- Air-L - lists.aoir.org

The Evolution of Collective Opinions
by Alexis Turner 06 Nov '07

06 Nov '07

Looks intriguing: Follow the Trend or Make a Difference: The Evolution of Collective Opinions. Fang Wu and Bernardo A. Huberman - Information Dynamics Laboratory, HP Labs http://www.hpl.hp.com/research/idl/papers/opinion_expression/ -Alexis + -------- redheadedstepchild.org ------- +

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"Network Neutrality Squad": Users Protecting an Open and Fair Internet
by Jeremy Hunsinger 06 Nov '07

06 Nov '07

> > > "Network Neutrality Squad": Users Protecting an Open and Fair > Internet > > http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000327.html > > > Greetings. I'm very pleased to announce a new project from > PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility: > > "Network Neutrality Squad" - NNSquad > > http://www.nnsquad.org > > > Joining PFIR Co-Founders Peter G. Neumann and I in this announcement > are Keith Dawson (Slashdot.org) David J. Farber (Carnegie > Mellon University), Bob Frankston, Phil Karn (Qualcomm), > David P. Reed, Paul Saffo, and Bruce Schneier (BT Counterpane). > > Recent events such as Comcast's lack of candor regarding their > secretive disruption of BitTorrent protocols, and Verizon's altering > of domain name lookup results to favor their own advertising pages, > are but tip-of-the-iceberg examples of how easily Internet > operations can be altered in ways that may not be immediately > obvious, but that still can have dramatic, distorting, and in some > cases far-reaching negative consequences for the Internet's users. > > The Network Neutrality Squad ("NNSquad") is an open-membership, > open-source effort, enlisting the Internet's users to help keep the > Internet's operations fair and unhindered from unreasonable > restrictions. > > The project's focus includes detection, analysis, and incident > reporting of any anticompetitive, discriminatory, or other > restrictive actions on the part of Internet service Providers (ISPs) > or affiliated entities, such as the blocking or disruptive > manipulation of applications, protocols, transmissions, or > bandwidth; or other similar behaviors not specifically requested by > their customers. > > Other key aspects of the project are discussions, technology > development and deployment, and associated activities -- fostering > cooperation and mutually agreeable methodologies whenever > possible -- aimed at keeping the Internet a maximally unhindered, > useful, competitive, fair, and open environment for the broadest > possible range of applications and services. > > We invite individual, commercial, nonprofit, government, and all > other Internet users and stakeholders (including ISPs) to > participate in the Network Neutrality Squad. > > Please join the moderated mailing list (choice of immediate > distribution or digest) for project announcements and discussions, > by sending a message (any subject or text) to: > > nnsquad-subscribe(a)nnsquad.org > > or by signing up at the mailing list Web page: > > http://lists.nnsquad.org/mailman/listinfo/nnsquad > > A moderated, interactive discussion and incident reporting forum is > also available for more real-time communications on related topics: > > http://forums.pfir.org/main/messages/714/714.html > > Questions and comments are welcome at nnsquad-info(a)nnsquad.org, or > feel free to contact me directly for details. > > Working together, we can help to keep the Internet an incredibly > useful resource for everyone around the globe, unhampered by any > efforts to skew its enormous capabilities in ways that could hinder > the many while benefiting the relative few. > > We hope that you'll join this cause. Thank you for your > consideration. > > --Lauren-- > > (Affiliations shown for identification purposes only.) > > Lauren Weinstein > lauren(a)vortex.com or lauren(a)pfir.org > Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 > http://www.pfir.org/lauren > Co-Founder, PFIR > - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org > Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com > Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy > Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com > > jeremy hunsinger Information Ethics Fellow, Center for Information Policy Research, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (www.cipr.uwm.edu ) wiki.tmttlt.com www.tmttlt.com () ascii ribbon campaign - against html mail /\ - against microsoft attachments http://www.stswiki.org/ sts wiki http://cfp.learning-inquiry.info/ Learning Inquiry-the journal http://transdisciplinarystudies.tmttlt.com/ Transdisciplinary Studies:the book series

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Canonical Works on Blogs
by Ben Spigel 05 Nov '07

05 Nov '07

I'm currently writing a lit review for an article discussing networks of knowledge transfer among blogs. The real topic of study is proving that the geographical concept of 'buzz' can be transferred over the Internet. If this does get published (god willing) it will be one of the first papers in geography on blogs, so I would like to include a decent literature review that touches upon some of the major works. The goal is to cite works which are good at defining blogs and at describing their more important features and influences on modern society. The articles on blogs I'm citing now are: Anjewierden, de Hoog, Brussee and Eifmova, (2006) Detecting knowledge flows in weblogs, in F. Dau, M.-L. Mugnier, and G. Stumme (eds.) Common Semantics for Sharing Knowledge: Contributions to ICCS 2005 (Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Conceptual Structures, ICCS 2005, Kassel, Germany, July 17-22, 2005) Kassel: Kassel University Press, pp. Bar-Ilan, J. (2005) Information hub blogs. Journal of Information Science 31: 297-307. Wellman, B. (2001) Computer networks as social networks. Science 243: 2031-2034. Winer, D. (2003) What makes a weblog a weblog. http://www.scripting.com/davenet/2003/06/18/whatMakesAWeblogAWeblog.html (not exactly an academic source, but what are you going to do) Lin, J., Halavais, A., and Zhang, B. (2007). The blog network in america: Blogs as indicators of relationships among us cities. Connections, 27(2):15–23. Vigas, F. (2005). Blogger' expectations of privacy and accountability: An initial survey. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 10(3). Obviously, there is much more out there on blogs than this. What other sources would make up a good 'canon of blogs' list? Thanks, Ben Spigel Department of Geography The Ohio State University

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Information Request
by nsenga＠mediom.qc.ca 04 Nov '07

04 Nov '07

To those working in HCI I am looking for comprehensive and critical literature references on HCI, more specifically on interactivity with all kinds of computer hardware only, and not with software, a phenomenon largely studied already. Thanks in advance! Francois Nsenga Independent Researcher in Industrial Design, Ergonomics and Sociology -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web.com Enhanced email for the mobile individual based on Microsoft® Exchange - http://link.mail2web.com/Personal/EnhancedEmail

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Security Issues and Recommendations for Online Social Networks
by Jeremy Hunsinger 04 Nov '07

04 Nov '07

Security Issues and Recommendations for Online Social Networks http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=… Jeremy Hunsinger Information Ethics Fellow, Center for Information Policy Research, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (www.cipr.uwm.edu ) Words are things; and a small drop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think. --Byron

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Re: [Air-L] New media program/journal rankings
by Jan Fernback 04 Nov '07

04 Nov '07

Google Scholar does seem to have a more robust search/rank capacity for journals than does ISI, which is heavily science oriented. Unfortunately, however, many U.S. universities are now requiring journal impact factors (along with world library holdings, etc) as evidence of the quality of one's scholarship for tenure packages, and many will consider these rankings from ISI only. Several colleagues of mine have been denied tenure based partly on the inability to document the "influence" of their scholarship in accordance with databases like ISI. Incidentally, the journal impact factor of New Media & Society as listed on ISI is 0.988. Most social science or humanities journals rarely have impact factors above 1.5 or 2. As a comparison, the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience is ranked at a 5.197. The hard reality for many of us is that these rankings have direct influence on the trajectories of our careers. Jan Fernback, PhD Associate Professor and Director, Master of Arts Program Dept of Broadcasting, Telecom & Mass Media Temple University Philadelphia, PA 19122 fernback(a)temple.edu ---- Original message ---- >Date: Sun, 04 Nov 2007 15:53:33 +1100 >From: Marj Kibby <Marj.Kibby(a)newcastle.edu.au> >Subject: Re: [Air-L] New media program/journal rankings >To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > >Dr Marjorie Kibby, >Senior Lecturer in Communication & Culture >Faculty of Education and Arts >The University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia >Marj.Kibby(a)newcastle.edu.au >+61 2 49216604 >>>> Daren Carroll Brabham <dbrabham(a)kued.org> 11/04/07 7:40 AM >>> >It occurred to me the other day that I know of no published rankings of >new media programs around the world, nor of any ranking for journals >which feature new media research. If rankings already exist, forgive >this message...and please let me know where those rankings are... > >Under our new goverment funding model we are having to make 'impact >statements' about all of pur research. > >Dr Anne-Wil Harzing at the University of Melbourne provides a software >program called "Publish or Perish" that retrieves and analyzes academic >citations based on Google Scholar which has better coverage of >(citations in) books, conference proceedings and a wider range of >journals and retrieves more citations in Social Sciences, Arts & >Humanities than ISI > >http://www.harzing.com/resources.htm#/pop.htm > > >New Media & Society: >Papers:415, >Citations:2235, >Years:17, >Cites/year:131.47, >Cites/paper:5.39/1.0, >Authors/paper:1.49/1.0 > > >Marj > > > >_______________________________________________ >The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list >is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org >Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org > >Join the Association of Internet Researchers: >http://www.aoir.org/

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registration is open for 24/7: A DIY Video Summit
by danah boyd 04 Nov '07

04 Nov '07

This Summit should be of interest to anyone doing work on DIY culture, videomaking, YouTube, etc. Begin forwarded message: > From: Mimi Ito <mito(a)itofisher.com> > Date: November 1, 2007 12:26:33 PM PDT > Subject: registration is open for 24/7: A DIY Video Summit > > Registration is now open for: > > 24/7: A DIY VIDEO SUMMIT > February 8-10, 2008 > School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California > > Conference web site: http://www.video24-7.org > Blog: http://diy.video24-7.org/ > > Spaces are limited for attendance at the academic panels and the > workshops. The video screenings are free and open to the public. > Please help us spread the word about this event. > > 24/7: A DIY Video Summit will bring together the many communities > that have evolved around do-it-yourself (DIY) video: > artists, audiences, technology providers, academics, policy makers > and industry executives. The aim is to discover common ground, and > to chart the path to a future in which grassroots and mainstream, > amateur and professional, artist and audience can all benefit as > the medium continues to evolve. > > This three-day summit features: > > SCREENINGS OF DIY VIDEO > On February 8 and 9, there will be screenings of DIY video that are > open to the public. These will feature curated programs on design > video, activist documentary, youth media, machinima, music video, > political remix and video blogging. The video program will > culminate in an evening program and reception on February 9 that > will draw from all of these video genres. > > ACADEMIC PROGRAM > Registered attendees will have access to the academic program on > February 8 and 9 that features panels on The State of Research, The > State of the Art, DIY Media: The Intellectual Property Dilemma and > DIY Tools and Platforms. Featured speakers include Yochai Benkler, > John Seely Brown, Joi Ito, Henry Jenkins, Lawrence Lessig, and > Howard Rheingold. > > WORKSHOPS AND BIRDS-OF-A-FEATHER MEETINGS > On February 10, the day will be devoted to practical and hands-on > workshops for registered attendees on topics such as intellectual > property, media creation, distribution and new-media design tools. > Attendees will also have the option of organizing their own birds- > of-a-feather meetings to connect with other attendees - - - - - - - - d a n a h ( d o t ) o r g - - - - - - - - "cuz i don't care if they eat me alive i've got better things to do than survive" musings :: http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts

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Re: [Air-L] New media program/journal rankings
by Marj Kibby 04 Nov '07

04 Nov '07

Dr Marjorie Kibby, Senior Lecturer in Communication & Culture Faculty of Education and Arts The University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby(a)newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604 >>> Daren Carroll Brabham <dbrabham(a)kued.org> 11/04/07 7:40 AM >>> It occurred to me the other day that I know of no published rankings of new media programs around the world, nor of any ranking for journals which feature new media research. If rankings already exist, forgive this message...and please let me know where those rankings are... Under our new goverment funding model we are having to make 'impact statements' about all of pur research. Dr Anne-Wil Harzing at the University of Melbourne provides a software program called "Publish or Perish" that retrieves and analyzes academic citations based on Google Scholar which has better coverage of (citations in) books, conference proceedings and a wider range of journals and retrieves more citations in Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities than ISI http://www.harzing.com/resources.htm#/pop.htm New Media & Society: Papers:415, Citations:2235, Years:17, Cites/year:131.47, Cites/paper:5.39/1.0, Authors/paper:1.49/1.0 Marj

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New media program/journal rankings
by Daren Carroll Brabham 03 Nov '07

03 Nov '07

It occurred to me the other day that I know of no published rankings of new media programs around the world, nor of any ranking for journals which feature new media research. If rankings already exist, forgive this message...and please let me know where those rankings are... By rankings, I suppose I'm referring to reputational studies (e.g., "Which journals/post-graduate programs are the most highly regarded?"). I know of the National Communication Association's reputational studies of communication Ph.D. programs, which include a lengthy methodology and rationale with the results (http://www.natcom.org/nca/Template2.asp?bid=415 <https://www.umail.utah.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=https://www.umail.utah…> ), and I know there are various indices for journal rankings out there...but none are specific to new media (that I can find). I think rankings like these can have some benefit for disciplines. Establishing reputational rankings can help prospective graduate students find their place in a good program, can help faculty make tenure cases for their publishing record in new media journals, and so on. At the same time, reputational rankings can work to create infighting in a discipline (or, specifically, a professional association like AoIR), and, frankly, reputational rankings fail to really address the concept of "fit"--the fit between prospective grad student and graduate program, or the fit between manuscript and journal. So, realizing, of course, that any attempt to poll people or somehow measure "highly-regarded-ness" is extremely difficult and may even polarize people across agenda lines, I throw these questions out to the list as gently as I can: 1. If there are no existing rankings, is anyone out there interested in teaming up to take on this task? 2. What would a reputational study of programs and/or journals look like? What "stuff" about this discipline do people want to know...other than program and journal rankings? 3. What are the pros and cons of doing such a study? Do rankings work to stimulate programs/journals to become "better," or do rankings work to make invisible the many programs/journals that may not "make the cut" in the first broad sweep? And do rankings work to pin-down a discipline and solidify disciplinary boundaries, which may work against the project of interdisciplinarity? Would a ranking have any value? ...If anyone has thoughts on the issue, or is interested in exploring it with me (or without me), or knows of something like this that's already been done, shoot me an email: daren.brabham(a)utah.edu Thanks! --- Daren C. Brabham Graduate Teaching Fellow Department of Communication University of Utah 255 S. Central Campus Dr., Rm. 2400 Salt Lake City, UT 84112 phone: (801) 633-4796 web: www.darenbrabham.com <http://www.darenbrabham.com/>

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jobs at Northwestern University
by Eszter Hargittai 03 Nov '07

03 Nov '07

Below are three positions that may be of interest to folks on this list. -- Eszter ================================================================ Tenure-Track Position in Media, Technology, and Society The Department of Communication Studies in the Northwestern University School of Communication seeks to hire for a tenure-track appointment beginning September 1, 2008. Rank will be at the level of assistant or associate professor, with preference for assistant. We are looking for a candidate who can work in a strong interdisciplinary program and advance a vital area of research. Possible areas of expertise include but are not limited to: history of communication and information technologies; media institutions, publics, and policy; digital media; media and social networks; technology, work, and organizations; computer-mediated communication and information infrastructures. We are particularly interested in candidates who can contribute to work on problems of inequity and cultural difference. The Department of Communication Studies supports a popular undergraduate major and graduate programs in Media, Technology, and Society, Interaction and Social Influence, and Rhetoric and Public Culture. Scholarship includes leading work on new media, social networks, and the cultural determination of the public sphere. Through special resources for research support and scholarly event programming, the department is able to offer rich opportunities for scholarly development. For full consideration, please send a letter of application with a curriculum vitae, evidence of teaching effectiveness, and three letters of reference to Professor Noshir Contractor, Search Committee, Department of Communication Studies, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, Il 60208 by December 1. Northwestern University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent on eligibility to work in the United States. ================================================================ Tenure-Track Position in Rhetoric and Public Culture The Department of Communication Studies in the Northwestern University School of Communication seeks to hire for a tenure-track appointment beginning September 1, 2008. Rank will be at the level of assistant professor. Ph.D. must be completed by time of appointment. We are looking for an outstanding candidate who can contribute directly to one or more of the following programs of research on the relationship between communication, culture, and politics: •media, culture, and democracy: emphasis on the role of public communication in the cultural formation of political identity. Topics could include, among others: print versus other media; publics and counterpublics; spectatorship and citizenship. •democratic practices: study of public discourse and political participation, including ordinary settings and vernacular media of communication. Topics could include, among others: public affairs and governance; modes of dissent and resistance; relationships between civic norms and social practices; uses of public media in everyday life. We are particularly interested in candidates who can contribute to work on problems of inequity and cultural difference. We also are interested in transnational comparative study or other attention to globalization, and blending ethnographic expertise or other fieldwork with textual analysis. The Department of Communication Studies supports a popular undergraduate major and graduate programs in Media, Technology, and Society, Interaction and Social Influence, and Rhetoric and Public Culture. Scholarship includes leading work on new media, social networks, and the cultural determination of the public sphere. Through special resources for research support and scholarly event programming, the department is able to offer rich opportunities for scholarly development. For full consideration, please send a letter of application with a curriculum vitae, research statement and work published or in progress, evidence of teaching effectiveness, and three letters of reference to Professor Dilip Gaonkar, Search Committee, Department of Communication Studies, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, Il 60208 by December 1. Northwestern University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent on eligibility to work in the United States. ================================================================ Tenure-Track Position in New Media/Interactive Arts The departments of Radio/TV/Film and Communication Studies in the Northwestern University School of Communication seek to hire someone specializing in new media/interactive art for a tenure-track appointment beginning September 1, 2008. Rank will be at the level of assistant or associate professor, with preference for assistant. We are looking for an outstanding candidate who is capable of artistic and scholarly accomplishment involving the design, uses, and critical study of new media. The ideal candidate will be capable of making a sustained contribution through both artistic production and scholarly publication. Accomplishment can be demonstrated through productions, publications, grants, awards, museum and gallery shows, and/or screenings. An MFA or PhD is required. The candidate will rotate through teaching a range of courses that might include some of the following: web design, 3d animation, interactive DVD authoring, visual design for new media, the history, criticism, and theory of new, digital, and interactive media, and cultural studies of these media. There is particular interest in the areas of visual culture, critical theory, and problems of cultural difference. The candidate must have knowledge of the relevant hardware and software and/or a willingness to learn. As a Department, RTVF supports a healthy production and critical studies environment at the undergraduate level, including courses in narrative, documentary, animation and experimental film, television, and other media, certificate-granting programs in sound and screenwriting, as well as production opportunities via our student groups. We also support interdepartmental minors in Screen Cultures and Animate Arts. At the graduate level, we offer a new and highly regarded MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage and a PhD in Screen Cultures, one of the top programs in the country which seeks to redefine the "screen" broadly. Our facilities are world-class including film and HD dv cameras, lighting packages, digital editing/sound suites, and two television stages. Many of our faculty both make media and study media. The Department of Communication Studies supports a popular undergraduate major and graduate programs in Media, Technology, and Society, Interaction and Social Influence, and Rhetoric and Public Culture. Scholarship includes leading work on new media, social networks, and the cultural determination of the public sphere. Through special resources for research support and scholarly event programming, the department is able to offer rich opportunities for scholarly development. The candidate's appointment will be split between the RTVF and Communication Studies departments in a manner to be determined, depending on his/her qualifications and orientation. For full consideration, please send curriculum vitae, teaching evaluations, work sample (both artistic and critical), and three letters of reference to Professor Hamid Naficy, Search Committee, Department of Communication Studies, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, Il 60208 by December 1. Northwestern University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent on eligibility to work in the United States.

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