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New Publication: Social Media and Hong Kong Christian Communities: Diversity and Equality
by Gillian Chu 22 May '26

22 May '26

Hi all We published a new journal article titled "Social Media and Hong Kong Christian Communities: Diversity and Equality." Open access here: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/17/5/608 Abstract: Social media in Hong Kong Christian communities has been viewed in terms of social equalization, allowing laity to shape theology and community practices. But how is social media an equalizer for religious communities, and along which social dimensions? Drawing on Heidi A. Campbell’s “layers” and Pauline Hope Cheong’s “logics” of power, we offer a framework for examining how social media affects leadership roles, community practices, ideology and identity, and approaches to religious texts, in terms of whether these impacts are continuous with and complementary to existing power structures, displace traditional authority, or involve a dialectic between the two. Through case studies of Hong Kong Christian Key Opinion Leaders (KOL), we show displacements of official roles by lay leaders interacting with an underlying logic of continuity along traditional lines such as gender, social class, and sexual orientation. Online structures of community practice complement existing power structures, reinforcing traditional hierarchies of identity, ideology, and religious texts. We conclude by considering how theological approaches to dispossession may help Hong Kong Christian communities to enter a dialectic of challenges and opportunities for equality. Thanks Gillian

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[AoIR HQ] 1 Week Left: Nominate for the Nancy Baym Book Award and Dissertation Award
by AoIR Association Coordinator 21 May '26

21 May '26

Nominations for both the 2026 Nancy Baym Annual Book Award and the 2026 Dissertation Award close in ONE week, on May 27. See more info about both below: --- *Nancy Baym Annual Book Award* The award goes to the best scholarship on the social and cultural dimensions of networked media published in the 2025 calendar year. Monographs only—edited collections are not eligible. Self-nominations are permitted. To nominate, email bookaward [at] aoir.org with a nomination letter describing how the book draws on or contributes to AoIR scholarship, along with a digital copy. Hard copies may also be mailed; contact bookaward [at] aoir.org for mailing addresses. 2026 committee: Jun Liu, University of Copenhagen (chair); Nancy Baym, Microsoft Research; Giota Alevizou, King's College London; Marco Bastos, University College Dublin; John McNutt, University of Delaware; Gina Sipley, State University of New York, Nassau Community College. --- *Dissertation Award* Eligible dissertations must be in the area of internet research and must have been fully defended, with all edits complete, and filed or published in the 2025 calendar year, with a 2025 copyright. All methods and disciplines are welcome. Self-nominations are permitted. The nominee or their supervisor must be an AoIR member by May 27. To nominate, email dissertationaward [at] aoir.org with a nomination letter explaining why the dissertation deserves the award and how it contributes to internet research, along with a PDF copy of the dissertation. 2026 committee: Jeremy Hunsinger, Wilfrid Laurier University (chair); Alessandro Gandini, University of Milan; Admire Mare, University of Johannesburg; Bjørn Nansen, University of Melbourne; Tanja Oblak Črnič, University of Ljubljana; Lynn Schofield Clark, University of Denver; Guobin Yang, University of Pennsylvania. --- Both award recipients will receive a cash prize and an invitation to present at AoIR2026 in Mexico City in October 2026. The book award winner will be announced in late August or early September; the dissertation award winner will be announced in mid-2026. Best, Emerson *(she/her)* AoIR Communications and Membership Coordinator ac(a)aoir.org *Looking for Michelle? *After nine years, Michelle has officially stepped down from her position at AOIR. I'm Emerson, and I'll be stepping in to continue her work. As I'm sure anyone familiar with Michelle knows, I have big shoes to fill, and I appreciate your patience as I get up to speed!

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International Conference on Software and Systems Reuse, Product Lines, and Configuration (VARIABILITY 2026): Last Call for Demos and Tools
by Announce 21 May '26

21 May '26

*** Last Call for Demos and Tools *** International Conference on Software and Systems Reuse, Product Lines, and Configuration (VARIABILITY 2026) 29 September - 2 October 2026, 5* St. Raphael Resort and Marina Limassol, Cyprus https://conf.researchr.org/home/variability-2026 VARIABILITY is a new conference that has been merged of three prominent conferences focussing on software and systems variability, configuration and reuse: SPLC (the International Systems and Software Product Line Conference, 29 successful editions, ranked as a top conference), VaMoS (the International Working Conference on Variability Modelling of Software-Intensive Systems, 19 successful editions), and ICSR (the International Conference on Systems and Software Reuse, 22 successful editions). The Demos and Tools Track at VARIABILITY 2026 invites compelling live presentations and submissions of innovative tools, practical demonstrations, and curated datasets that support research and practice in software and systems product line engineering, reuse, and configuration. This track provides a forum for researchers and practitioners to showcase academic or commercial tools, demonstrations of novel techniques, and datasets that contribute to the advancement of software and systems reuse, software product lines and configurable systems. Accepted contributions will be featured both during the main conference (via oral presentations) and in interactive exhibition spaces (e.g., demo booths or poster/demo sessions during breaks). This track provides an opportunity to illustrate the practical impact of new ideas and to foster interaction between researchers and practitioners that address real-world variability challenges. Topics of Interest We welcome submissions on all topics related to tool support and datasets for product lines and variable/configurable software systems, including (but not limited to): Core Product Line Engineering Techniques • Feature modeling • Variability management • Product Line Architecture • Validation and verification • Product derivation and generation, including build systems and CI • Product-line testing and further analyses • Optimization and measurement of non-functional properties • Language product lines Application Domains and Contexts • Software-intensive and cyber-physical systems • Web and cloud-based systems, including microservices • Internet of Things • Automotive and industrial automation • Consumer electronics • Software ecosystems and multi-product lines Submission Guidelines Submissions must describe either (1) a new tool or prototype; (2) a novel extension to an existing tool; (3) a practical demonstration of an approach; (4) a new or curated dataset relevant to variability and reuse; (5) a significant update to a previously published tool or dataset (include a clear description of new contributions). Each submission must include: • A paper of up to 8 pages, including references and figures. • An optional appendix of up to 2 pages (not included in the proceedings), describing the planned live demonstration or dataset usage scenario. • A link to a short video (max. 5 minutes) illustrating the tool, demonstration, or dataset in action. Papers should briefly describe the theoretical foundation, with a focus on practical aspects such as software architecture, implementation decisions, usage methodology, and validation through case studies or benchmarks. Public availability of tools and datasets (preferably under open-source/open-data licenses) is strongly encouraged. Where availability is not possible, submissions should explain the reasons. All submissions must adhere to the LNCS (Springer) format. Please refer to the official LNCS template at https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… . Submissions must be in PDF format and submitted via EasyChair: https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=variability2026 (select “Demonstrations and Tools Track”). Evaluation Criteria Each submission will be reviewed by at least three members of the Program Committee. Reviewers will evaluate: • Relevance to the VARIABILITY community • Technical soundness and artifact maturity • Novelty of the contribution • Quality of the written description and video demonstration • Clarity in the presentation of implementation details, usage, or dataset structure • Positioning with respect to existing tools/datasets/practices This track follows a single-blind review process. Presentation and Publication Accepted papers will appear in the VARIABILITY 2026 Companion Proceedings, published in the Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series. At least one author of each accepted paper must: • Register for the full conference, and • Present the contribution at the event. Important Dates (AoE) • Submission of Demos and Posters: 1 June 2026 • Notification of Acceptance: 21 June 2026 • Camera-Ready Submission: 15 July 2026 • Author Registration: 15 July 2026 Organisation General Chairs • George A. Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus • Gilles Perrouin, FNRS & University of Namur, Belgium Research Track Chairs • Thorsten Berger, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany • Ina Schaefer, KIT, Germany Industry Track Chairs • Shaukat Ali, Simula Research Lab and Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway • Martin Becker, Fraunhofer IESE, Germany Journal First Track Chairs • Mathieu Acher, University Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, France • Xhevahire Tërnava, LTCI, Télécom Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France Doctoral Symposium Track Chairs • Rick Rabiser, LIT CPS, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria • Iris Reinhartz-Berger, University of Haifa, Israel Demos and Tools Track Chairs • Sandra Greiner, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark • Leopoldo Teixeira, Federal University of Pernambuco Projects Showcase Chairs • Daniel Struber, Chalmers, University of Gothenburg, Radbound University, Sweden • Dalila Tamzalit, Nantes Université, France Hall of Fame Chairs • Martin Becker, Fraunhofer IESE, Germany • Goetz Botterweck, Lero - The Irish Software Research Centre and University of Limerick, Ireland • Natsuko Noda, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan Workshops Chairs • Lidia Fuentes, Universidad de Malaga, Spain • Malte Lochau, University of Siegen, Germany Tutorials Chairs • Loek Cleophas, Eindhoven University of Technology and Stellenbosch University, The Netherlands • Mahsa Varshosaz, IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark Proceedings Chair • Sophie Fortz, King's College London, UK Publicity Chairs • Wesley Assunção, North Carolina State University, USA • Kentaro Yoshimura, Hitachi Ltd, Japan Local Organiser and Finance Chair • George A. Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus

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Hiring a post doc (36 months+) in governance of emergent tech - HPI/Oxford
by Sandra Wachter 21 May '26

21 May '26

Hi everyone, Are you interested in ethical, legal, and social aspects of AI, generative AI and other emerging technologies? Do you care about the impact of AI on misinformation, free press, academia and science, the future of work and climate change ? Would you like to work on tech policy issues? Come and work with me, Sandra Wachter <https://hpi.de/en/research/research-groups/technology-and-regulation/> (HPI/Oxford) at the Hasso Plattner Institute & Brent Mittelstadt and Chris Russell at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford. https://tinyurl.com/556jty8t Application deadline is *June 18, 2026* If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. Speak soon, Sandra

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New paper: The Fallacy of Sustainable Generative AI: Limitations in EU Environmental Regulation of Data Centres and Paths Forward
by Sandra Wachter 20 May '26

20 May '26

Hi everyone, I have a new paper I wanted to share with folks. We show how EU laws are not well equipped to curb the carbon footprint AI leaves behind. Quite the opposite is true. We run the risk of worsening the climate impact of data centres if we don't take action. Here is the new paper: The Fallacy of Sustainable Generative AI: Limitations in EU Environmental Regulation of Data Centres and Paths Forward <https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6641359> Here is also a short version <https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/news-events/the-efficiency-paradox-in-eu-data-cent…> of the paper. I hope the paper will be of interest for folks. Comments are very welcome! Speak soon, Sandra

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ISOC LIVE - What’s On & What’s New
by Joly MacFie 20 May '26

20 May '26

Apologies, I forgot to spam this out yesterday. Another reason to subscribe! I just added the Kenya IGF for tomorrow. https://isoc.live/21175/ Note the dueling GAAD events Thursday! Hatched, matched, and despatched! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9pc29jbGl2ZS5zdWJzdGFjay5…> Kudos to those of you who have Substack subs <https://substack.com/redirect/3dc28843-89be-41ab-901e-ab0bf0fd7524?j=eyJ1Ij…>! You can now also simply subscribe to the calendar <https://substack.com/redirect/e71705cc-fb87-42d1-a2a0-f06d6bda140b?j=eyJ1Ij…> ! Here is what is up. *Upcoming Events* - MAY 20 16:30 UTC - Folk Tech x Protopian Prize - Storytelling Workshop + Connection Call <https://substack.com/redirect/8eeb6b41-f237-4d28-91d3-8bd38d43da1c?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 21 10:30 UTC - ISOC ASG - GAAD 2026: International Conference on Digital Accessibility, Inclusion and Innovation <https://substack.com/redirect/c7bdd1ee-8e59-4b8c-b3fb-4dd7b6c844f3?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 21 12:00 UTC - Book Launch - Platforms and the Planet: Big Tech, Digital Platforms and Environmental Responsibility <https://substack.com/redirect/361f4383-1557-4659-acec-6904fdcf1e9c?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 21 14:00 UTC - GAAD Event - From Access to Agency: Rethinking Digital Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities in the Age of AI <https://substack.com/redirect/87acb6fa-e15c-484c-bdf9-125d1cb0dbae?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 21 16:00 UTC - Marconi Society - Wi-Fi as Critical Infrastructure for Internet Resilience <https://substack.com/redirect/a8e7fd48-2f56-4050-8698-42d815d348bd?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 21 17:00 UTC - Introduction to Responsible AI Evaluations - A Virtual Workshop <https://substack.com/redirect/75eb0b6b-8471-4741-b1e1-384816e74272?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 21 18:00 UTC - Emerging Threats Through AI Adoption and the Need for Human Risk Management <https://substack.com/redirect/7f792129-12c6-4f9d-b01e-5b0e1e3a9218?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 26 08:00 UTC - What Digital Futures Do We (Not) Want? <https://substack.com/redirect/cf55451a-88da-422b-a20b-b4878380e8dd?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 27 13:30 UTC - ISOC PERU - Más allá del acceso: ¿qué significa ‘Internet significativo’ en educación? <https://substack.com/redirect/f6a945ba-357f-4aab-b345-9fd18107057b?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 28 12:30 UTC - David vs Goliath in the DSA era: Lessons from Bits of Freedom’s victory <https://substack.com/redirect/8228b899-2bdc-4886-81ff-9de921078320?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 28 13:00 UTC - CODI Universal Acceptance Day 2026 <https://substack.com/redirect/226562b7-514a-4314-a62d-27a18d3779eb?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 28 18:00 UTC - Helping Older Adults Stay Safe Online: Tips and Resources <https://substack.com/redirect/885ddc28-4675-451a-8e0c-2e9cb1d8cfeb?j=eyJ1Ij…> - JUN 02 23:30 UTC - A11yNYC - Scaling Accessibility with Design Systems - Jesse Gardner <https://substack.com/redirect/1bb0655c-eedf-41a1-9e85-15f4ddb81ef7?j=eyJ1Ij…> - JUN 08 07:00 UTC - ICANN86 Policy Forum (8-11 JUN) <https://substack.com/redirect/a64ab6ba-c829-4321-97bd-4934e606ebe5?j=eyJ1Ij…> *Recaps / Recordings* - MAY 12 - At-Large Meets ICANN Contractual Compliance and NetBeacon Institute <https://substack.com/redirect/c87bf5eb-7076-452e-a862-c0e4ae2817f5?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 11 - Spectrum Showdown in Shanghai: What the UN’s World Radiocommunication Conference Means for U.S. Competitiveness and the Future of Wi-Fi <https://substack.com/redirect/d23391cf-38a8-4a4c-a217-98349a207d76?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 11 - Beyond the Perimeter - Managing Internet Routing as a Supply Chain Risk <https://substack.com/redirect/10458587-cecf-4c85-9f26-6d0f33dfa9b3?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 07 - Understanding the Role of Trusted Notifiers in DNS Abuse Mitigation <https://substack.com/redirect/76127f09-155a-4f74-bfd4-090102eae911?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 05 - The Clarity of Social Accessibility - Peter Slatin <https://substack.com/redirect/fdf5b9b8-e616-4a07-b1fe-8ace54799ceb?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 05 - Book Talk: Create Your Unicorn Career in STEM <https://substack.com/redirect/27019526-9024-4afe-9fac-3fe28b1aa1eb?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 04 - IGF Best Practice Forum: Securing Access to the Internet and Protecting Core Internet Resources in Contexts of Conflict and Crises <https://substack.com/redirect/97ae3c4d-0486-4457-89c5-502967bc5077?j=eyJ1Ij…> - MAY 01 - Unlocking the Safer Internet Initiative <https://substack.com/redirect/48e5afe1-4b3e-4d03-ae1a-53441d51ed72?j=eyJ1Ij…> - APR 30 - Social Media And Digital Sovereignty In South Asia <https://substack.com/redirect/992b23f8-8454-4514-b7dc-6c5a0d9b1821?j=eyJ1Ij…> - APR 29 - Phishing and DNS Abuse - Operational Blindspots <https://substack.com/redirect/3a270ef1-5ba2-4cf1-80f2-fb3f34b20d54?j=eyJ1Ij…> - APR 28 - ICANN Global Public Interest Framework (GPIF) and its Relevance to At-Large <https://substack.com/redirect/d9379145-7fa5-4524-9814-2af9c19caf47?j=eyJ1Ij…> - APR 28 - ITU Council 2026 State of the Union Address <https://substack.com/redirect/926ef6df-e620-4954-a3c7-03882030da49?j=eyJ1Ij…> - APR 23 - ISOC Perú - Community-Driven Connectivity Solutions <https://substack.com/redirect/80159626-0fec-4543-90c8-6d5652c86640?j=eyJ1Ij…> - APR 15 - The Data Center Frontier <https://substack.com/redirect/2a72247e-4389-45a1-ba53-afbffca62e3c?j=eyJ1Ij…> - APR 15 - Digital Access Day 2026: Access, Autonomy, and the Open Internet <https://substack.com/redirect/e7c6bca6-b3a9-4ddf-a2b7-b23eb076fe8c?j=eyJ1Ij…> - APR 15 - The New gTLD Program 2026 and the Future of the DNS Ecosystem <https://substack.com/redirect/cc79b0fb-07ff-4b40-83bf-2067410e1a85?j=eyJ1Ij…> - APR 14 - Effective Youth Participation and Digital Inclusion Action Toward WSIS 2035 <https://substack.com/redirect/7cf3766e-0a9a-4ba5-acd1-118883ebed99?j=eyJ1Ij…> - APR 14 - From Spectrum to Service: Building with Unlicensed Fixed Wireless <https://substack.com/redirect/8a52fdff-feaf-4d54-a540-c6f29898c4cc?j=eyJ1Ij…> - APR 13 - Quantum Technologies, Implications for the Global Digital Divide <https://substack.com/redirect/7a549252-74b2-434a-aafe-7ce9bc1a71de?j=eyJ1Ij…> - FEB 26 - At-Large Meets OCTO-SSR <https://substack.com/redirect/7e0d301c-cfa1-4fb3-882f-65425a9d363d?j=eyJ1Ij…> *Other Report Summaries* - FCC Clears EchoStar Spectrum Sale to SpaceX and AT&T (summary) <https://substack.com/redirect/7f93ca15-bf7b-4bea-85f9-66c970b3bc7e?j=eyJ1Ij…> - CJEU AGCOM vs Meta ruling (summary) <https://substack.com/redirect/436cf003-677f-4942-8aea-90c92fb45d07?j=eyJ1Ij…> - Eighth Circuit Vacates FCC Digital Discrimination Rules (summary) <https://substack.com/redirect/17e7188f-b86c-4871-94f1-5a1c348d8fda?j=eyJ1Ij…> - Stanford AI Index Report (Summary) <https://substack.com/redirect/26609231-5d38-482a-8139-4b98c4c55c2e?j=eyJ1Ij…> - Access Now statement on RightsCon “postponement” (summary) <https://substack.com/redirect/5f5bb141-a493-4ca9-841d-bdf6e7e25769?j=eyJ1Ij…> - FCC to Satellite Operators: Stay in Your Lane <https://substack.com/redirect/18bec915-8a4f-4a04-85c1-3b9d4769809a?j=eyJ1Ij…> - ICANN and the IETF (summary) <https://substack.com/redirect/4beae5c6-ef01-4084-b5e6-c71e6f19aa63?j=eyJ1Ij…> - Age Verification Architecture (summary) <https://substack.com/redirect/1eed36fa-ba55-47f5-942f-1b49dacac160?j=eyJ1Ij…> *Paid subscribers are the salt of the earth!* Subscribe now <https://isoclive.substack.com/subscribe?> -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

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International Conference on Software and Systems Reuse, Product Lines, and Configuration (VARIABILITY 2026): Last Call for Industry Track Papers
by Announce 20 May '26

20 May '26

*** Last Call for Industry Track Papers *** International Conference on Software and Systems Reuse, Product Lines, and Configuration (VARIABILITY 2026) 29 September - 2 October 2026, 5* St. Raphael Resort and Marina Limassol, Cyprus https://conf.researchr.org/home/variability-2026 The VARIABILITY conference series brings together the communities previously served by ICSR, SPLC, and VaMoS, forming a unified venue for research on variability, configuration, customization, and related disciplines in software and systems engineering. The Industry Track of VARIABILITY 2026 offers a platform for practitioners, researchers, and technology leaders to share practical experiences in industrial settings with reuse, variability management, configuration, and product line engineering across software and systems. Building on the industrial tracks of SPLC, VaMoS, and ICSR, this track bridges research and practice by showcasing how variability, reuse, and product line strategies are being applied and developed in today’s fast-changing industrial environments. Software systems are becoming increasingly configurable, data-driven, and AI-enabled (e.g., using foundation models), while also integrating advanced technologies such as quantum computing. This growing complexity calls for balancing flexibility, reuse, and quality amid pressures from emerging technologies and sustainability objectives. The Industry Track welcomes submissions that demonstrate how these challenges are addressed in real-world settings, whether through success stories, lessons learned, or reflections on failures that yielded valuable insights. We especially encourage submissions that demonstrate how variability management, reuse, and configuration approaches are being applied or reimagined in industrial settings, including through AI, digital twins, large language (LLMs) and foundation models, quantum computing, and cyber-physical systems. The industry track aims to: • Showcase practical experiences from industrial settings using variability, reuse, or configuration techniques. • Exchange insights between industry practitioners and researchers. • Identify new industrial challenges and opportunities for future research collaboration. • Share tools, processes, or organizational approaches that improve adaptability, scalability, and efficiency. Topics of Interest We welcome experience reports, case studies, and position papers on any of the topics covered by the VARIABILITY conference. The detailed list of topics can be found on the conference website (https://conf.researchr.org/track/variability-2026/variability-2026-papers#C…) In addition to these topics, the industry track welcomes papers also on: Industrial Applications • Variability and reuse in AI, cyber-physical systems, robotics, automotive, aerospace, quantum computing, etc. • Sustainable technologies for variation and sustainable software reuse approaches • Human, organizational, and social aspects of variable systems and software • Industrial case studies and lessons learned Submission Guidelines Paper Types We invite the following types of submissions: • Full Papers (up to 18 pages excluding references): Presenting experiences from the application of reuse, variability management, configuration, and product line engineering approaches, preferably in an industrial context. Submissions should provide a clear context for the problem, outline requirements or practical experiences in addressing it, evaluate benefits and drawbacks or other lessons learned, and highlight the innovation or value of the contribution. • Short Papers (6 - 8 pages excluding references): Describing early results from new reuse, variability management, configuration, and product line engineering across software and systems applications. • Extended Abstracts (up to 1 page): A proposal for presentation during the conference. The extended abstract will not be published. Formatting Papers must use the Springer LNCS template according to: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… Springer provides author guidelines that should be consulted for further details: https://resource-preview-cms.springernature.com/springer-cms/rest/v1/conten… Submission Link Submissions should be made via Easy Chair, selecting the industry track: https://easychair.org/conferences?conf=variability2026 Paper Originality, Single-Blind Policy, Reviewing All papers must be original and not under review elsewhere. Submissions will be single- anonymous and reviewed by at least three experts. Submissions will be evaluated based on their relevance, rigor, transparency, novelty, and presentation. Accepted papers will appear in the VARIABILITY 2026 Proceedings which will be published as a Springer LNCS volume. Important Dates (AoE) • Submission of Papers: 8 June 2026 • Notification of Acceptance: 8 July 2026 • Camera-Ready Submission: 15 July 2026 • Author Registration: 15 July 2026 Organisation General Chairs • George A. Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus • Gilles Perrouin, FNRS & University of Namur, Belgium Research Track Chairs • Thorsten Berger, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany • Ina Schaefer, KIT, Germany Industry Track Chairs • Shaukat Ali, Simula Research Lab and Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway • Martin Becker, Fraunhofer IESE, Germany Journal First Track Chairs • Mathieu Acher, University Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, France • Xhevahire Tërnava, LTCI, Télécom Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France Doctoral Symposium Track Chairs • Rick Rabiser, LIT CPS, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria • Iris Reinhartz-Berger, University of Haifa, Israel Demos and Tools Track Chairs • Sandra Greiner, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark • Leopoldo Teixeira, Federal University of Pernambuco Projects Showcase Chairs • Daniel Struber, Chalmers, University of Gothenburg, Radbound University, Sweden • Dalila Tamzalit, Nantes Université, France Hall of Fame Chairs • Martin Becker, Fraunhofer IESE, Germany • Goetz Botterweck, Lero - The Irish Software Research Centre and University of Limerick, Ireland • Natsuko Noda, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan Workshops Chairs • Lidia Fuentes, Universidad de Malaga, Spain • Malte Lochau, University of Siegen, Germany Tutorials Chairs • Loek Cleophas, Eindhoven University of Technology and Stellenbosch University, The Netherlands • Mahsa Varshosaz, IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark Proceedings Chair • Sophie Fortz, King's College London, UK Publicity Chairs • Wesley Assunção, North Carolina State University, USA • Kentaro Yoshimura, Hitachi Ltd, Japan Local Organiser and Finance Chair • George A. Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus

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Early Bird Tickets Now on Sale: All Things in Moderation 2026
by Venessa Paech 20 May '26

20 May '26

Dear AOIR colleagues, Early bird tickets are now on sale for All Things in Moderation 2026 (25–26 June) — the world’s only annual conference dedicated entirely to the people who moderate online spaces. All Things in Moderation (now in its fourth year), is that rare space for moderation researchers and practitioners meet in shared sessions to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and explore the future of online governance together. Across two days, the conference brings together new research and frontline expertise from scholars and practitioners across Australia, the United States, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India and more. This year’s program (centred on the theme of CARE) includes: • AI-supported governance and the ethical trade-offs of care, safety, and moderation • Digital gender-based violence and comparative approaches to AI moderation across the EU and Colombia • Conspiracy pipelines and radicalisation, including From Port Arthur to Plandemic: Moderating the Rabbit Hole with journalists Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson • Moderation, conflict, and platform visibility in relation to Palestine, Ukraine, and warzone communication • Labour, precarity, and the emotional burden of frontline moderation work • Community governance, participatory policymaking, and member-led rule design • Coordination challenges across trust and safety ecosystems and the growing complexity of moderation infrastructure We are especially excited to feature Blacksky, with Moderation for the People: How Blacksky Is Building Community Safety from the Inside Out — a timely conversation with one of the most closely watched emerging platforms building safety and governance systems from the ground up. The program also includes Intercepting the Signals: Managing Emerging Hate in Community Spaces with former neo-nazi turned deradicialisation expert, who brings critical insight into how harmful movements emerge, organise, and evolve online and across communities or publics we care for. Alongside this are sessions exploring East Africa’s longest-running online community news forum provocative conversations about what the future of community management and moderation could — and should — become, and much more. What makes All Things in Moderation distinctive is the mix of people in the room. Researchers, moderators, community professionals, trust and safety teams, policy thinkers, and platform practitioners participate together and forge new connections. The conference is affordable and accessible, with fully online participation and on-demand access making it possible to join from anywhere in the world. Early bird pricing ends 30 May. If your work touches moderation, trust and safety, online governance, or digital communities — whether through scholarship or practice — we invite you to join us for two days of fresh research, practical insight, and global conversation. The final program will be confirmed in early June. TICKETS AND PROGRAM AT: https://bit.ly/ATIM2026 We look forward to welcoming you. Regards, VENESSA PAECH, BFA, MA Waddawurrung Country | Geelong PhD Student | Community in the Age of Machine Culture Department of Media and Communication | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Phone: + 61 0435 217 315 Email: venessa.paech(a)sydney.edu.au

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[New book] Trust, Safety, and The Internet We Share - Open Access
by Amanda Menking 19 May '26

19 May '26

Dear AoIR Community, On behalf of the Trust and Safety Foundation, I’m exited to share that a new edited volume we’ve been working on with 60+ contributors for the past 2.5 years is now available open access (all 27 chapters)! See more below: > We're excited to share that Trust, Safety, and the Internet We Share: Multistakeholder Insights is now available, and your free digital copy is ready to read! > > Access your free Open Access digital edition here <https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.1201/9781003621072/trust-saf…>. > > Published by Taylor & Francis, this volume brings together 27 chapters from experts across civil society, academia, government, and industry exploring the evolving challenges of trust and safety in the digital age. > > If you'd like to own a physical copy, you can purchase it here <https://www.routledge.com/Trust-Safety-and-the-Internet-We-Share-Multistake…>. > > We hope this resource is valuable to your work. If you enjoy it, we'd love for you to share it with colleagues and peers in your network. > If you have any questions at all about this project, please let me know. Best, ~A. -- Amanda Menking, Ph.D. (she/her) | Research & Programs | Trust and Safety Foundation <https://trustandsafetyfoundation.org/> | Calendly <https://calendly.com/amanda-trustandsafetyfoundation>

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DeepLearn 2026: early registration May 22
by David Silva - IRDTA 19 May '26

19 May '26

****************************************************** 13th INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ON DEEP LEARNING DeepLearn 2026 Orléans, France July 20-24, 2026 https://deeplearn.irdta.eu/2026/ ****************************************************** Co-organized by: University of Orléans Centre Val de Loire Doctoral College Institute for Research Development, Training and Advice – IRDTA Luxembourg/London ****************************************************** Early registration: May 22, 2026 ****************************************************** SCOPE: DeepLearn 2026 will be a research training event with a global scope aiming at updating participants on the most recent advances in the critical and fast developing area of deep learning. Previous events were held in Bilbao, Genova, Warsaw, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Guimarães, Luleå, Bournemouth, Bari, and Porto. Deep learning is a branch of artificial intelligence covering a spectrum of current frontier research and industrial innovation that provides more efficient algorithms to deal with large-scale data in a huge variety of environments: computer vision, neurosciences, speech recognition, language processing, human-computer interaction, drug discovery, biomedicine and healthcare, medical image analysis, recommender systems, advertising, fraud detection, robotics, games, business and finance, biotechnology, physics and astrophysics, biometrics, communications, climate sciences, geographic information systems, signal processing, genomics, materials design, video technology, social systems, earth and sustainability, mathematical proofs, etc. etc. The field is also raising a number of relevant questions about efficiency and robustness of the algorithms, explainability, transparency, interpretability, risks and safety, as well as important ethical concerns at the frontier of current knowledge that deserve careful multidisciplinary discussion. Most deep learning subareas will be displayed and main challenges identified through 15 four-hour and a half courses, 2 keynote lectures, 1 round table, and a hackathon competition among participants. Renowned academics and industry pioneers will lecture and share their views with the audience. The organizers are convinced that outstanding speakers will attract the brightest and most motivated students. Face to face interaction and networking will be main ingredients of the event. It will be also possible to fully participate in vivo remotely. ADDRESSED TO: Graduates, postgraduates and industry practitioners will be typical profiles of participants. However, there are no formal pre-requisites for attendance in terms of academic degrees, hence people less or more advanced in their career will be welcome as well. Since there will be a variety of levels, specific knowledge background may be assumed for some of the courses. Overall, DeepLearn 2026 is addressed to students, researchers and practitioners who want to keep themselves updated about recent developments and future trends. All will surely find it fruitful to listen to and discuss with major researchers, industry leaders and innovators. VENUE: DeepLearn 2026 will take place in Orléans, located in the heart of the Loire Valley, which was declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site in 2000. The venue will be: University of Orléans Faculty of Law, Economics and Management 11 rue de Blois 45100 Orléans, France https://www.univ-orleans.fr/en STRUCTURE: 2 or 3 courses will run in parallel during the whole event. Participants will be able to freely choose the courses they wish to attend as well as to move from one to another. All lectures will be videorecorded. Participants will be able to watch them again for 45 days after the event. An open session will give participants the opportunity to present their own work in progress in 5 minutes. Also companies will be able to present their industrial developments for 10 minutes. The school will include a hackathon, where participants will be able to work in teams to tackle several machine learning challenges. Full live online participation will be possible. The organizers highlight, however, the importance of face to face interaction and networking in this kind of research training event. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: Yingbin Liang (Ohio State University), Convergence Theory: How Fast Do Discrete Diffusion Models Generate? Le Song (Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence), Towards AI-Driven Digital Organism: A System of Multiscale Foundation Models for Biology PROFESSORS AND COURSES: Nitesh Chawla (University of Notre Dame), [intermediate] Synthetic Data Generation and Learning from Imbalanced Data: From SMOTE to LLMs Jianfei Chen (Tsinghua University), [intermediate] Efficient Large Model Training and Inference Yuejie Chi (Yale University), [introductory/intermediate] Statistical and Algorithmic Foundations of Reinforcement Learning Bo Han (Hong Kong Baptist University), [introductory/intermediate] Trustworthy Machine Learning from Data to Models Jiawei Han (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), [intermediate] Structure-Guided, Theme-Based Knowledge Discovery with Large Language Models Mingyi Hong (University of Minnesota), [intermediate] Bilevel Optimization: Theory, Algorithms, and Applications in Machine Learning and Foundation Models Cho-Jui Hsieh (University of California Los Angeles), [intermediate/advanced] Optimizers for Large Language Model Training Furong Huang (University of Maryland), [advanced] Generative AI Agents Tara Javidi (University of California San Diego), [intermediate] Active Physical Intelligence: Integrated Multimodal Sensing, Controlled Inference, and Spatio-Temporal Attention Yan Liu (University of Southern California), [intermediate] Time Series Foundation Models: From Forecasting to Reasoning Zhijin Qin (Tsinghua University), [intermediate/advanced] Token-Based Semantic Communications Aarti Singh (Carnegie Mellon University), [intermediate] Human Centered AI: Challenges and Opportunities Suvrit Sra (Technical University of Munich), [introductory/intermediate] Introduction to the Theory of Learning with Transformers Ivor Tsang (A*STAR Centre for Frontier AI Research), [introductory/intermediate] Trustworthy Agentic Artificial Intelligence Tong Zhang (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), [introductory/intermediate] Reinforcement Learning for Large Language Models OPEN SESSION: An open session will collect 5-minute voluntary oral presentations of work in progress by participants. They should submit a half-page abstract containing the title, authors, and summary of the research to david(a)irdta.eu by July 12, 2026. INDUSTRIAL SESSION: A session will be devoted to 10-minute demonstrations of practical applications of deep learning in industry. Companies interested in contributing are welcome to submit a 1-page abstract containing the program of the demonstration and the logistics needed. People in charge of the demonstration must register for the event. Abstracts have to be submitted to david(a)irdta.eu by July 12, 2026. HACKATHON: A hackathon will take place, where participants can voluntarily work in teams to tackle several machine learning challenges. They will be coordinated by Professor Sergei V. Gleyzer (University of Alabama). The challenges will be released 2 weeks before the beginning of the school. A jury will judge the submissions and the winners of each challenge will be announced by the end of August 2026. The winning teams will receive a modest monetary prize and the runners-up will get a certificate. SPONSORS: Companies/institutions/organizations willing to be sponsors of the event can download the sponsorship leaflet from https://deeplearn.irdta.eu/2026/sponsors/ ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Karim Abed-Meraim (Orléans, local co-chair) Sergei V. Gleyzer (Tuscaloosa, hackathon chair) Meryem Jabloun (Orléans, local co-chair) Carlos Martín-Vide (Tarragona, program chair) Santiago Montes (Tarragona, webpage) Sara Morales (Luxembourg, finances) Florian Nowicki (Orléans, social networks) Philippe Ravier (Orléans, local chair) David Silva (London, organization chair) REGISTRATION: It has to be done at https://deeplearn.irdta.eu/2026/registration/ The selection of 6 courses requested in the registration template is only tentative and non-binding. For logistical reasons, it will be helpful to have an estimation of the respective demand for each course. Since the capacity of the venue is limited, registration requests will be processed on a first come first served basis. The registration period will be closed and the on-line registration tool disabled when the capacity of the venue will have got exhausted. It is highly recommended to register prior to the event. FEES: Fees comprise access to all program activities and lunches. There are several early registration deadlines. Fees depend on the registration deadline. The fees for on site and for online participation are the same. ACCOMMODATION: Accommodation suggestions are available at https://deeplearn.irdta.eu/2026/accommodation/ CERTIFICATE: A certificate of successful participation will be delivered indicating the number of hours of academic activities (40). This should be sufficient for those participants who plan to request ECTS recognition from their home university. QUESTIONS AND FURTHER INFORMATION: david(a)irdta.eu ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Université d’Orléans Collège Doctoral Centre-Val de Loire Universitat Rovira i Virgili Institute for Research Development, Training and Advice – IRDTA, Luxembourg/London

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