAcSS Professor of Digital Society, University of Sheffield, @hmtk, @hmtk@scholar.social, she/her Director of: ESRC Digital Good Network <https://digitalgood.net/> (@digitalgoodnet) + Living With Data <https://livingwithdata.org/> (@Living_WithData) + Public Voices in AI <https://digitalgood.net/dg-research/public-voices-in-ai/> *Recent publications:* Kennedy, H., Aiello, G., Annabell, T. & Anderson, C.W. (2025) Generic visuals in the news as public images: Activating emotions, experiences and identities. *European Journal of Cultural Studies*. https://doi.org/10.1177/13675494241310675 Kennedy, H., Ditchfield, H., Oman, S., Bates, J., Perea, I. M., Fratczak, M., & Taylor, M. (2024). How people connect fairness and equity when they talk about data uses. *Big Data & Society*, 11(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517241303162 Ditchfield, H., Oman, S., Kennedy, H., Frątczak, M., Bates, J., Taylor, M., & Medina-Perea, I. (2024). 'What ifs: The role of imagining in people’s reflections on data uses', *Convergence*. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565241300898 The Digital Good Network (2024) 'What do we mean when we talk about a good digital society?' in British Academy (ed) *What are the Possibilities of a Good Digital Society? * http://doi.org/10.5871/digital-society/9780856726934.001 <http://doi.org/10.5871/digital-society/9780856726934.001>

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[AoIR HQ] Warm Welcomes, Heartfelt Thanks, CFP and updates
by AoIR President 10 Jan '26

10 Jan '26

Greetings, all -- My warmest wishes for the beginning of 2026. From my home base in Los Angeles, the new year continues to be one of great concern for and danger to the safety and well-being of many of our community members. We are sending love, care and solidarity from here. The time immediately following our 2025 successful and watershed conference in Niteroí, Brazil was one of transition for the AoIR Executive Board. We welcomed all new members for the 2025-2027 term, all of whom hit the ground running and are working on a variety of projects and initiatives to continue to modernize and expand AoIR's impact. More info on the current Exec can be found here: https://aoir.org/executivecommittee/ We extend thanks to outgoing President Nik John and all members of the 2023-2025 Executive Board. Thank you for your service! We also welcome two new professional staff members: Emerson Victoria Johnson and Ann McLean. Emerson serves as our new Membership and Communications Coordinator, while Ann's role is that of Conference Coordinator. Both bring extensive experience, skills, knowledge, good humor and a willingness to fill big shoes to the table and both have their own personal/professional backgrounds with AoIR. Please learn more about them here: https://aoir.org/about/professional-staff/ and join me in welcoming them in these new roles! We are thrilled to have them and they have been working double-time behind the scenes on the transition. Speaking of transitions, 2025 also saw us saying goodbye to longtime Association Coordinator Michelle. Anyone who has been to an AoIR conference registration desk over the last nine years, sent a membership query, sent a panicked payment email, sent in a question, a complaint, or a note of thanks has interacted with Michelle. And even if you never met or spoke with her personally, your experience on the listserv and with AoIR reflected her tireless efforts on our behalf and commitment to the organization. Michelle has hung up her AoIR shoes but her legacy remains. She will be missed! The CFP for AoIR 2026 Mexico City/CDMX: Regeneration(s) has been making its way into inboxes around the globe. If you haven't yet received it, check out the web version here: https://aoir.org/aoir2026/aoir2026cfp/ Proposals are due 1 March 2026, with submission portal opening on 15 January. Last, but not least, please stay tuned for more information on a membership rate increase. AoIR is, by far, one of the best deals out there in terms of annual dues compared to peer organizations, but we have not raised dues in many years, despite increasing expenses and a desire to provide more at conferences, events and year-round. After careful review and discussion, the AoIR Exec decided upon an increase in fees that is modest, but meaningful and, we hope you will agree, reasonable. A dedicated email with more information, including a grace period to lock in current pricing before the rates change, will circulate shortly. Thanks to all for your continued support, participation and enthusiasm. Cordially, Sarah T. Roberts President, Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) 2025-2027 prez(a)aoir.org ---

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39th IEEE International Symposium on Computer-Based Medical Systems (CBMS): Fifth Call for Contributions
by Announce 09 Jan '26

09 Jan '26

*** Fifth Call for Contributions *** 39th IEEE International Symposium on Computer-Based Medical Systems (CBMS 2026) June 3-5 2026, 5* St. Raphael Resort and Marina, Limassol, Cyprus https://2026.cbms-conference.org Attracting a worldwide audience, CBMS is the premier conference for computer-based medical systems, and one of the main conferences in the fields of medical informatics and biomedical informatics. CBMS allows the exchange of ideas and technologies between academic and industrial scientists. The scientific program of IEEE CBMS 2026 will consist of regular and special track sessions with technical contributions reviewed and selected by an international program committee, as well as, keynote talks and tutorials given by leading experts in their fields. The CBMS 2026 edition also aims to host high-quality papers about industry and real case applications as well as allow researchers leading international projects to show to the scientific community the main aims, goals, and results of their projects. We solicit submissions on previously unpublished research work. CALL FOR PAPERS Example areas include but are not limited to: • Active and Healthy Ageing System • Analytics and solutions in Public Health • Artificial intelligence in healthcare • Big Data Analytics in Healthcare • Bioinformatics • Biomarker Discovery and Drug Design • Biomedical Signal and Image Processing and Machine Vision • Cognitive Computing in Healthcare • Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Healthcare (CSCW) • Databases and blockchain in Medicine or Healthcare • Data Analysis and Knowledge Discovery in Medicine or Healthcare • Decision Support and Recommendation Systems in Medicine or Healthcare • Digital Twins / Personalized AI Models • e-Health • Ethics in the application of ICT to biomedicine • Explainable AI for Decision Support • Generative AI and Foundational Models for Biomedicine • Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) in Healthcare • Knowledge Representation in Medicine or Healthcare • m-Health • Medical education using ICT • Medical Robotics, Intelligent Medical Devices, and Smart Technologies • Metaverse, Augmented and Intelligent Reality • Multimodality Data Analysis • Network and Telemedicine Systems • Pervasive Computing for Wearables • Privacy and Security in Healthcare • Radiomics and Radiogenomics • Serious Games for Healthcare • Software Systems in Medicine • Technology in Clinical and Healthcare Services Research • Web-Based Delivery of Medical Information Special Tracks CBMS 2026 will also feature a number of special tracks: • Green-Aware Artificial Intelligence for Network and Text Mining in Computational Biology and Medicine https://sites.google.com/unicz.it/greenai-nettext/ Multimodal Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare https://sites.google.com/view/maih2026/home GEAI4ND — Generalizable & Explainable AI for the Care Continuum of Neurodegenerative Disease http://geai4nd-cbms2026.conf.uoi.gr/ Interoperability and Federated Analytics in Biomedical Data Using OMOP CDM https://bioinformatics-ua.github.io/ieee-cbms-st-IFABD/ Network Medicine https://medal.ctb.upm.es/CBMS26_ST_NM.html Image Processing and Machine Vision for Intelligent Healthcare https://sites.google.com/view/2026-cbms-impvih Artificial Intelligence for Inclusion, Accessibility and Well-Being of Vulnerable Populations https://www.uco.es/kdis/cbms-2026/ Synthetic Healthcare Data Generation and Clinical Decision Support https://is-innovation.eu/CBMS2026/search-workshop.htm Computational Intelligence in Medical Imaging (CIMI) https://sites.google.com/view/cbms/cbms-cimi Management and Quality of Data Lifecycle in Health and Medicine https://raise-suite.eu/management-and-quality-of-data-lifecycle-in-health-a… Prospective authors are expected to submit their contributions to the general track or one of the special tracks if relevant. Please see the submission guidelines for further details. Submission Guidelines Papers must be submitted electronically using the EasyChair conference management system (see link below). All submissions will be peer-reviewed at least by two Program Committee members. All accepted papers (Regular, Short, and Posters) will be included in the conference proceedings and will be published by IEEE Xplore. Publication in proceedings is conditioned to the registration and presentation of the paper at the conference by one of the authors. Type of Submissions Each contribution must be prepared following the IEEE two-column format, whose template is available at https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates . The authors may choose LaTeX or Microsoft Word templates. CBMS 2026 accepts three types of submissions: • Regular papers: The length of the contribution is limited to 6 pages, but it is possible to extend the paper length up to 8 pages by paying for each extra page. Check fees for more information. • Short papers: The length of the contribution is limited to 4 pages and no less than 3 pages, not being possible to extend the paper length. The duration of the oral presentation of short posters will be less than regular ones. • Posters: The length of the contribution is limited to 2 pages. Poster papers will be included in the proceedings but won’t include oral presentations during the conference. The authors of a poster also need to prepare a real poster to be shown during the conference. For presentation purposes at the conference, the authors must prepare the poster in portrait format. The accepted dimensions are 60 (width) x 80 (length). CALL FOR SHOWCASE / RESEARCH PROJECTS CBMS 2026 will have a special showcase/research projects track session, where we invite (a) scientific papers, (b) demonstrations/posters and (c) research-projects descriptions. Scientific papers: We invite papers (not exceeding 6 pages in length), describing innovative computer-based medical devices or software applications, including practical experiences with such innovations. The papers should be scholarly articles presenting scientific methods, measurements, and experiments. Marketing and sales materials will not be accepted. These papers will be evaluated based on practicality, innovation, scientific rigor, value of the device or application to users, and novelty. They will be published in the proceedings of the conference along with the other papers under this track. Examples of such papers could include but are not limited to: • Computer-based medical devices that have technical/scientific novelty • Computer-based medical applications intended for or recently introduced in the field • Novel uses of traditional equipment in practice • Experience papers based on use and data from the field • Insightful measurement-based analysis of computer-based medical systems from the field • Novel analysis providing new insights from data collected from the field • New and practical data analytics useful in practice • Real deployments of AI solutions in medicine Demonstrations: A demonstration is more appropriate if the value can be better expressed with a demonstration rather than in a full-length paper. The topics for the demonstration papers are the same as the scientific for this track. Please submit a proposal of your demonstration with a limit of two pages. Research projects/initiatives: CBMS aims in this edition to receive submissions about research or innovation projects funded by, mainly, competitive calls to present their project. We foresee to receive submissions which include details about the project goals, consortium and results (expected and any tentative result obtained so far). Only projects funded by competitive calls or with strong potential interest for the community will be considered. International projects organized in a consortium of several countries will have preference. Submissions in this context should be a one/two-pages document with at least the following information: • Project/initiative title • Description • Participant entities • Project goals • Funding agency (when applies) or agencies • Results obtained so far (publications, patents, ...) The contribution must be prepared following the regular paper. The length of the contribution must be between 4 and 6 pages. Submission Guidelines Papers must be submitted electronically using the EasyChair conference management system (see link below). All submissions will be peer-reviewed at least by two Program Committee members. All accepted contributions will be included in the conference proceedings and will be published by IEEE Xplore. Publication in proceedings is conditioned to the registration and presentation of the paper at the conference by one of the authors. CALL FOR DOCTORAL CONSORTIUM The Doctoral Consortium for CBMS 2026 will provide an opportunity for PhD students to present their research plans or their preliminary work in an informal and supportive atmosphere. The PhD students will be able to discuss the problems that their PhDs are addressing, any preliminary results, and their future plans. The DC will offer them an opportunity to discuss any problems that they have come up against, and gain valuable advice and constructive feedback from experienced researchers in the field.The Doctoral Consortium will involve presentations by participating PhD students (selected by the Doctoral Consortium chairs) as well as a number of invited talks / tutorials on different related topics in the field. Submissions Doctoral Consortium submissions should focus specifically on a PhD thesis or subsection of a thesis. To apply for participation at CBMS 2026 Doctoral Consortium, please submit a research plan on a topic related to the areas covered in the general call for papers for the conference. Each submission should be in the same format as the main conference papers except it should consist of approximately 3-5 pages describing your research work. In particular: • Title and author • The research problem that your PhD addresses • Your planned approach and methods for solving the problem • How your approach compares to other known approaches • Any preliminary results or expected results • Future plans and directions with specific questions Papers must be submitted electronically using the EasyChair conference management system (see link below). Doctoral Consortium papers/contributions will be included in the proceedings in a specific “Doctoral Consortium” section. SUBMISSION LINK FOR ALL TYPES OF CONTRIBUTIONS https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ieeecbms2026 Please choose the track that best fits for your submitted paper. OTHER INFORMATION For more information, please contact ieeecbms2026 AT easychair.org . IMPORTANT DATES (all types of contributions) • Submission Deadline: February 20, 2026 (AoE) • Notification of Acceptance: April 10, 2026 • Camera-Ready Due: April 24, 2026 (AoE) ORGANIZATION CBMS SC Chair • Rosa Sicilia, University Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Italy General Chairs • Mario Cannataro, University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Italy • Constantinos S. Pattichis, University of Cyprus, Cyprus Program Chairs • Panagiotis Bamidis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece • Efthyvoulos Kyriacou, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus • Andreas S. Panayides, CYENS Centre of Excellence, Cyprus Publication Chairs • Sameer K. Antani, National Library of Medicine & National Institutes Of Health, USA • Bridget Kana, Karlstad University, Sweden Special Tracks Chairs • Pietro Cinaglia, University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Italy • Christos Loizou, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus Showcase / Research Projects Chair • Pietro Hiram Guzzi, University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Italy Doctoral Consortium Chair • Marios Pattichis, University of New Mexico, USA Sponsorship Chair • KC Santosh, University of South Dakota, USA Local Organizing and Finance Chair • George A. Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus

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Reminder - Call for abstracts edited volume "Cyber Events" (deadline 11 January)
by Paolo Bory 08 Jan '26

08 Jan '26

Dear all, we remind you that the deadline for abstract submission to our co-edited volume is January 11 (all details below). Best, Paolo and Philip Call for Book Chapters Edited Volume “Cyber Events. Journalism, Narratives and Technocriticism” Editors: Dr. Philip Di Salvo (Universität St. Gallen) and Dr. Paolo Bory (Politecnico di Milano) Under contract in the “Frontiers in Journalism Studies”, published by Peter Lang Book rationale: Journalism has been central to shaping public understanding of the economic, political, and cultural impacts of digital technologies. It has also served as a key arena where competing visions of emerging technologies are negotiated. Media narratives often oscillate from early utopian or dystopian excitement to more grounded critique as technologies become embedded in society. The edited volume will examine journalism’s role in key moments and controversies in the recent history of digital technologies, exploring both how it has shaped and disseminated narratives and how it has been influenced by these events. The newsworthiness of certain events and technologies has at times pushed journalism toward speculative or sensational accounts, drawing on unreliable sources or projecting the future impact of emerging technologies. Such narratives, as shown by scholarship in media and journalism studies, have the capacity to influence technological trajectories by shaping perceptions among a broad audience, including readers, stakeholders, institutions, and tech companies. In other cases, particularly over the past two decades, journalism has actively contributed to shaping narratives through scoops and revelations. Events such as the Snowden disclosures or the Cambridge Analytica scandal, while centered on technological issues, carried broader social, political, and ethical implications. By reporting on these events, journalists have elevated critical topics, such as surveillance, data justice, and the datafication of citizens and media users, into the public sphere, reaching audiences that were previously limited to experts, academics, or activists. Overall, the volume aims to provide a comprehensive overview of journalism’s dual role in both reflecting and influencing the development, perception, and societal impact of digital technologies, highlighting its power to shape public understanding and the course of technological change. To join the dots of these narratives and debates and address the impact they have had on our contemporary societies, this volume aims at bringing together the critical view of scholars on some key events in the recent history of digitization and on how journalism has played a part in reporting them to the public. More importantly, it will broaden the focus on these events from addressing their coverage to also reflect on how journalism actively played a part in the shaping these events and how, wherever possible, journalism was also influenced by these events. Cyber events refer to media events of international significance that put the role and socio-historical changes that a given technology, or a specific interaction with it, can bring about at the centre of public discourse. The concept of the /cyber event/ serves here as a theoretical anchor to identify those moments when the status quo of the socio-technical landscape has been challenged. A number of contributions have already been allocated, and we are now seeking up to seven chapters that address, but are not limited to, the following themes: the launch of ChatGPT-3; the Snowden case a decade later; the rise and implications of “the Techlash”; the Pegasus spyware scandal; the development and impact of the AI Act; and Gamergate. Proposals that approach these themes from interdisciplinary perspectives are especially encouraged. The book is not intended to be limited to content, framing, or discourse analysis. While such approaches may certainly be incorporated within individual chapters, the overarching aim is to engage with broader meta-discourses, critically examining how journalism has interpreted and made sense of these cyber events, how it has been shaped by them, and how it has, in turn, been affected or transformed by their occurrence. We particularly welcome contributions that widen the geographical, methodological, and conceptual scope of the volume. As we are committed to assembling a diverse and inclusive authorship, we strongly encourage submissions from scholars of varied gender identities, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and especially from researchers based outside Europe and the United States. Interested authors are invited to submit an abstract of maximum 500 words by January 11th. The abstract should clearly outline the scope of the chapter, its methodological approach, and the main narrative or argument. Please include a brief author bio with your submission. Abstracts should be sent via email to: philip.disalvo(a)unisg.ch<mailto:philip.disalvo@unisg.ch> and paolo.bory(a)polimi.it<mailto:paolo.bory@polimi.it> Selected authors will be notified by January 31st, and the deadline for full chapters (maximum 6,500 words) is May 31st. For any questions about the edited volume, please reach out to the editors. Paolo & Philip ______________________________________________

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RECORDING – Pulse Internet Measurement Forum – Spain
by Joly MacFie 08 Jan '26

08 Jan '26

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Deadline Approaching: CFP - Turning Points in Media Studies: The Long 1990s in Global Internet Histories, edited volume
by Zimanyi, Eszter 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

Dear colleagues, We are delighted to share a Call for Papers for an upcoming edited volume in the Turning Points in Media Studies anthology series, titled The Long 1990s in Global Internet Histories. Proposals are due by January 15, 2026. This volume grows out of a multi-year collaborative project at the Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication (CARGC) at the University of Pennsylvania and a 2023 satellite event at the Association of Internet Researchers conference on the same theme. Our aim with this collection is to bring together scholars, researchers, artists, and practitioners who are examining the development of the Internet and networked cultures through media histories, archives, and perspectives that extend beyond North Atlantic narratives. In particular, we seek work that illuminates the richness, unruliness, and generative complexity of media practices across the Global South during the “long 1990s.” We would be grateful if you could share this call widely with colleagues, research networks, graduate students, and others who may be interested. We welcome both traditional academic essays and experimental or multimodal contributions. You will find the full Call for Papers below, including themes of interest and submission guidelines. Best wishes, Eszter Zimanyi (on behalf of the Editorial Team) Call for Papers: The Long 1990s in Global Internet Histories Turning Points in Media Studies is an anthology series examining critical moments that shaped the development of media in various parts of the world, the circumstances and histories leading to these moments, and their impact on media development in subsequent periods. This volume, titled ‘The Long 1990s in Global Internet Histories,’ emerges from internal workshops at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication. The workshops reconsidered the coordinates and foundations of the Internet’s development and expansion across the world. These conversations culminated in a satellite event at the annual conference of the Association of Internet Researchers in October 2023. Building on the insights shared by our symposium presenters, this edited collection steers clear of Anglophone, north-Atlantic media histories. Instead, it returns to ‘the long 1990s’, a period defined by major political-economic, social, and cultural transformations across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, to offer a global perspective on the history of the Internet. We explore the unruliness and abundance of media cultures that emerged out of the political-economic churn of the decades spanning 1980s, 1990s and the early 2000s to consider multiple ways of being and doing things on the Internet. Assembling an otherwise overlooked range of archives, material cultures and experiences, this volume reimagines the trajectories of Internet’s development and proliferation across multiple analog and digital media. We are interested in critical academic essays and reflections as well as experimental and multimodal work on the Internet’s layered proliferation across the Global South. We ask: what new histories of the Internet emerge into view if we think from the moment of ‘reform’ and ‘economic liberalization’ in varied regional contexts? In what ways would our understanding of Internet histories and digital futures shift if we were to draw insights from media histories, practices, and environments from varied Global South contexts that do not, or will not, follow an easily comprehensible, linear path toward a seemingly inevitable digital horizon? How does a return to the long 1990s, however belatedly, recast Internet histories and re-imagine digital futures? Thematic Concerns Drawing inspiration from our collective conversations over the past three years, we particularly encourage contributions engaging with three conceptual threads: * Belatedness: Following Ali Behdad, we invite essays that theorize “lateness” not as lag or deficit but as a productive, generative condition—one that allows us to rethink Internet and media histories outside the framework of ‘catching up’. Belatedness enables us to revisit the 1990s and trouble the temporal frameworks of economic liberalization, economic reform, and neoliberal modernity. * Unruly Milieus: We seek accounts of messy, heterogeneous media environments that refuse neat categorizations. Rather than simply positing a national account of the Internet, we ask how networked cultures emerge through the technical and material interactions of satellites, digital infrastructure, and other informal circulations. * Abundance: We seek critical inquiries on the abundance of media forms and cultural production from non-Western and diasporic communities that highlight gender, labour and class relations. We invite reflections on how media technologies, practices, and personalities from this era – from FM radio and cable television to SD cards, cybercafés, and pirate film cultures – challenge teleological narratives of inevitable digitalization. Formats and Interventions Turning Points in Media Studies is supported by Manifold @Penn, an intuitive, collaborative, open-source platform for scholarly publishing. Manifold transforms scholarly publications into live digital works through rich media support and iterative texts. We welcome interdisciplinary and multimodal contributions, including but not limited to: Scholarly essays Photo-essays and visual interventions Critical explorations of early internet archives and objects Creative nonfiction, diaries, and fieldnotes Artwork or multimedia reflections, including audio-centered practices Submission Guidelines Please submit the following materials by January 15, 2026 via the form linked below Title of the piece Type of Contribution Abstract (250–300 words) Author name, institutional affiliation, and email address Submission form: http://bit.ly/3LAq6Ku Selected contributors will be invited to submit full drafts (maximum 3,500 words, including endnotes and works cited) by April 1, 2026. Submissions should follow APA 9th edition formatting and use endnotes rather than footnotes. Please note that no payment from authors will be required to publish in this open-access volume. If you have any further questions, email us at: cargc.turningpoints(a)gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Eszter Zimanyi, Ph.D. Research Director Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania

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ROBLOX WORKSHOP - birds of a feather
by Ana Kubrusly 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

Last days to apply to our birds of a feather workshop for researchers studying Roblox! - - - Birds of a Feather online workshop Date 29 January 2026 Time: 10pm - 12:30am UTC Location: online Do you study Roblox? Do you want to connect with other scholars across the globe who are doing the same? Come and join our birds of a feather meeting. Researchers studying Roblox shouldn't fly solo. This workshop brings together scholars investigating one of the world's largest virtual platforms. This workshop aims to connect graduate students, early-career and established scholars who are currently studying — or plan on researching — Roblox. Roblox is a virtual space with millions of daily active users playing games (which Roblox calls ‘experiences’) and potentially taking part in real time events — concerts, parties, and conferences. Currently, there are over 150 million active users daily on Roblox, with roughly 40% being under 13 (Roblox, 2025). We welcome scholars from diverse backgrounds studying Roblox from various approaches and perspectives to share their ongoing work. This is an opportunity to connect with other researchers interested in this topic, network and discuss your research interests with similarly interested people. This workshop will include - collective discussion of participants’ research, - networking activities, - mentoring sessions in small groups with similar interests. Interested participants should fill out this form <https://forms.gle/4183MouqAbaLxCaH9> until January 9 2026. We will notify participants of acceptance until January 16. Link to form: https://forms.gle/4183MouqAbaLxCaH9 Organizers: Natalie Coulter (York University, Canada) and Ana Kubrusly (NOVA University of Lisbon and Polytechnic University of Setúbal, Portugal) Questions should be directed to Ana Kubrusly at a59022(a)campus.fcsh.unl.pt -- *Ana Kubrusly (she/her) * *ana.kubrusly.com <http://ana.kubrusly.com>* *LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-kubrusly-02291033a/>* PhD-candidate at Nova University of Lisbon (NOVA FCSH) FCT Fellowship PRT/BD/154767/2023

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[Job] Assistant Teaching Professor - Technical Communication (Social Media Management concentration) - Arizona State University
by Stephen Carradini 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

Assistant Teaching Professor - Technical Communication - Arizona State University The School of Applied Professional Studies in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (CISA) at Arizona State University (ASU) invites applications for an Assistant Teaching Professor of Technical Communication with a primary specialization in Social Media Management. This position will primarily support the Technical Communication (Social Media Management) undergraduate degree (https://degrees.apps.asu.edu/bachelors/major/ASU00/LSTECSMMBS/technical-com…) and teach courses in additional concentrations and degrees. The successful applicant will help shape the future of a rapidly growing, cutting-edge degree program that gives students highly desired social media skills as part of their technical communication education. Expectations for this position include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in multiple scales and modalities; practicing inclusive teaching and mentoring; and providing service to the unit, college, and university. Teaching load is typically four (4) courses per semester. Course load and composition are determined by the school director. This is an academic-year appointment with an expected start date of August 2026. This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, non-tenure-eligible position with promotion possibilities, and renewable on an academic year basis contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of resources, and the needs of the university. Salary is competitive, commensurate with experience. Candidates must reside in the Phoenix metro area or be willing to relocate. The Technical Communication (Social Media Management) degree is a rapidly growing degree that serves more than 100 students learning to become social media professionals. This degree is a concentration of the technical communication degree, allowing students to specialize their technical communication studies in the area of social media. This applied program delivers highly desired industry skills in real world contexts; the curriculum integrates business skills, image and video content production, organizational communication and crisis and reputation management. To learn more about the program, please visit https://asuonline.asu.edu/online-degree-programs/undergraduate/technical-co…. To learn more about the Technical Communication program, please visit https://cisa.asu.edu/technical-communication. ASU's School of Applied Professional Studies (APS) offers premier immersion and online programs tailored to learners seeking to complete their bachelor's degrees, transition from associate degrees, attain master's degrees, or acquire specialized field certificates, all while enhancing their professional trajectories or venturing into new career paths. Guided by ASU's distinguished faculty, who have earned recognition both nationally and internationally, and in collaboration with industry and educational allies, our comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate offerings, as well as certificate and non-degree workforce development initiatives, present avenues for personal development, career mobility, and innovative avenues for the advancement of knowledge. To learn more about the School of Applied Professional Studies, please visit https://cisa.asu.edu/school-of-applied-professional-studies. ASU's College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (CISA) seeks student-centered faculty who engage students in practical, interdisciplinary learning and demonstrate a commitment to community-engaged scholarship and service. Faculty in CISA are innovators in teaching and learning, preparing students to lead with purpose and make meaningful contributions in a dynamic world. CISA is a leader in applied and career-connected learning, with continuous innovation in teaching, curriculum development, veteran initiatives and AI integration. CISA has more than 9,000 students at all levels and 361 faculty members with 84 programs across three campuses and online. We understand there are many paths to achieving a university education. We build degree programs and pathways that are flexible and relevant, providing opportunities for students to discover their passion, develop lifelong transferable skills and enjoy employment success. CISA is committed to ASU’s Charter (https://newamericanuniversity.asu.edu/about/asu-charter-mission-and-goals) of inclusive excellence (https://inclusion.asu.edu/) access and impact, where all faculty, staff, and students can thrive. Arizona State University, ranked the No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 10 years in succession, has forged the model for a New American University. Repeatedly ranked No. 1, ASU has topped more than 20 lists in the last three years: No. 1 in the U.S. for global impact (Times Higher Education) and No. 1 in the U.S. for sustainable practices (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education). ASU is a comprehensive public research institution, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves. ASU operates on the principles that learning is a personal and original journey for each student; that they thrive on experience and that the process of discovery cannot be bound by traditional academic disciplines. Through innovation and a commitment to accessibility, ASU has drawn pioneering researchers to its faculty even as it expands opportunities for qualified students, attracting some of the highest-quality students from all 50 states and more than 130 nations. To learn more about ASU and the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, visit http://about.asu.edu/ and http://cisa.asu.edu. Essential Functions 1 Expectations for this position include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in multiple scales and modalities (typically four courses per semester) 2 Providing service to the unit, college, and university Required Qualifications 1 A Doctoral degree in Technical Communication, Communication, Marketing, Public Relations, Health Communication, Rhetoric, Instructional Technology, or a related field in hand by the appointment date 2 Two years of post-secondary teaching experience 3 Social media specialization Desired Qualifications 1 Industry experience in social media management 2 Secondary emphasis in user experience or health and medical information 3 Evidence of effective teaching, such as high-enrolling classes, multiple preps, substantial curricular development, enhanced classroom experience (e.g. guest lectures), internships, or study abroad 4 Teaching experience in asynchronous post-secondary digital environments 5 Excellent communication skills 6 Evidence of activities consistent with the ASU Charter (https://newamericanuniversity.asu.edu/about/asu-charter-mission-and-goals) and Design Aspirations (https://newamericanuniversity.asu.edu/about/design-aspirations) Application Instructions To apply, candidates must submit the following materials electronically to Interfolio (https://apply.interfolio.com/176804) 1 A letter of interest that addresses how you meet the required and desired qualifications and outlines your teaching philosophy 2 Current curriculum vitae 3 List of three references The initial application deadline is January 1, 2026. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled. If you have position-related questions, please contact Dr. Stephen Carradini at Stephen.Carradini(a)asu.edu. For application process-related questions, please contact Eleni Sholes at Eleni.Sholes(a)asu.edu. Official transcripts are required prior to employment. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement A background check is required for employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. See https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/. In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf. You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456. Application Process This institution is using Interfolio's Faculty Search to conduct this search. Applicants to this position receive a free Dossier account and can send all application materials, including confidential letters of recommendation, free of charge. Apply here: https://apply.interfolio.com/176804 Equal Employment Opportunity Statement A background check is required for employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. See https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/. In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456. — Dr. Stephen Carradini (he, him, his) Associate Professor, Technical Communication School of Applied Professional Studies College of Integrative Sciences and Arts Arizona State University 7271 E. Sonoran Arroyo Mall, 240J (new address) Mesa, AZ 85212-2780 phone: 480-727-3687<tel:480-727-3687> email: stephen.carradini(a)asu.edu<mailto:stephen.carradini@asu.edu> web: https://stephencarradini.com<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/stephencarradini.com__;!!LIr3w8kk_Xxm!rf…> [https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4zJLHMEgd-wNt2j0vol_zLaX85e…]

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#AoIR2026 Regeneration Call for Proposals!
by AoIR Association Coordinator 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

The Association of Internet Researchers invites submissions for our *27th annual conference*, #AoIR2026 Regenerations <http://aoir.org/aoir2026> (Mexico City/CDMX, México, 14 October -17 October, 2026), which will take place at the Hyatt Regency Mexico City. <https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/mexhr-hyatt-regency-mexico-city> *The deadline for submissions is 1 March 2025 at 11:59 PM in your local time zone*. Please find the full call for papers below: ---- Regeneration(s): Association of Internet Researchers 2026 Conference Proposals Due: 1 March 2026 Overview Regeneration(s) opens us up to exploring deeper processes of technological, cultural, political, artistic, and infrastructural renewal. Online cultures are born, mature, decay, and are reborn in slightly different forms; generations of internet researchers train and mentor each other; new ideas and approaches emerge. Regeneration here is not simply understood as technological repair or sustainability, but as a relational and ethical process grounded in ongoing responsibilities to land, peoples, data, and communities; Regeneration is cyclical and inseparable from complex histories of resistance as a counterweight to the logics of optimization and maximization that characterize the tech industry. Generation and generativity as productive capacities are also contested processes and capacities as AI companies try to frame generativity as automation, reproduction, and passivity at scale. The challenge then is to generate technical, political, and communal imagination and maps that allow us to articulate embodied, alternative, and active generative futures around collective technological use. This also offers an opportunity to think seriously about how our scholarly networks themselves are generated, regenerated, and maintained. This year’s conference is co-hosted by scholars and institutions in both Mexico City/CDMX, MX, and Los Angeles, CA, two cities with complex and entangled histories. Although they are often thought of as distinct worlds - one, the historic capital of México, and the other, a paradigmatic U.S. metropolis molded by migration, sprawl, and imagination. Both historically and now, they are inextricably tied; from colonial and imperial trade routes to cross-border familial legacies, to twentieth century labor markets and migration. Turning colonial historical narratives on their heads, Chicano activists of the 1960s and 70s reminded the world with an insistent rallying cry, “the border crossed us.” In recent years, both have seen unprecedented investment from tech companies expanding infrastructure and the transformation of core industries and craft by the increasing encroachment of AI, even as both cities struggle with severe drought and other environmental and economic consequences hastened by legacies of resource extraction. Mexico City/CDMX has also experienced challenges posed by a significant influx of so-called “digital nomads,” particularly from the North. Worsening gentrification and an ever-growing population of non-Spanish speakers have sparked a backlash, pushing back against displacement and economic stratification. Los Angeles, too, has been subject to the crisis of housing affordability and gentrification, a perennial issue exacerbated by the tech hubs like Silicon Beach. It is against these backdrops and complex, intertwined but distinct histories and cultures that we invite the AoIR global community of internet scholars to participate in this conference. Call for Participation AoIR 2026 solicits work exploring the theme of regeneration(s) in all of its manifold usages. Possible topics include (but are not limited to): - Regenerative technologies: Regeneration and Indigenous feminist theories of relationality and care; Technologies that add to rather than extract, lab cultures, autonomous infrastructure. - Platform genealogies: The evolution and reconfiguration of social media, online communities, and digital economies. - Generative media and AI: Challenging and deepening engagement with the realities and rhetorics of “generativity.” - Activism and continuity: Intergenerational organizing and learning in digital social movements, creation and care. - Reflection: Legacies of scholarship, reflecting on generations of AoIR and Internet Studies scholarship, mentorship, and intergenerational collaboration. - Multispecies ethics: Biological, ecological, digital systems. - Identity and community: Engagements with the theme through dimensions of identity, including race, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, language, citizenship, and culture. - Digital age and life course: Generational identities online; intergenerational communication and conflict; youth, aging, and digital inclusion. - Technological generations: Successive waves of internet platforms, infrastructures, and protocols; how technologies inherit, disrupt, or forget previous generations. - Cultural memory and legacy: Internet nostalgia, digital preservation, and the archiving of online histories. - Digital caretaking: Skill shares and makerspaces, familial tech maintenance, community pedagogy. - Technoptimism/pessimism: Imaginaries of regeneration, resilience, and refusal. We also welcome submissions on topics that address social, cultural, political, legal, aesthetic, economic, and/or philosophical aspects of the internet beyond the conference theme. The committee extends a special invitation to students, researchers, and practitioners who have previously not participated in an AoIR event to submit proposals, and to scholars from the Global South, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color globally, LGBTQIA+ peoples, scholars living with disabilities, and people outside or adjacent to the academy. With this in mind, AoIR renews its commitment to travel scholarships, as well as other initiatives, to support conference participants. We will also follow the lead of last year’s committee and continue to experiment with forms of multi/bilingualism to further our mission of diversity and inclusivity within internet research. The conference committee will accept applications, in English, for participation in Spanish at the conference. Please make these selections within ConfTool. This year’s conference will offer opportunities for hybrid participation for keynote and plenary viewing only in order to focus on multilingual access at the conference itself. Location and Venue We could not be more delighted to be coming together in Mexico City/CDMX, an ideal host city and venue for our community of researchers. The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in the Polanco neighborhood. <https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/mexhr-hyatt-regency-mexico-city> A block of rooms has been reserved at a conference rate for participants. The reservations for the Hyatt block will be made available at a later date; please watch the AoIR Listserv for announcements. The Hyatt has been newly renovated and offers accessible rooms, air conditioning, a gym, onsite dining, an indoor pool, and spectacular views of Chapultepec Park. Those wishing to make alternative lodging should feel free to do so at their leisure. Mexico City/CDMX has a great network of public transportation and affordable private transport options (e.g., taxis). Polanco is known for its historical architecture, public green spaces, and several of the city’s most visited museums and collections, including the Soumaya and Jumex Museums, in addition to the National Museum of Anthropology. The neighborhood is walkable and proximate to public transportation to connect to the rest of the city. Mexico City/CDMX is one of the great culinary and cultural capitals while also standing as a focal point for contemporary research and activism around the digital, including labor organizing among app-based and gig-economy workers, public campaigns over the environmental and social impacts of data centers, and national debates over data protection, platform governance, and digital sovereignty. Hosts The 2026 Conference Host Committee is an international, cross-border collective made up of scholars and colleagues from the University of California, Los Angeles, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Pomona College, and the Platform Observatory. To Apply We will once again use the ConfTool submissions management software system to manage the CFP process. To submit, please use this link <https://www.conftool.org/aoir2026>. Please note: all applicants will need to recreate a ConfTool account for the 2026 instance, even if you have submitted in the past. --- For more information on how to submission guidelines, please visit our website. <http://aoir.org/aoir2026> Sincerely, AoIR2026 Program Chair ---AoIR2026: Regenerations <http://aoir.org/aoir2026>

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