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Talk/debate announcement: "the Web as complex system" (in french)
by Stéphane Raux 21 May '09

21 May '09

Sorry for the french announcement... La 3ème conférence-débat du cycle "Web Sciences" aura lieu à La Cantine Mercredi 27 Mai ( 19h-21h) sur le thème « Le Web comme système complexe : une auto-organisation contrôlable ? » avec René DOURSAT, Directeur de l'Institut des Systèmes Complexes Paris-Ile de France (ISC-PIF), David CHAVALARIAS, Informaticien et docteur en Sciences Cognitives, chercheur a l’ISC et Jean-Marie CHAUVET, directeur associé de la société de capital-risque LC Capital. Après une introduction à la science des systèmes complexes, illustrée d’exemples concrets, René Doursat et David Chavalarias nous montreront comment l’étude du Web comme système complexe permet d’en comprendre et mieux modéliser l’évolution, entre spontanéité et contrôle. Jean-Marie Chauvet nous expliquera aussi pourquoi, sur le plan industriel, une approche « systèmes complexes » peut devenir un instrument essentiel dans le succès du développement de l’économie du Web, tant du point de vue de l’ingénierie que des business models. Le Web, système complexe, agit comme un miroir qui permet de nous voir nous-mêmes comme société. Quel impact a cette image réflexive sur notre façon de vivre ? Peut-on influencer son évolution ? La 4ème conférence-débat de ce cyle se tiendra la 29 Juin, toujours a La Cantine, sur le thème « Web et Médecine de demain » avec Dominique Dupagne (médecin, fondateur du site atoute.org, un des principaux forums médicaux français) et Cécile Méadel , sociologue au Centre de sociologie de l'innovation ( Mines ParisTech). Vous trouverez un résumé plus détaillé en pièce jointe, la conférence sera diffusée en direct sur Internet. Cordialement, Stéphane Raux

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Call for Papers: ELS-2009!
by g.akmayeva＠icitst.org 21 May '09

21 May '09

Apologies for cross-postings. Please send this Call for Papers to your colleagues, faculty members and postgraduate students. Thanks! Workshop on E-Learning Security (ELS-2009) in conjunction with The 4th International Conference for Internet Technology and Secured Transactions (ICITST-2009) Technical Co-Sponsored by IEEE UK/RI Communication Section November 9-12, 2009, London, UK (www.icitst.org) Objectives The aim of the ELS-2009 Workshop is to bring together researchers and practitioners interested in E-Learning Security and to discuss the latest advanced technologies in this area. This workshop is expected to stimulate discussions about the future development of appropriate models, methods, and tools for building E-Learning Security. Topics of Interest include but are not limited to: • Security and Privacy in E-Learning • Security Issues on E-Learning Assessments • E-Learning Security Auditing • Biometrics in E-Learning • Secure E-Learning Development and Application • Digital Rights Management (DRM) for E-Learning • Emerging E-Learning Markets Important Dates Paper Submission Deadline: June 30, 2009 Notification of Paper Acceptance/Rejection: July 31, 2009 Camera Ready Paper Due: September 1, 2009 Conference Dates: November 9-12, 2009 Paper Submission The style file and templates is available at Paper Submission. Please submit your full paper(s) in PDF format via email to els-2009(a)icitst.org For more details, visit www.icitst.org/Workshops.html

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FINAL REMINDER [CFP | deadline: February, 1 2009] 9th International Conference of Sociocybernetics
by Fabio Giglietto 21 May '09

21 May '09

9TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SOCIOCYBERNETICS 'MODERNITY 2.0': EMERGING SOCIAL MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR IMPACTS URBINO, ITALY 29 JUNE - 5 JULY 2009 CALL FOR PAPERS In recent years, the Internet and other information and communication technologies have had great impacts on almost all aspects of human life, locally and globally. The extant of these impacts can be seen in the ubiquity of the use of the prefix 'e-', as in e-commerce, e-business, e-government, e-democracy, e-science, e-learning, e-entertainment and so on. Thanks to the cheaper prices and ease of use of these technologies, more and more people are able to access digital contents, as part of a mass audience, and more and more people are able to create and publish content off their own initiative. The Web has moved from being a one-way communication channel extending traditional media, to a complex "peer-to-peer" communication space with a blurred author/audience distinction and new ways to create, share and use knowledge in a social way. This establishes new global fora, started by a few, and sustained by millions of local acts. This change of paradigm is currently profoundly transforming most areas of our lives: our interactions with other people, our relationships, ways of gathering, creating and disseminating information, ways of developing social norms, opinions, attitudes and even legal aspects as well as ways of working and doing business. It also raises a strong need for theoretical, empirical and applied studies related to how people may interact on the Web, how they actually do so and what new possibilities and challenges are emerging in the individual, business and technology dimensions. It is not the first time in the history of social media that a new technology becomes suddenly available to a wider group of people due to a specific social, economical and historical context. The last time something similar happened, the availability and diffusion of the printing press, according to many authors, the opportunities for the rise of modern society emerged. We are probably facing a similar new extraordinary change that we can barely describe today. According to the law of accelerated return identified by Ray Kurzweil, this change is taking place at a much faster speed than before. This is a major challenge for social science in a world where 'internet time' now runs at a clock speed several orders of magnitude faster than that of academic research. In order to explore these possibilities and tackle the challenges, a more interdisciplinary scientific approach is required. The visionary founding fathers of cybernetics and systems theory urged for this new vision of the sciences as soon as they started working on teleological machines interacting with human beings during the Second World War. Not surprisingly, today, Sir Tim Berners Lee (the inventor of the World Wide Web) is developing a vision for new field of interdisciplinary study called Web Science. The goal of this conference is therefore to bring researchers and practitioners together to explore within a sociocybernetic approach the issues and challenges related to social aspects of the new communication technologies and especially the Web. Possible topics should include, but are not limited to: * Local issues with respect to a particular geographical region, political entity or cultural or ethnic group; * Global issues affecting all mankind in the 21st century; * Emerging technologies and the link between the micro and macro levels of individual actors and social institutions, respectively; * Social systems and economic models of the web; * Y Generation and participation on the web (politics, business and entertainment); * Culture, knowledge and social impact of the Semantic web; * e-Social Science; * Cyberculture, knowledge and local communities; * Teaching the digital natives in networked space; * The public/private distinction on the Internet; * Cybernetics and Web Science; * Social capital in social network sites (SNSs). Papers with a strong sociocybernetic orientation addressing other topics (conceptual, methodological, practical) are also welcomed ABSTRACTS AND THE REVIEW PROCESS Please submit a 500 to 1000 word detailed abstract for the review process and for assignment to a particular session. In addition, 250 word regular abstracts are needed for the Conference Programme and Abstracts booklet and for publication on the RC51 website. All abstracts should be sent to the Chair of the Abstracts Committee, Michael Paetau via the online abstract submission form: http://larica-virtual.soc.uniurb.it/rc51/call/abstract-submission/. DEADLINES * February, 1 2009: 500-1000 word detailed abstracts * March, 1, 2009: Notification of acceptance * May, 3, 2009: 250 word regular abstracts * May, 24, 2009: Registration * June, 14, 2009: Full paper SESSION AND LANGUAGES The official language of the conference will be English. VENUE AND ACCOMMODATION The 9th International Conference of Sociocybernetics will take place in the Faculty of Sociology of University of Urbino "Carlo Bo". More info: http://larica-virtual.soc.uniurb.it/rc51/logistics/. CONTACTS AND INFORMATION Official conference website: http://larica-virtual.soc.uniurb.it/rc51/. For any further questions and information, please consult the RC51 website at http://www.unizar.es/sociocybernetics/. You may also directly contact any of the members of the International Organizing Committee or the Coordinator of the National Organizing Committee. Please forward the Call for Papers to your friends and colleagues who may be interested in attending the conference.

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Visiting Instructor or Visiting Assistant Professor, Television & Cultural Studies
by Denise N. Rall 20 May '09

20 May '09

Apologies for cross-listing Visiting Instructor or Visiting Assistant Professor, Television and Cultural Studies. The Department of Film, Television, and Theatre at the University of Notre Dame invites applications for a one-year position to teach two undergraduate courses each semester of the 2009-10 academic year. The appointment would be Visiting Instructor for ABD and Visiting Assistant Professor for those with the Ph.D. The course History of Television (enrollment about 25-30) will be offered each semester. In Fall 2009, an upper-level course, Contemporary Television Genres, will be offered (enrollment 16). In Spring 2010, an upper-level elective will be offered, with the topic to be developed by the instructor in collaboration with the Television faculty. The Fall semester is August 25-December 21; Spring is January 12-May 10. These classes are taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The University of Notre Dame is in South Bend, Indiana, 90 miles east of Chicago. There is limited commuter train service between Millennium Park in Chicago to the South Bend airport, from which one takes a taxi to campus. To apply, please submit a cover letter, CV and the e-mail addresses of three references. The Ph.D. in television studies (broadly defined) should be in hand or in progress. Previous teaching experience is desirable, so in the letter, please describe the courses taught, class size and level. The course for the second- semester elective should be proposed. The University of Notre Dame actively invites women and members of under-represented groups to apply. Please send materials by e-mail to: Ms. Jackie Wyatt, Administrative Assistant jwyatt1(a)nd.edu <mailto:jwyatt1@nd.edu> The search will remain open until the position is filled. Denise N. Rall, PhD. Special Projects, Faculty of Arts & Science, Southern Cross University, Lismore NSW 2480 AUSTRALIA Mobile +(61) (0)438 233 344 http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/esm/staff/pages/drall/ Join the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Internet Research 10.0, October 7-11, Milwaukee, WI, USA --- On Sat, 16/5/09, Barry Wellman <wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca> wrote: > From: Barry Wellman <wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca> > Subject: [Air-L] social networks connect more than people > To: "aoir list" <air-l(a)aoir.org> > Cc: "danah boyd" <gaia(a)danah.org> > Received: Saturday, 16 May, 2009, 10:43 AM > One expansion of danah's def. of > social networks. She (and Nicole) talk > about them as links between people. > > But as commonly used in the social network analysis > literature, they can > also be links between organizations (like Microsoft > Research and > Berkeley), states (like USA and Saudi Arabia), etc. In > other words, the > level doesn't have to be interpersonal, although most > research is done at > the interpersonal level. > > Barry Wellman > Founder, International Network for Social Network Analysis > (1977) > > _______________________________________________________________________ > > 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 > > _______________________________________________________________________ > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/ > Need a Holiday? Win a $10,000 Holiday of your choice. Enter now.http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylc=X3oDMTJxN2x2ZmNpBF9zAzIwMjM2MTY2MTMEdG1fZG…

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Re: [Air-L] Message 3: Multi-modal communications comparisons? Air-L Digest, Vol 58, Issue 27
by toyerr＠unlv.nevada.edu 20 May '09

20 May '09

Re: Multi-modal communications comparisons? Chris My name is Rachel and I am a grad student at UNLV, my area of research is tending towards CMC and more specifically looking closely at privacy concerns and admitted self-disclosure within CMC forums. As for user expectations I am looking to online dating circuits to help me determine when and how users disclose information, or if they are generally distrusting of the concept. I'm not totally affluent yet, but I am very interested in CMC and was captured by your email. I would be happy to exchange ideas. Quoting air-l-request(a)listserv.aoir.org: > Send Air-L mailing list submissions to > air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > air-l-request(a)listserv.aoir.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > air-l-owner(a)listserv.aoir.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Air-L digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Submissions for mGovernment. mDevelopment and mSociety > Conferences (Prof. I Kushchu) > 2. CfP: Making Links 2009 - Sustaining Communities in Tough > Times (Marcus Foth) > 3. Multi-modal communications comparisons? (c-soc-aoir(a)dagnon.net) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 20 May 2009 00:45:33 +0100 > From: "Prof. I Kushchu" <ik(a)mgovernment.org> > Subject: [Air-L] Submissions for mGovernment. mDevelopment and > mSociety Conferences > To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > Message-ID: <E405214A-6679-47B9-BB9E-3BC651D4A48C(a)mgovernment.org> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes > > > Dear Colleagues, > > Submission deadline to Mobile Life 2009 conferences is approaching > fast. The organization committee is looking for > > -- research submissions, > -- practice talk proposals, and proposals for special sessions, > workshop and tutorials > -- demos of mobile devices, content, applications and services as > well as posters and company showcases. > > Online submissions are now open. > > An early draft program is also posted: > > -- 6 plenary talks > -- 27 separate sessions > -- 3 interaction sessions for demos and exhibitions > > Please see the brief info below and visit the conferences web site for > more www.m4life.org > > Looking forward to your research submissions... > > Cheers > Kushchu > --------------- > > mLife 2009: Three Conferences and Exhibitions > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > 2 - 3 - 4 September 2009, Barcelona, Spain, > Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > http://www.m4life.org conf(a)mlife.org > > -- mSOCIETY 2009: The 2nd International Conference on Mobile Society > -- EURO mGOV 2009: The 4th European Conference on Mobile Government > -- mDEVELOPMENT 2009: The 1st Int. Conference on Mobile Development > > Practice talk proposals :as soon as possible > Research Paper Submission dead line : 10th of June 2009 > > mLife conference and exhibitions are prime events for all > organizations and professionals who would like to monitor, take part > in, and shape the development of the social impact of the mobile > revolution. They provide opportunities to businesses, public sector > organizations and researchers to explore the frontiers of the social > mobile revolution and be informed about cutting edge applications, > services, > > Covering all aspects of mobile business, mobile society, m/e- > government and mDevelopment. mLife Organisation invites research, > practice and policy presentations; exhibitions and demos; tutorials > and special sessions. > > For more on submissions please visit: http://www.m4life.org > > > ------- > IBRAHIM KUSHCHU, MBA, MSC., PHD > Associate Professor and Founding Director, > Mobile Government Consortium International, UK > http://www.mgovernment.org > ik(a)mgovernment.org > +44 1273 777853 > > ------- > IBRAHIM KUSHCHU, MBA, MSC., PHD > Associate Professor and Founding Director, > Mobile Government Consortium International, UK > http://www.mgovernment.org > ik(a)mgovernment.org > +44 1273 777853 > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Wed, 20 May 2009 18:41:57 +1000 > From: Marcus Foth <m.foth(a)qut.edu.au> > Subject: [Air-L] CfP: Making Links 2009 - Sustaining Communities in > Tough Times > To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > Message-ID: <250C8FF1-C769-43C8-BC9C-EB7453046D8B(a)qut.edu.au> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed; > delsp=yes > > MAKING LINKS 2009 > > Sustaining Communities in Tough Times > > 17 - 18 November 2009 > University of Melbourne > > http://www.makinglinks.org.au/ > > Call for papers > > Two major challenges face the world today: the global economic crisis > and environmental sustainability. > Both are already having an impact on peoples? lives and livelihoods. > Community organisations have already expressed concern that the most > vulnerable in our societies will be hardest hit. > > Community organisations also face the challenge of keeping their > operations going in tough financial times, and at the same time trying > to be part of the environmental solution, rather than part of the > problem. > > Making Links Conference 2009 asks: how are non-profit organisations > meeting these twin challenges? > > We are seeking presentations that address issues such as: > > ? Technology as a tool to improve communication, increase > productivity and retain staff > ? Disaster response / management / relief > ? Financing your organisation and its programs in tight economic times > ? Engaging with communities online > ? Green ICT projects (from recycling computers to green design to > green office to campaigning and more) > ? Corporate social responsibility - building partnerships to support > our communities > ? Strengthening marginalised communities and constituencies > ? Research supporting action > ? The rapidly changing interface of online communication > ? Community arts and media > > Making Links is a peer-based conference. We invite you to present a > paper on your learning and experiences with ICT, your projects, case > studies or research, or lead a practical workshop that introduces > useful tools and concepts. > > The structure of the conference will be based on: > > ? Case studies > ? Practical workshops > ? Panel discussions > ? Networking opportunities > ? Film festival > ? Social and satellite events > > Submit a proposal online at: > http://www.makinglinks.org.au/papers.shtml > > Who should attend? > > The conference attracts delegates and presenters from many fields > including health, environment, education, charities, business, > government, philanthropy, human services and non-profits working with > marginalised groups (e.g. e.g. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, > culturally and linguistically diverse, youth at risk, unemployed, > rural and remote, disability). > > Registrations open 10 June. > > Keep up to date > > To keep in touch, sign up for Making Links updates at > http://www.makinglinks.org.au/ > and join our Facebook group to find out what's going on, contribute > ideas, etc., at: > > http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7075421142 > > > > > -- > Dr Marcus Foth > Senior Research Fellow > > Institute for Creative Industries and Innovation > Queensland University of Technology (CRICOS No. 00213J) > Victoria Park Rd, Brisbane QLD 4059, Australia > Phone +61 7 313 x88772 - Fax x88238 - Office K506, KG > m.foth(a)qut.edu.au - http://www.urbaninformatics.net/ > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Wed, 20 May 2009 06:55:21 -0700 (PDT) > From: c-soc-aoir(a)dagnon.net > Subject: [Air-L] Multi-modal communications comparisons? > To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > Message-ID: > <941315a149a5eb64ea0f556493dffd6d.squirrel(a)webmail.dagnon.net> > Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 > > Hello all, > > This is my first foray into publicly attempting to ask this question, so > please bear with my wandering hither and yon. > > > I would like to provide new and/or differing communication mechanisms > through the Internet, though I realize that I should really know how and > why and by whom current mechanisms are being utilized in order to have a > chance at coming up with more useful tools. However simply comparing and > contrasting existing modalities seems like a herculean effort. > > Do such comparisons exist? The few things Google has lead me to are > pretty limited in scope either in modalities covered, aspects being > compared, or the details of comparing them. I would like comparisons > including but not limited to CMC. Preferably it would compare > communication mediums or processes including face-to-face, postal mail, > phone, cell, texting, web cams, MUDs/MOOs/MMOGs, bulletin boards (physical > and digital), ad-hoc meetings, conferences, and possibly anything else > from hieroglyphs, papyrus scrolls, and sign language to websites, wikis, > blogs, forums, and tweets. > > In particular I would love to see comparisons (whether backed up by > statistics, surveys, or at least well-reasoned and explained arguments) of > many aspects though at the moment users' expectations about the other > users' usage patterns seems key as, aside from the technology's interface > and reliability the other person/people seem like the largest hurdle to a > good user experience. For example: I am emailing this to the listserv, > hoping for some well reasoned questions, constructive criticisms on the > topic/question/examples, and suggested (freely available) readings to help > me on my way as I'm making this request in honest earnestness, yet this > message carries only some if any of that to you. I've considered > facilitating explicit definitions of the expected content and timing > responses included with a communication, though lack of a mechanism or > awareness to define them may not be the reason they're left implicit > within the communication streams. > > Also simply the differences in usage patterns varies drastically: some > people almost never use a phone of any kind, others flow freely between > calling, texting, photos, video, and emailing from their cells. However > people can carry heavy- or no-expectations of getting a response > instantaneously. And the toll of having/not having all those (implicit) > expectations met (dependency, anger, ?). > > Other interesting aspects may include: any measurements or classifications > comparing informativeness, expressiveness, understandability, immediacy, > reliability, accuracy, interactiveness, ease-of-use, ease-of-adoption, > circles of popularity, moderation (self, peer, superior, IT, corporate, > law/gov't, morality), fail over, redundancy, etc. Still the differences > between sender and receiver (and if/how those are negotiated or > negotiable), side effects of the modality or other influences including > business or cultural (eg. cell phones are much more popular in Israel > because they're cheaper than in the U.S.) including new cultural effects > or sub-cultures, and how much the communication itself is shaped by the > medium or process seem like significant realms needing at least > summarization if not exploration. > > Are the best (communication) technologies the ones you don't realize are > there? Or the ones that call for your attention every minute? > > Bonus points for including different historical versions of the same > modality within the comparison (eg. initial telephones required > human-operators to connect calls, vs voice-operated cellphones). Lastly > may be cause-and-effect of imposed limitations after the initial > technological pushes: many large companies now forbid any social > networking at work and any critical messages ever, DMCA/other take down > notices for BitTorrent sites, YouTube videos, and company-criticizing > websites, the DMCA itself, electronic spam, many networking ports have > been shut down by organizations because they're additional attack vectors > for security breeches - resulting in most programs working over port 80, > DTV signals are more fragile than analog signals so they cause more > outages vs degradation, and President Obama needing permission (and > security hardening) to have a Blackberry... > > > Is that too much to ask? 8) > > > Highly curious, hoping I don't have to do all this work myself, and > willing to carry on this conversation in other modalities. > > Chris Dagnon > Collaborative Communication, LLC > Madison, WI U.S.A. > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > 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/ > > End of Air-L Digest, Vol 58, Issue 27 > ************************************* >

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Exemplar Professional Online Social Networks ?
by McKiernan, Gerard [LIB] 20 May '09

20 May '09

Colleagues/ After my return from Ireland, where I will deliver four (4) keynote presentations titled _The Paradigms They Are A-Changin' > The Future Of Research And Scholarship: Open / Semantic / Social / Mobile_ [ http://scholarship20.blogspot.com/2009/05/paradigms-they-are-changin-ope n.html ], I will travel to Macon, Georgia to give the keynote at _InSite 2009: Information Science + IT Education Joint Conference_ On June 12 2009 ************************************* TITLE > InSITE-Connect: A Model for Dynamic Interdisciplinary Interaction ABSTRACT > As prominently stated on its homepage, the Informing Science Institute is "an organization of colleagues helping colleagues ... [that] draw[s] together people ... who teach, research, and use information technologies to inform clients ... [and who] share their knowledge with others," regardless of [their respective] disciplines." While its meetings and publications provide opportunities to communicate, current and emerging online technologies have the potential of facilitating greater collaboration between and among scholars and their publics, regardless of location, time, or academic focus. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of select online professional and social networks, and describe the features and functionalities that can foster more dynamic interaction within the diverse InSITE communities. The presentation will conclude with a demonstration of a proposed online professional network. ************************************** I Am Greatly Interested In Learning Of Exemplar Professional / Organizational / Society Social Networks Sites To Profile In This Presentation. IMHO One Of The Best Exemplar Professional Online Social Networks Is The Recently Established Ning-Based _Conversants Conference/Conversation_ That Is Devoted To Participatory Librarianship. Please submit your recommendation as a Comment on the blog entry at [ http://tinyurl.com/qpfsk6 ] BTW: Links To The InSite 2009 conference program / etc. are available from the blog entry. Thanks! /Gerry Gerry McKiernan Associate Professor Science and Technology Librarian Iowa State University Library Ames IA 50011 gerrymck(a)iastate.edu There is Nothing More Powerful Than An Idea Whose Time Has Come / Victor Hugo [ http://www.blogger.com/profile/09093368136660604490 ] Iowa: Where the Tall Corn Flows and the (North)West Wind Blows [ http://alternativeenergyblogs.blogspot.com/ ]

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Multi-modal communications comparisons?
by c-soc-aoir＠dagnon.net 20 May '09

20 May '09

Hello all, This is my first foray into publicly attempting to ask this question, so please bear with my wandering hither and yon. I would like to provide new and/or differing communication mechanisms through the Internet, though I realize that I should really know how and why and by whom current mechanisms are being utilized in order to have a chance at coming up with more useful tools. However simply comparing and contrasting existing modalities seems like a herculean effort. Do such comparisons exist? The few things Google has lead me to are pretty limited in scope either in modalities covered, aspects being compared, or the details of comparing them. I would like comparisons including but not limited to CMC. Preferably it would compare communication mediums or processes including face-to-face, postal mail, phone, cell, texting, web cams, MUDs/MOOs/MMOGs, bulletin boards (physical and digital), ad-hoc meetings, conferences, and possibly anything else from hieroglyphs, papyrus scrolls, and sign language to websites, wikis, blogs, forums, and tweets. In particular I would love to see comparisons (whether backed up by statistics, surveys, or at least well-reasoned and explained arguments) of many aspects though at the moment users' expectations about the other users' usage patterns seems key as, aside from the technology's interface and reliability the other person/people seem like the largest hurdle to a good user experience. For example: I am emailing this to the listserv, hoping for some well reasoned questions, constructive criticisms on the topic/question/examples, and suggested (freely available) readings to help me on my way as I'm making this request in honest earnestness, yet this message carries only some if any of that to you. I've considered facilitating explicit definitions of the expected content and timing responses included with a communication, though lack of a mechanism or awareness to define them may not be the reason they're left implicit within the communication streams. Also simply the differences in usage patterns varies drastically: some people almost never use a phone of any kind, others flow freely between calling, texting, photos, video, and emailing from their cells. However people can carry heavy- or no-expectations of getting a response instantaneously. And the toll of having/not having all those (implicit) expectations met (dependency, anger, ?). Other interesting aspects may include: any measurements or classifications comparing informativeness, expressiveness, understandability, immediacy, reliability, accuracy, interactiveness, ease-of-use, ease-of-adoption, circles of popularity, moderation (self, peer, superior, IT, corporate, law/gov't, morality), fail over, redundancy, etc. Still the differences between sender and receiver (and if/how those are negotiated or negotiable), side effects of the modality or other influences including business or cultural (eg. cell phones are much more popular in Israel because they're cheaper than in the U.S.) including new cultural effects or sub-cultures, and how much the communication itself is shaped by the medium or process seem like significant realms needing at least summarization if not exploration. Are the best (communication) technologies the ones you don't realize are there? Or the ones that call for your attention every minute? Bonus points for including different historical versions of the same modality within the comparison (eg. initial telephones required human-operators to connect calls, vs voice-operated cellphones). Lastly may be cause-and-effect of imposed limitations after the initial technological pushes: many large companies now forbid any social networking at work and any critical messages ever, DMCA/other take down notices for BitTorrent sites, YouTube videos, and company-criticizing websites, the DMCA itself, electronic spam, many networking ports have been shut down by organizations because they're additional attack vectors for security breeches - resulting in most programs working over port 80, DTV signals are more fragile than analog signals so they cause more outages vs degradation, and President Obama needing permission (and security hardening) to have a Blackberry... Is that too much to ask? 8) Highly curious, hoping I don't have to do all this work myself, and willing to carry on this conversation in other modalities. Chris Dagnon Collaborative Communication, LLC Madison, WI U.S.A.

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CfP: Making Links 2009 - Sustaining Communities in Tough Times
by Marcus Foth 20 May '09

20 May '09

MAKING LINKS 2009 Sustaining Communities in Tough Times 17 - 18 November 2009 University of Melbourne http://www.makinglinks.org.au/ Call for papers Two major challenges face the world today: the global economic crisis and environmental sustainability. Both are already having an impact on peoples’ lives and livelihoods. Community organisations have already expressed concern that the most vulnerable in our societies will be hardest hit. Community organisations also face the challenge of keeping their operations going in tough financial times, and at the same time trying to be part of the environmental solution, rather than part of the problem. Making Links Conference 2009 asks: how are non-profit organisations meeting these twin challenges? We are seeking presentations that address issues such as: • Technology as a tool to improve communication, increase productivity and retain staff • Disaster response / management / relief • Financing your organisation and its programs in tight economic times • Engaging with communities online • Green ICT projects (from recycling computers to green design to green office to campaigning and more) • Corporate social responsibility - building partnerships to support our communities • Strengthening marginalised communities and constituencies • Research supporting action • The rapidly changing interface of online communication • Community arts and media Making Links is a peer-based conference. We invite you to present a paper on your learning and experiences with ICT, your projects, case studies or research, or lead a practical workshop that introduces useful tools and concepts. The structure of the conference will be based on: • Case studies • Practical workshops • Panel discussions • Networking opportunities • Film festival • Social and satellite events Submit a proposal online at: http://www.makinglinks.org.au/papers.shtml Who should attend? The conference attracts delegates and presenters from many fields including health, environment, education, charities, business, government, philanthropy, human services and non-profits working with marginalised groups (e.g. e.g. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally and linguistically diverse, youth at risk, unemployed, rural and remote, disability). Registrations open 10 June. Keep up to date To keep in touch, sign up for Making Links updates at http://www.makinglinks.org.au/ and join our Facebook group to find out what's going on, contribute ideas, etc., at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7075421142 -- Dr Marcus Foth Senior Research Fellow Institute for Creative Industries and Innovation Queensland University of Technology (CRICOS No. 00213J) Victoria Park Rd, Brisbane QLD 4059, Australia Phone +61 7 313 x88772 - Fax x88238 - Office K506, KG m.foth(a)qut.edu.au - http://www.urbaninformatics.net/

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Submissions for mGovernment. mDevelopment and mSociety Conferences
by Prof. I Kushchu 19 May '09

19 May '09

Dear Colleagues, Submission deadline to Mobile Life 2009 conferences is approaching fast. The organization committee is looking for -- research submissions, -- practice talk proposals, and proposals for special sessions, workshop and tutorials -- demos of mobile devices, content, applications and services as well as posters and company showcases. Online submissions are now open. An early draft program is also posted: -- 6 plenary talks -- 27 separate sessions -- 3 interaction sessions for demos and exhibitions Please see the brief info below and visit the conferences web site for more www.m4life.org Looking forward to your research submissions... Cheers Kushchu --------------- mLife 2009: Three Conferences and Exhibitions ----------------------------------------------------------------- 2 - 3 - 4 September 2009, Barcelona, Spain, Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona ----------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.m4life.org conf(a)mlife.org -- mSOCIETY 2009: The 2nd International Conference on Mobile Society -- EURO mGOV 2009: The 4th European Conference on Mobile Government -- mDEVELOPMENT 2009: The 1st Int. Conference on Mobile Development Practice talk proposals :as soon as possible Research Paper Submission dead line : 10th of June 2009 mLife conference and exhibitions are prime events for all organizations and professionals who would like to monitor, take part in, and shape the development of the social impact of the mobile revolution. They provide opportunities to businesses, public sector organizations and researchers to explore the frontiers of the social mobile revolution and be informed about cutting edge applications, services, Covering all aspects of mobile business, mobile society, m/e- government and mDevelopment. mLife Organisation invites research, practice and policy presentations; exhibitions and demos; tutorials and special sessions. For more on submissions please visit: http://www.m4life.org ------- IBRAHIM KUSHCHU, MBA, MSC., PHD Associate Professor and Founding Director, Mobile Government Consortium International, UK http://www.mgovernment.org ik(a)mgovernment.org +44 1273 777853 ------- IBRAHIM KUSHCHU, MBA, MSC., PHD Associate Professor and Founding Director, Mobile Government Consortium International, UK http://www.mgovernment.org ik(a)mgovernment.org +44 1273 777853

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Julian Dibbell to Speak in 2009 Steve Jones Internet Research Lecture
by Sarina Chen 19 May '09

19 May '09

Julian Dibbell, author of Play Money: or, How I Quit My Day Job and Made Millions Trading Virtual Loot (Basic, 2006), and My Tiny Life: Crime and Passion in a Virtual World (Henry Holt, 1999), will speak in the Steve Jones Internet Research Lecture Series during the 2009 annual convention of the International Communication Association (ICA), on Friday, May 23, 2009, at 4:30 pm, in Ohio State Room, in Downtown Chicago Marriott. Dibbell’s lecture is entitled, “Kittens, Kittens, and the Crisis of Online-Cultural Propriety: An Exercise in Memetic Literacy. The Steve Jones Internet Research Lecture Series is sponsored by the Carl Couch Center for Social and Internet Research (http://www.cccsir.org ) and supported by the International Communication Association (ICA, http://www.icahdq.org ). The lecture series is designed to bring leading Internet thinkers to the ICA Conference to promote Internet research to foster collaborations with communication researchers. For questions and comments about this event, please contact Shing-Ling Sarina Chen at sarina.chen(a)uni.edu .

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