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ARPANET resurrection update and possible significances?
by Charles Melvin Ess 27 Apr '26

27 Apr '26

Hi AoIRists, As I mentioned in an earlier note to Morten Bay, there is an active project to recreate the ARPANET from ca. 1972. You can see the update here: <https://obsolescence.dev/arpanet_home> Including the chance to log in yourself to one of the now 35 working nodes. One of the documents referenced here is titled SCENARIOS for using the ARPANET at the INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMPUTER COMMUNICATION, Washington, D.C., October 24-26, 1972 and is in fact reproduced in the pages giving further instructions on logging in - along with 2026 scenarios that might also be fun to play with. One of the available programs from the MIT.AI node is: == DOCTOR is a LISP program written by Joseph Weizenbaum and described in "ELIZA - A Computer Program For the Study of Natural Language Communication Between Man And Machine" in the Communications of the ACM, January 1966. DOCTOR simulates a psychiatric interview with a Rogerian psychotherapist. == (I'll come back to this below.) I know that ARPANET is central to the work of e.g.,Janet Abbate's early history, _Inventing the Internet_ (1999). But what I'm asking here, especially of historians who know these domains far better than I: 1) how far did these early exchanges, so far as they could be followed and/or documented - and/or, as at least some study of primary aims, practices, affordances, etc. might have been possible - enter into early research on CMC? 2) Might this reconstruction project, insofar as it grants access to "the rest of us," be of possible use / interest for historical / current research on CMC and its descendants? E.g., I know a great deal has been written about ELIZA - but, to my knowledge at least, not with direct access to the working program itself. I suspect the working program would give researchers a chance to not only become much more familiar with how the program works and "behaves," but also to try out hypotheses as to how different sorts of engagements, expectations, etc. might be dis/confirmed through actually using it? In any case, to quote the welcome message from the first terminal I tried: Happy Hacking! - charles

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Call for Papers – Special Issue on AI, Algorithmic Media, and Digital Governance (Global Media and China)
by Dechun Zhang 27 Apr '26

27 Apr '26

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce a Call for Papers for a forthcoming special issue titled “AI, Algorithmic Media, and Digital Governance: Power, Control, and Technological Transformation,” to be published in the journal Global Media and China. The accelerating integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into digital infrastructures represents a profound transformation in contemporary media environments and governance systems. AI-driven platforms, algorithmic recommendation systems, and automated content moderation increasingly shape how information circulates, how public discourse is structured, and how political authority is exercised across different societies. These developments raise important questions about algorithmic governance, digital sovereignty, media regulation, and the broader political implications of AI-mediated communication. This special issue seeks to advance interdisciplinary scholarship examining the evolving relationships between AI technologies, media systems, and governance practices. We welcome contributions that critically explore how algorithmic systems influence media production, platform governance, public communication, and political power across diverse institutional and geopolitical contexts. We invite empirical, theoretical, and methodological contributions from scholars working in communication and media studies, political science, digital governance, sociology, science and technology studies, and related disciplines. Submissions may focus on China, or adopt comparative and transnational perspectives. Possible topics include, but are not limited to: • Algorithmic governance, digital statecraft, and political authority • AI-driven propaganda, information manipulation, and computational misinformation • State-led AI governance and digital surveillance regimes • Platform politics and the political economy of algorithmic systems • Public perceptions of AI and the politics of digital rights • AI infrastructures, technological sovereignty, and global asymmetries in digital power • Smart cities, Internet of Things systems, and algorithmic governance in public administration Key dates Abstract submission deadline: 20 May 2026 Notification of invitations for full papers: 1 June 2026 Full paper submission deadline: 30 October 2026 Please submit an abstract of up to 500 words to the guest editors with the subject line “GMAC Special Issue Submission.” Guest Editors: Dechun Zhang, University of Copenhagen (dezh(a)hum.ku.dk<mailto:dezh@hum.ku.dk>) Weiai Xu, University of Massachusetts Amherst (weiaixu(a)umass.edu<mailto:weiaixu@umass.edu>) Han Lin, Soochow University (linhan741(a)gmail.com<mailto:linhan741@gmail.com>) Full details of the Call for Papers can be found here: https://journals.sagepub.com/pb-assets/cmscontent/GCH/Algorithmic%20Media_C… We would greatly appreciate it if you could circulate this call among colleagues, research groups, and academic networks who may be interested. Thank you for your attention, and we look forward to receiving your submissions. Best regards, Dechun

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Book launch: The Many Faces of Data Access: Legal and Policy Implications for Research
by André Ramiro 27 Apr '26

27 Apr '26

Dear AoIR members, Pleasure to share with you the open access book "The Many Faces of Data Access: Legal and Policy Implications for Research <https://networkcultures.org/blog/publication/themanyfaces/>", published by the Institute of Network Cultures <https://networkcultures.org/>. My colleagues Pedro Amaral, Marcos César, and I have contributed with a chapter on surveillance and government transparency called: "Keys thrown away? Challenges in Brazil on Accessing Public-Interest Data on State Surveillance Tools via Transparency Portals and Requests for Information". The chapter explores a study we published in 2022 on contracts between the Brazilian government and hacking tools' vendors, especially the structural challenges on accessing the minimum information from the administration. Hope you enjoy it. Best regards, -- *André Ramiro* PhD Candidate in Informational and Public Law at Hamburg University. Stanford University's Digital Civil Society Lab Fellow - Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS) (24-25). Fellow Researcher at Weizenbaum Institute - "Technology, Power, and Domination" Research Group (23). Visiting Researcher at the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society - Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's Fellow (22-23). Member of LAVITS - Latin American Network of Surveillance, Technology and Society Studies. Co-Founder and former Director of IP.rec - Law and Technology Research Institute of Recife.

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Building a Feminist Research Career in Anti-Feminist Times - 10 June at King's College London
by Zeena Feldman 27 Apr '26

27 Apr '26

Dear UK friends and colleagues, This event may be of interest to PhD students and postdocs working around gender and sexuality. Warm wishes, Zeena Building a Feminist Research Career in Anti-Feminist Times Roundtables Wednesday, 10 June 9.00-16.00 (followed by a networking reception) King’s College London, Strand Campus Register here<https://forms.gle/mGMi8516kLQpGP1e7> Registration deadline: 22 May 2026 at midday BST Building a Feminist Research Career in Anti-Feminist Times is a one-day programme of roundtables organised by the CHASE Gender & Sexuality Research Network<https://www.instagram.com/chase_gsrn/> and hosted by Queer@King’s<https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/queeratkings>. The day will focus on the unique challenges faced by early-career researchers (and activist scholars) doing work around gender and sexuality in UK universities today. Topics we will cover include: * The contemporary funding landscape of UK academia * Emerging political shifts and how they affect our work * Navigating the job market as an early-career queer and/or feminist scholar * Safeguarding against burnout, isolation and exploitation * Care and community-building in the neoliberal university * Resisting careerism (while having a career) We will close the day with an Ask Us Anything expert panel with the option to submit questions anonymously. This event is designed to offer advice and community-led support to later-stage PhD students (i.e. those preparing to enter the job market) as well as postdoctoral researchers and other early-career scholars. The day will conclude with a networking social at a local pub. Please note that registering<https://forms.gle/mGMi8516kLQpGP1e7> may not guarantee a place and we will operate a waitlist if needed. If selected, you will be emailed invitations with joining instructions in advance of the event. About CHASE Gender and Sexuality Research Network Struggles over the rights and freedoms of women, queer and transgender people are increasingly at the centre of the political zeitgeist, yet academic research that equips us to understand and navigate these struggles is increasingly politicised and systemically threatened. CHASE GSRN<https://www.instagram.com/chase_gsrn/> is a peer-to-peer support infrastructure for scholars engaged in gender and sexuality research, with a particular emphasis on building capacity across institutions and uplifting postgraduate researchers (PGRs) who are working in a national context of decreased prioritisation and institutional support for producing robust knowledge about non-normative sexualities and genders, and the inequalities attendant to those identities. The co-directors of CHASE GSRN are Professor Tanya Serisier<https://www.bbk.ac.uk/our-staff/8858733/tanya-serisier> (Birkbeck), Dr Zeena Feldman<https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/dr-zeena-feldman> (King’s College London) and Dr Kat Higgins<https://www.gold.ac.uk/media-communications/people/higgins-kathryn-claire/> (Goldsmiths). If you would like to join our mailing list, you can sign up at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?A0=GENDER-SEXUALITIES.

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4S Open Panel: Technopolitics of Knowledge Mobilization in Datafied Societies
by Lucas Wong 26 Apr '26

26 Apr '26

Dear AoIR community, Apologies for cross-posting. This is a reminder that the 4S call for abstracts closes in one week, on 30 April. Our open panel, “Technopolitics of Knowledge Mobilization in Datafied Societies,” is still accepting abstracts. We especially welcome contributions on platformized knowledge production, AI-mediated knowledge transfer and mobilization, digital academic labour, public intellectualism, and scholar activism. In addition to theoretical discussions and scholarly studies, we are also keen to hear from those directly involved in these practices, or even those who identify as public intellectuals or scholar-activists and would like to share reflections from their own experience. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. You can find the full list of open panels and submit your abstract here: https://www.4sonline.org/accepted_open_panels_toronto.php. Best, Lucas

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Programme Announced: 10th GIG-ARTS Conference, Dublin, 14–15 May 2026
by Mauro SANTANIELLO 26 Apr '26

26 Apr '26

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to announce that the programme for the **10th GIG-ARTS Conference** is now available. The **Tenth European Multidisciplinary Conference on Global Internet Governance Actors, Regulations, Transactions and Strategies** will take place on **14–15 May 2026** at **Dublin City University, All Hallows Campus**. This year’s theme, **“Digital Futures, Sustainable Freedoms: Rights, Responsibilities and Governance,”** will bring together scholars and practitioners to discuss key issues in global internet governance, including digital rights, sustainability, digital authoritarianism, digital sovereignty, AI governance, data centres, and the future of digital regulation. The programme includes keynote speeches, thematic panels, a poster session, and a roundtable on governing digital futures. The full programme is available here: https://gig-arts.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/10th-GIG-ARTS-Conference_Pro… **Please note that the registration deadline is 30 April 2026.** Participants can register via Eventbrite at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/10th-gig-arts-conference-dublin-2026-tickets-19… We look forward to welcoming participants to Dublin for this special tenth edition of the GIG-ARTS Conference. Best regards, The GIG-ARTS Conference Organising Committee

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Appeal for one e-book
by Samuel Bello 24 Apr '26

24 Apr '26

Dear all, Please, I want to appeal to anyone who has access to the following e-book to help me send a copy: The Complete Guide to Competitive Intelligence (Fourth Edition), 2022, by Kirk W. M. Tyson. Thank you Samuel Bello

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CFP special issue on mobile disconnection and online events
by Trine Syvertsen 24 Apr '26

24 Apr '26

Dear all This is a reminder about the CFP for the special issue on mobile disconnection in Mobile Media & Communication. Extended abstracts due on 31 July 2026: https://journals.sagepub.com/page/mmc/mobiledisconnection<https://journals.sagepub.com/page/mmc/mobiledisconnection?_gl=1*1fkzr8*_up*…..> The editors are holding two online events on the 18 and 19 of May, tailored to different time zones to reach potential contributors. You are welcome to join and get feedback on your ideas from other participants and editors. More on the special events and register here: https://www.hf.uio.no/imk/english/research/projects/digital-disconnection/e… Best regards from the editors, Morgan Quinn Ross, Mora Matassi and Trine Syvertsen —— Trine Syvertsen, professor, IMK, UiO DIGITOX: Intrusive media, ambivalent users and digital detox The Digital Backlash and the Paradoxes of Disconnection | Nordicom<https://www.nordicom.gu.se/en/publications/digital-backlash-and-paradoxes-d…> (open access, 2024)

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Invitation to report launch "Data Frictions and Inclusive Digital Skills"
by Zoetanya Sujon 24 Apr '26

24 Apr '26

******apologies for cross-postings******* Dear AoIR colleagues, I am very pleased to announce the launch of two new reports, 'Data Frictions: Inclusion and Data Skills for Arts, Humanities, and Culture' and 'Transforming the Gap: Inclusive Digital Arts and Humanities Research Skills (DAReS)'. You are warmly invited to the in person or online launch will include presentations from the DAReS team and partners, followed by a roundtable on 'Inclusive Data Futures'. For those attending in person, the event will be followed by light bites and informal networking, where we can hopefully exchange ideas and plant seeds for future collaborations. *Key information:* Date: May 14, 2026 Times: 14:00-15:20 - Public Launch of “Data Frictions” and "Transforming the Gap" reports 15:40-17:00 - Roundtable discussion on “Inclusive Data Futures" with Lexi Webster, Phoenix Perry, Nessa Keddo and Eamonn Bell 17:00-18:00 - Networking Location: University of the Arts London, 272 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EY *or *online Room: HH203-202 *Free but registration is required: * *https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-frictions-inclusion-and-data-skills-for-arts-humanities-and-culture-tickets-1986522597565* <https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-frictions-inclusion-and-data-skills-for…> Please share with any interested colleagues. We hope to see you there! -- 'You are marvellous. The Gods wait to delight in you.' ('The Laughing Heart' by Charles Bukowski).

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Hype Literacy Toolkit
by Jascha Bareis 24 Apr '26

24 Apr '26

Dear colleagues, Hype Studies <https://hypestudies.org/> is delighted to present /The Hype Literacy Toolkit/ <https://akademie.dw.de/hype-literacy/>, a free, publicly available online course created in cooperation with Deutsche Welle Akademie <https://akademie.dw.com/en/the-hype-literacy-toolkit-for-journalists/a-7671…>, which introduces “the study of hype as an urgent force that shapes technological development, economics, politics, and journalism”. Journalists, students, academics, policymakers can learn about how tech hype transforms society. The aim is to recognize hype, unmask its playbook and to understand how to talk and research better about emerging technologies like AI, Quantum or Nanotech and their impact on the world. The course was presented at the International Journalist Festival in Perugia <https://www.journalismfestival.com/programme/2026/hype-literacy-reporting-o…> last week. Warmly, Jascha Bareis in the name of the hypestudies group

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