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Fwd: FW: Save the date for ISG 2014 - The 9th World Conference of Gerontechnology in Taipei, TAIWAN
by gene loeb 10 Nov '13

10 Nov '13

Hi all, This is an important conference, international in tone, with significant advances in helping elderly through technology. Gene Gene Loeb, Ph.D. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Galit Nimrod <gnimrod(a)bgu.ac.il> Date: Sat, Nov 9, 2013 at 11:49 PM Subject: FW: Save the date for ISG 2014 - The 9th World Conference of Gerontechnology in Taipei, TAIWAN To: "geneloeb(a)gmail.com" <geneloeb(a)gmail.com> *From:* ISG 2014 Organizing Committee [mailto:yzgr@saturn.yzu.edu.tw] *Sent:* Sunday, November 10, 2013 3:48 AM *To:* galit_n(a)zahav.net.il *Subject:* Save the date for ISG 2014 - The 9th World Conference of Gerontechnology in Taipei, TAIWAN *Importance:* High *Gerontechnology -"Designing technology and environment for independent living and social participation of older persons in good health, comfort, and safety"* Dear Colleagues, The International Society for Gerontechnology cordially invites you to submit one-page papers or symposium proposals for the 9th World Conference of Gerontechnology (ISG 2014) to be held in Taipei June 18-21, 2014. http://isg2014.org/ At this moment, we are proud to announce that ISG 2014 will offer 4 series of keynote speeches presented by 9 distinguished scholars and professionals around the world. 1. "Presidential Series: Ongoing Issues of Gerontechnology, Gerontology, and Geriatrics" featuring Alain André Franco, MD, PhD (France) and Heung Bong Cha, PhD (Korea) 1. "Meet the Grand Masters of Gerontechnology" featuring James L. Fozard, PhD (United States), Herman Bouma, PhD (The Netherlands), and Vappu Tuulikki Taipale, PhD (Finland) 1. "Gerontechnology across Cultures and Disciplines" featuring Mitsuo Nagamachi, PhD (Japan) and Chung-Kang Peng, PhD (Taiwan) 1. "Fun Interactive Technologies for Older Adults" featuring Henrik Hautop Lund, PhD (Denmark) and Eng Tat Khoo, PhD (Singapore) The important dates for submissions are: * November 15, 2013 - Deadline for symposium proposal submission * December 15, 2013 - Deadline for paper submission * February 18, 2014 - Notification of acceptance All accepted submissions will be published in the conference issue of the Gerontechnology Journal, the official journal of the International Society for Gerontechnology. Under the theme of "Cultural and Social Diversity in Gerontechnology," ISG 2014 will be organized into five tracks including Health & Self-esteem, Housing & Daily activities, Communication & Governance, Mobility & Transport, and Work & Leisure. Please visit our website for submission details. Further information is available on our website at isg2014.org. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact the conference secretariat by email at isg2014.secretariat(a)gmail.com. Also, please forward this email to your colleagues who might be interested. Looking forward to seeing you in June, 2014! Organizing Committee The 9th World Conference of Gerontechnology -- With Sincerest Best Wishes , Gene Gene Loeb, Ph.D.

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Marshall McLuhan and the Kindle
by Paul Levinson 09 Nov '13

09 Nov '13

Thought you might enjoy my latest episode of Light On Light Through - "Marshall McLuhan and the Kindle" http://paullev.libsyn.com/marshall-mc-luhan-and-the-kindle -Paul *The Consciousness Plague <http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FEYVELG/ref=nosim/?tag=dexter2a-20> has just been published - *"more nearly reaches the heights of Isaac Asimov's classic SF mysteries than those of most other genre hands" - *Booklist *

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new book Social Movements and Their Technologies - discounts!
by Stefania Milan 09 Nov '13

09 Nov '13

*Apologies for cross-posting. Please help spread the word* I am happy to announce the release of my book Social Movements and Their Technologies. Wiring Social Change (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013). The book might be of interest to those of you working in particular on internet activism, and/or social movement communication. It is based on an unprecedented body of qualitative data built over the years by interviewing radical techies and hacktivists typically very difficult to reach. It offers also an historical grounding to the current efforts by social movement activists around the world to organize autonomously. Abstract. Social Movements and Their Technologies. Wiring Social Change explores the interplay between social movements and their "liberated technologies". It analyzes the rise of low-power radio stations and radical internet projects ("emancipatory communication practices") as a political subject, focusing on the sociological and cultural processes at play. It provides an overview of the relationship between social movements and technology and investigates what is behind the communication infrastructure that made possible the main protest events of the past 15 years. In doing so, Stefania Milan illustrates how contemporary social movements organize in order to create autonomous alternatives to communication systems and network and how they contribute to change the way people communicate in daily life, as well as try to change communication policy from the grassroots. You can find out more on http://stefaniamilan.net/book (including the table of contents and the proofs of chapter 1). If you buy by the end of January, there is a considerable discount, as follows (for books bought by individuals and only through www.palgrave.com) - 20% if you are based in North America (code XP356ED) - 50% if you are based in Europe, South and Central America, Africa, Asia, Australia... basically everyone else (code WSMATT2013a) The instructions can be found on http://stefaniamilan.net/book Hope you'll like it! Stefania Stefania Milan, PhD Data J Lab / Citizen Lab stefaniamilan.net @annliffey

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Call for papers: Social Robots: Form, Content, Critique - International Journal of Social Robotics
by Charles Ess 09 Nov '13

09 Nov '13

Dear AoIRists, While social robots may not immediately fall into your purview or sense of Internet studies, much less media studies, let me humbly suggest that in many incarnations, they deserve to. The easiest example is the telenoid - a Casper-the-ghost looking social robot that mediates human communication in both verbal and non-verbal fashion, by way of Internet-facilitated communication. And so, with the usual apologies for duplications and request for cross-posting to suitable lists and potentially interested colleagues - on behalf of my co-editors: Call for Papers: Social Robots: Form, Content, Critique special issue of The International Journal of Social Robotics Co-editors: Michaela Pfadenhauer (Karlsruhe University / Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Satomi Sugiyama (Franklin College, Switzerland), Charles Ess (University of Oslo). We invite papers from scholars and researchers across the disciplines (including philosophy, robot ethics, Artificial Intelligence, cognitive science, media/sociology, information science, art history) that examine and explore social robots through three distinct but inextricably interwoven frameworks: * Form/appearance (e.g., human/animal likeness in appearance; everyday media forms and robotic functions; cultural attitudes toward robot forms, etc.) * Content/AI/applications (e.g., implications of artificial intelligence in everyday human experiences such as memories, relationships, and conceptions of the self and self-understanding; applications that shape human-robot interactions; applications of mobile media and their implications in human¹s robotic experiences, etc.) * Critical issues that undergird the above, including; ethics, intimacy, emotions, authenticity, etc. Paper submission deadline: 1 January 2014 Notification to authors: 1 March 2014 Submission of authors' revised papers: 1 May 2014 Final acceptance: 1 June 2014 (accepted papers will be immediately published at the IJSR webpage with a Digital Object Identifier for citation purposes) Publication: August, 2014 The call is an outcome of the COST Strategic Workshop on Social Robotic and Sustainability that took place in Brussels, Belgium, on 10-13 June 2013. <http://www.cost.eu/events/socialrobotics> The online submission system is available at: : <http://www.editorialmanager.com/soro/> Authors are required to register on the website and to follow the Journal¹s ³Instructions for Authors² as provided there. == Many thanks in advance, - charles Professor in Media Studies Department of Media and Communication Director, Centre for Research on Media Innovations <http://www.hf.uio.no/imk/english/research/center/media-innovations/> My latest book, Digital Media Ethics, is now available from Polity: http://www.politybooks.com/book.asp?ref=0745656056 University of Oslo P.O. Box 1093 Blindern NO-0317 Oslo Norway email: charles.ess(a)media.uio.no

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Assistant Professor Position, iSchool@ The University of British Columbia
by Caroline Haythornthwaite 08 Nov '13

08 Nov '13

The School of Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), the iSchool at The University of British Columbia invites applications for a full-time position to begin July 1, 2014, subject to final budgetary approval. The position is expected to be filled at the rank of tenure-track Assistant Professor. Please see the job advertisement below for details on the position. /Caroline Haythornthwaite -------------------------------------------------------- THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Faculty position (tenure-stream) Library and Information Studies The School of Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), the iSchool at The University of British Columbia invites applications for a full-time position to begin July 1, 2014, subject to final budgetary approval. The position is expected to be filled at the rank of tenure-track Assistant Professor. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Candidates should demonstrate achievement of, or potential for, excellence in teaching, research, and service in an interdisciplinary environment. The successful candidate will be expected to teach and conduct research in the area of library and information studies, broadly interpreted. Applications are encouraged from candidates with research and teaching interests relating to digital collections, including specialization in areas such as: digital libraries; data and information management; data/text mining and analytics; information retrieval; systems design, programming, evaluation and implementation; health informatics; digital humanities; digital media, social media; or semantic web technologies. We are seeking applicants who complement the strengths of the faculty at the School, demonstrate a strong research record appropriate to their experience, and have the ability to forge interdisciplinary research and/or teaching relationships within the School and beyond. As the School builds and strengthens its identity as an iSchool, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to join a dynamic community of scholars shaping the future of the School and to work with outstanding Masters and doctoral students. Applicants must have a Ph.D. (or solid indication of imminent completion) in a field related to the teaching and research areas of the position. Applicants must demonstrate excellence in research and scholarly activity; have a publication record commensurate with their experience; and provide evidence of teaching effectiveness. The University of British Columbia holds an international reputation for excellence in advanced research and learning. It is located in Vancouver, Canada, one of the world’s most beautiful and culturally diverse cities. The iSchool offers an ALA-accredited Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS), a Master of Archival Studies (MAS) (both with an optional First Nations Concentration), a Dual MAS/MLIS, a multidisciplinary Master of Arts in Children’s Literature (MACL), and a doctorate in library, archival and information studies leading to the awarding of a Ph.D. Further information about the School can be found at www.slais.ubc.ca. The deadline date for receipt of applications is January 10, 2014. Application materials should include: a cover letter stating the candidate’s qualifications for the position, projected research agenda, and teaching philosophy; current curriculum vitae; the names and contact information of a minimum of three referees; and evidence of teaching effectiveness. Applications should be addressed to Professor Caroline Haythornthwaite, Chair, Faculty Search Committee and documents should be sent as separate files (in .pdf of Word format) via email to: slais.recruit(a)ubc.ca. Enquiries may be addressed to: Caroline Haythornthwaite, Director and Professor Chair, Faculty Search Committee School of Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS) The iSchool at The University of British Columbia The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Suite 470, 1961 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1 CANADA Email: c.haythorn(a)ubc.ca The University of British Columbia hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity and diversity within its community. We especially welcome applications from members of visible minority groups, women, Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities. We encourage all qualified persons to apply; Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will, however, be given priority.

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Final call for papers - 3rd International Symposium on Media Innovations - Oslo, April 24-25, 2014
by Charles Ess 08 Nov '13

08 Nov '13

Dear AoIRists, On behalf of the Organizing Committee, and with the usual apologies for duplication, etc. - and the request for further distribution to potentially interested communities and individuals. Many thanks in advance - -charles == Final Call for papers: >From Digital Taxes to Beta Newsrooms: Media Innovation, Digital Industries and Good Lives The Third Annual International Symposium on Media Innovations (ISMI14) Dates: April 24-25, 2014 Venue: University of Oslo Sponsors include: the Centre for Research on Media Innovations (CeRMI); the Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo; Telenor Research We invite scholars, editors, producers, and executives to contribute to our on-going exploration of how changing technologies, and changing modes of media usage and engagement bring about innovation and transformation of the media sector. ISMI14 specifically examines recent transformations in the broadcast and telecommunication industries. These include the impact of taxation policies on innovation in digital services and focus on our shared interests in good life and work vis-à-vis digital media innovations and innovation processes. Keynote speakers Thor Gjermund Eriksen, Director General of NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation). Keynote: ³Conditions for Innovations in Public Broadcasting² Bjørn Taale Sandberg, Senior Vice President, Telenor Research Steve Jones, University of Illinois at Chicago Distinguished Professor Provisional keynote title: ³Living the Good Life: IT Innovations and the Quantified Self² Submissions are invited that address the themes listed below. Submissions will be peer-reviewed. Extended abstracts of proposed papers (750-word maximum) should be sent to <symposium(a)mediainnovations.no>. Deadlines and Dates November 22, 2013: extended abstracts due December 20, 2013: acceptance notices due March 14, 2014: full papers due April 14, 2014: best paper award announced Publications: Special issue: Journal of Media Innovations. Submitted papers will be further reviewed for inclusion in a special issue of The Journal of Media Innovations, Vol. 2, No. 1, Fall, 2014. Anthology: Papers submitted to the workshop/seminar on digital media and taxation policies (see below) will be considered for a planned anthology. Themes for paper and panel presentations (Workshop/seminar) Digital media and taxation policies: What are the roles and implications of value-added tax (VAT) policies for the innovation processes of new digital services? Taxation policies regarding new digital services (e.g., eBooks, online newspaper, music services) are central to both business practices (ranging from design to decisions as to what country in which to incorporate) and policy makers (e.g., as potential revenue streams are diverted to other nations). Innovation processes within digital media are thus shaped and influenced through taxation policies in multiple ways. The goal of the workshop is to bring forward new research and insight in this domain in part with a view towards publication of selected papers in a forthcoming anthology. For additional information on the workshop/seminar, including abstract submission details (due December 15, 2013), please contact the organizer, Terje Colbjørnsen, <terje.colbjornsen(a)media.uio.no>. Beta mentality: How are newsrooms dealing with constant change? The speed of technology innovations is breath-taking, as is the way users¹ media habits are changing in front of our eyes. New media platforms have been introduced to the media mix, including Twitter, which has introduced a new dimension of speed to news reporting. To keep up with the development, many newsrooms are forced to change the way they organize, work and think. But change can be painful, difficult and frustrating. What are some of the lessons media companies have learned in order to adapt to this constantly changing media landscape? Innovation and the good life ³We no longer have a way of living together of conducting any domain of life _without_ media but we don¹t yet know how to live _well_ with media² (Couldry 2013: 15; emphasis in the original). Media production is often justified and/or evaluated in normative terms. For example, journalism is often defended in terms of freedom of expression and its contribution to debate crucial to democratic societies. We invite papers that offer normative analyses of media innovations, e.g., Do innovative forms of journalism including so-called citizen journalism¹ or crowdsourcing- contribute to a greater diversity of viewpoints, tolerance, debate, and healthier democratic processes and/or to (anti-democratic) fragmentation, herd mentality¹ and polarization? The following themes are also of interest: § media entrepreneurs and small media firms as innovators, particularly: ³Break-through² examples that may serve as models for others? ³Learning from our failures² how not to pursue innovation? Best-case / worst-case examples of innovation § innovation in journalistic practices and media content § innovation in New Product Development routines and practices in media industries § ICTs and innovation in media production tools § innovation, accessibility, and customer service § innovation in children's media § genre innovation, including new genres and styles in e-books, social media and mobile media § gender and media innovation § innovation vis-à-vis media economics and media and cultural policy § humanistic approaches to innovation in media design; § media innovations and political communication; § mobile media, apps, and innovation § media innovation and cultural institutions (museums, libraries, etc.) All papers must be firmly connected with concrete and focused examples of media innovation practices and products. Accommodations: We strongly urge potentially interested participants to explore the resource lists on the conference website <http://www.hf.uio.no/imk/english/research/center/media-innovations/events/a ccommodation.html> of recommended accommodations and book as early as possible. Notifications of acceptance will be issued sufficiently early (December 20, 2013) so as to allow cost-free reservation cancellation if need be. Planning Committee Jens Barland, Gjøvik University College Niamh Ní Bhroin, University of Oslo Charles Davis, Ryerson University Karoline Andrea Ihlebæk, University of Oslo Bente Kalsnes, University of Oslo Arne H. Krumsvik, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences Philippe Ross, University of Ottowa Knut Kvale, Telenor We look forward to welcoming to you Oslo!

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Greetings
by Guruprakash Sivabalan 08 Nov '13

08 Nov '13

Hello every body.. I am working on Search Engines and I have build industry standard web crawlers. If any of your research require my expertise I will be more than happy to help. Regards, S.Guruprakash SRM Search Engine

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Fwd: ICA GLBT Seattle Preconference/Unconference CFP
by Adrienne Shaw 07 Nov '13

07 Nov '13

Please feel free to distribute widely. *Call for Proposals* *ICA Preconference/Unconference on* *Technologies of Sex and Gender: Queer Theories and Subjects* Sponsored by the Gay Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Studies Interest Group 9 am- 4 pm, May 22, 2014 University of Washington, Department of Communication Cost: Free This ICA preconference brings together scholars, activists, and artists working on gender, sexuality, communication, media, and technology to examine, debate, and plan new projects, including: · Investigating how the strategies activists and artists have developed in this field can transform academic research practice, as well as how academics can contribute to activist and artistic technology projects · Providing an interdisciplinary environment in which LGBT, queer, and gender-nonconforming technology scholars, activists, and artists can network with each other, learn about current work in these fields, forge partnerships, and develop new collaborative projects · Creating applications, games, and art that explore, celebrate, or undermine sexualized and gendered subjectivities. · Researching how LGBT, queer, and gender nonconforming populations employ technologies in specific historical and cultural contexts (particularly by looking at the intersections of gender, race, nationality, class, and sexuality in these contexts) · Discussing how queer, transgender, and feminist theories can be brought to bear on technology research, and how these fields can and must transform each other in the process · Exploring how queer, transgender, and feminist theories can be integrated into technology design practice · Ascertaining how scholars have used and can use technologies to study sexual- and gender-nonconforming communities, including their own The preconference’s goal is to provoke encounters that would set in motion future collaborations and networks among artists, activists, and scholars. It utilizes the “unconference” format<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconference>, in which participants, rather than organizers, decide on the agenda from among their own submitted proposals. This allows for more intensive interaction, higher-level conversations, and a more engaged, productive experience than traditional academic conferences. *SCHEDULE AND FORMAT:* · *Today*: You read this CFP. · *By January 20*: You submit a Session Leader or Participation proposal to ica.glbt(a)gmail.com. See below for a description of the proposal format. · *February 1*: The organizers will send an acceptance letter to everyone who has submitted a proposal. All proposals will be posted on the Technologies of Sex and Gender website. · *February 1 – April 30*: All applicants comment online on the proposals, voting for the sessions they are likely to attend and offering suggestions for changes and additions. · *May 10*: The organizers create and post a working schedule for the preconference and notify session applicants of the likelihood of their session being included. *May 22: The unconference* · The first morning session will introduce the unconference format. Attendees will take part in an open vote on the schedule, making suggestions, changes, or additions. The schedule will be finalized in this first session, after which the other sessions will begin. Depending on level of interest and number of attendees, there may be simultaneous sessions. · Sessions will proceed throughout the morning following the proposals, but with an openness to exploring new directions that may organically arise (often new sessions are added throughout the day, sessions are combined, or break-out groups are formed over the course of unconferences). · During the lunch break, attendees will give a series of “Speed Presentations”: 1- to 2-minute, rapid-fire presentations about one of their current projects. These are intended as very brief introductions, not extended discussions. Attendees will have an opportunity to contact each other later should they want to learn more about or join a specific project. · Afternoon sessions will proceed, following the same structure as the morning sessions. · At the end of the day, we will lead a concluding session in which attendees can share and integrate the day’s explorations *SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL* If you wish to participate in the unconference, please submit either a Session Proposal or a Participation Proposal. * *Session Leaders* will submit a 300 word proposal of a conversation topic to explore, a research question to develop, a problem to grapple with, a skill to teach, a technology application to demonstrate, or an artwork to present. Each proposal should give enough information to help attendees decide which sessions to vote for and participate in. In particular, Session Leaders are encouraged to suggest how their proposal fits with the unconference theme and to explain their expertise and experience. Those who propose a session will be expected to arrive prepared to facilitate that session. * *Participants* will also submit 300 word proposal, including a biographical statement describing their interests in the preconference and an idea for a 2-minute rapid-fire research presentation. All proposals should address the conference themes described above. Sessions should be of interest to communication scholars, but we warmly encourage interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, multimodal, or media-based endeavors. Session Leader and Participation proposals should be submitted by *January 20, 2014* to: ica.glbt(a)gmail.com The unconference is co-sponsored by the Popular Communication, Feminist Scholarship, Ethnicity and Race in Communication, Global Communication and Social Change, Communication History, and Game Studies Divisions/Interest Groups. It is also supported by the Department of Communication at the University of Washington, the School of Media and Communication at Temple University, *The Stranger*, the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences at UW Bothell, and the Greater Seattle Business Association. The organizers are Adrienne Shaw (Temple University), D. Travers Scott (Clemson University), and David Phillips (University of Toronto). -- Adrienne Shaw Assistant Professor Temple University Department of Media Studies and Production 2020 N. 13th St. Annenberg Hall, room 203A Philadelphia, PA 19122 telephone: 215-204-6201 fax: 215-214-5402 email: adrienne.shaw(a)temple.edu smc.temple.edu/msp www.adrienneshaw.com

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Seminar Series: Code Acts in Education Seminar Series - Scotland
by Lyndsay Grant 07 Nov '13

07 Nov '13

Please see details below of a new seminar series running from January 2014 exploring how computer code is interwoven with educational processes, institutions and practices. Full details can be found at: http://codeactsineducation.wordpress.com/seminars/ The Code Acts in Education seminar series seeks to understand how code and software algorithms are shaping how, when and where learning takes place – in the classroom, the university, the professional workplace, and throughout the lifecourse. The series is organised by researchers at the University of Stirling and University of Edinburgh schools of education, and is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The series will set the stage for new research and new innovations exploring the emerging interdependencies between code and education, and will be of interest to researchers from social science and computer science disciplines, educational policy makers, and organisations involved in digital making and computing in education. The seminars will address unanswered questions about how code acts as a sociotechnical agent in education. It will focus on how code interacts with educational institutions—schools, colleges and HE; how code is interwoven with people’s lifelong learning within their everyday lives and communities; and how code acts on professional learning in workplaces. We will be asking how these interactions between code and education might impact on knowledge practices, pedagogic techniques, learner agency, identity formation and other aspects of ‘learning through code.’ We anticipate that the Code Acts in Education seminar series will generate a research network, research capacity, and a research agenda for the educational study of computer code. To register, please go to: http://codeactsineducation.wordpress.com/contact-register/ Places are free but limited! The ESRC has also kindly provided funding to help support delegate travel. Up to £30 per person is available for the first 30 people to register. If you have any queries please contact us at codeacts(a)stir.ac.uk -- Lyndsay Grant Research Associate Bristol University, Graduate School Education, 35 Berkeley Square Bristol BS8 1JA lyndsay.grant(a)bristol.ac.uk

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CfP: ICA Pre-Conference on Sharing
by Wolfgang Sützl 07 Nov '13

07 Nov '13

Call for Papers ICA Pre-Conference: Sharing Thursday, May 22, 2014 University of Washington, Seattle Abstracts: November 30, 2013 Full papers: April 15, 2014 Enquiries: n.john(a)huji.ac.il ******* Sharing is a rich and emotive concept that refers to a range of distinct yet associated practices, all of which are powerfully salient in contemporary society. At the very least, sharing is the constitutive activity of Web 2.0, an alternative mode of production, distribution and consumption, and a type of speech. This pre-conference invites scholars from a range of fields to contribute to the research and theorization of sharing. Thematic background The notion of sharing is widely deployed nowadays, and in a number of different ways. First, sharing is a keyword for the digital age: In Web 2.0 we share statuses, tweets, files, photos, videos, book reviews and more. Second, sharing is the proposed bedrock of alternative forms of production and consumption. Some of these forms are known collectively as the Sharing Economy, an emergent movement that identifies with and rests upon the technologies of social networks; others might fall under headings such as FLOSS, peer production, or the P2P economy. Third, sharing is a category of speech, or a type of communication, that is fundamental to our therapeutic culture, referring mainly—but certainly not only—to the conveyance of intimate information about the self to a significant other. These are just some of the ways in which sharing, in its different senses, is constitutive of important aspects of our social, economic and intimate lives. A feature of sharing that is common to these different practices is that they all touch on the nebulous and porous boundary between the ‘public’ and the ‘private’: for instance, SNS users are criticized for polluting the public sphere, or ‘oversharing’; a popular model in the Sharing Economy involves offering private spaces (spare bedrooms, space in one’s car) for public consumption; and the rise of the therapeutic discourse has entailed increased levels of self-exposure between intimates, friends, and even colleagues. Relatedly, each of the types of sharing draws on a similar pool of values, which includes honesty, openness, trust, and commonality. To the extent that these are desirable values, sharing would thus seem to be integral to any vision of the good life. Indeed, sharing is almost by definition good. But this is precisely the point at which a critique of sharing is required. For instance, we might wish to note that by sharing on social network sites we are contributing to privately-owned (and government-accessed) assemblages of surveillance; we might want to ask in what sense renting out a spare room is sharing it, and we might want to explore the role of venture capital and big business in the Sharing Economy; and we might wonder what structures of power are enacted and reproduced by privileging certain types of culturally-situated speech. More generally, if inclusion in a social framework is predicated on the ability to share, where does this leave people who have nothing? Topics Empirical and theoretical papers are invited on any topic for which sharing is a central concept. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the following: ● Sharing online: What is the political economy of online sharing? How does the metaphor of sharing as the constitutive activity of Web 2.0 operate? ● Technologies of sharing: Reports have claimed that online sharing (e.g. of statuses) increases people’s propensity to share stuff offline (e.g. power drills). How is sharing today technologically mediated, encouraged, or forced? And: how do different technologies encourage sharing or punish non-sharing? Skype users, for instance, must share bandwidth to use the service; peer-to-peer file sharers share what they are uploading for as long as they are downloading. ● The word, ‘sharing’: Etymologies; ‘sharing’ in different languages; evolving meanings. And: what is stake by calling a practice one of sharing? What is gained? ● The Sharing Economy: The Sharing Economy and collaborative consumption as a critique of capitalism; the differences between sharing and gifting – for instance, does sharing create the same obligations described by Mauss and Derrida in relation to gifts? ● Sharing as a category of speech: What characterizes it? What rules of reciprocity and mutuality govern it? How do the values of sharing as a category of speech inform sharing in other social fields? ● Sharing and gender: Is sharing gendered? What would it mean to say that it is? ● Sharing, giving, exchanging: conceptual boundaries ● What’s new? Sharing is a practice as old as human society, so what is new about sharing in the 21st century, if anything? ● Sharing as a norm: How is sharing normatively promoted? What are the sanctions for non-sharing in the different spheres of sharing? ● Sharing as a form of subjectivation and desubjectivation ● Sharing between having and being: towards existentialist understandings of sharing ● Sharing and the concept of intimacy ● The anthropological narrative of sharing We are particularly interested in submissions that actively interrogate the concept of sharing. If sharing is an important notion in your research, we therefore invite you to think about the work done by the word in your field and how it might relate to other senses or uses. Submissions Submissions are welcomed from scholars at all stages of their careers, and across multiple disciplines engaged in research that relates to sharing. Submissions should be extended abstracts of around 750 words and be in Word doc/docx or PDF format. Please submit your abstract as an email attachment to sharingpreconference(a)gmail.com. The deadline for submissions is November 30, 2013. Papers will be judged on criteria of relevance and originality of topic, clarity of presentation, as well as proximity to—and contribution to—the preconference theme. Notifications on acceptance will be emailed in mid-January. In an effort to facilitate informed discussion of papers, the organizers hope to have the papers for this pre-conference posted online. For this reason, we will ask for full papers to be submitted no later than April 15, 2014. Venue The sharing pre-conference will be held at the University of Washington. Transportation to the venue from the conference hotel will be provided at the beginning and end of each day's events. The preconference is sponsored by the divisions of Popular Communication and Philosophy, Theory and Critique, as well as by the Department of Communication, University of Washington. It is being organized by Nicholas John (Department of Communication, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) and Wolfgang Sützl (School of Media Arts & Studies, Ohio University). Queries may be directed to n.john(a)huji.ac.il. This call for papers may be downloaded in PDF format at http://sociothink.com/sharingcfp.pdf ++++++++++++++++++ http://www.wolfgangsuetzl.net http://www.uibk.ac.at/medien/

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