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Good articles on the Pirate Party and Pirate Bay
by Gabriella Coleman 10 Aug '12

10 Aug '12

Hi all, Can folks recommend articles on the Pirate Party and the Pirate Bay) they find compelling or provocative? Thanks, Biella --

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Weibo Data Analysis
by Gilad Lotan 10 Aug '12

10 Aug '12

Over the summer I've been working with a summer intern to sample and analyze data from Weibo. We've been collecting Weibo posts over the past couple months, sampling the public stream every few seconds, using multiple API keys coming from various IP addresses (yup, they heavily rate limit API access). Some interesting facts about Weibo's API: - The way we're currently sampling, we're seeing around 4000 posts per minute - Weibo doesn't easily provide the friendship/follower graph like Twitter. It only reveals the last 5k followers for any public account. - Weibo uses an explicit sentiment/emoticons mechanism which is very popular. They link an emoticon to an emotion (spelled out). When a user chooses an icon, it embeds the word that the icon represents, within the user's post. Its possible to start mining this sentiment by looking at Weibo posts (emotions are placed within square brackets). - The API has an up-and-coming feature (according to their docs) which will give us the ability to know how many of the account's followers are online at any given time (VERY COOL). We just published a first analysis from this data, looking at people's reaction to Olympic hurdler Liu Xiang's epic fail. http://blog.socialflow.com/post/7120245585/weibo-chinas-twitter-equivalent-… The post shows some of the ways in which we can use Weibo data. We have this growing corpus of Weibo data. I'd love to collaborate with other folks (or their students!) who want to explore the data and help us figure out how we can use it to learn about public sentiment in China. I'm not ready to make a public call yet, as I don't want Weibo to ban us (or our IP addresses) from hitting their servers. Let me know if this sounds interesting, or if there's someone I should talk to! -- Gilad | @gilgul thoughts: http://giladlotan.com/blog activism: http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/author/gilad-lotan/

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Interviewing TaskRabbit users
by Gabriel Mugar 10 Aug '12

10 Aug '12

Hello Everyone- First time posting. I am a PhD student at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies. I am working on a pilot study that looks at how users of local market websites like TaskRabbit.com<http://TaskRabbit.com> employ the site's features during a transaction. If anyone here uses TaskRabbit.com<http://TaskRabbit.com> (as a task poster or a Taskrabbit) I would like to interview you. The interview will take a maximum of 20 minutes. Thanks, Gabriel --- Gabriel Mugar Doctoral Student, Syracuse University Information Science and Technology www.buildingthecommons.org<http://www.buildingthecommons.org> @gmugar

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What kind of data do you content analyze?
by Kevin G Crowston 10 Aug '12

10 Aug '12

My research group is working on a tool to apply natural language processing technology to content analyze large volumes of text. Our initial use case is looking for evidence of various group processes reflected in email messages of online groups (e.g., showing appreciation). However, we want to the tool to be generally useful and so are planning to extend the tool to handle other kinds of texts. We spent some time discussing what a reasonable next target would be (e.g., generic text files, web-based discussion groups, tweets), but I thought I should solicit opinions from other researchers. Hence the question: what kind of data are you content analyzing? Kevin Crowston Syracuse University Phone: +1 (315) 443-1676 School of Information Studies Fax: +1 (815) 550-2155 348 Hinds Hall Web: http://crowston.syr.edu/ Syracuse, NY 13244-4100 USA

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Research Scientist Position
by Derek Hansen 09 Aug '12

09 Aug '12

AIR-Lers, I've been working with Jenny Preece, David Jacobs, and colleagues at the Encyclopedia of Life on this fascinating project and we're hoping to bring in someone else with some experience and interest in citizen science (see details below). Regards, Derek Hansen Brigham Young University --------------------------------------------- Research Scientist: Melding humans and technology in citizen science We seek a highly qualified research scientist to work on NSF-funded research projects. We conduct research on how technology design and humans’ social behavior impacts citizens’ contributions, curation and use of digital data (photos, comments, GPS, sounds, ratings). We research how and why citizens do what they do, what encourages and what discourages their participation. Our research is multi-method and includes: how algorithms in machine learning and computer vision can be developed and integrated with human input, surveys, interviews, case studies, network analysis, data logging and experimental interventions. We use combinations of machine vision, serious games, grounded theory, research through design and cross cultural analysis. Our design activities focus on smart phone apps and Microsoft surfaces (table-top displays) in the field and in the lab. This is a full-time, 12-month appointment. The salary will range from $40,000-$48,000depending on qualifications, and includes full benefits. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to increase his/her salary through grant income. A half-time position is also a possible. The position may be renewable for a second year if satisfactory progress is made during the first year. The research scientist will work with faculty members, doctoral, masters and undergraduate students from the iSchool and Computer Science Dept. at the University of Maryland where the position will be located, as well as with researchers from Brigham Young University, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and University of Colorado, Boulder. The position does not have a formal teaching requirement. The start date is flexible but fall 2012 is preferred. The ideal appointee will have skills and interests in the general area of technology and social behavior. Applicants should have a PhD in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Communication, Cognitive Science, Information Science, Computational Biology or a related field. We are especially interested in applicants with an interest in data curation that involves mixed data and big data, search, machine vision, machine learning, and crowdsourcing. Applicants should have experience conducting independent research, a record of communicating research results via publications and presentations, and be willing to participate in collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Applicants shouldhave excellent communication skills and be prepared to take a leadership role in grant writing and management, and be willing to help in coordinating research activities. Direct experience of research in citizen science is not essential but willingness to become fully engaged in this topic is. Interested candidates should submit: (1) a cover letter stating background, experience, interest in the position, and career objectives, (2) a CV, (3) the names and contact information for two referees, and (4) a sample of published or submitted work to Dr. Jennifer Preece and Dr. David Jacobs (preece(a)umd.edu, djacobs(a)cs.umd.edu) with the subject line “research scientist application 2012”. Review of applications will begin immediately until the position is filled.

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IR 13 Pre-conference workshop deadline extended
by Attwood, Feona 09 Aug '12

09 Aug '12

The deadline for this pre-conference workshop, led by Holly Kruse and Sabryna Cornish, is now August 20th. The Internet, Mobile Media, and Journalism: Technologies of News in the 21st Century Over the past several years, journalism has undergone profound changes as people seeking information increasingly turned to the internet and mobile apps for news and commentary. Some traditional news outlets, like the New York Times and the Times of London, have instituted paywalls to recoup lost sales revenue. Others, like the Christian Science Monitor, stopped publishing print editions altogether and now exist only online. Many journalists working in print media lost their jobs, while reporting done by “citizen journalists” using platforms like blogs, YouTube, and Twitter, became increasingly central to the dissemination of news. A recent poll of prominent U.S. journalists who work for traditional national news media conducted by the Atlantic and the National Journal found that a majority of these journalists believe that journalism has been hurt more than helped by Internet. Is this in fact the case? What is the state of reporting in the digital age, an age in which, for instance, bloggers writing from embattled neighborhoods in Syria give information that is picked up by mainstream news outlets whose reporters can’t reach these locations? Or, conversely, what is the state of reporting when bloggers from less “newsworthy” locations, like inner city neighborhoods, write about experiences that don’t fit traditional news narratives but now have an opportunity to at least try to broadcast their stories via the web? Questions that participants in this pre-conference seminar might address in their papers and papers-in-progress include: * How have traditional news media responded to new media – for instance, by offering news on a “third screen” or entering into ventures with new media companies – and how effective have these forays been? * What constitutes a citizen journalist, and what effects are citizen journalists having as sources of information for the public and for more established media outlets? How has the internet affected reporting and its practices? * What is the role of the online news audience in the creation and dissemination of news when compared to the audience of print news? * What effect have the internet and mobile media had on reporting on breaking news and on crisis communication? * How has in-depth investigative reporting been affected by the emergence of the internet and mobile media as crucial sources of news? * What opportunities has the internet afforded writers, including those in marginalized social and economic groups, that they wouldn’t have had in traditional media? * How have print and broadcast media covered the development of digital news media? * Has the content of news changed as digital and mobile media as sources of news grown more popular? * Who are the gatekeepers in the new news environment, and what role do online gatekeepers play? * What are the social and cultural implications – locally, regionally, nationally, and globally – for the declining popularity of print news media and the growth of digital news media? Participants in this pre-conference seminar are invited to investigate these questions and interrogate mainstream understandings of the nature of digital and print news sources and their audiences, and the relations between and among them. This pre-conference will be a half-day seminar and workshop in which each participant will present his/her current research on a relevant topic, and each presentation will be followed by discussion. If you are interested in participating, please submit a working paper or paper proposal of approximately 200-500 words to Holly Kruse at hkruse(a)rsu.edu by August 20th. Submissions will be reviewed, and those accepted to the seminar will be notified by August 27th.

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Crowdsourcing my way to IR13.
by Peter Timusk 09 Aug '12

09 Aug '12

I guess this may upset some folks apologies in advance if this is the case. There is a travel restriction at my job. Also my main work is not Internet Studies. I think I may still have time to submit an ignite talk on successful crowdsourceing of funds for school. Just laugh it off please if you find this offensive. If you find it unethical please let me know why. http://igg.me/p/200440?a=1003243 Short Summary Funding to attend Internet Research 13. I worked very hard as an undergraduate and eventually earned two degrees. One in mathematics that allows me the skills and knowledge to do my job in statistics. A second honours BA in legal studies was earned, where I focused on the Internet and law and developed my knowledge in Internet Research I did this by studying the members of the Association of Internet Researcher's books and ideas. I would like to meet these wonderful smart interesting people that I study face to face. So I am asking you to fund a trip to Manchester, UK from Ottawa Canada, and an inexpensive hotel, meals and conference registration. http://igg.me/p/200440?a=1003243

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Fwd: [ISOC] NEWS RELEASE: Internet Society Board of Trustees Expresses Concern about the Potential Impact of the World Conference on International Telecommunications on the Internet
by gene loeb 08 Aug '12

08 Aug '12

*This is very interesting. Maybe we can help in some way. Gene Gene Loeb, Ph.D. * ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <cover(a)isoc.org> Date: Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 8:40 AM Subject: [ISOC] NEWS RELEASE: Internet Society Board of Trustees Expresses Concern about the Potential Impact of the World Conference on International Telecommunications on the Internet To: isoc-members-announce(a)elists.isoc.org Internet Society Board of Trustees Expresses Concern about the Potential Impact of the World Conference on International Telecommunications on the Internet [Washington, D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland – 07 August 2012] – The Internet Society Board of Trustees, during its recent meeting in Vancouver, Canada, discussed the upcoming World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) and expressed concern that some proposed changes to the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) Treaty could have a negative impact on the Internet. Eva Frölich, Chair of the Internet Society Board of Trustees, remarked, “The Internet Society believes that the International Telecommunication Regulations should contain high level principles and that revisions should focus on things that have clearly worked in the field of global communications: competition, privatization, and transparent and independent regulation. It is our sincere hope that revisions to the ITRs will not interfere with the continued innovation and evolution of telecommunications networks and the Internet.” The Board noted that the success of the Internet has been driven by open, consensus-based standards processes embodied in organizations such as the Internet Engineering Task Force and other critical parts of the Internet ecosystem that rely on openness and transparency. The Internet Society Board of Trustees highlighted concerns about certain changes to the ITRs, which it found troubling. Among other things, these proposals would: * Make ITU-T standards mandatory; * Create a new model for Internet interconnection via the ITRs; * Adversely impact Internet naming, numbering, and addressing; * Regulate network aspects that have never been part of telecommunications, including IP routing; and, * Extend the scope and application of the ITRs to the Internet and Internet providers. The Board is of the view that these types of provisions, if adopted, could jeopardize global connectivity and the future growth of the Internet, particularly in developing countries; impact the architecture, security, and global interoperability of the Internet; and impose detrimental burdens on the free and open Internet that billions of people around the world depend upon today. Recognizing that developing countries face challenges in building Internet infrastructure and in bringing down connectivity costs, the Board of Trustees emphasized the Internet Society’s commitment to helping these countries overcome those challenges in ways that support global interoperability and the free flow of information, such as via the development of Internet Exchange Points to improve Internet performance and drive down Internet connectivity costs. The Internet Society is a strong proponent of the open, consensus-based, multistakeholder model for standards setting and Internet policy development. “Transparency and the multistakeholder model are essential to developing sustainable and effective Internet public policy,” said Internet Society President and Chief Executive Officer, Lynn St. Amour. The Internet Society Board of Trustees called on governments not to adopt changes to the ITRs that would undermine the security, stability, and innovative potential of networks worldwide. In preparing for the WCIT, the Board urged all governments to engage in an open and participatory national dialogue, and encouraged Internet Society members to contribute actively to these national discussions that have a global impact. For more information on WCIT, visit http://internetsociety.org/wcit. Link: http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-board-trustees-express… _______________________________________________ To manage your ISOC subscriptions or unsubscribe, please log into the ISOC Member Portal: https://portal.isoc.org/ Then choose Interests & Subscriptions from the My Account menu. -- With Sincerest Best Wishes , Gene Gene Loeb, Ph.D.

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UW Communication tenure-track faculty job
by Amanda N. Weber 08 Aug '12

08 Aug '12

The Department of Communication at the University of Washington seeks a full-time tenuretrack Assistant Professor to develop communication scholarship with "big data" computational approaches. Applicants' substantive areas of research and teaching must contribute to areas of strength in the Department: communication and culture; communication technology and society; global communication; journalism; media organization; political communication; rhetoric and critical/cultural studies; and social interaction. Position requires experience in curation and analysis of large-scale datasets related to one or more of these areas of study. Relevant research skills include social network analysis, web and mobile analytics, data aggregation and data mining, data visualization, and/or text and natural-language processing.Joining a growing multidisciplinary community of social scientists, computer scientists, and humanities scholars at the University of Washington with new analytical tools, the successful applicant will enrich the field by developing theories and designing methods, techniques or applications to answer important questions about communication. The start date for this position is September 16, 2013. Candidates must have earned or be close to completion of a Ph.D. in communication or closely related discipline by then. Applicants with eXpertise in computational social science or digital humanities are welcome to apply. University of Washington faculty members engage in teaching, research, and service. Candidates are expected to conduct research, teach four courses during a three-quarter academic year, and supervise graduate students at the master's and doctoral levels. The position involves teaching in the Department of Communication's undergraduate and graduate programs. Candidates must submit: (1) a letter of application that addresses research and teaching interests (on the latter please indicate fit with current courses and/or suggestions for potential new ones); (2) a curriculum vitae; and (3) three letters of recommendation. Application materials are to be submitted online at http://com.uw.edu/facultysearch. Review of applications will begin September 15, 2012. Inquiries should be directed to the search committee chair, Professor Patricia Moy, at pmoy(a)uw.edu. The University of Washington is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. The University is building a culturally diverse faculty and staff and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans.

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CFP Big Data, Big Questions, or, Accounting for Big Data
by qCentral 08 Aug '12

08 Aug '12

Hi all, please circulate to your networks! -------------------- Call for Papers “Big Data, Big Questions, or, Accounting for Big Data” International Journal of Communication http://ijoc.org Guest Editors: Kate Crawford Microsoft Research University of New South Wales Mary L. Gray Microsoft Research Indiana University Editor: Larry Gross University of Southern California Previously isolated data sets, from social media and demographic surveys to city maps and urban planning documents, are now routinely interlinked. Combining separate, often disparate, multi-terabyte sets of information reframes our capacity to see into the behaviors of — and relationships between — people, institutions and things. Researchers in fields as varied as computer science, geography, sociology, marketing, biology, economics, among many others, use the term “big data” to capture a wide range of activities revolving around accessing and analyzing these vast quantities of information. What are the implications of big data as a cultural, technological and analytic phenomenon? What are the practices of big data, the underlying assumptions, and ways of modeling the world? Who gets access to it, and what effects does this produce? This special section will offer a range of critical engagements with the issues surrounding big data and its related models of knowledge. We seek scholarly articles from diverse fields, and a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches: including media studies, communication, anthropology, digital humanities, computational and social sciences, cultural geography, history, and critical cultural studies. Possible topics include, but are not limited to: What is the history (or histories) of big data and its related practices? What are the epistemological ramifications of big data? How can computational and social sciences use big data in cross-disciplinary work? What are the strengths and pitfalls of new hybrids? What are the ethics of big data use, be it in city management, social media research, or political campaigning? Who gets access to big data? What are the issues of class, race, gender, sexuality, religion and geography? What are the labour politics of big data research? The International Journal of Communication is an open access journal (http://ijoc.org) All accepted articles will be published online. The anticipated publication date for this Special Section is August 2013. Manuscripts should conform to the IJoC author guidelines. See http://ijoc.org/ojs/index.php/ijoc/about/submissions#authorGuidelines Send your abstract, title of your paper and a list of five potential reviewers with their titles and e-mail addresses by October 1, 2012 to IJOCbigdata(a)gmail.com. Your suggested reviewers will help streamline the peer-review process. If you have any questions, please contact Kate Crawford at kate(a)microsoft.com or Mary Gray at mlg(a)microsoft.com.

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