- Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Re: [Air-L] Computer usage by low-income people in emerging countries
by scott＠scottmacleod.com 04 Oct '09

04 Oct '09

Hi Jayr, You're welcome. Also check out the 'Digital Divide' sections at http://webnographers.org in 'Books,' 'Papers,' 'Videos,' and look around this resource, as well. The Swedish Professor Hans Rosling's video is particularly fascinating and germane. Please add select resources you come upon to http://webnographers.org. All the best, Scott http://scottmacleod.com http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/World_University Jayr Pimentel writes: > > <S363417AbZJBWxR/20091002225317Z+21069(a)ams14.chi.affinity.com> > MIME-Version: 1.0 > > --_77d37216-bb85-4976-9761-8bd2f22b0612_ > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > > > Thanks a million=2C Scott. I will definetely have a look at the material yo= > u have mentioned. > > =20 > > All the best=2C > > =20 > > Jay > =20 >> From: scott(a)scottmacleod.com >> To: jayrpimentel(a)hotmail.com >> CC: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org >> Subject: Re: Computer usage by low-income people in emerging countries >> Date: Fri=2C 2 Oct 2009 17:53:17 -0500 >>=20 >> Here's one of the first studies on homelessness and the internet I know o= > f:=20 >>=20 >> Rogers=2C E. M.=2C Collins-Jarvis=2C L.=2C & Schmitz=2C J. (1994). The Pe= > n Project in=20 >> Santa Monica: Interactive communication=2C equality=2C and political acti= > on.=20 >> Journal of the American Society for Information Science=2C 45=2C 401=9641= > 0.=20 >>=20 >>=20 >> with some more context here:=20 >> http://ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/465/430=20 >>=20 >>=20 >> Barry Wellman has done some interesting work with Netville here=2C too=2C= > I=20 >> think.=20 >>=20 >>=20 >> I've also created a new section at=20 >> http://www.webnographers.org/index.php?title=3DPapers#Homelessness_and_Vi= > rtual=20 >> _Ethnography - I'd like to invited AIRs to add more references here.=20 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >> Best=2C >> Scott=20 >>=20 >>=20 >> http://scottmacleod.com >> http://worlduniversity.wikia.com=20 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >> Jayr Pimentel writes:=20 >>=20 >> >=20 >> > Dear all=2C >> >=20 >> > I am curretly studying how low-income people have been using computers = > at home (i.e. applications like internet browsers=2C e-mail=2C msn=2C skype= > =2C facebook=2C office package=2C twitter=2C dowloading=2C blogging etc) as= > an attempt to understand social inequalities reproduction and digital incl= > usion. I am currently investigating Brazil=2C where low-income people have = > now enough money to buy computers due to credit availability (I may shift m= > y attention to India and China afterwards). I would appreciate if any of yo= > u send me any hints in terms of related bibliography I should not miss like= > books=2C articles=2C papers=2C etc. Any contacts you know they are current= > ly working on the following areas: computer usage=2C inequalities=2C digita= > l inclusion=2C computer and social interaction and computer versus other el= > ectronic devices (like mobile phones) are very welcome. >> >=20 >> > I am currently doing the ethnographic part of the project so I would be= > glad to share some initial findings with those colleagues interested in. A= > lso=2C I can send my project's abstract and interview guides for those who = > may want to have a look at them. >> >=20 >> > Thanks in advance=2C >> >=20 >> > Jay Pimentel >> > Masters - Department of Sociology >> > University of Sao Paulo >> > jayrpimentel(a)hotmail.com=20 >> >=20 >> >=20 >> > _________________________________________________________________ >> > Invite your mail contacts to join your friends list with Windows Live S= > paces. It's easy! >> > http://spaces.live.com/spacesapi.aspx?wx_action=3Dcreate&wx_url=3D/frie= > nds.aspx&mkt=3Den-us >> > _______________________________________________ >> > The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list >> > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org >> > Subscribe=2C change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org= > /listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org=20 >> >=20 >> > Join the Association of Internet Researchers: >> > http://www.aoir.org/ >>=20 >>=20 > =0A= > _________________________________________________________________=0A= > Keep your friends updated=97even when you=92re not signed in.=0A= > http://www.microsoft.com/middleeast/windows/windowslive/see-it-in-action/so= > cial-network-basics.aspx?ocid=3DPID23461::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-xm:SI_SB_5:092= > 010= > > --_77d37216-bb85-4976-9761-8bd2f22b0612_ > Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > > <html> > <head> > <style></style> > </head> > <body class=3D'hmmessage'> > Thanks a million=2C Scott. I will definetely have a look at the material yo= > u have mentioned. > &nbsp=3B > All the best=2C > &nbsp=3B > Jay &nbsp=3B &gt=3B From: scott(a)scottmacleod.com &gt=3B To: jayrpi= > mentel(a)hotmail.com &gt=3B CC: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org &gt=3B Subject:= > Re: Computer usage by low-income people in emerging countries &gt=3B Da= > te: Fri=2C 2 Oct 2009 17:53:17 -0500 &gt=3B &gt=3B Here's one of the= > first studies on homelessness and the internet I know of: &gt=3B &= > gt=3B Rogers=2C E. M.=2C Collins-Jarvis=2C L.=2C &amp=3B Schmitz=2C J. (199= > 4). The Pen Project in &gt=3B Santa Monica: Interactive communication= > =2C equality=2C and political action. &gt=3B Journal of the American So= > ciety for Information Science=2C 45=2C 401=96410. &gt=3B &gt=3B <BR= >>&gt=3B with some more context here: &gt=3B http://ci-journal.net/index= > .php/ciej/article/view/465/430 &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B Barry Wellm= > an has done some interesting work with Netville here=2C too=2C I &gt=3B= > think. &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B I've also created a new section at= > &gt=3B http://www.webnographers.org/index.php?title=3DPapers#Homelessn= > ess_and_Virtual &gt=3B _Ethnography - I'd like to invited AIRs to add m= > ore references here. &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B Best=2C<BR= >>&gt=3B Scott &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B http://scottmacleod.com &= > gt=3B http://worlduniversity.wikia.com &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B <BR= >>&gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B Jayr Pimente= > l writes: &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B Dear all=2C &gt= > =3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B I am curretly studying how low-income people h= > ave been using computers at home (i.e. applications like internet browsers= > =2C e-mail=2C msn=2C skype=2C facebook=2C office package=2C twitter=2C dowl= > oading=2C blogging etc) as an attempt to understand social inequalities rep= > roduction and digital inclusion. I am currently investigating Brazil=2C whe= > re low-income people have now enough money to buy computers due to credit a= > vailability (I may shift my attention to India and China afterwards). I wou= > ld appreciate if any of you send me any hints in terms of related bibliogra= > phy I should not miss like books=2C articles=2C papers=2C etc. Any contacts= > you know they are currently working on the following areas: computer usage= > =2C inequalities=2C digital inclusion=2C computer and social interaction an= > d computer versus other electronic devices (like mobile phones) are very we= > lcome. &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B I am currently doing the ethnogra= > phic part of the project so I would be glad to share some initial findings = > with those colleagues interested in. Also=2C I can send my project's abstra= > ct and interview guides for those who may want to have a look at them. &= > gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B Thanks in advance=2C &gt=3B &gt=3B &g= > t=3B &gt=3B Jay Pimentel &gt=3B &gt=3B Masters - Department of Sociology= > &gt=3B &gt=3B University of Sao Paulo &gt=3B &gt=3B jayrpimentel@hot= > mail.com &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B ____________= > _____________________________________________________ &gt=3B &gt=3B Invi= > te your mail contacts to join your friends list with Windows Live Spaces. I= > t's easy! &gt=3B &gt=3B http://spaces.live.com/spacesapi.aspx?wx_action= > =3Dcreate&amp=3Bwx_url=3D/friends.aspx&amp=3Bmkt=3Den-us &gt=3B &gt=3B _= > ______________________________________________ &gt=3B &gt=3B The Air-L@l= > istserv.aoir.org mailing list &gt=3B &gt=3B is provided by the Associati= > on of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org &gt=3B &gt=3B Subscribe=2C ch= > ange options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l= > -aoir.org &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B &gt=3B Join the Association of Inter= > net Researchers: &gt=3B &gt=3B http://www.aoir.org/ &gt=3B &gt=3B= > <hr />Keep your friends updated=97 <a href=3D'http:/= > /www.microsoft.com/middleeast/windows/windowslive/see-it-in-action/social-n= > etwork-basics.aspx?ocid=3DPID23461::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-xm:SI_SB_5:092010' t= > arget=3D'_new'>even when you=92re not signed in.</a></body> > </html>= > > --_77d37216-bb85-4976-9761-8bd2f22b0612_--

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Academic Job Listings in Digital Media
by Kevin Sherman 04 Oct '09

04 Oct '09

Hi there: I was going to hide behind a phrase like, a friend of mine is finishing up his PhD...but figured I might as well come clean. I'm in my final year of PhD work and am looking to apply for academic jobs (both assistant professor/lecturer type positions or post-docs) in Communications, New/Digital Media and other related fields. I know the Chronicle is one place to look for these types of jobs, but are there others? I'm particularly interested in jobs in the US but not exclusively so... Also, thought the answers might be helpful to others on the list...even some of my friends :) Cheers, Kevin

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International Conference on Weblogs and Social Media, 2010: Preliminary Call for Papers
by Sam Gosling 04 Oct '09

04 Oct '09

Hi All, I attach the preliminary announcement for the International Conference on Weblogs and Social Media (ICWSM) to be held in Washington DC in May 2010. This conference should be of interest to anyone doing research on blogs, microblogs (e.g., twitter), and other social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, wikipedia, match, email, eBay, flickr, dopplr, etc.). Up until now social scientists have had only modest representation at the conference. But the organizers are very enthusiastic about including the perspectives offered by social scientists (that's why they invited me to co-chair the program committee). So I urge you to consider presenting your research at the ICWSM this year. If you would like submit a paper or poster please note that the ICWSM uses the model common in the computer sciences where submissions are full papers (up to 8 pages), are subject to peer review, and, if accepted, are printed in full in the conference proceedings where they count as full publications. If you have any questions, please let me know. Best, Sam Gosling, Ph.D. Professor Department of Psychology University of Texas Austin, TX 78701 512-471-1628 samg(a)mail.utexas.edu www.snoopology.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Preliminary Call for Papers Fourth International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media (ICWSM-10) May 23-26, 2010 George Washington University, Washington, DC Sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence Featuring a keynote by Professor Bob Kraut on "Designing Online Communities from Theory" The International Conference on Weblogs and Social Media is a unique venue that brings together researchers from the disciplines of NLP, Social Psychology, Data Mining, Sociology and Visualization to increase our understanding of social media in all its incarnations. Research that blends social science and technology is especially encouraged. The 2010 meeting will be held in Washington DC, where government innovators are experimenting with the use of social media to increase transparency and better engage with the citizenry. The conference will take advantage of this venue to invite leaders from "The Goverati" to share their experiences in the use of social media. The conference brings together researchers working in a number of disciplines with a broad array of social data: DISCIPLINES: - Computational Linguistics/NLP - Text Mining/Data Mining - Psychology - SNA, Sociology - Visualization - HCI - Graph theory, concrete analysis and simulation of graphical models MEDIA: - Weblogs, including comments - Microblogs - Wikis (wikipedia) - Forums, usenet - Community media sites: youtube, flickr TOPICS INCLUDE: - Psychological, personality-based and ethnographic studies of social media - Analyzing the relationship between social media and mainstream media - Centrality/influence of social media publications and authors - Ranking/relevance of blogs; web page ranking based on blogs - Social network analysis; communities identification; expertise and authority discovery; collaborative filtering - Trust; reputation; recommendation systems - Human computer interaction; social media tools; navigation and visualization - Subjectivity in textual data; sentiment analysis; polarity/opinion identification and extraction - Text categorization; topic recognition; demographic/gender/age identification - Trend identification and tracking; time series forecasting; measuring predictability of phenomena based on social media - New social media applications; interfaces; interaction techniques IMPORTANT DATES: Tutorial Proposals: December 1, 2009 Paper Submission: January 8, 2010 Poster/Demo Submission: January 8, 2010 Paper Acceptance: March 3, 2010 Poster/Demo Acceptance: March 3, 2010 Workshop Submission: March 1, 2010 Camera Ready Copies: March 12, 2010 SUBMISSION People interested in participating should submit through the ICWSM-10 website a technical paper (up to 8 pages, not including references), poster or demo description (up to 4 pages) by the deadlines given above (Midnight PST). Papers must be must be formatted in AAAI two-column, camera-ready style (see the AAAI author instructions page at http://www.aaai.org/Publications/Author/author.php) Details for the submission procedure will appear at the conference website: http://icwsm.org SUBMISSIONS TO OTHER CONFERENCES OR JOURNALS ICWSM-10 will not accept any paper that, at the time of submission, is under review for or has already been published or accepted for publication in a journal or conference. This restriction does not apply to submissions for workshops and other venues with a limited audience. REGISTRATION All accepted papers and extended abstracts will be published in the conference proceedings. At least one author must register for the conference by the deadline for camera-ready copy submission. In addition, the registered author must attend the conference to present the paper in person. PUBLICATION All accepted papers and abstracts will be allocated eight (8) pages in the conference proceedings. Authors will be required to transfer copyright of their paper to AAAI. DATA CHALLENGE ICWSM-10 will once again hold a data challenge featuring a freely-available dataset and a half-day workshop at the conference. Details will be posted on the conference website. CONFERENCE WEBSITE www.icwsm.org For general information regarding ICWSM-10, please write to icws...(a)aaai.org. More details about the CFP and the conference will appear on the website over time. ORGANIZERS: Program Chairs: William Cohen, CMU Computer Science Samuel Gosling, U Texas Dept of Psychology General Chair: Marti Hearst, UC Berkeley School of Information Senior Program Committee Members: (Preliminary) Lada Adamic Eugene Agichtein danah boyd Cindy Chung Scott Counts Nicole Ellison Tim Finin Evgeniy Gabrilovich Kristina Lerman Jure Leskovec Winter Mason Gilad Mishne Bo Pang Marc Smith Sam Gosling, Ph.D. Professor Department of Psychology University of Texas Austin, TX 78701 512-471-1628 samg(a)mail.utexas.edu www.snoopology.com

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Re: [Air-L] New Executive Committee
by Nancy Baym 04 Oct '09

04 Oct '09

I want to congratulate the winners and also thank everyone who ran and everyone who is stepping off the executive committee having served their term(s). This association runs on the voluntary efforts of people willing to do the work, and its success (as Jeremy articulated well a few weeks ago) is due to everyone who's been willing to serve, whether in an officially elected capacity or not. It's beyond cool to see this dream child about to have its tenth conference and continuing as it does. We've created some great research ties, many collaborative research projects, a huge amount of friendships, at least a few marriages, and even some babies. I know my life has been enriched in countless ways by this association. THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS! Look forward to seeing you all in Milwaukee, Nancy >

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AoIR 10. Updates
by Elizabeth A. Buchanan 04 Oct '09

04 Oct '09

We're just a few days away...! Just a few updates: 1. The Innovative Online Learning Workshop has been canceled. Participants were contacted individually--but if you were planning to add this workshop at the last minute, please choose another. 2. There are a FEW spots left for the banquet at Harley-Davidson on Saturday night. Register ASAP if you want to be there. We will NOT have tickets available at the door. 3. My contact number from Tuesday on will be 414.614.3266--I will be at the Hilton so you can find me if you need anything. 4. The Hilton was able to add a few additional rooms at the conference rate for the 6, 7, and 8th. Contact them directly. 5. Water park passes will be made available for a very reduced fee, so bring your suits along and have some fun. Charlie Ess promises to do some major slip n' sliding for everyone's enjoyment. Also--Repeating the note sent from Erin, our conference assistant follows: Be sure to come by the Ale House on Wednesday night; it promises to be a great gathering. Looking forward to welcoming you to Milwaukee! e. Hello all conference-goers! This message concerns: -Pre-conference attendees -Twitter information -Going out and socializing with your fellow attendees If any of these apply to you, read on (or rock on, whichever you prefer). Pre-conference information: Workshops will be held in the following locations (buildings and rooms): Hilton: -Doctoral Colloquium: Empire Ballroom -Critical Issues and Perspectives in Internet Research Methods and Ethics: Monarch Ballroom -Mobile Communication In Developing Nations: Will announce shortly. Hefter Center: 3271 N Lake Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53211 Cabs will be arranged to take participants to the University Conference Center (Please discuss with your pre-conference organizer) -Engaging Multidisciplinarity in Sociotechnical Internet Research: A hands-on workshop: Billiard Room -Critical Internet Theory: Dining Room -Education and Research in Second Life: Living Room Twitter Information: For updated information about the conference, subscribe to our Tweet stream at: www.twitter.com/ir10. The hash tag for the conference will be #ir10 if you’d like to follow everyone else’s updates! Getting together before the conference “officially” begins: For those of you arriving Tuesday night, places nearby that we would suggest getting together are the Old German Beer Hall (oldgermanbeerhall.com) or Turner Hall (historicturner.com) On Wednesday night from 7-10pm, we have reserved the downstairs bar area of the Milwaukee Ale House (http://ale-house.com/alehouse/) This is right on the Milwaukee River, about six blocks from the conference hotel. If the weather is nice, they will also allow us to spill out on the deck. There will be three menu options for dinner, all options for appetizers, and they brew their own beer! This will be on your own monetarily, unfortunately – and will be a cash only event. We REALLY hope to see a lot of you there! It will be a really great informal way of breaking the ice before we all have to pretend to be professional. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me (Erin) at 612-701-3714 or Elizabeth at 414-614-3266 (but preferably before 5pm US central time) – or email ehvizdak(a)uwm.edu. Thanks everyone, looking forward to next week!! Erin Hvizdak

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New Executive Committee
by Charles Ess 04 Oct '09

04 Oct '09

Dear AoIR-ists, As our bylaws state, ordinarily the new Executive Committee is announced following the Annual General Meeting of the annual Internet Research / AoIR conference. This year, however, the AGM is scheduled for just prior to the conference dinner, meaning that the new Executive Committee will have to meet prior to the AGM (we don't want them to miss the dinner!). Accordingly, I'm pleased to announce the new Executive Committee (2009-2011) in this forum: Vice-President Alex Halavais Secretary Catherine Middleton Treasurer Michael Zimmer Graduate Student Representative Gordon Carlson Open Seat Representatives Elizabeth Buchanan Suely Fragoso Ted Coopman I'm sure you're join me in congratulating your colleagues on the new Executive Committee, along with expressing heartiest thanks to all who ran for their willingness to support AoIR and its work in these ways. Hope to see you all in Milwaukee! Safe travels to those who can make the journey - - charles President, AoIR Professor MSO, Institut for Informations- og Medievidenskab Helsingforsgade 14 8200 Århus N. Denmark mail: <imvce(a)hum.au.dk> tel: (+45) 8942 9250 Distinguished Research Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies Drury University, Springfield, Missouri 65802 USA Exemplary persons seek harmony, not sameness. -- Analects 13.23

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New (and old) media at work
by Barry Wellman 02 Oct '09

02 Oct '09

For a book that I am co-authoring, Wenhong Chen, Anna Brady and I are gathering research literature (and good lit reviews) about the use of new media (ICTs, cellphones) at work. SOme comparisons to old media -- face to face, landline phone, letters -- would be useful too. This is not my area of expertise, so I apologize if you know the obvious and I don't. We're interested in three categories: a. communication within an organization (such as Anabel Quan-Haase and I did in our hyperconnected networks paper). Including distributed work (and yes we know about the Bailey, etc book) b. communication between organizations c. communication while at work with friends, family, etc. (probably the hardest to find). To save space, could you send all responses to my associate Anna Brady ( anna.brady(a)utoronto.ca ). We'll collate and post in a few weeks. For this, much thanks. Barry Wellman _______________________________________________________________________ S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director Department of Sociology 725 Spadina Avenue, Room 388 University of Toronto Toronto Canada M5S 2J4 twitter:barrywellman http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-3963 Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php _______________________________________________________________________

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looking for roommate(s) for AoIR 10
by Lauren Cruikshank 02 Oct '09

02 Oct '09

Hi all, After a cancellation this week, I'm adding my request for one or possibly two female roommates (non-smoking) for the conference to this list. I have a room reserved in the conference hotel with both an extra double bed and a cot available, checking in on the 7th and checking out on the 11th. Please contact me offlist at lrc(a)yorku.ca if you need a spot to sleep! Thanks and looking forward to it, Lauren ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lauren Cruikshank Media, Communication and Culture York University, Toronto, Canada. lrc(a)yorku.ca European Graduate School, Saas-Fee, Switzerland. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Invitation to connect on LinkedIn
by Alex Randall 01 Oct '09

01 Oct '09

LinkedIn ------------ Alex Randall requested to add you as a connection on LinkedIn: ------------------------------------------ Cristina, I am expanding my Linkedin network. If you are already part of Linkedin, consider linking to me. If not, please do not feel like I am pressing you to join this. This is not a solicitation or a push. If you think this is stupid, maybe you're right. Accept invitation from Alex Randall http://www.linkedin.com/e/YtWwTimNwHQ3MlNSWtgG6tiAwDFl0wYTf3do/blk/I1476778… View invitation from Alex Randall http://www.linkedin.com/e/YtWwTimNwHQ3MlNSWtgG6tiAwDFl0wYTf3do/blk/I1476778… ------------------------------------------ DID YOU KNOW your LinkedIn profile helps you control your public image when people search for you? Setting your profile as public means your LinkedIn profile will come up when people enter your name in leading search engines. Take control of your image! http://www.linkedin.com/e/ewp/inv-22/ ------ (c) 2009, LinkedIn Corporation

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Vooks = Text+Video+Etc. > Coming To An iPhone Near You ...
by McKiernan, Gerard [LIB] 01 Oct '09

01 Oct '09

Colleagues/ >>>As I Noted On More Than One Occasion > We Are MultiModal Social Creatures<<< Think About The Possibilities For Information Literacy / Museum Education / Reference Works / YouNameIt /Gerry Curling Up With Hybrid Books, Videos Included / MOTOKO RICH / NYTimes / October 1 2009 For more than 500 years the book has been a remarkably stable entity: a coherent string of connected words, printed on paper and bound between covers. But in the age of the iPhone, Kindle and YouTube, the notion of the book is becoming increasingly elastic as publishers mash together text, video and Web features in a scramble to keep readers interested in an archaic form of entertainment. On Thursday, for instance, Simon & Schuster, the publisher of Ernest Hemingway and Stephen King, is working with a multimedia partner to release four "vooks," which intersperse videos throughout electronic text that can be read - and viewed - online or on an iPhone or iPod Touch. And in early September Anthony E. Zuiker, ... released "Level 26: Dark Origins," a novel - published on paper, as an e-book and in an audio version - in which readers are invited to log on to a Web site to watch brief videos that flesh out the plot. Some publishers say this kind of multimedia hybrid is necessary to lure modern readers who crave something different. But reading experts question whether fiddling with the parameters of books ultimately degrades the act of reading. [snip] The new hybrids add much more. In one of the Simon & Schuster vooks, a fitness and diet title, readers can click on videos that show them how to perform the exercises. A beauty book contains videos that demonstrate how to make homemade skin-care potions. Not just how-tos are getting the cinematic work-up. Simon & Schuster is also releasing two digital novels combining text with videos a minute or 90 seconds long that supplement - and in some cases advance - the story line. "Everybody is trying to think about how books and information will best be put together in the 21st century," said Judith Curr, publisher of Atria Books, the Simon & Schuster imprint that is releasing the electronic editions in partnership with Vook, a multimedia company. She added, "You can't just be linear anymore with your text." In some cases, social-networking technologies enable conversations among readers that will influence how books are written. The children's division of HarperCollins recently released the first in a young-adult mystery series called "The Amanda Project," and has invited readers to discuss clues and characters on a Web site. As the series continues, some of the reader comments may be incorporated into minor characters or subplots. [snip] Some authors believe the new technologies can enrich books. For his history of street songs in 18th-century France, Robert Darnton, director of the Harvard University Library, will include links to recordings of the actual tunes. [snip] Links To Full Text And Article Links And Added Link Available At [ http://tinyurl.com/ybyao2f ] /Gerry Gerry McKiernan Associate Professor Science and Technology Librarian Iowa State University Library Ames IA 50011 gerrymck(a)iastate.edu There Are No Answers, Only Solutions / Olde Irish Saying The Future Is Already Here, It's Just Not Evenly Distributed Attributed To William Gibson, SciFi Author / Coined 'Cyberspace

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