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Re: [Air-L] Arab spring & social media evidence
by Deen Freelon 15 Sep '11

15 Sep '11

Folks who are interested in social media and the Arab Spring might want to check out a relevant event that will be livecast tomorrow morning. It's called Sifting Fact from Fiction: The Role of Social Media in Conflict and is sponsored by the US Institute of Peace. The webcast begins at 9am EST at http://www.usip.org/webcast . More info on presenters etc is available here: http://www.usip.org/events/sifting-fact-fiction-the-role-social-media-in-co… Best, ~DEEN nativebuddha <nativebuddha(a)gmail.com> wrote: sure. reporters do need to condense. and policymakers will readily grab news stories if there isn't a lot of reserach out there. the point is less about what popular discourse does, and more about how to at least get a better picture of events to policymakers, so thet don't set up thousands of twitter kiosks in a repressive countries, hoping that that will spark a revolution. -robert On Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 3:02 PM, Dave Karpf <davekarpf(a)gmail.com> wrote: > I think Alex H's point was that many more empirical studies aren't going to > affect that element of the popular discourse. > > Or put another way, when a journalist calls you up and asks a question like > this (the one I get are usually along the lines of "is clicktivism good or > bad?"), they want a simple answer. If you give them a complex/nuanced > answer, they're either going to (a) misquote you or (b) not quote you at > all. And if they *do* delve into the complexity as you explained it, their > editor will surely tell them to cut it down and simplify it. > > As far as I can tell, egypt-as-twitter-revolution is basically a zombie > lie. Far more people debunk the claim than actually hold the claim. It > remains propped up solely for the debunking. > > ...All that said, David Faris gave an excellent presentation at the > American Political Science Association Annual Meeting a few weeks ago, > titled "Yes Malcolm, there really are social media revolutions." His > argument, as I understand it, is that if Tahrir (and the years of organizing > the preceded Tahrir) doesn't count as a social media-enabled revolution, > then that just means we need to rethink the term. > > -DK > > > On Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 2:52 PM, nativebuddha <nativebuddha(a)gmail.com>wrote: > >> Thanks one and all for these suggestions. >> >> In response to Alex H's comments below, I completely agree. Unfortunately, >> there's a lot of policymaking going on right now that's picking up the >> cause-effect model and runnin' with it. In fact, popular discourse pretty >> much asserts that Twitter caused the revolution! >> >> This simplification is why there needs to be many more empirical studies. >> >> -robert >> >> >> >> >> >> > On Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 11:27 AM, Alex Halavais <alex(a)halavais.net >> >wrote: >> > >> >> I think any "cause-effect model" for any large-scale social phenomenon >> >> is sketchy, and I also think popular discourse loves such >> >> simplification. That is to say, I don't think "This Caused That" is >> >> something that evidence could directly demonstrate or refute (or even >> >> "refudiate" ;). >> >> >> >> That said, I've been reading Philip Howard's new book, "The Digital >> >> Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy," which is quite good, and >> >> provides something of a discussion of this question in its >> >> conclusions, and suggests that ICTs can play an important part in a >> >> "causal recipe" for democratization of Muslim states. >> >> >> >> - Alex >> >> >> >> >> >> On Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 1:52 PM, nativebuddha <nativebuddha(a)gmail.com> >> >> wrote: >> >> > Does anyone have evidence (or links to studies) that show the impact, >> or >> >> > lack thereof, of social media on the Arab spring? This cause-effect >> >> model >> >> > still circulates in the mediasphere, but what is the evidence show? >> >> > >> >> > Thanks. >> >> > >> >> > -Robert >> >> > >> >> > The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list >> >> > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers >> http://aoir.org >> >> > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: >> >> http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org >> >> > >> >> > Join the Association of Internet Researchers: >> >> > http://www.aoir.org/ >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> // >> >> // This email is >> >> // [x] assumed public and may be blogged / forwarded. >> >> // [ ] assumed to be private, please ask before redistributing. >> >> // >> >> // Alexander C. Halavais, ciberflâneur >> >> // http://alex.halavais.net >> >> // >> >> >> >> >> >> The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list >> >> is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org >> >> Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: >> >> http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org >> >> >> >> Join the Association of Internet Researchers: >> >> http://www.aoir.org/ >> >> >> > >> > >> >> The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list >> is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org >> Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: >> http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org >> >> Join the Association of Internet Researchers: >> http://www.aoir.org/ >> > > > > -- > Dave Karpf, PhD > > Assistant Professor > Journalism and Media Studies Department > School of Communication and Information > Rutgers University, New Brunswick > > www.davidkarpf.com > davekarpf(a)gmail.com > The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/

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Digital AlterNatives with a Cause? - out for free download
by Nishant Shah 15 Sep '11

15 Sep '11

Dear All, I have been posting intermittently over the last couple of years, about the research we have been doing, looking at youth-technology-change questions in emerging ICT contexts of the Global South. The knowledge from the research inquiry is consolidated in a 4 volume collective titled "Digital AlterNatives with a Cause?" now available for a free download from http://cis-india.org/digital-natives/blog/dnbook I am sure this will be of interest to many on the group. Do feel free to spread the word and share the book and links with others who you think might be interested in it. As usual, I look forward to comments, questions, suggestions and conversations that these books hope to open up. Warmly Nishant -- Nishant Shah Director (Research), Centre for Internet and Society,( www.cis-india.org ) Asia Awards Fellow, 2008-09 # 00-91-9740074884 http://www.facebook.com/nishant.shah http://cis-india.academia.edu/NishantShah

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International Conference & Workshop on University Web Rankings, Madrid, October 4th, 2011
by Isidro F. Aguillo 15 Sep '11

15 Sep '11

The 3rd edition of the International Conference & Workshop is a practically oriented event, with the aim of informing the Universities' end-users how to improve their performance, what is the impact of good practices and what are the advantages of long-term strategies. A ranking should be informative and useful and it is important to provide ethical guidance for a correct representation of the overall university and all its missions. Institutional Open Access repositories will be also a hot topic. Attendance is open and free of charge. *International Conference & Workshop on University Web Rankings* Madrid, October 4th, 2011 http://www.webometrics.info/workshop.html The event will take place in the CCHS facilities: Sala Menéndez Pidal (0E18) Centro de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas (CSIC) c/ Albasanz, 26-28 Madrid. Spain Agenda Morning Session (9:30) *Welcome* Prof. Luis Sanz, Director Institute of Public Goods and Policies (IPP-CCHS-CSIC). *Global Rankings and a Workshop about personal webpages* Isidro F. Aguillo, Ranking Web of Universities The Cybermetrics Lab, IPP-CCHS-CSIC *Rankings & Rankers: make up versus cultural change* Jorge Serrano Cobos, Consultant academic websites MasMedios Coffe break I*mproving institutional research output dissemination... and international web ranking* Pablo de Castro, Consultant institutional repositories GrandIR *Ranking the research excellence : A new indicator in the SIR* Felix de Moya, Scimago Institutions Ranking Scimago Research Group, IPP-CCHS-CSIC *QS Stars System* Ben Sowter, QS World University Ranking QS Intelligence Unit Afternoon session (16:30) *Meet the Experts* This session is open for previously appointed closed meetings (about 20 min. each) with the speakers for specific requests. . -- =============================== Isidro F. Aguillo, HonPhD The Cybermetrics Lab IPP-CCHS-CSIC Albasanz, 26-28 (3C1) 28037 Madrid. Spain isidro.aguillo @ cchs.csic.es ===============================

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CFP: iJETS Special Themed Edition *Deliberating Converging Technologies*
by Sue Malta 15 Sep '11

15 Sep '11

** High Priority ** Dear Colleagues Please see below for the CFP for a special themed edition of iJETS *Deliberating Converging Technologies*. Please circulate to all interested networks. All enquiries should be directed in the first instance to Dr Gerd Scholl. Kind regards Sue Malta Managing Editor, iJETS www.swin.edu.au/ijets smalta(a)swin.edu.au Dear colleagues, in October 2012, iJETS will be publishing a special themed edition entitled:*Deliberating Converging Technologies*. The issue will take an international comparative perspective on public engagement with emerging technologies, such as nanotechnologies. It will reflect upon the experiences made with different public engagement exercises on new technologies in different countries and cover a wide range of initiators of these processes, such as academia, public authorities, enterprises, NGO’s, et cetera. It will critically assess public participation especially on nanotechnologies from a cross national and cross cultural perspective. Based on the outcomes of these assessments, it will sketch possible perspectives of deliberation on converging technologies. Contributions may deal with different participation cultures and institutional settings of engagement, for example, one-off events versus network-oriented processes. They may elaborate on questions such as legitimisation and performance of deliberative dialogues, methodological aspects of engagement, for example, the role of electronic communication and new media, and relation to and impact upon (political) decision-making. Furthermore contributions are invited focussing on impacts of public engagement on innovation and technology governance and the shaping of future technologies. The Editors for this edition will be Gerd Scholl, Ulrich Petschow and Jan-Peter Ferdinand of the Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW), Berlin, Germany. Gerd and Ulrich are senior researchers at IÖW and have co-organised the German Consumer Conference on Nanotechnologies (2006/2007). They were partners in the European NANOPLAT project (2008/2009) – a project that, amongst others, reviewed deliberative processes on nanotechnologies in Europe, both at the EU and national level. Jan-Peter is a research associate at IÖW with a background in science and technology studies. iJETS is a multi-disciplinary journal and, as such, speaks to a wide audience. We welcome contributions from all branches of the social and behavioural sciences and the humanities. We also welcome contributions from those in the physical and life sciences with a concern for the social dimensions of science. The different disciplines all have their own specialised languages, making communication between disciplines all but impossible. For this reason iJETS insists upon clear and direct language, facilitating communication between specialists and the general public. All papers will be subjected to double blind, peer-review. The tentativeschedule for the special themed edition is as follows: - 15 Oct 2011: submission of abstracts of approx. 250 words (title, some relevant details about the topic, and a short biography of the author or authors involved) - 15 Nov 2011: invitations to submit a full paper - 15 March 2012: submission of full papers - 15 May 2012: reviews: revisions or rejections - 15 Aug 2012: submission of revised papers - 15 Oct 2012: publication of special issue Please pass this Call for Papers on to anyone who could be interested in submitting an abstract. Thank you very much. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Kind regards Gerd Scholl Dr Gerd Scholl Head of Research Field Ecological Consumption Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) Potsdamer Str. 105 10785 Berlin Germany Tel. +49 (30) 884594-20 Fax +49 (30) 8825439 gerd.scholl(a)ioew.de www.ioew.de

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CFP: "Crossmedia Innovations"
by Indrek Ibrus 14 Sep '11

14 Sep '11

CALL FOR PAPERS Edited book: "Crossmedia Innovations: Texts, Markets, Institutions, Education" Editors: Dr. Indrek Ibrus (Tallinn University), Dr. Carlos A. Scolari (University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona) To be published by Peter Lang The book is supported by First Motion consortium (see: http://www.firstmotion.eu) which is an EU funded initiative aimed at supporting the audiovisual industries in innovating with crossmedia output. The focus of the edited book will be on how crossmedia output constitutes and effects many of the most central innovations in modern media industries. The book will trace what are the innovative crossmedia forms like, what are the innovative institutional forms of production, how are the markets changing relatedly, and, lastly, what are the new ways of educating industry professionals to produce and innovate crossmedia output. By encompassing all these interrelated aspects the book is envisioned to offer a holistic take of the role of crossmedia output in innovating the modern media industries, markets and culture. The rationale of the book relies on the recognition that digitalisation and convergence of existing media platforms into seamless networks of devices and platforms across which increasingly sophisticated and multimodal forms of content can travel has created an historically unprecedented situation for the media industries. Their content can be consumed on a variety of platforms creating new opportunities for establishing contacts with audiences. Hence, crossmedia content is increasingly a priority for broadcasters (Erdal 2009; Evans 2011; Perryman 2008; Villa 2010). Similarly, ‘Transmedia Producer’ is the newest addition to the recognised professions by the Producers Guild of America. Such developments indicate how much hope the industry invests into crossmedia as constituting the core innovation strategy for media institutions (Bechmann 2007; Bolin 2007; Dena 2009; Jenkins 2006). The aim of the proposed book will be to critically investigate the nature of such innovations from a variety of perspectives. We expect 800 words abstracts that are responsive to one of the following sub-themes of the book: - Crossmedia innovations: textual (analyses and conceptualisations of innovative crossmedia forms and narratives how are textual forms innovated?). - Crossmedia innovations: economic (the economic gains and challenges that relate to crossmedia strategies and output; branding; the politicial economy of crossmedia). - Crossmedia innovations: organisational (analyses of the ways how different kinds of media institutions are reorganising themselves and innovating their practices for the crossmedia output). - Crossmedia innovations: pedagogical (how to teach crossmedia production or transmedia storytelling, relevant case studies). Please add 100 words biographical note to the abstract. Please send the abstracts as email-attachments to the following address: crossmedia(a)tlu.ee. In case of any questions please contact Indrek Ibrus on the following email: indrek.ibrus(a)tlu.ee. DEADLINES: - Deadline for 800 words abstracts: September 20, 2011 - Invitation notifications sent to authors: October 15, 2011 - Deadline for completed manuscripts (6000 words): February 29, 2012 - Acceptance letters sent to authors: May 31, 2012 Dr Indrek Ibrus Lecturer of media innovation and creative industries Head of Crossmedia Production MA Programme Tallinn University Baltic Film and Media School Sütiste tee 21, 13419 Tallinn, Estonia Mob: +372-56978885 BFM website: www.bfm.ee Personal research website: www.mediainnovation.eu

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Facebook Group Research & Tools
by Kevin Guidry 14 Sep '11

14 Sep '11

All, I'm working with a group of Master's students who are beginning a study examining the messages posted to a large, active Facebook group. First, is there any "must have" literature focusing specifically on Facebook groups? I'm well-versed in the broader Facebook and college student technology use literature but I'm not aware of any good studies in this specific area so your guidance would be appreciated. Second, are there any tools that automate or make it easy to download messages posted to a Facebook group? I'm helping these students search for any relevant tools but it's difficult because the space is extremely crowded with SEO and marketing "tools" and "research." Kevin

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Two Digital Media Assistant Professor Positions (UW-Madison)
by Hernando Rojas 14 Sep '11

14 Sep '11

Dear colleagues The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison seeks two full-time, tenure-track assistant professors with demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching and research on digital media. One of the two positions will involve half-time teaching and other participation in the cross-departmental Digital Studies Certificate Initiative (http://digitalstudies.wisc.edu/) Applicants automatically will be considered for both positions. The appointments begin August 27, 2012. We invite applications from scholars with teaching and research interests in journalism and/or strategic communication via multiple platforms in the digital age. The successful applicants will develop conceptual courses and graduate seminars related to digital media, as well as help expand the School’s undergraduate offerings to majors and non-majors with courses that explore issues such as media fluency in the digital era, digital media economics, or digital media practices and uses in various political, social, and cultural contexts. In addition to developing and maintaining a robust research portfolio, each of our new colleagues will advise and mentor highly motivated master’s and doctoral students. The School’s standard teaching load is two courses per semester. Required: A doctoral degree, completed or expected by August 2012, in mass communication or other allied fields; a record of or demonstrated potential for high-quality research and teaching commensurate with experience. A record of professional digital media experience outside the university setting would be highly valued, as would expertise that bridges journalism and strategic communication. About us: Faculty members will join a community of productive scholars who value research from myriad conceptual, analytic, and methodological perspectives. Current faculty members’ interests include: media psychology and sociology; political communication; science and health communication; media law, history, and ethics; digital media; global media; and media studies of race and gender. Faculty members also teach in our innovative undergraduate curriculum and oversee one the country’s top graduate programs in journalism and mass communication. The School of Journalism and Mass Communication, one of the country’s oldest and most well established, is part of a fine public university, with outstanding intellectual resources, teaching and research laboratories, and other sources of research support. Housed within the College of Letters and Science, it also is home to the Center for Journalism Ethics, the Mass Communication Research Center, the Center for Environmental Communications and Education Studies, and the Center for Communication and Democracy. UW-Madison is known for its interdisciplinary research and teaching evidenced in the School through the many affiliations our faculty maintain with other units on campus. The School of Journalism and Mass Communication is committed to building a culturally diverse intellectual community and strongly encourages applications from women, racial and ethnic minorities, and other underrepresented groups. How to apply: Applications should be limited to: (a) an application letter explaining how the candidate’s academic training and background, including research, teaching qualifications and/or professional experience, make the applicant highly suitable for the position; (b) a current curriculum vitae, which, on the final page, lists full contact information for three references; and (c) a single letter of reference from a faculty member who is best able to assess your match with this position and potential for success at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In our review process, we may ask some applicants to submit one solo- or lead-authored article or other writing sample no longer than one academic paper or one chapter from a dissertation or book. We also may seek additional letters of reference for some applicants or will contact references directly. However, we ask that candidates limit their applications to a, b, and c above until we request additional materials. To submit your materials for consideration, send to digmedapp(a)journalism.wisc.edu as PDFs. Please have your reference send her or his letter to the same email address, with your name in the subject line. Telephone or email inquiries about the positions are welcome. Contact Professor Jo Ellen Fair, Search Committee Chair, at 608.263.2199 or searchchair(a)journalism.wisc.edu. For full consideration, complete applications must be received by Nov. 10, 2011. Unless confidentiality is requested in writing, information regarding the applications must be released upon request. Finalists cannot be guaranteed confidentiality. Employment may require a criminal background check. EOE/AA. See also PVL 71670 on the University’s employment website: http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/pvl/ohrpv_fa_00_org.html _______________________________________________ Hernando Rojas Associate Professor School of Journalism & Mass Communication Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program Associate Director - Center for Communication & Democracy University of Wisconsin - Madison

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International Symposium on Digital Ethics
by Cheryl Manley 14 Sep '11

14 Sep '11

Join us for the International Symposium on Digital Ethics, October 28th, at Loyola University Chicago. This day-long symposium will feature Jane McGonigal, author of the NY Times bestseller Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. Featured presenters include: Charles Ess, Aarhus University Miguel Sicart, IT University Copenhagen Sally Wyatt, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts & Sciences Michael Zimmer, Univesity of Wisconsin Milwaukee Luciano Floridi, University of Hertfordshire Erin B. Reilly, Annenberg Innovation Lab As well as a group of papers accepted through a juried competition. The conference will be exploring ethics in regard to privacy, gaming, research, green computing, identity, citizenship and more. The event is free to attend and includes breakfast, lunch and a reception. For more information and to register: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1895883639 Hope to see you on October 28th! Cheryl Manley Office Assistant School of Communication Loyola University Chicago 312.915.6052

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GNIP-Enabled PowerTrack for Twitter through DiscoverText.com
by Stuart Shulman 14 Sep '11

14 Sep '11

Starting October 1, Texifter will be running a beta test of PowerTrack for Twitter through DiscoverText.com. This is the GNIP-enabled "Full Firehose" and it pulls 50-100 times the number of tweets of the public Twitter API. http://blog.texifter.com/index.php/2011/09/05/powertrack-for-twitter-fireho… If you are interested in being a part of the limited beta test group, please complete the application form (short) and let us know something about how you will be using this fantastic new feature we are bringing online thanks to our friends at GNIP & Twitter. http://blog.texifter.com/index.php/2011/09/05/powertrack-for-twitter-fireho… No more Twitter rate limits. Enjoy the "fat pipe" and get *every single tweet* that is responsive to your rule set. There are a very limited number of beta test seats. Please sign up today to have a chance partaking in this next great social media frontier. The beta test will only run for two weeks, but we are excited about the powerful new language and Klout score filters that will be enabled thanks to GNIP. If the beta goes well, there will be a premium option going forward via DiscoverText. By the way, did you happen to notice the spiffy new counter on the DT home page? We are now over 100 million documents and adding 2-3,000 every five seconds. These documents are fully indexed and easily searchable by their owners and the permitted peers of archive owners. We have also optimized search and filtering through the more than 300 million metadata values. The Texifter blog now has several use cases that should be food for thought for any researcher interested in studying social media. thanks, ~Stu -- Stuart Shulman President & CEO Texifter, LLC <http://www.texifter.com/> Have you tried DiscoverText? http://discovertext.com *Featuring the Facebook Graph & Twitter APIs*

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Award Announcement: PCA/ACA Award for Best Electronic Reference Site
by Paul Booth 13 Sep '11

13 Sep '11

apologies for cross-posting The PCA/ACA Award for Best Electronic Reference Site In recognition of the importance of new academic formats, the PCA/ACA has established an Award for excellence in Electronic Reference Site. The award is given annually to the site that a committee agrees has met the necessary qualifications for contributing significantly to the study of Popular and American Culture in the following areas: Quality of research/scholarship, use of hypertext/networking of electronic medium, use of supplementary/secondary materials, contribution to popular and American studies scholarship, breadth of archived material, ease of searching, and updatability. Please send a 1-page nomination with the website address, sponsoring organization, targeted audience, general mission and/or special features of the site. Please also include contact information for award notification. Self-nominations are allowed. Awards will be given at the annual PCA/ACA conference. Deadline for nominations is Dec 31, 2011. Contact: Paul Booth; pbooth(a)depaul.edu Paul Booth College of Communication DePaul University 1 E. Jackson Chicago, IL 60604 312.362.7753

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