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New Publication - Social Theory of Internet Use: Corroboration or Rejection among the Digital Natives? Correspondence Analysis of Adolescents in 2 Societies
by Tomasz Drabowicz 30 Nov '16

30 Nov '16

Dear all, I would like to inform you about my paper: "Social Theory of Internet Use: Corroboration or Rejection among the Digital Natives? Correspondence Analysis of Adolescents in Two Societies" Abstract: This paper tests a theory of social uses of the Internet (López-Sintas, Filimon, & García-Álvarez, 2012), inspired by the work of Bourdieu (1984, 1986, 1989), outside the Spanish national context in which it was initially formulated. Using the OECD's PISA 2012 data for Germany and Norway, it specifically seeks to uncover differences in patterns of Information and Communication Technologies usage among fifteen-year olds and the factors structuring those differences. Simple Correspondence Analysis has been used as the method of investigation. The results of the analysis show similarities between usage spaces in Germany and Norway; where the first, dominant dimension represents the frequency of digital use and the secondary dimension represents the type of frequent digital use. Furthermore, in both countries gender, migration background, family structure, the parents' level of education, material access to the Internet at home, and the number of books at home explain no more than 8.6 percent of the variance in digital usage. At face value, these results suggest that the theory of social uses of the Internet should be rejected when applied to the adolescents in the countries under investigation. The paper argues, however, that the results should rather be interpreted as an indirect corroboration of the theory, with age being one of the most significant aspects of an individual's social standing affecting digital use. Keywords: Digital inequality; Digital natives; Informational capital; Correspondence analysis; PISA DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.10.004 It will be published in the February issue of Computers & Education (Vol. 105). If your institution does not subscribe to this journal, please do let me know off list so that I can send you a copy (my e-mail is tomasz.drabowicz(a)gmail.com) Apologies for cross-posting. Yours faithfully, tom

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New issue: Journal of Community Informatics
by Eduardo Villanueva 30 Nov '16

30 Nov '16

Dear all, the Journal of Community Informatics has just published a new issue, dedicated to Data Literacy, thanks to guest editors Mark Frank, Johanna Walker, Judie Attard, Alan Tygel; plus regular content of the Journal as well. Please browse and read at: http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/issue/view/59 Best, Eduardo Villanueva-Mansilla Editor, The Journal of Community Informatics --------- Table of Contents: Editorial Editorial: Cosmopolitanism versus Traditionalism and the need to talk about a different divide <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1363> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1363/1235> Eduardo Villanueva-Mansilla Data Literacy - What is it and how can we make it happen? <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1347> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1347/1223> Mark Frank, Johanna Walker, Judie Attard, Alan Tygel Articles, Special Issue on Data Literacy Creating an Understanding of Data Literacy for a Data-driven Society <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1286> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1286/1225> Annika Wolff, Daniel Gooch, Jose J. Cavero Montaner, Umar Rashid, Gerd Kortuem Data Literacy defined pro populo: To read this article, please provide a little information <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1290> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1290/1226> David Crusoe Data literacy conceptions, community capabilities <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1348> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1348/1222> Paul Matthews Urban Data in the primary classroom: bringing data literacy to the UK curriculum <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1289> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1289/1231> Annika Wolff, Jose J Cavero Montaner, Gerd Kortuem Contributions of Paulo Freire for a Critical Data Literacy: a Popular Education Approach <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1296> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1296/1232> Alan Freihof Tygel, Rosana Kirsch DataBasic: Design Principles, Tools and Activities for Data Literacy Learners <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1294> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1294/1229> Catherine D'Ignazio, Rahul Bhargava Perceptions of ICT use in rural Brazil: Factors that impact appropriation among marginalized communities <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1273> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1273/1233> Paola Prado, J. Alejandro Tirado-Alcaraz, Mauro Araújo Câmara Graphical Perception of Value Distributions: An Evaluation of Non-Expert Viewers' Data Literacy <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1275> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1275/1230> Arkaitz Zubiaga, Brian Mac Namee Articles Granny gets smarter but Junior hardly notices <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1161> UNTITLED <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1161/1234> Isabella Margarethe Venter, Karen Renaud, Renette Blignaut Digital Cultural Heritage and Social Sustainability <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1278> Chern Li Liew, Gobinda Chowdhury Case Studies Data Murals: Using the Arts to Build Data Literacy <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1276> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1276/1224> Rahul Bhargava, Ricardo Kadouaki, Emily Bhargava, Guilherme Castro, Catherine D'Ignazio Notes from the field Don't ask too much from data literacy <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1297> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1297/1228> Nicolas Kayser-Bril Data Literacy projects in Canada: Field notes from the Open Data Institute, Toronto node <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1302> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1302/1227> Andi Argast, Lydia Zvyagintseva Points of View Some Key Challenges for Data Literacy <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1349> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1349/1221> Mark Frank, Johanna Walker Critical Questions for Community Informatics in Practice <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1325> PDF <http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/1325/1236> Martin Wolske, Colin Rhinesmith

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Franco Berardi: "Towards a monetary holocaust?" Text written as an introduction to MoneyLab #3
by Ueberschlag Leila 30 Nov '16

30 Nov '16

Telegram from Bologna: Towards a monetary holocaust? By Franco Berardi, November 30 2016 / Text written as an introduction to MoneyLab #3 Conference: <http://networkcultures.org/moneylab/2016/11/30/towards-a-monetary-holocaust/ <http://networkcultures.org/moneylab/2016/11/30/towards-a-monetary-holocaust/>> <>In a booklet published in 2014 with the title Capitalism a ghost story Arundathy Roy tells some interesting stories about the evolution of India in the neoliberal age: <>“When those who had been evicted went back where they came from, they found their villages had disappeared under great dams and dusty quarries. Their homes were occupied by hunger and policemen. People returned to live on city streets and pavements, n hovels on dusty construction sites, wondering which corner of this huge country was meant for them… In the drive to beautify Delhi fro commonwealth games, laws were passed that made the poor vanish, like laundry stains. Street vendors disappeared, rickshaw pullers lost their licenses, small sops and businesses were shut down. Beggars were rounded up tried by mobile magistrates in mobile courts, and dropped outride the city limits. The slum that remained were screened off, with vinyl billboards that said DELHIciously yours.” In the ‘90s the capitalist globalisation promised to pave the way to a future of prosperity for everybody, or at least for the majority of the world population. Then it became clear that the universal mobilisation of the energy of labor was not leading to prosperity for the majority, but only to huge enrichment for a small minority, a life of precarious exploitation for many, and marginalisation for the rest. Now globalisation is rolling back, stagnation is the likely prospect for the near future. So what is going to happen? What is the destiny of that 50% of the world population who have received nothing of the advantages of globalisation, but are now exposed to the effects of environmental devastation and social impoverishment that the current stagnation is going to provoke? The year 2016 has been marked by the sudden awareness that the process of neoliberal globalisation is failing, and is showing the emergence of a new alliance of neo-liberal extremism and conservative nationalism. The worst of two worlds that once upon a time appeared in opposition: anti-global reaction and simultaneously acceleration of the most destructive tendencies of the market. Norendra Modi, a hindu nationalist and a neoliberal extremist, is the Premier of India, a country of 1.2 billion humans. Modi, who makes part of this new brand of nazi market-worshippers who are winning the elections in many countries of the world, few days ago started an experiment that sounds as a turning point in the history of the world economy. It is called demonetisation but it may result into a great leap forward in the process of digitalisation of money. Steps towards the digitalisation of money have been taken in the last decades, (credit cards, digital payments…) but so far the economy of the countries of the world has been integrating physical money and online money, so allowing the survival of those people who are unable to deal with the digital technology. No more. The move of Modi seems to be intended to accelerate the pace of digitalisation in a country where, notwithstanding the expansion of IT technology in the last ten years, the digital divide still excludes a majority of the population from the possibility of entering the online economy. A wide part of the population is going to be pushed out of the economy like those poor people hidden by the DEHLIciously yours billboards that Arundathi Roy is talking about. Are we witnessing the first glimpses of the expulsion of half of the planetary population from the cycle of economic exchange? Is this the beginning of a sort of economic extermination? Is this the hidden mission of the dawning Trump-age? Actually the reasons that Modi has put forward to motivate his act of demonetisation seem quite weak: he speaks of a move against tax evasion and financial criminality, but in fact he is hitting hard on the average people, whilst tax evaders are notoriously investing their money abroad, and do not go around with packs of small banknotes. “This is like curse of God on us,” said Gian Prakash Gupta, 60, a soft-spoken paper wholesaler “We do not know how to use computers, how to do online transactions, how to use card-swiping machines.” The business of traders like Mr. Gupta, whose operations lie partly in the vast informal economy that makes up around 20 percent of India’s gross domestic product and more than 80 percent of its employment, has been virtually paralyzed since Nov. 8, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a surprise ban on the country’s two largest currency notes, the 500-rupee bill (worth about $7.30) and the 1,000-rupee bill.” (Geeta Anand, Hari Kumar: NYT 29 november 2016). Some of the comments in the Indian press, particularly in the newspapers that represent the pro-financial circles are joyful: India will enormously accelerate the race of growth. How so? getting rid of the dead weight, the majority of the population that is unable to dance at the rhythm, pushing them out of the economic circuit, throwing them down from the racing train. “The problem for many is they do not know how to do without cash. In the Chawri Bazar, generations of traders have bought and sold paper, from wedding cards to calendars to packing material, mostly in cash. Their customers paid cash, and they used it to pay their suppliers and workers.”(Geeta Anand Hari Kumar: NYT 29 november 2016) From the point of view of economic history the move of Modi seems inexplicable. It is not the first time that demonetisation is experimented: in November 1923, the German government introduced a new currency — the rentenmark — and declared all old reichsmark notes to be no longer legal tender, as domestic prices, already 14 times their 1913 levels in mid-1921 and 1,475 times towards end-1922, had skyrocketed to 1,422,900,000,000 times by November next year. As the currency lost value by the minute, people rushed to spend their wages the very moment they received them, fuelling further inflation. The only way to deal with this situation was demonetisation: purging the system of all existing notes and launching a new currency backed by solid assets — in this case, land belonging to the state. With credibility restored, inflation fell and the run on the currency, too, ended. On January 1, 1998 Boris Yeltsin changed the name of Russian currency, with a ‘new’ rouble being made equal to 1,000 ‘old’ roubles. with the intention of addressing rampant inflation. But the ‘new’ rouble’s exchange rate, which was 5.96 to the dollar on January 1, collapsed to 20.65 when the year ended, with consumer price inflation also soaring to 84.5%. The Narendra Modi demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes — constituting over 86% of the total value of currency in circulation — hasn’t been undertaken in response to any hyperinflation or loss of confidence in the rupee. The rupee has actually been quite strong and annual consumer price inflation was just 4.2% in October. That implies that the Modi demonetisation does not follow the conventional logic of a currency ‘stabilisation’ measure, but is a ‘structural reform’, targeted at fostering cashless economy. The present demonetisation triggers spurt in digital payments paving the way for India towards cashless economy. The demonetisation which initially paralysed the economy is now acting as a catalyst towards digital payment ecosystem. This seems to be the beginning of an economic transition. Indian newspapers relate that payment processing companies are overloaded and are racing the devil to accommodate the immense spike in traffic. But in India, most economic transactions take place in cash outside recorded market channels and hence go largely untaxed. This is fostering a parallel ‘black’ economy but this allows the majority of Indian population to survive. The brutal transformation of the currency system has already provoked panic, and casualties, but in the long run it may pave the way to a radical redrawing of the monetary field in the direction of radical digitalisation, and consequently to the expulsion of a majority of society. The digital divide may be turned into a tool for the elimination of the “non competitive” section of the human kind. Modi came to the fore fifteen years ago as responsible of the assassination of more than thousand Muslims in the city of Ayodhya. Now his projects are more ambitious, and he seems aimed to become the vanguard of a possible monetary Holocaust. Best regards, -- Leila Ueberschlag | Intern MoneyLab#3 Institute of Network Cultures Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences | HvA MoneyLab <http://networkcultures.org/moneylab/> | 1&2 Dec 2016 | Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam www.networkcultures.org <http://www.networkcultures.org/> @INCAmsterdam <https://twitter.com/INCAmsterdam>

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Call for papers - International Conference - Computer Networks Histories: Local, National and Transnational Perspectives 14-15 December 2017 Lugano, Switzerland
by Gianluigi Negro 30 Nov '16

30 Nov '16

Dear AOIR colleagues Sorry for cross-posting. I would like to promote the international conference on Computer Network Histories that will take place in Lugano on 14-15 December 2017 at USI, Lugano - Switzerland. I am part of the organization team together with Prof. Gabriele Balbi and my colleague Paolo Bory from Univeristà della Svizzera italiana (USI). We hope you will join the event (free of charge) and to see in Lugano next year! Wish you a nice day Gianluigi International Conference - Computer Networks Histories: Local, National and Transnational Perspectives 14-15 December 2017 Lugano, Switzerland Aims and scope Recently several works in the fields of Internet Studies, Science and Technology Studies, and Media Studies have stressed the importance of early local, national and transnational computer networks histories for a deeper understanding of technological and social change in contemporary societies. This two-day conference has a triple aim. First, gathering scholars and researchers from a variety of disciplines working on theoretical and empirical analysis of computer network histories. Second, providing a wide perspective on these histories, including case studies from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania as well as international organizations dealing with the control and management of networks: this interdisciplinary and international debate could be useful to compare worldwide experiences and to provide new frames on this topic. Third, the conference aims to develop new frameworks and a space of discussion on the historical role of computer networks, representing the starting point of an international community of scholars. Potential topics may include, but are in no way limited to, the following: - The origins and development of computer networks under a local, national, international, or transnational perspective; - Political, economic, and cultural representations of computer networks in Western and Eastern cultures; - Comparative analysis of early and late networks; - Physical infrastructures and materiality of computer networks; - The political economy of national digital infrastructures; - Histories of the digitalization of analogic networks; - The history of failed and forgotten computer networks projects; - The influence of early computer networks on the development of the Internet and of the World Wide Web; - The cultural and social history of computer networks communities (e.g. communitarian networks, academic networks, professional networks, civic networks). All the authors are invited to send an abstract of a max 500 words and a short bio by February 28, 2017 to nethistories(a)gmail.com. All invited speakers interested in publish their papers in the journal revue Histoire et Informatique will be asked to send a paper of max 5000 words by October 31, 2017. Conference venue The two-day conference will take place in Lugano, Switzerland, hosted by the Faculty of Communication Sciences of USI - Università della Svizzera italiana. The organizing committee comes from a collaboration between the Institute of Media and Journalism (IMeG) of USI and the Association Histoire & Informatique Suisse of Bern. Travel grants A limited number of travel grants may be available for participants without access to other financial resources. To request travel funding, please add to your proposal the motivation of your request and an estimate of the needed budget. Deadlines 28 February 2017 Deadline for abstract submission 31 March 2017 Notification of acceptance 31 October 2017 Short papers (max 5000 words) to be delivered 14-15 December 2017 2-days conference Organizers Association Histoire & Informatique Suisse - Bern <http://blog.ahc-ch.ch/> IMeG Institute of Media and Journalism, Università della Svizzera italiana - Lugano <http://www.imeg.com.usi.ch/> For further information please contact the organizational secretariat * Prof. Gabriele Balbi <http://search.usi.ch/en/people/9fca22404467d1801cfd4213b9fb7e7e/Balbi-Gabri…> * Paolo Bory <http://search.usi.ch/en/people/707f4dc7632673d2a6b44a4281bb5874/bory-paolo> * Gianluigi Negro <http://search.usi.ch/en/people/2166df9d09fa4387be828efc6a84441d/Negro-Gianl…> Keynote speakers Hu Yong is a professor at Peking University's School of Journalism and Communication, and a well-known new media critic and Chinese Internet pioneer. Hu Yong is a founding director for Communication Association of China (CAC) and China New Media Communication Association (CNMCA). His publications include Internet: The King Who Rules, the first book introducing the Internet to Chinese readers, and The Rising Cacophony: Personal Expression and Public Discussion in the Internet Age, documenting major transformations in the Chinese cyberspace. http://sjc.pku.edu.cn/English.aspx // Tweet @huyong Benjamin Peters is Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Tulsa and affiliated fellow at the Information Society Project at Yale Law School. His research focuses on the cultural history and social theory of digital media, with emphases on the former Soviet Union and the West. Professor Peters has recently published two books: Digital Keywords: A Vocabulary of Information Society & Culture (Princeton University Press) and How Not to Network a Nation: The Uneasy History of the Soviet Internet (MIT Press) in which he offers an account of the Soviet Union's failed attempts to construct their own national computer networks for civilians during the height of the Cold War tech race. https://petersbenjamin.wordpress.com/ // Tweet @bjpeters Best wishes Gianluigi, Paolo and Gabriele ------------------------------------------------------------ Gianluigi Negro PhD in Communication Sciences Università della Svizzera italiana Via Giuseppe Buffi 13 CH-6900 Lugano

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New book - "Hybrid Politics. Media and Participation"
by Laura Iannelli 30 Nov '16

30 Nov '16

Hi all, I thought some of you may be interested in my new book: *Hybrid Politics. Media and Participation* (SAGE Publications) https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/hybrid-politics/book245549 BLURB *Hybrid Politics* examines the combinations and competitions between older and newer media technologies, practices, actors, contents and logics, by exploring their potential and practical implications in terms of political participation. In this *Swift*, Laura Iannelli analyses the 'hybridity' of politics in democratic societies from a multidisciplinary perspective, identifying the diverse forms of power and political participation that coexist within the contemporary complex media sphere, and which influence participation in the spheres of institutionalised and protest politics. Building upon renowned global research and original case studies, the book proposes an innovative and challenging analytic strategy to understand, explain, and problematise the contemporary complexity of political participation and communication. REVIEWS "This rich, original, and engaging volume provides a new vernacular for understanding hybrid politics; paths to civic engagement that frequently fly under the radar and do not count as political. Through her discussion of pop protests, performative publics, polymedia, and civic engagement, Iannelli expertly synthesizes contemporary work to contribute her own, original take on the always-current question of the political. Smart, informed, and a must read for those interested in the political character of the net" - Zizi Papacharissi (University of Illinois at Chicago) “Hybrid Politics covers the modern history of media and publics, from the mass media era to the age of social media. This comprehensive review of research in the field makes for a valuable sourcebook. Iannelli’s discussion of the changing relationships between citizens and media points out the need for new models to explain emerging forms of politics” - Lance Bennett (University of Washington) “This scholarly book brings together concerns for political activism, democracy, new [and old] media and changing cultural practices. It makes an invaluable contribution to multidisciplinary social science thinking about ways in which our world is moving. Iannelli’s case studies – especially those from outside the US and UK – offer much needed illumination and understanding” - Frank Webster (City University London) “Iannelli provides us with an insightful theorization and valuable resource for understanding the increasingly vital role played by communication in contemporary democratic politics” - Brian Loader (University of York) “*Hybrid Politics. Media and Participation* is a thorough, theoretically rich and pointed analytical intervention into the crowded terrain of participation research spanning media and communication studies, political science and sociology. The book achieves two very important goals. It assembles a minute chronology of media hybridity culminating with aspirations for democratic participation in their workings. At the same time, Laura Iannelli is able to navigate a very complex theoretical landscape to produce a truly interdisciplinary reading of intersecting media and the political, economic and social relations at their heart” - Dan Mercea (City University London) “From the Occupy Movement in the US to The Island of Redundant Workers in Sardinia, Iannelli draws a powerful picture of contemporary instances of unconventional political participation where different media ecologies play an undisputed role. With its innovative take on hybrid politics, this volume successfully tackles the challenge to talk about politics, communication and the media with a fine-grained, interdisciplinary and theoretically-driven approach. Hybrid Politics is a remarkable work that provides a needed contribution to the study of political participation in contemporary democracies” - Stefania Vicari (University of Sheffield) ---- Best (and apologies for cross-posting), laura iannelli -- *Laura Iannelli, Ph.D* *--------------------------------------------Assistant Professor Department of Political Sciences, Communication Sciences and Information Engineering University of Sassari Piazza Università 11, 1st floor07100 Sassari (Italy) <lauraiannelli(a)gmail.com>liannelli(a)uniss.it <liannelli(a)uniss.it>lauraiannelli(a)gmail.com <lauraiannelli(a)gmail.com>*

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Introducing open-source tool “Mecodify” for simplifying big data analysis and visualisation
by Ines Drefs 29 Nov '16

29 Nov '16

MECODEM OFFERS OPEN-SOURCE TOOL "MECODIFY" FOR SIMPLIFYING BIG DATA ANALYSIS AND VISUALISATION How often has the hashtag #paybackthemoney been used on Twitter around Jacob Zuma's 2015 State of the Nation Address to the South African parliament? Who were the most influential tweeters in the trolling attacks on Serbia's ombudsman? These are just two of the questions MeCoDEM researchers tackled in their analyses of social media's contribution to the dynamics of democratisation conflicts in Egypt, Serbia, South Africa and Kenya. They used "Mecodify" - a tool developed as part of MeCoDEM's work package "ICTs and democratisation conflicts" - which helps to extract, analyse and visualise tweets in relation to particular events. Mecodify is now available for public use. Download, free demo and more information are available here: http://www.mecodem.eu/mecodify/ Mecodify's interface was built in such a way that it allows users to utilise its service without having to learn coding or acquire any technical skills. It is a simple and effective tool even for newcomers to big data analysis who don't have vast technical experience. The following features help to produce insightful analyses: * TABLES & GRAPHS: Mecodify can be used to extract, analyse and visualise data in the form of tables and graphs with timelines and many features such as overlays and flags - for example for comparing real events with Twitter activity. * USEFUL FILTERS: By providing a set of filters, Mecodify makes it is possible to inspect data thoroughly and focus on different segments of interest and create graphs - for example to measure the usage of Twitter hashtags. * NETWORK ANALYSIS: While the timeline graph gives details of messages over time, one can also plot graphs of users and analyse relationships that emerge from the data - for example for identifying influential tweeters. Note: Mecodify is in its initial stage of development and currently only supports Twitter but aims to expand to support other platforms that have APIs for data extraction. If you wish to volunteer your time by coding, testing, helping us get funding, or with any other ideas, we would love to hear from you. ABOUT MECODEM: MeCoDEM began on 1 February 2014 and will run over three years. The project investigates the interplay of communication and democratisation conflicts in four countries, Egypt, Kenya, Serbia and South Africa, each of them representing unique aspects of transitional / post-transitional divisions. Based on a comparative case study design, the research covers constitutional conflicts, civic conflicts and conflicts surrounding accountability and good governance. These conflicts constitute arenas of dispute where the media interact with the communicative strategies of governments on the one hand, and political activists and political movements struggling for recognition on the other. MeCoDEM is funded by the European Union within the EU's Seventh Framework Programme. With a budget of 2.2 million Euros, the project consortium includes eight partner institutions from six countries: University of Leeds (coordinating institution), University of Belgrade, University of Hamburg, University of Cape Town, University of Oxford, Stockholm University, Ruhr University Bochum and American University in Cairo. FOR FURTHER ENQUIRIES: Dr Walid Al-Saqaf | walid.al-saqaf(a)ims.su.se MECODEM CONTACT: Prof Barbara Thomass | Barbara.Thomass(a)rub.de Website: www.mecodem.eu | Twitter:@MeCoDEM

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Research Methods for Digital Work call for papers
by Christine Hine 29 Nov '16

29 Nov '16

Research Methods for Digital Work: Innovative Methods for Studying Distributed and Multi-modal Working Practices Call for participation University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, 25-26 May 2017 As digital technologies have matured, various forms of distributed working have become commonplace. The contemporary workforce includes many people who move between different sites during the course of a working day or week, and who switch between offline working and diverse forms of online work and mediated communication. Virtual teams coordinate activities across geographic locations, using multiple channels of communication to organize their work and to build identity as a team. Organizationally-sanctioned online communications and digital repositories are used alongside extra-organizational resources such as social media and informal face-to-face conversations. Professional and personal activities share communication channels, and boundaries between work and non-work can become blurred. Work is thus both spatially and temporally complex. This complexity provides many challenges for the researcher aiming to capture and understand these practices, tracking activities - and their meanings for participants - across multiple formats connected in an unpredictable fashion. This meeting focuses on a key question for studies of contemporary work across disciplines: how can we combine methods or devise new methods to capitalise on diverse forms of data to build rich and theoretically-fruitful understandings of digitally-suffused working life? This meeting focuses on methods to study distributed and multi-modal working practices drawing on expertise across a range of disciplines, including management and organization studies, sociology, anthropology, Science and Technology Studies, work psychology, design informatics and HCI. Each of these disciplines has a theoretically-motivated need for detailed insight into what people do in their working lives and a distinctive set of methodological expertise in capturing working practice. By focusing on innovative methods for the study of work across disciplines, we aim to promote cross-fertilization of approaches across disciplines and to instigate conversations on the theoretical purchase offered by different ways of studying work. We are inviting contributions that present innovative methods for the study of working practices, particularly those that present the method in the context of successful use within a research project. We welcome papers that involve practical demonstration of an approach to data capture or an analytic technique. Key themes at the meeting are likely to include: · capturing transitions between modes of work: what methods can we use to explore how, when and why people switch between online and offline? · capturing experiences of fluid, unpredictable work: how can we employ observational and diary-based techniques effectively under such circumstances? · quantitative approaches and logging across media: how can we build approaches that exploit the richness of data provided by individual media but also recognise the complexity of transitions between media? Where are Big Data approaches helpful? · how to research screen-work: what new methods for understanding what is happening when a worker engages with a screen have become available? · private and professional social media: how can our research methods enable us to understand transitions between formal work-spaces and personal online interactions? · mixing methods for study of work: what challenges and opportunities emerge when we attempt to combine different methods for capturing the experience of work? Extended abstracts of no more than 1500 words should be submitted by 31st January 2017 using the online submission form at <http://www.ias.surrey.ac.uk/workshops/workpractices/cfp.php> http://www.ias.surrey.ac.uk/workshops/workpractices/cfp.php Following the meeting we anticipate production of an edited volume drawing on papers presented at the meeting. Contributions from international scholars and early career researchers are particularly welcomed. Participation will be limited to 50 attendees. Registration fees are £60 (£40 for students/unwaged). Attendees will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation links to local accommodation will be available at the time of registration via the event website <http://www.ias.surrey.ac.uk/workshops/workpractices/> http://www.ias.surrey.ac.uk/workshops/workpractices/ The meeting is being organized by Christine Hine (University of Surrey), Katrina Pritchard (Open University) and Gillian Symon (Royal Holloway, University of London) in association with the Digital World Research Centre at the University of Surrey. The meeting has received funding from the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Surrey and the RCUK-funded NEMODE Network Plus.

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Vacancy for a Chair Professor at the University of Nottingham's China campus
by Andrew White 29 Nov '16

29 Nov '16

The University of Nottingham’s China campus has the following vacancy in the School of International Communications Chair Professor in Creative Industries Closing date: open until filled http://www.nottingham.edu.cn/en/hr/jobs/chair-professors/unnc484.aspx Informal enquires and application shall be made to Dr Andrew White, acting Head of the School of International Communications, email: andrew.white(a)nottingham.edu.cn. The ideal application will include a cover letter, resume, a full list of research outcome and a brief working plan with output for the next five years. Dr Andrew White Associate Professor of Creative Industries & Digital Media Acting Head of the School of International Communications Director of the AHRC Centre for Digital Copyright and IP Research in China Room AB434 The School of International Communications The University of Nottingham Ningbo China http://ningbo.academia.edu/AndrewWhite

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CFP - Information Ethics from a Marxian Perspective
by Ricardo Pimenta 28 Nov '16

28 Nov '16

Call for PapersInformation Ethics from a Marxian Perspective *Call for Papers for Vol. 27 (08/2017)* - Deadline for extended abstracts: *28th February 2017* - Notification of acceptance to authors: *15th April 2017* - Deadline for full articles: *30th June 2017* - Deadline for revised articles: *31st July 2016* - Publication: *August 2017* With his concept of Sittlichkeit, Hegel posited that the manifestation of a truly ethical life must be grounded in the concrete foundation of ethical institutions. But for Hegel, the creation and support of such institutions was not the task of philosophy. While Marx didn't specifically mention Hegel's concept, he noted that bourgeois society would not have produced (or could ever produce) such institutions. He also disagreed with Hegel that philosophy should be separated from the creation and advocacy of ethical institutions. On the contrary, Marx proposed a paradigm change that instead gave primacy to praxis (the dialectical articulation of theory and practice) over pure theory. After all, what is the purpose of ethics if not to guide the process of human praxis? For Aristotle, the point of ethics as a philosophical discipline is not only to know good but to do it. The same could be said about Marxian ethics, implicit in the famous 11th thesis on Feuerbach, which states "Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it." But in what sense should this change take place? Toward the goal of eliminating the alienation, exploitation, and reification of men and women as the only way to ensure, theoretically and practically, the emergence of a real, true Sittlichkeit Bearing this in mind, it is here posited that the question of information ethics stands privileged as one of the most urgent theoretical and practical questions of our time. Because capitalism continues to be, more than ever, structured on foundations that enforce unequal access to information and to the literacy skills needed to engage information, no serious egalitarian knowledge of the world or critical worldview can yet be formed. Information is yet the core element of power maintenance in a bourgeois society, affecting scientific, industrial, financial, commercial, political, military, and cultural sorts of information. As such, widespread abuses are perpetuated through information control; lies, monopolies, biased corporate and state-influenced media, ubiquitous spying by governments on citizens and control of the means of production and circulation of information. Nevertheless, the proliferation of the Internet, with its tendency toward free information flows within both commercial and public medias, furnishes vast opportunities for information access through open search tools and unfettered communication channels, allowing new means of overcoming alienation and exploitation. We invite submissions related (but not limited) to the following issues: - Information ethics, imperialism and the digital divide. - Information ethics, class struggle and critical information literacy. - Information ethics and media corporations. - Exploitation of informational labour. - Knowledge organization, information and alienation. - Assigning value to information during its disposal or preservation processes. - Scientometrics, the promiscuity of scientific research within USA military-industrial complexes and the general political economy of scientific publishing. - Perceived Information society utopias vs global-wide growing material misery - The building of ethical regimes of information beyond capitalism. Papers on these and related issues are welcome. *Guest Editors:* *Dr. Marco Schneider (Communicating Guest Editor)* Tenured Researcher at Brazilian Institute for Information in Science and Technology, IBICT. Professor, Information Science Graduation Program, IBICT/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ and Communication Department at Fluminense Federal University, UFF. Email: marcoschneider(a)ibict.com <http://www.i-r-i-e.net/marcoschneider@ibict.com> *Dr. Ricardo M. Pimenta* Tenured Researcher at Brazilian Institute for Information in Science and Technology, IBICT. Professor, Information Science Graduation Program, IBICT/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ. Email: ricardopimenta(a)ibict.com <http://www.i-r-i-e.net/ricardopimenta@ibict.com> For further information, especially on how to submit a paper, please refer to: *Information Ethics from a Marxian Perspective - Call for Papers* cfp-pdf-fulltext (30 KB) <http://www.i-r-i-e.net/inhalt/CFPs/cfp-IRIE-27-Marx-2016.pdf> (right click and select "Save Target As") *Prof. Dr. Ricardo M. Pimenta* Pesquisador Adjunto I do Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia (IBICT) http://www.ibict.br Professor do Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência da Informação (PPGCI/IBICT-UFRJ) http://ppgci.ufrj.br Tel.: + 55 21 3873-9460

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CfP: Digital Government Research conference (dg.o 2017) Call for Papers
by Andrea Kavanaugh 28 Nov '16

28 Nov '16

CALL FOR PAPERS dg.o 2017: 18th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research Theme: Innovations and Transformations in Government City University of New York College of Staten Island, Staten Island, NY June 7-9, 2017 http://dgo2017.dgsociety.org/ <http://dgo2017.dgsociety.org/> Twitter handle: #dgo2017 The Digital Government Society (DGS) announces the 18th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research - dg.o 2017, with the theme “Innovations and Transformations in Government." The dg.o 2017 conference will be hosted by the City University of New York, College of Staten Island Campus, NY, June 7--9, 2017. The dg.o conference is an established forum for presentation, discussion, and demonstration of interdisciplinary research on digital government, political participation, civic engagement, and the impact of technology and innovation on government and governance. Each year the conference brings together scholars recognized for the interdisciplinary and innovative nature of their work, their contributions to theory (rigor) and practice (relevance), and their focus on important and timely topics. The conference program combines: ● Keynote and track presentations and discussions on new research on digital government at the intersections of information technology research, social and behavioral science research, and the challenges and missions of government. ● Presentations of effective partnerships and collaborations among government professionals and agencies, university researchers, relevant businesses, and NGOs, as well as grassroots citizen groups, to advance the practice of digital government. ● A showcase of digital government projects, implementations, and initiatives that bring together the research and practitioner communities, demonstrate the effectiveness and/or challenges of digital government and offer best practices. JOINT EVENT WITH INTELLIGENT COMMUNITY FORUM Two global communities, the Digital Government Society <http://dgsociety.org/> (DGS) and the Intelligent Community Forum <http://www.intelligentcommunity.org/> (ICF), will partner in June 2017 to build new bridges between research and practice, with a shared goal of creating new interdisciplinary, multi-sector partnerships within the world’s communities focused on innovation. Both DGS and the ICF have convened respective communities in cities all around the world. This year they are bringing their communities together in New York to share knowledge, allow each group to network at a deeper level and explore new partnerships to advance urban and rural innovation. On June 7, 2017, the DGS and ICF’s representatives will host the joint program at the City University of New York Staten Island campus for the ICF’s annual Summit and the dg.o conference. For one day, members of both communities will present a set of joint and complementary sessions that provide attendees with a chance to hear from global leaders from across the world’s leading regions, cities and towns. Attendees will participate in master classes and workshops, and seek to build collaborations focused on advancing the scholarship, policy and practice of urban and rural innovation. The capstone of the collaboration of these two communities will be the announcement of the world’s Top7 intelligent communities at a joint reception in Manhattan on the evening of June 7th. THEMES AND TRACK TOPICS The 18th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research will feature the main theme of Innovations and Transformations in Government. Technological advances, such as big data and collective intelligence, together with policy innovations including open government, open data, and the creation of new public data labs have been a catalyst for disruptive innovations in government, causing radical re-thinking of the traditional assumptions and expectations regarding how governments should function. Public goods and services once considered exclusively the responsibility of government agencies are now often initiated and produced through collaborations with citizens, non-profits, and/or private sector partners. The conference theme will highlight challenges and solutions in harnessing innovations and transformations in government. Innovative designs in all aspects of government, including people, services, data, policy, governance, collaboration, and democracy, require leadership talent, creative ideas and implementation strategies, and clear success criteria for evaluating solutions. We welcome research and practice contributions from around the world on the topics including but not limited to innovation strategies, policy innovations, citizen services, engagement innovations, and data-driven decision innovations that address various current societal, environmental and economic challenges, across all the eight tracks below. Each track will accept full research papers as well as research in progress, management case studies and policy papers. Panel, tutorial, workshop, poster and demonstration proposals are also invited. Each conference element has co-chairs who are responsible for managing the submission and review process for their track. Feel free to contact track chairs for guidance as necessary. Track 1. Social Media and Government Track Chairs: Andrea Kavanaugh (kavan(a)cs.vt.edu <mailto:kavan@cs.vt.edu>) and Rodrigo Sandoval The use of social media has been growing rapidly and globally. Governments at all levels have been using microblogs, such as Twitter, and social network sites, such as Facebook, among other platforms and tools for public administration and outreach to citizens. Citizens, businesses and voluntary associations have been using these tools and affordances to share information, ask questions, and compete or collaborate on problem solving within and among neighborhoods, industries, states, and nations. The growing use of social media has created new challenges and opportunities for many users such as changes in regulations and policies, marketing, highly diverse perspectives, and feedback. Analysis of communication behavior, messages, and systems and institutions, should contribute to our knowledge of the ways these media are affecting collective problem solving and public policy development. Future trends in social media and government point to new synergies, as well as disruptions, among public agencies and users. This track welcomes research and practice papers addressing a range of similar or related topics on social media analysis on content, metrics, case studies or theoretical models to advance this area of research. Track 2. Organizational Factors, Adoption Issues and Digital Government Impacts Track chairs: Jing Zhang (jizhang(a)clarku.edu <mailto:jizhang@clarku.edu>), Yu-Che Chen, and Lei Zheng Public organizations employ information and communication technologies (ICT) to facilitate communication and transactions with many stakeholders in public and private sectors. The adoption and implementation of new ICT by public organizations is influenced by organizational factors such as the availability of resources (i.e. funding, technological knowledge, and personnel), leadership, trust, organization’s technological culture, as well as inter-organizational dynamics. Similarly, the adoption of ICT in government and society has generated important impacts on the organizational effectiveness, efficiency, and innovativeness of public organizations. This track solicits research that examines the organizational factors that influence the adoption and implementation of new ICT as well as the impact of new ICT. Research papers in this track examine the adoption, use, and organizational impacts of a variety of innovative technologies and policies or practices that include but are not limited to social media, citizen-centric technologies, virtual collaboration, open data, big data, and modeling tools. Track 3. Opening Government: From Open Data Infrastructures to Collaboration Track chairs: Marijn Janssen (m.f.w.h.a.janssen(a)tudelft.nl <mailto:m.f.w.h.a.janssen@tudelft.nl>), Vishanth Weerakkody, and Adegboyega Ojo Governments are utilizing the Internet to achieve an open, transparent and accountable government while providing responsive services. This extensive transformation is required both within the government and in the way governments engage with the public. The opening and sharing of data, the deployment of tools and instruments to engage the public, collaboration amongst public organizations and between governments and the public are important drivers for realizing these goals. Governments initiate open data portals, develop apps, and open more data to engage with the public to create more value. To successfully achieve this vision, fundamental changes in practice and new research on governments as open systems are needed. Successful cases, measurement instruments, information sharing, adoption, stakeholder analysis and theoretical models and frameworks are necessary to advance this field. In particular, this track solicits papers addressing the issue of public sector transformation achieved through open government, collaboration amongst actors and information sharing within and between public and private organizations. Track 4. Smart Cities, Smart Citizens, Smart Governments Chairs: Sehl Mellouli (sehl.mellouli(a)fsa.ulaval.ca <mailto:sehl.mellouli@fsa.ulaval.ca>), Yigal Arens The slogan "Smart Cities, Smart Citizens, Smart Governments” refers to the promise of using linked and intertwined technologies to create innovative and intelligent solutions to life in a city that will result not only in operational efficiency, but also in government transformation through co-creative governance. Topics for this track include but are not limited to: Applications and collaborations based on the “internet of things”; Smart sensors; Big data analytics; The Civic Technology Movement, and Intercity and intergovernmental collaborations; Intelligent solutions for cities and governments. Descriptions of research and development efforts that demonstrate advances in technology and/or policy innovations in the areas of energy, transportation, health, education, public safety, structures, natural environment, and business, are all welcome, as are related issues of cybersecurity and privacy, community-based infrastructure resilience, urban informatics and governance. Track 5. Cybersecurity and Government Track Chairs: Loni Hagen (lonihagen(a)usf.edu <mailto:lonihagen@usf.edu>), Hun-Yeong Kwon, Wookjoon Sung and Soon Ae Chun Increasing threats of domestic and international cyber-attacks, and growing dependencies on inter-connected cyberspace, require a need for national and global collaborations to develop secure and resilient cyber infrastructure. This track focuses on technical, policy and social dimensions of cyber security research, including theoretical and empirical models and frameworks, to address ever-expanding cyber security challenges. Topics include but not limited to: information security in e-government, cybercrimes, cyber incident response, critical infrastructure protection, national and global information sharing, surveillance and privacy, cryptography policy governance, security governance and strategies, civil engagement and public awareness. We also invite domain-specific cases and innovative approaches on security challenges, cybernational defence, private/public joint efforts, and education, such as workforce training and retention. Track 6. Beyond Bureaucracy, Co-Producing Governance & New Models of Governance Track Chairs: Alois Paulin (alois(a)apaulin.com <mailto:alois@apaulin.com>) and Leonidas Anthopoulos The Beyond Bureaucracy track aims to outline and discuss challenges along the boundaries of society, technology, and governance, which reach beyond established e-governance research paths and priorities. Where well-established e-government / e-governance research ambitions focus on providing and/or studying technology that supports the work and mission of government agencies and governmental agents (incremental innovation), Beyond Bureaucracy addresses the question how radical technological innovation transforms the power of citizens and the conceptual sovereign body to actively control (rather than passively observe and follow) government agencies and governmental agents. The Beyond Bureaucracy track invites contributions that discuss pending technological (design science) challenges, promotes the economic potentials of disruptive new technological ecosystems, and serves as a platform for pro/con deliberations on Beyond Bureaucracy thought and knowledge. Research keywords includes but not limited to: Liquid Democracy, Informating Governance, e-Anarchy, Participatory Budgeting & Bottom-Up Excise, Non-Bureaucratic Government, etc. Track 7. Participatory Democracy Track Chairs: Claudia Cappelli (claudia.cappelli(a)uniriotec.br <mailto:claudia.cappelli@uniriotec.br>), Cristiano Maciel, José Viterbo Filho E-participation comprises the use of information and communication technologies to broaden and deepen political participation by enabling citizens to connect with one another and with their elected representatives. It can lead to new methods of producing public policies and services that contrast with transaction-based methods of service delivery, in which citizens consume public services solely conceived and provided by governments. In the novel coproduction-based approaches, citizens are not only consulted but are part of the conception, design, steering, and management of public policies and services. Hence, this track focuses on e-participation approaches that instrument Participatory Democracy, supporting cooperation among citizens and governments on regular basis. Its major topics will discuss strategies, methods, techniques and tools that can contribute to the coproduction of public services. Track 8. Open Government Data Policies & Politics Track chairs: Boyi Li (b.li(a)exeter.ac.uk <mailto:b.li@exeter.ac.uk>) and Kyung Ryul Park A growing body of literature has been focused on the benefits, motivations, as well as best practices to adopt open data in government sectors. Many theorizing efforts regard institutional structures as critical barriers to promote open innovation paradigm in public sector. In this track, we discuss the impact and change of these institutional structures by inviting research papers that examine open data initiatives as either government policies or politics. The policy lens critically analyses the policy documents and reveals how open data policies are drafted, interpreted, and implemented in a specific context. The politics lens is mainly concerned with the power relations between the state, civil society, and business. It leads to a critical reflection on the agenda of open data movement in the context of power structures of informational capitalism. Therefore, we particularly welcome the content and discourse analysis of open data documents, and the storytelling of government-business collaboration in open data innovations. Panels Chair: Teresa Harrison Panel proposals may address themes or topics related to any of the tracks for the conference. Additionally, we welcome panel proposals that put a spotlight on practice and application. Proposals from practitioners at all levels of government featuring experiences with, perspectives on, and evaluations of digital government practice are encouraged. Individuals interested in submitting panel proposals are invited to consult the panel co-chairs about their ideas prior to developing their submissions. Please send expressions of interest for panel development to Teresa Harrison (tharrison(a)albany.edu <mailto:tharrison@albany.edu>). Poster and Demonstration Poster and Demo Chair: Kellyton dos Santos Brito and Murray Scott The poster session, held in conjunction with the system demonstrations, allows presenters to discuss research in progress, application projects, or government policies and program initiatives in one-to-one conversations with other participants at the conference. PUBLICATIONS All accepted management or policy papers, research papers, student papers, panels, posters, and system demonstrations will be published in the printed proceedings and included in the ACM digital library <http://dl.acm.org/> and the DBLP <http://dblp.uni-trier.de/> bibliography system. Selected papers will be invited for a journal special issue. BEST PAPER AWARDS Outstanding achievement awards will be presented in the categories Research papers, Management, Case Study and Policy papers, Posters, and System demonstrations. Papers that reflect the main theme of the conference, Innovations and Transformations in Government, will be preferred. Other selection criteria include the interdisciplinary and innovative nature of the work, its contribution to and balance between theory (rigor) and practice (relevance), the importance and reach of the topic, and the quality of the writing for communicating to a broad audience. IMPORTANT DATES <>January 15, 2017: Papers, workshops, tutorials, and panel proposals due March 1, 2017: Application deadline for 2017 doctoral colloquium March 1, 2017: Author notifications March 15, 2017: Posters and demo proposals due April 1, 2017: Poster/demo author notifications April 5, 2017: Camera-ready manuscripts due May 5, 2017: Early registration closes! For details on submission types and guidelines, as well as the conference organization: Please visit: http://dgo2017.dgsociety.org <http://dgo2017.dgsociety.org/> for full CFP. Please share widely!

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