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AoIR 8.0 Let's Play: Calling all Birds of a Feather!
by Mia Consalvo 18 Sep '07

18 Sep '07

Hi all, Richard and I are finalizing the conference schedule, and we have slots available on Thursday from 5-6 PM and Saturday from 5-6 PM for Birds of a Feather Sessions. If you haven't been to one, BoF sessions are informal gatherings for people interested in a particular topic. We don't have pre-set topics--those are created by individuals, and in the past they have included areas such as health online, LGBT issues, game studies, digital divide, etc etc. In addition to having topics set by you, the format/agenda of such meetings is also up to you to decide. You can have an informal chat, meet like minded others, put together a call for conference or future action--the choice is yours. We merely provide rooms and opportunities. SO! If you are interested in leading a BoF session please email me OFFLIST at consalvo(a)ohio.edu by next Wednesday, September 26 with 1) your area of interest for a session, 2) date preferred (Thursday or Saturday) and 3) your contact information. In the event of duplicated topics, I will assign moderator to the first person who suggested it, or perhaps ask you to share. :) If you have questions, please email me offlist. Thanks everyone! Mia -- Mia Consalvo, Associate Professor Director of Graduate Studies 213 RTV Building School of Telecommunications 9 South College Street Ohio University Athens, OH 45701 740.597.1521

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Literature wanted: what does it feel like to use a computer?
by David Brake 18 Sep '07

18 Sep '07

I presume there is literature out there taking a phenomenological view of what using a computer feels like but I am not sure where to start looking. I hope to use it to buttress a hunch I have about why people seem to have trouble in managing public vs private space online. My feeling is that its because typing stuff into a computer just doesnt feel like you're addressing a large crowd at that moment - it feels like you are talking to yourself (unless you are addressing it to particular named other people who you can then visualise). One can make a similar point about the long life of blog postings. They feel conversational, not like having something published and indexed. Anyway given this example I hope you can see the kind of literature which might help here. Any ideas? If not of texts directly about the experience of using a computer then perhaps just the best literature to apply to approach the subject generally. Schutz? --- David Brake, Doctoral Student in Media and Communications, London School of Economics & Political Science <http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/media@lse/study/ mPhilPhDMediaAndCommunications.htm> Also see http://davidbrake.org/ (home page), http://blog.org/ (personal weblog) and http://get.to/lseblog (academic groupblog) Author of Dealing With E-Mail - <http://davidbrake.org/ dealingwithemail/> callto://DavidBrake (Skype.com's Instant Messenger and net phone) Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic communications disclaimer: http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/secretariat/legal/disclaimer.htm

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research on wikipedia use
by murrell＠berkeley.edu 18 Sep '07

18 Sep '07

Can people point me to any research on the way people actually use Wikipedia, as opposed to its content and governance issues?

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lessons in second life
by Jeremy Hunsinger 18 Sep '07

18 Sep '07

distribute as appropriate -jh Every Week on Tuesday (1:30-3pm SLT) join us for Lessons in Second Life, an open table forum centering on what can be learned in sl in both formal and informal settings. The forum is open to faculty, students, and interested parties of all kinds. We meet at the _blacklibrary hyperborea 91, 30, 26 im buridan simon for more information. Come share your ideas for learning in Second Life http://slurl.com/secondlife/hyperborea/92/30/26/ this week's Lessons in Second Life is to be sponsored by the Non- technical Solutions to Supposedly Technical Problems Consultancy's Pebcac Task Force next week's Lessons in Second Life is brought you by the Coalition for.....ooooo shiny. 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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Adults on Club Penguin/ethics of posing as kids
by Lauren M. Squires 17 Sep '07

17 Sep '07

I haven't been following the recent ethics discussion on the list too closely, but I know that part of that discussion is "academics" v. "journalists" or other kinds of cultural analysts and the responsibilities/standards they hold themselves to. So it was that this article in Slate kind of threw my jaw open: http://www.slate.com/id/2173910/pagenum/all it starts out... "I'm not sure, but I think I went on date with a 12-year-old last night. We met at Club Penguin, a social networking site for preteens. I was a blue penguin, new to town. She was pink, and carrying a surfboard." A reporter posing as a 12-year-old in an online environment specifically for kids? And then talking about one of the experiences as a "date"? This is really interesting given that so often reporters are telling us that adults are always trolling for kids online and it's SCARY. The reporter even writes: "Creating a penguin is simple, though the entire sign-up process emphasizes safety in such a way that a curious adult can't help feeling like a predator." Great to know about the safety measures, but red flag for me about the process of getting the article. I understand that adults want to understand what kids are doing online, and I appreciate this attempt at getting into the culture rather than assuming things about it based on non-participant experiences, but why not interview some of the 12-year-olds instead? thoughts?, Lauren -- lauren m. squires lx: http://polyglotconspiracy.net cmc: http://sociocmc.blogspot.com

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Job announcement in race/ethnicity and communication technology
by Philip Howard 17 Sep '07

17 Sep '07

The University of Washington seeks a tenure track assistant or advanced assistant professor in the area of race/ethnicity and communication in the Department of Communication. Candidates should have interests in race/ethnicity and communication, defined broadly to include face-to-face, on-line, mediated, or mass-mediated contexts. Particular focus may include race and its intersections with issues of class, disability, sexuality, and gender, the social construction of race in relationship to issues of power; the shifting nature of conceptualizations of race and other cultural identities; the enactment or challenging of racial conceptions through media representations or public discourse; rhetorical and discourse approaches to race and ethnicity. The Department of Communication is centrally involved in the interdisciplinary Washington Institute on Ethnicity, Race, and Sexuality; has been recognized as a campus leader in the retention of under-represented minority students, and includes several faculty who are involved in research, teaching, and service related to race/ethnicity. Faculty are expected to conduct research, teach 4 courses during a three-quarter academic year, and supervise graduate students at the master's and doctoral levels. Applicants must demonstrate a potential for excellence in research and teaching, and the ability to contribute to the Department's curriculum. Experience mentoring students of under-represented groups would be highly valued. Candidates must have earned or be close to completion of a Ph.D. by September 2008. Candidates should send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, statement of research and teaching interests, copies of teaching evaluations, and three letters of recommendation. The start date for this position is September 16, 2008. Applications will be reviewed starting October 20, 2007, and until the position is filled. Send application material to: Professor Gerald Baldasty, Chair, Department of Communication, Box 353740, University of Washington. Seattle, WA. 98195-3740. The Department of Communication is committed to building and supporting a culturally diverse faculty and strongly encourages applications from women, racial and sexual minorities, individuals with disabilities, and covered veterans. The University of Washington is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.

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Position in Rhetoric and Composition at Purdue (West Lafayette)
by Samantha Blackmon 17 Sep '07

17 Sep '07

The English Department at Purdue University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professorship in Rhetoric and Composition. Applicants must have a demonstrated interest in writing program administration, particularly undergraduate writing curriculum development, as well as in new media and applications of technology in writing courses. Teaching load is 2-2, including a graduate practicum in the teaching of composition, other graduate and undergraduate rhetoric and composition courses, and service on Ph.D. dissertation committees. Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition required. Starting date: August 18, 2008. Review of applications begins Nov. 1, 2007, and will continue until position is filled. Interviews at MLA. Send letter of application, c.v., writing sample, and three letters of recommendation addressing scholarship and teaching strengths to Professor Nancy Peterson, Assistant Head, Department of English, 500 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2038. Purdue University is an Equal Access/Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Women and candidates from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Sorry for cross-posting if you are on multiple lists. Feel free to email me for more information about the position or Purdue. Sam -- Samantha Blackmon, PhD Associate Professor Purdue University Department of English West Lafayette, IN http://blog.samanthablackmon.net http://www.samanthablackmon.net http://www.joystick101.org "I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood" - Audre Lorde

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International Journal of Design - Cultural Aspects of Interaction Design - 2nd Call
by Ken Friedman 17 Sep '07

17 Sep '07

Friends, This is a follow-up to remind you of an exciting special issue of the International Journal of Design on "Cultural Aspects of Interaction Design" edited by Keiichi Sato and Kuohsiang Chen. IJD has been growing with excellent contributions and a robust, international perspective. Whether or not you wish to propose an article for this issue, the journal is worth a visit at URL: http://www.ijdesign.org/ojs/index.php/IJDesign/ While all contents are open access, I'd like to suggest that you register. This will bring you an automatic Table of Contents with new issues, calls, and it will give access to new web-site features that will become available to registered users. Registration is free -- the main purpose is that the register allows the editors to communicate more effectively with the journal community, both to provide information and to develop improved services on the web site. If this call interests you, I hope you'll consider proposing an article. Kuohsiang Cheng and Keiichi Sato are developing a terrific issue, and they hope for a rich survey of the field. Yours, Ken Friedman -- CALL FOR PAPERS A Special Issue on "Cultural Aspects of Interaction Design" The notion of interaction design has become an indispensable aspect of product design and development, especially for those products with embedded information technologies. While traditional industrial design focuses on a product's functionality and its physical features, interaction design focuses on the interactive experience of users. Since products are becoming more pervasively and more tightly interwoven with our daily activities, design calls for a deeper understanding of the diverse perspectives of product use. Culture has been considered to play a critical role for users in their understanding, acceptance, positioning, and use of an artifact. The quality of an interactive experience is produced in a particular cultural context and is determined or evaluated in that context. Yet, when it comes to incorporating cultural factors effectively in design practice, knowledge is insufficient at all levels -- conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and practical. Cultural factors need to be integrated in the design process in order to achieve the high quality of product interaction that enables our experience with a product to be effective and enjoyable. For this special issue of the International Journal of Design, we are seeking papers that present breakthroughs in conceptual, theoretical, methodological and practical research that enhance the formalization of design knowledge with regard to the "cultural aspects of interaction design." In particular, these contributions should focus on representing cultural factors in describable, operable, and usable forms of design knowledge with relevance to interaction design. The following topics are of particular interest, covering fundamental and contemporary issues in this domain: - Conceptual framework of cultural factors in interaction design - Acquisition and representation methods for cultural factors in design - Formal models of cultural factors in interaction design - Planning, design, and evaluation methods that involve cultural perspectives - Cultural aspects of interaction methods and languages - Assessment of the cultural effects of new interactive products - Cultural factors in Kansei/emotional/affective aspects of interaction - Cultural contexts of interaction design for ambient intelligence environments - Cultural factors related to usability Schedule: Full Paper Due: 28 February 2008 Notification of Acceptance: 30 April 2008 Final Version of Paper Due: 31 May 2008 Special Issue Publication Date: 1 August 2008 Submission of Papers: Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the guidelines found at www.ijdesign.org/authorGuidelines Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. A double-blind review process will be employed for this special issue. Manuscripts should be sent through the on-line system at www.ijdesign.org/submissions Authors should choose "Special Issue on Cultural Aspects of Interaction Design" as the Journal Section when submitting papers. Special Issue Editors: Keiichi Sato Institute of Design Illinois Institute of Technology, USA Tel: 312-595-4912 E-mail: sato(a)id.iit.edu Kuohsiang Chen Department and Institute of Industrial Design National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan Tel: +886 6-2757575, ext. 54335 E-mail: kchen(a)mail.ncku.edu.tw

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Media / communications policy research grants available - proposals due October 15
by Rik Panganiban 17 Sep '07

17 Sep '07

COLLABORATIVE GRANTS IN MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS Proposals Due October 15, 2007 Necessary Knowledge for a Democratic Public Sphere Program http://www.ssrc.org/programs/media http://mediaresearchhub.ssrc.org WHAT The SSRC is pleased to announce a new round of small grants for academic-advocacy collaboration in the media and communications field. This project will provide grants of up to $7,500 for research that supports efforts to change the media / telecommunications infrastructure, practices, policies or content. The grants are intended for short-term work, completable and usable by advocacy partners within the next 4-12 months. Proposals for this round must be submitted online by October 15, 2007 by 5PM EST in order to be eligible for funding. Grant recipients will be announced by November 16, 2007. WHO Proposals must be: (1) Submitted by a US-based nonprofit advocacy, organizing or community group working on media and/or telecommunications issues. Groups with nonprofit fiscal sponsorship are also eligible. (A limited number of international non-profit organizations will be solicited by invitation only.) (2) Structured as a partnership with an academic researcher based at a university, college or other research institution. This can include advanced graduate students. There are no citizenship requirements for participants in these projects. CRITERIA Please review the list of criteria and the "Guide to Submitting a Proposal" posted online carefully before preparing your proposal. All projects must: * Be strategically useful in their proposed advocacy and/or organizing context. * Produce scholarship that meets academic standards. * Have a realistic workflow and timeframe. The selection committee will also favor proposals that: * Address issues of disparate impact on communities on the basis of race, class, gender, ethnicity, age or other identity/status category. * Have a clear plan for the application of the findings of the research in policy-making processes or advocacy campaigns to change the media / telecommunications infrastructure, practices, policies or content. Scholarship that facilitates field-building (i.e. curriculum development, tool-building, analysis of best practice) will also be considered. * Be useful for organizations, communities, and advocacy efforts beyond the applicant organization. * Build capacity-skills, tools, experience, access to data sets-within the "user" organization and/or community. * Use methods or models of research that have proved effective in similar contexts. * Reflect diversity in the staff or group involved with the project. * The committee will seek to fund a diverse mix of projects, including consideration of regional diversity, issue-area, scope (local, state-wide, national, etc), type of organization (national lobbying, grassroots community, transnational, etc.) and goals and methods (e.g., capacity-building, policy interventions, project or movement analysis, surveys and/or data collection, etc.) Bonus points for proposals that: * Involve collaboration between two or more advocacy/community groups in the project design and the plan of use for the research. * Use participatory methods to engage community and/or advocacy group members in framing the questions, data collection, and/or analysis. * Are related to issues of telephony, publishing, privacy, intellectual property, independent media, or spectrum. PROPOSAL STRUCTURE Please submit proposals via the online submission form at http://www.mediaresearchhub.ssrc.org/grants. The online proposal includes the following fields: * A short description (max. 100 words) of how the research will be used to advance public-interest change in the media/communications arena. * A general description of the research project (max. 1000 words). Please address the following: * What is the political/social change this project aims to achieve and how will it accomplish that aim? * What is the collaborative process and who are the people involved: at what stages, in what ways will they participate? * How is this project needed/innovative in relation to the existing/previous research and advocacy on the issue? * What is the timeline for project activities? * What is the final project you will share with SSRC upon completion of the study? * How will you assess and evaluate the process and success of this project? * How do you see other organizations potentially using the findings and products of the research project? * A description of the proposing organization (max. 200 words), including mission, constituency, geographical scope of work, and annual budget. * The name, institutional affiliation(s), research experience and CV of the academic partner. * A project timeline. * A budget of up to $7500, with itemized major expenditures. Budget items should include: * Other funding support - amount and source, including in-kind contributions * Personnel and consultants costs * Relevant travel * Relevant advocacy group costs * Dissemination, outreach costs PREVIOUSLY FUNDED PROJECTS You can find listings of other research projects that have been funded by the program online: * First Round of Small Grant Recipients http://programs.ssrc.org/media/collaborative_grants/smallgrants0806/ * Second Round of Small Grant Recipients http://programs.ssrc.org/media/collaborative_grants/smallgrants1206/ * Third Round of Small Grant Recipients http://programs.ssrc.org/media/collaborative_grants/smallgrants0507/ BACKGROUND The Collaborative Grants project is part of the Necessary Knowledge for a Democratic Public Sphere (NKDPS) Program of the Social Science Research Council, working in partnership with CIMA: Center for International Media Action and the McGannon Center for Communications Research at Fordham University. The program is funded by the Media, Arts and Culture program of the Ford Foundation. The NKDPS program is launching a series of funding opportunities to help increase the production, use and capacity for research to serve public-interest advocacy and organizing around media and communications. These mini-grants for collaborative advocacy- academic partnerships have been initiated to meet the short-term research needs of advocacy and policy actors. Past submissions that were approved in previous rounds can be viewed online at: http://www.ssrc.org/programs/media/collaborative_grants/ . Note that new applications do not have to work within the exact same range of topics as we encourage a diversity of issues that relate to the media and communications field. Several other funding projects will be launched in the next months, including a "Research Bounties" project that place prizes on advocacy-defined research and a larger program to support longer-term advocacy-academic research partnerships and training. For more information on the program, see http://www.ssrc.org/programs/media. For all program-related inquiries, please write to mediahub(a)ssrc.org . Subscribe to MediaResearchHub-News for program updates, research funding opportunities, and conference information at http://listserve.ssrc.org/mailman/listinfo/mediaresearchhub-news

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Position: Theories of Globalization and Governance
by Jeremy Hunsinger 17 Sep '07

17 Sep '07

sorry for crossposting, distribute as you wish --jh SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS/ GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS PROGRAM and ASPECT (Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical and Cultural Thought) VIRGINIA TECH Theories of Globalization and Governance The Program on Government and International Affairs in the School of Public and International Affairs (http://www.spia.vt.edu) invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor, focused on the theories and processes of globalization. Candidates should have strong, broad training in social, political, or cultural theory, and be able to work within an interdisciplinary setting with other colleagues in the School of Public and International Affairs as well as a new cross-college ASPECT doctoral program, focusing the application of social, political, ethical, and cultural theory to contemporary political challenges, cultural conflicts, social problems, and civil societies in both the U.S.A. and abroad (http://www.aspect.vt.edu) In particular, we would be interested in individuals who enjoy interdisciplinary collaborative team teaching and research. We are seeking colleagues who take a comparative approach to broad systemic challenges posed to governance by globalization, including cultural conflict, economic development, institutional democratization, social change, or rapid urbanization. A Ph.D. in sociology, political science, human geography, cultural studies, international affairs or related field is required for appointment as an Assistant Professor. Application materials (excluding reference letters) must be submitted online at www.jobs.vt.edu, reference posting # 071001 (paper documents cannot be accepted). Applicants should submit a full c.v., official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, samples of written work, teaching evaluations, and their research agenda to demonstrate their potential for excellence in research, teaching, and service. Application review will begin October 24, 2007. Applicants should arrange for references to send letters to Krystal Wright, SPIA, 110 Architecture Annex (0113), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA: Phone 540.231.2291, 24061, e-mail, krystal(a)vt.edu. Questions concerning the electronic application process should also be directed to Ms. Wright. Questions concerning the position should be directed to the Co-Chairs of the Search Committee, Dr. Timothy W. Luke, University Distinguished Professor and Program Chair, Government and International Affairs: Phone 540.231.6633 or 540.231.6572, e-mail, twluke(a)vt.edu, and/or Dr. Wolfgang Natter, Program Chair, Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical and Cultural Thought: Phone 540.231.5342 or 540.231.2839, e-mail, wnatter(a)vt.edu. Virginia Tech has a strong commitment to diversity and seeks a broad spectrum of candidates, including women, veterans, minorities and people with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities desiring accommodations in the application process should notify the Co-Chairs of the Search Committee or the Virginia Tech Relay Service, 1-800-828-1129. -- Timothy W. Luke University Distinguished Professor Department of Political Science 539 Major Williams Hall VPI&SU Blacksburg, VA 2406l voice: 540.23l.6633/6571 fax: 540.231.6078 e-mail: TWLUKE(a)vt.edu homepage: http://www.cddc.vt.edu/tim/ OLMA/PSCI: http:// www.cyber.vt.edu/psci/olma/olma.html Center for Digital Discourse and Culture: http://www.cddc.vt.edu FAST CAPITALISM: http://www.fastcapitalism.com

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