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CfP - Virtual Reality for Pro-Social Attitude Change - Special issue New Media & Society
by Tanja Aitamurto 25 Sep '18

25 Sep '18

Dear all, We are looking for papers about virtual reality for pro-social attitude change, to be considered for a special issue of New Media & Society. The approaches can be multidisciplinary and stem from several disciplines, including communication, psychology, digital humanities, and human-computer interaction. The submission procedure has two rounds: first *500 word abstracts by October 10, 2018,* and upon selection, a full paper by February 1, 2019. More information below. Please consider submitting and feel free to distribute the CfP, which is also available in this link. <http://bit.ly/VRSpIssue> Call for Papers: Special Issue of New Media & Society *Virtual Reality for Pro-Social Attitude Change* Guest editors - Tanja Aitamurto, Stanford University - Andrea Stevenson Won, Cornell University - Shuo Zhou, University of Colorado Tentative timeline - • Extended abstract submission deadline: October, 10, 2018 - • Notification on submitted abstracts: November 10, 2018 - • Article submission deadline: February 1, 2019 Call for Papers In the recent years, virtual reality (VR) has become a more common medium both in professional and personal consumer use. As a parallel development, the cost of producing and publishing VR content has become easier with new platforms such as YouTube Virtual Reality and Facebook 360°. VR is being produced, published and consumed more than ever, and as a result, virtual reality has permeated numerous domains. While entertainment and gaming remain the dominant contexts, VR is increasingly deployed also in a multitude of civic applications, including education, healthcare, and journalism. One common theme of these applications is using VR for pro-social attitude change. This potential is supported by decades of research showing that the traditional game-engine based VR may be a powerful tool for affecting people’s attitudes (Bailenson, 2018). With its immersive features, VR can help users to understand other people’s perspectives better compared with other media. Building on this work, the scholarly inquiry has expanded from traditional VR to cinematic virtual reality (CVR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), which combines several types of reality in one medium. The term XR refers to all aforementioned real-and-virtual combined environments. These developments create space for a multitude of research questions on VR. Many of the discussions about virtual reality center around its ability to change behavior, for good or ill. Such applications of VR may change or enhance users’ attitudes, leading them to contribute to society positively. This special issue calls for papers with both theoretical and empirical inquiries into the use of VR for pro-social attitude and/or behavioral change toward others. While there is much current interest in virtual reality as a tool for empathy driving prosocial behavior, we are particularly interested in empirical work which refines, defines or problematizes this concept. The research questions we are interested in include, but are not limited to the following: - • What is the role of VR, AR, and/or MR in contributing to pro-social attitude change? - • Under what circumstances does pro-social attitude change occur in VR? - • Under what circumstances might such interventions backfire? - • How can VR efficiently balance the sense of presence and pro-social attitude change? - • How should VR interfaces be designed to maximizing the positive effects of VR? - • What are the ethical aspects related to VR and pro-social attitude change? The approaches can be multidisciplinary and stem from several disciplines, including communication, psychology, digital humanities, and human-computer interaction. Information about submission Proposals should consist of an extended abstract of 500-750 words (not including references). The extended abstract should contain the key elements of the paper, including the problem statement with justifications, methodology and the main contribution of the submission. The proposal should also include an abbreviated bio of the authors that describes their main research interests and background. Please submit your proposal as a PDF to the e-mail address specialissuevr(a)gmail.com no later than October 10, 2018. By November 10, 2018, the authors will be notified whether their abstract has been selected, and consequently if they will be encouraged to develop and submit an article for peer review. Finally, full articles (8,000 words) will be due February 1, 2019, for full blind review, in accordance with the journal's peer-review procedure. The peer-reviews will determine whether the article is accepted for publication in the special issue. Tanja Aitamurto, PhD Postdoctoral Scholar Management Science & Engineering Stanford www.tanjaaitamurto.com

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Department Chairperson position in Communication Studies at Texas Tech University
by Olaniran, B 24 Sep '18

24 Sep '18

Associate Professor or Full Professor Department Chair, Communication Studies Requisition Number: 15397BR The Department of Communication Studies at Texas Tech University invites applications for the position of chair to begin no later than September 1, 2019. We seek a visionary leader to continue and to build upon recent department growth and successes. Applicants should have academic credentials commensurate with appointment to the rank of associate or full professor, and must have supervisory administrative experience that includes managing budgets, promoting the professional development of faculty and staff, assessing academic programs, establishing interdepartmental and interdisciplinary collaborations, and facilitating the department's contributions and outcomes consistent with the university's strategic goals. The Department of Communications Studies offers B.A. and M.A. degree programs with general areas of study including organizational communication, interpersonal communication, and rhetorical and cultural studies. It also features students with the colleges' unified Ph.D. program. Communication Studies is a rapidly growing department located in the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University. In the past three years, the number of undergraduate majors has grown from 150 to more than 400. Additionally, the Department teaches a number of service courses at the University and generates more than 16,000 semester credit hours per academic year. The next chair will be an individual with a national or international reputation who will contribute to one or more of the department's core areas of research and teaching, have an active research agenda, and evidence a strong record of teaching effectiveness, including mentoring graduate students. The ideal candidate will demonstrate an ability to work cooperatively with faculty and students of diverse disciplines, to provide leadership in realizing the strategic vision of the university, college, and department; to promote the humanities and social sciences in a STEM-rich university environment; to address various challenges of public higher education; and to cultivate civic engagement. It is expected that the chair will be engaged in scholarship or creative activities that attract external funding (e.g., fellowships, grants), and provide leadership to increase the faculty's external funding. The chair will develop external relationships that help to further the research, teaching, and service outcomes of faculty. The chair will also have service duties, including program-building, as well as commitment to extra-curricular activities. Service to the department, college, and university is expected. This is a full-time tenured position at the rank of associate or full professor status. In addition to administrative duties, the chair will teach a 1:1 load. Anticipated start date is fall 2019. Required Qualifications * Ph.D. or Ed.D. in academic discipline related to communication * At least two years of higher education administrative experience * Experience in distance or online education * Credentials that merit appointment at the rank of associate or full professor with tenure * An active research program in a related area * Established record of advancing diversity and inclusion Preferred Qualifications * Experience in higher education budgeting * Professional experience in a related area * Successful guidance in tenure and promotion cases * Experience acquiring or pursuing external funding * Experience supporting successful donor and alumni relations * Ability to foster interdisciplinary partnerships internal and external to the College * Demonstrated success in developing outreach to local, regional, national and international employers College of Media & Communication The College of Media & Communication (http://www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/) at Texas Tech University offers bachelor's degrees in Advertising, Communication Studies, Journalism, Creative Media Industries, Public Relations, and Media Strategies. It offers master's degrees in Mass Communication, Communication Studies, and Strategic Communication (online), and a Ph.D. in Media and Communication. The college has more than 2,000 undergraduate majors, about 270 MA students in three programs, and 40 Ph.D. students. Recent graduates of the doctoral program have begun their careers at universities in the Big 10, Big 12, ACC, and SEC, as well as applied research positions with media companies such as the MediaScience Research Lab. As of 2018 CoMC is rated 34th in the world for communication research by the Shanghai Academic Index. CoMC is home to the Center for Communication Research (CCR) (https://www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/research/ccr/) one of the world's premier, state-of-the art research facilities in media and communication research. It features labs useful for audience testing, content analysis, surveys, eye-tracking, focus group, and psychophysiology. These research facilities provide a great environment for further advancing an exciting and productive research agenda. The college also hosts the Outpost Social Media Lab, a major center for the study of new and emerging media (https://www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/research/outpost) and the Thomas Jay Harris Institute for Hispanic and International Communication, a center of teaching, research, and community outreach in Hispanic and International Communication (https://www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/research/hihic) Additionally, the CoMC and TTU recently launched the Communication Training Center (http://www.depts.ttu.edu/ctc/) a facility focused on training university faculty and graduate students how to enhance oral and visual communication skills. Texas Tech University Texas Tech University is a public research university with an enrollment of over 35,000. It offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 100 masters and 50 doctoral degree programs. Texas Tech is the largest comprehensive higher education institution in the western two-thirds of Texas and is the state's only campus with an adjoining research university, law school, and medical school. Texas Tech students come from almost every county in Texas, all 50 states and more than 100 different countries. Texas Tech University recently surpassed the Hispanic student population threshold necessary for designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), and Texas Tech's current Quality Enhancement Plan is "Bear Our Banners Far and Wide: Communication in a Global Society" (www.depts.ttu.edu/globalcommunications<http://www.depts.ttu.edu/globalcommunications>). Texas Tech University is recognized as a Carnegie Tier 1 Research University and is a member of the Big 12 Athletic Conference. The university is located in Lubbock, Texas, a vibrant city of over 250,000. Application Procedure Review of applications will begin on October 15 and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants should apply on line at www.texastech.edu/careers<http://www.texastech.edu/careers>, referencing the Requisition Number 15397BR. Candidates will be asked to provide a letter of application describing their research interests, teaching experience, professional experiences, a current curriculum vita, graduate transcripts, and a list of three references with names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers. The search committee co-chairs are Dr. Bolanle Olaniran and Dr. Shannon Bichard. Questions may be addressed to them at b.olaniran(a)ttu.edu<mailto:b.olaniran@ttu.edu?subject=> or shannon.bichard(a)ttu.edu.<mailto:shannon.bichard@ttu.edu.?subject=> EEO Statement As an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, Texas Tech University is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse faculty committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment. We actively encourage applications from all those who can contribute, through their research, teaching, and/or service, to the diversity and excellence of the academic community at Texas Tech University. The university does not discriminate on the basis of an applicant's race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or status as a protected veteran. Texas Tech welcomes consideration of dual career and professional couple accommodations. Please visit the college's website for more information: www.depts.ttu.edu/comc<http://www.depts.ttu.edu/comc> College of Media & Communication * * * * * * Address Texas Tech University, Box 43082, Lubbock, TX 79409 * Phone 806.742.6500<tel:806.742.6500> Bolanle Olaniran Professor Dept. Of Comm. Studies Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX 79409-3082 +1 806-834-3978

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Assistant Professor in Urban Futures and Communication at UMass-Amherst
by Dr Jonathan Corpus Ong 24 Sep '18

24 Sep '18

UMass-Amherst is hiring a tenure-track position in Assistant Professor in Urban Futures and Communication. We are open to applicants studying communication and the city from a broad range of disciplinary areas and methodological approaches: communication technology, film studies, media and cultural studies, media anthropology, computational social sciences, social interaction, and political economy. (See ad below) Job Ad: Assistant Professor in Urban Futures and Communication The Department of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst seeks a communication scholar whose research and teaching focus on urban communication, environmental communication, and/or civics and governance in 'smart cities'. We seek theoretical and methodological innovation in researching the constitutive role of communication and information infrastructures in people's experience of the built environment. We seek a colleague whose work complements and extends the traditions in the department, which include digital media and public participation, cultural production and social inequality, and postcoloniality. Additionally, the Department is interested in candidates who have demonstrated ability to contribute to the inclusive excellence and diversity mission of the department, college and university in research, teaching, and/or outreach. The rank will be at the Assistant Professor level. The position will begin Sept. 1, 2019 and will include responsibilities for teaching and supervision at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The ability to collaborate on and eventually lead interdisciplinary, grant-funded projects is desirable. Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2018 and will continue until the position is filled. Applications should include a letter of interest, a CV, evidence of teaching effectiveness, and one article-length example of research, and names and contact information for three references. All materials should be submitted through the online website <http://careers.massachusetts.edu/cw/en-us/job/494748?lApplicationSubSourceI…>. A completed PhD in Communication or closely allied field is required by the start of the appointment. The university is committed to active recruitment of a diverse faculty and student body. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities and encourages applications from these and other protected group members. Because broad diversity is essential to an inclusive climate and critical to the University’s goals of achieving excellence in all areas, we will holistically assess the many qualifications of each applicant and favorably consider an individual’s record working with students and colleagues with broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research or other work activities. We will also favorably consider experience overcoming or helping others overcome barriers to an academic degree and career. Best, Jonathan ===== Jonathan Corpus Ong, PhD Associate Professor in Global Digital Media Co-Editor-in-Chief, Television & New Media University of Massachusetts Amherst N354 Integrative Learning Center 650 North Pleasant Street Amherst, MA 01003-1100 USA Email: jcong(a)umass.edu <mailto:jcong@umass.edu> Webpage: https://www.umass.edu/communication/node/1525 <https://www.umass.edu/communication/node/1525> Twitter: @jonathan_c_ong Data & Society Guest Blog “Architects of Networked Disinformation”: https://medium.com/@MediaManipulation/architects-of-networked-disinformatio… <https://medium.com/@MediaManipulation/architects-of-networked-disinformatio…> ===== Jonathan Corpus Ong, PhD Associate Professor in Global Digital Media Co-Editor-in-Chief, Television & New Media University of Massachusetts Amherst N354 Integrative Learning Center 650 North Pleasant Street Amherst, MA 01003-1100 USA Email: jcong(a)umass.edu <mailto:jcong@umass.edu> Webpage: https://www.umass.edu/communication/node/1525 <https://www.umass.edu/communication/node/1525> Twitter: @jonathan_c_ong Data & Society Guest Blog “Architects of Networked Disinformation”: https://medium.com/@MediaManipulation/architects-of-networked-disinformatio…

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Seeking working journalists and journalism educators for News Perceptions Study
by Weirui Wang 24 Sep '18

24 Sep '18

Dear Colleagues, We are researchers from Florida International University. We are conducting a series of studies to examine how people process news messages and the impact of these messages on perceptions and attitudes. We are writing to invite *journalists and journalism educators* to participate in a research project on news perceptions and media literacy. It will take about 15 minutes to complete the study. You will be asked to read a news story and evaluate the story you read. Please note that your participation is completely voluntary and we will not collect identifiable information from you. If you have any question, please don’t hesitate to contact us (Dr. Weirui Wang weirwang(a)fiu.edu; or Dr. Susan Jacobson: sujacobs(a)fiu.edu) We sincerely appreciate your time and response. To participate in the study, click on the link below or copy and paste it into your browser's address bar. You are recommended to participate in this study using your personal computer instead of mobile device: https://fiu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1Lc7SRiz2rcHAJT <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__fiu.qualtrics.com_jfe_…> ============================================== Weirui Wang, Ph. D. Associate Professor Department of Communication Florida International University 3000 NE 151 ST. AC2-338B North Miami, FL 33181 Phone: 305-919-4428 Fax: 305-919-5215 ==============================================

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Call for book reviewers for Convergence NMT
by Ysabel Gerrard 24 Sep '18

24 Sep '18

Dear all, Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies has recently re-launched its book reviews section! I’m the new Book Reviews Editor and welcome expressions of interest from people wanting to review relevant titles. Some recently published books that are up for grabs include: *Playing to the Crowd: Musicians, Audiences, and the Intimate Work of Connection (2018), by Nancy Baym *The Stuff of Bits: An Essay on the Materialities of Information (2017), by Paul Dourish *Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor (2018), by Virginia Eubanks *Programmed Inequality: How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost Its Edge in Computing (2017), by Marie Hicks *The Qualified Self: Social Media and the Accounting of Everyday Life (2018), by Lee Humphreys *Feminism, Labour, and Digital Media: The Digital Housewife (2015), by Kylie Jarrett *Post, Mine, Repeat: Social Media Data Mining Becomes Ordinary (2016), by Helen Kennedy *Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism (2018), by Safiya Umoja Noble *A Networked Self (any from the series), edited by Zizi Papacharissi *The Ambivalent Internet: Mischief, Oddity, and Antagonism Online (2017), by Whitney Phillips and Ryan M Milner *Actionable Media: Digital Communication Beyond the Desktop (2018), by John Tinnell Please email me at y.gerrard(a)sheffield.ac.uk <mailto:y.gerrard@sheffield.ac.uk> if you would like to review any of the above titles (or others, though some reviews are already underway). The reviews are expected to be between 500-1000 words in length, and reviewers will receive a hard or electronic copy of the book. Best wishes, Ysabel -- Dr. Ysabel Gerrard, Lecturer in Digital Media & Society BA Digital Media & Society Programme Leader Department of Sociological Studies / Faculty of Social Sciences Book Reviews Editor for Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. Latest paper: Beyond the hashtag: Circumventing content moderation on social media. New Media & Society. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1461444818776611 <http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1461444818776611> Latest press: https://www.wired.com/story/how-pro-eating-disorder-posts-evade-social-medi… <https://www.wired.com/story/how-pro-eating-disorder-posts-evade-social-medi…>

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Professor / ERA Chair position in Tallinn
by Katrin Tiidenberg 24 Sep '18

24 Sep '18

Hi all, we’re hiring a Full Professor of Cultural Data Analytics / Chair for our European Commission funded project on Cultural Data Analytics. The job is in Tallinn, Estonia. Please apply / circulate in your networks. Information below. best, Kat Tiidenberg, PhD http://kkatot.tumblr.com/ <http://kkatot.tumblr.com/> Associate Professor of Visual Culture and Social Media, Tallinn University, Estonia Member of Estonian Young Academy of Sciences <http://www.akadeemia.ee/en/eyas/> Secretary of AoIR <https://aoir.org/executive-committee/> Books: Selfies, why we love (and hate) them. <https://www.amazon.com/Selfies-Love-Hate-Them-SocietyNow/dp/1787437175> // Ihu ja hingega internetis, kuidas mõista sotsiaalmeediat. <https://www.apollo.ee/ihu-ja-hingega-internetis-minaloome-sotsiaalmeedias.h…> Just published: "Research Ethics, Vulnerability, and Trust on the Internet” in Second International Handbook of Internet Research ** ERA Chair vacancy announcement for a professor in DIGITAL HUMANITIES (starting in summer 2019) Tallinn University (TLU) is launching a European Commission funded ERA Chair project on Cultural Data Analytics (CUDAN) <http://cudan.tlu.ee/>. As a first step we seek to fill the Chair itself – a professorship in cultural data analytics. This would offer a unique possibility for an internationally established scholar in digital humanities, digital culture studies or in digital data analytics to head a new research and innovation unit in the emergent interdisciplinary field. The ERA Chair will, as a whole, link existing Tallinn University capabilities of in digital culture studies, cultural theory, data analytics, open data projects, cultural policy studies and creative and media industries studies. As such the project aims at creating synergies across multiple areas, in order to connect and combine various data sources to cultural practices of both consumption and production. Reflecting this CUDAN is in effect a cooperation project between three TLU schools – School of Humanities, School of Digital Technologies and the Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School (BFM). ERA Chair holder will be responsible for the formation of a new research group (7+ researchers). The Chair will also formulate the research directions of the group and will lead the group at least the next 4,5 years until the initial project ends. However, the project/group is expected to continue also later as it expected to secure additional funding. One of the main tasks of the ERA Chair holder is to launch a CUDAN Open Lab – a platform/programme/space for cooperating with a variety of external partners. Required qualifications and experience for a successful candidate are: - A PhD degree in digital humanities, digital culture studies or in data analytics; - Minimum of 10 years of experience in managing research teams and/or planning and implementing research and innovation projects; - Strong academic background and international reputation in digital humanities/digital culture studies; - Publications in international peer reviewed journals; - Experience in supervision of PhD students; - Experience in forming and managing research teams; - Experience in planning new research projects; - Experience in coordination of international research projects (e.g. Framework Programme, Horizon 2020); - Experience in collaborating with both public and private non-academic stakeholders. For the ERA chair holder, who is expected to reside in Estonia permanently, Tallinn University will offer a monthly basic gross salary of 5200 EUR with possibilities for further remuneration options and diverse employee benefits. The successful candidate will be working in the newly renovated Tallinn University campus that offers excellent infrastructure with advanced technologies and facilities. The application process starts in January 2019. This announcement should be considered as preliminary information about the post. The actual call will be published early January with a deadline for applications in February (concrete dates will be published on the project website soon). For registering your interest or for requesting further information, please visit the CUDAN website (http://cudan.tlu.ee <http://cudan.tlu.ee/>) or contact the current project manager prof. Indrek Ibrus, indrek.ibrus(a)tlu.ee <http://tlu.ee/> Find more about living and working in the digitally advanced and affordable Estonia here <https://www.workinestonia.com/living-in-est> and here <http://researchinestonia.eu/>. About CUDAN The project aims at developing an analytical approach, called “Cultural Data Analytics”, which integrates existing Tallinn University strengths in cultural semiotics and cultural theory, data analytics, digital culture studies and creative industries’ studies to work with digitised cultural heritage as well as with born-digital data scraped from contemporary platforms. The ERA Chair and her/his spearheaded Open Lab cooperation platform will cooperate with multiple external partners, both public and private, in order to collect, analyse and use digital cultural data, to better understand contemporary cultural dynamics and incorporate this understanding into public cultural service designs, and cultural and creative industries policies. The expected impact of CUDAN reaches from introducing new ways to coordinate research, develop new research methods, apply the research results for developing new cultural services and policies, facilitate thematic cooperation between academia, creative and cultural industries, the public sector and civil society.

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SSN Interdisciplinary Seminar: Accountability and automated decision-making in public admin
by Thao Phan 23 Sep '18

23 Sep '18

In this interdisciplinary seminar, Karin Hedström, Professor of Informatics at Örebro University, will discuss automated decision making in the Swedish Public Sector. Professor Hedström will be joined in conversation by two invited respondants from STEM and HASS who will provide their disciplinary perspectives on the topic. The seminar and conversation will be moderated by Dr Radhika Gorur, Senior Lecturer in Education and SSN Data Cultures theme leader. *Abstract:* Digitalization of public administration is expanding. This includes not only digitalization of processes or the use of computers as support for decisions, but also an increasing use of computers as actual decision-makers. One of the core public values of institutions and legitimate democratic governance is the possibility to hold public administration accountable for decisions made on behalf of the political system and how these are affecting its citizens, i.e. public accountability. Computers are given an increasingly important role, not only supporting the automation of administrative processes, but also as the role of decision-makers. These changes make the question of accountability more important than ever and highlight the role of public values to guide the complex socio-technical web of automated decision-making. This presentation will discuss and analyse how public accountability is constructed in relation to automated decision-making within the context of the Swedish public sector. *About the speaker:* Karin Hedström is Professor of Informatics at Örebro University, Sweden. Her research is focused on the role of values in the design of IT systems. Her commitment to challenging and changing prevailing views is a driving force. Research on the role of values in development and use of IT systems means that she studies how priorities made in the development process will impact the organisation of IT operations, and in addition how users perceive the benefits of an IT system. *About the respondents:* Rajesh Vasa is a Professor of Software and Technology Innovation, and currently leads the innovation efforts at Deakin Software and Technology Innovation Lab. He has over 2 decades of experience spanning both industry and academia with a specialization in artificial intelligence and complex software systems design. His career spans roles in technology engineering, operations and executive leadership with an international work profile. Rajesh is passionate about solving high impact problems, and his core research focus is in evidence based software engineering with a focus on applied artificial intelligence, complex systems and evolution. Luke Heemsbergen is a Lecturer in Communication at Deakin Univeristy. His core research stream considers how the radical decentralisation of communication practices creates shifts in democratic governance, with a focus on 3D printing and transparency mechanisms. His academic work has been published in various international politics, media, and communications journals, as well as popular outlets like The New York Times; wins external grants; and has enabled him to research at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society while still a PhD candidate. Before academia, his professional experiences were crafted at Foreign Affairs Canada and in the private sector. This seminar is supported by the Deakin Science and Society Network (SSN), a network that supports science-literate social research and socially-engaged science that makes an impact. *Light refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP for catering purposes. * *When: *Friday October 26, 3:30-4:30pm *Where: *Deakin Downtown, Tower 2 Level 12, 727 Collins Street, Melbourne *Register:* https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ssn-interdisciplinary-seminar-accountabilit…

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End of an Era
by Shulman, Stu 22 Sep '18

22 Sep '18

Suppose you had access to every undeleted Tweet in history, but it was about to end, and you could pick any 3 days, and any set of hashtags, or other keywords, to create a dataset with educational and collaborative research value for years to come, a dataset that will be nearly impossible to create (for free) after October 1. 1. What three days? 2. What valid premium Twitter rule (up to 2048 characters)? Send your ideas (soon) to info(a)texifter.com and we may just be able to get that data, store it for posterity, and sponsor your research group with free software for a year. We are more than a bit sad to report the likely imminent end of an era serving largely academic researchers with historical Twitter data: https://mailchi.mp/b038af1b77f1/major-changes-to-sifter-september-29-2018-u… In the meantime, there are some ad hoc international groups forming right now to study three datasets we have already created: a. #metoo (October 15-17, 2017) 234,993 Tweets b. #cuéntalo (April 27-28, 2018) 521,748 Tweets c. #balancetonporc (October 15-17, 2017) 239,715 Tweets If you, your class, or your college want to join the international group of multilingual scholars working collaboratively on these datasets, please send an email to info(a)texifter.com. We are sponsoring any student or class that is working to advance our understanding of the global #metoo movement. ~Stu -- Dr. Stuart W. Shulman Founder and CEO, Texifter

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WEBCAST TODAY: The Future of Employment in the Digital Economy #digitizedlabor
by Joly MacFie 21 Sep '18

21 Sep '18

I actually forgot a vital bit of kit so the stream limped on the day of this, but I have now edited my recording, and dropped in slides etc, for the full HD experience. This is an excellent topic, thoroughly explored by top experts, briefly at the event and in detail in the accompanying book, which can be previewed here <https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9783319770468> . [image: digitized labor] <https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9783319770468>On *September 21 2018* at *13:00 EDT/17:00 UTC* the *Internet Society Livestream Channel <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/employment/>* will restream *The Future of Employment in the Digital Economy <https://cdn.evbuc.com/eventlogos/2226176/flyerforseptember7v5.jpg>* – a conference that took place at Columbia University on Sep 7 2018. A critical issue facing the US economy is the transformative effect of the internet on the nature of work and employment. There is growth, innovation, productivity rise, and price reductions. But there is also offshoring, disruption, automation, squeeze of retailing, and others. These shifts have been exacerbated by new technologies and have affected the 2016 US Presidential campaign. This conference – a joint event of the Columbia Business School and Columbia School of International Public Affairs – began with the unveiling of a new book, *Digitized Labor: The Impact of the Internet on Employment <https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9783319770468>* which addresses these topics, e.g. *Is the Internet a net creator of jobs? What are the impacts on income distribution? How are job profiles changed by the digital economy? What models can facilitate adjustment without slowing innovation?*Speakers, who included several of the book’s contributors, were *Linda Bell*, Provost, Barnard College; *Robert Cohen*, Fellow, Economic Strategy Institute; *Haig Nalbantian*, Senior Partner, Mercer Workforce Sciences Institute; *Eli Noam*, Professor of Economics, Columbia Business School; *Lorenzo Pupillo*, Centre for European Policy Studies, Brussels; *Raffaella Rumiati*, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the School of Advanced Studies of Trieste, Italy; *Vincenzo Spiezia*, Head of the Information and Communication Technologies Unit of the DSTI at the OECD; *David Viviano*, Chief Economist, SAG-AFTRA (Labor Union); *Leonard Waverman*, Dean, DeGroote School of Business, Canada; and *Robert Atkinson*, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. *View on Livestream: https://livestream.com/internetsociety/employment <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/employment>Twitter: #digitizedlabor https://bit.ly/digitizedlabor <https://bit.ly/digitizedlabor>* *Permalink* https://isoc.live/10526/ -- --------------------------------------------------------------- Joly MacFie 218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast -------------------------------------------------------------- -

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Special Issue on Monetization, Gambling Mechanics and Loot Boxes in Video Games
by Mark R Johnson 20 Sep '18

20 Sep '18

Call for Papers: Special Issue of Journal of Consumer Culture **Digital Transformations in Gaming and Gambling Consumption** Guest Editors: Dr Tom Brock, Sociology, Manchester Metropolitan University Dr Mark R Johnson, Political Science, University of Alberta SCOPE Consumption patterns of video games and gambling are undergoing a number of profound shifts, with new phenomena emerging almost every year to complicate and confuse the once-clear boundaries between these two forms of play. Perhaps the most visible element of this trend is the rise of “loot boxes”, virtual containers that contain an unknown selection of items either cosmetic or gameplay-changing in nature. These are part of a broader trend of “microtransactions” in digital games, small purchases that are designed to enhance or progress a player’s experience; loot boxes in particular are the most “gamblified” of all of these. Similar trends are occurring elsewhere. Within Esports, a growing number of betting sites are now accepting wagers on professional gaming competitions, and the market for Esports wagering is estimated to be seven times the size of the market for Esports itself (Smith, 2018). Within Esports games themselves, skin betting entails the wagering of digital cosmetic items, “skins”, against and with other players, sometimes in traditional gambling games and sometimes in custom competitions designed uniquely for that purpose (Perez, 2018). On live streaming websites, broadcasters have developed a wide range of systems that resemble competitions, raffles or even lotteries monetise their content (Johnson & Woodcock, Forthcoming) and encourage viewers to remain loyal. Social casino games reproduce many forms of play from traditional brick-and-mortar casinos on mobile phones, with easy user interfaces and “juicy” game elements designed to maximise appeal and user retention (Cassidy, 2013; Gainsbury et al, 2016). Online poker is also gradually experiencing a resurgence since the legal controversies of 2011, and some of the largest sites have themselves begun using a loot box system to reward long-term players for their loyalty (Derbyshire, 2018). Finally, the recent classification of “gaming addiction” by the World Health Organisation uses understandings of pathological gambling to define a threat of pathological gaming (Judge, 2018). This brings medicalized understandings of gaming and gambling closer together than ever before. In particular, we note the controversies around many of these phenomena have brought forth a series of debates about the integration of gambling mechanics into video games and vice versa. For example, there is extensive disagreement about whether or not ‘loot boxes’ are a form of gambling, and major games developers, such as Electronic Arts, are now sharply at odds with regulatory bodies in North America, Europe and Asia. Equally, the concept of ‘paying-to-win’ is changing established cultural and discursive concepts around ‘gaming meritocracy’, whilst many policymakers have expressed fears that, through microtransactions, those under legal age limits are experiencing gambling mechanics in an environment that is difficult to control or regulate. All of these combined disputes and issues set a timely context for studying such new forms of digital gambling and gaming, and the distinctive online cultures that have arisen around them. Whatever the moral or ethical responses to these trends, this blurring is now an increasingly central element of all kinds of play, and is deeply reshaping consumption patterns across both existing and new demographic lines. TOPICS This special issue is therefore concerned with unpacking how the rise of gaming systems in gambling, the rise of gambling systems in gaming, and how the implementation of new forms of monetary gameplay cutting across these boundaries are reshaping our production, consumption and prosumption (Ritzer and Jurgenson, 2010; Beer and Burrows, 2010) of digital play. In particular, we invite papers on the following topics, although this is not an exhaustive list: - The consumption of loot boxes, microtransactions, and other "pay-to-win" mechanics. - New gambling technologies and platforms (e.g. "skill-based" video gambling machines). - Live-streaming and Twitch.tv gambling integration, e.g. viewer competitions. - Skin betting and other traded or wagered virtual currencies. - Cultural changes surrounding play and money, leisure and work. - Economic challenges and new business models of the games industry. - New ways that game consumption and gambling consumption are being stigmatised. SUBMISSION AND REVIEW Proposals should include an abstract of 500-750 words, and bios for all authors of no more than 100 words. The deadline for proposals is December 31st 2018, with invitations to submit a full paper going out on January 31st 2019. The guest editors welcome both theoretical and empirical contributions. Invited paper submissions will be due 1st June 2019 and should be submitted to both Guest Editors by email. Once submitted they will undergo peer review under the normal procedures of Journal of Consumer Culture; therefore, invitation to submit does not guarantee acceptance to the special issue. The special issue is scheduled for online publication in 2020. If you have any questions, please feel free to discuss your ideas with the authors at T.Brock(a)mmu.ac.uk and markrjohnsongames(a)gmail.com. REFERENCES Beer, D. and Burrows, R. Consumption, Production and Participatory Web Cultures, Journal of Consumer Culture, 10(1), p3-12. Cassidy, R. (2013). Partial convergence: social gaming and real-money gambling. In Qualitative research in gambling (pp. 86-103). Routledge. Derbyshire, M. (2018). PokerStars NJ Ditching Old VIP Club In Favor Of Stars Rewards This Year. US Poker, available at https://www.uspoker.com/blog/pokerstars-vip-club-stars-rewards/24289/ Gainsbury, S. M., Russell, A. M., King, D. L., Delfabbro, P., & Hing, N. (2016). Migration from social casino games to gambling: Motivations and characteristics of gamers who gamble. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 59-67. Johnson, M. R. & Woodcock, J. (Forthcoming). “And today’s top donator is”: How Live Streamers on Twitch.tv Monetise and Gamify their Broadcasts. Social Media + Society. Judge, A. (2018). Video games and mental health: 'Nobody's properly talking'. BBC News, available at https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-44662669 . Perez, M. (2018). From Unikrn To Skin Betting: How The Supreme Court's Sports Gambling Ruling Impacts Esports. Forbes, available at https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2018/05/15/from-unikrn-to-skin-betti… Ritzer, R. Jurgenson, N. 2010. Production, Consumption, Prosumption. The Nature of Capitalism on the Age of the Digital Prosumer, Journal of Consumer Culture, 10(1), p.13-36. Smith, N. (2018). Esports bookmaking? Globally, it’s already a billion-dollar gambling industry. Washington Post, available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/esports-bookmaking-globally-its-alrea…

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