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number of "social networks"
by Barry Wellman 24 Aug '07

24 Aug '07

I think Emma meant "online social networks" in her recent post when she said "SNs". She's quoting Canter in Wired. Does anyone know his response rate, sampling frame, and basic stuff like that? I've worked with too many media sources to trust their stats unvarnished. I do trust Pew's though (thanks Ed L.) Barry Wellman _______________________________________________________________________ S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director Centre for Urban & Community Studies University of Toronto 455 Spadina Avenue Room 418 Toronto Canada M5S 2G8 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-7162 Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php Elvis wouldn't be singing "Return to Sender" these days _______________________________________________________________________

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Interpersonal Position
by Nancy Baym 24 Aug '07

24 Aug '07

I am chairing a search for an Assistant Professor in Interpersonal Communication at the University of Kansas. I strongly encourage people looking at issues centered on personal relationships and new technology to apply, although a new technology angle is not a requirement. Please pass this along to any appropriate candidates you may know, and let me know of any one you think would be a good match whom I should contact directly. Feel free to contact me for further information! I'll also be happy to discuss this further with anyone who's interested at the AoIR meeting in Vancouver. Thanks, Nancy __________________________________ UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Assistant Professor Interpersonal Communication The UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS is seeking an Assistant Professor in Communication Studies for a tenure track position beginning in August 2008. Requirements include a Ph.D. or advanced ABD in Communication Studies or a related field, potential for an active research program in interpersonal communication as evidenced by graduate course-work, publications, and/or conference presentations in the field, and teaching experience as evidenced by courses taught. The successful candidate will teach graduate and undergraduate courses in interpersonal communication; conduct research in his/her area of expertise; and meet standard service and advising requirements. Candidates with ability to do advising, professional visibility, potential for procuring external funding, experience teaching interpersonal communication, and a strong record of scholarship and teaching are preferred, as are candidates whose interests are complementary to those of current faculty. Candidates with interests in new communication technologies, relational communication, and/or social science research methods are particularly encouraged to apply. First consideration will be given to applications received by November 2, 2007. Salary range is competitive. The successful candidate for the position should be eligible to work in the U.S. prior to the starting date of the position. Send a letter of application, statement of research program, curriculum vitae, three letters of reference, and if available, support materials including examples of scholarship and evidence of teaching excellence to: Dr. Nancy Baym, Search Committee Chair Department of Communication Studies University of Kansas 102 Bailey Hall 1440 Jayhawk Blvd. Lawrence, KS 66045-7574 Direct further inquiries to Dr. Nancy Baym, nbaym(a)ku.edu. Upon receipt of application materials, individuals will be sent instructions for completing required sections of an on-line Faculty Data Work Eligibility form. The University of Kansas is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. The University encourages applications form under-represented group members. Federal and state legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, disability, and veteran status. In addition, University policies prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, marital status, and parental status.

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Re: [Air-L] air-l Digest, Vol 34, Issue 44
by Matthew Riddle 24 Aug '07

24 Aug '07

Hi all, I just thought I would repost the message below about the Poke 1.0 research symposium, because it sounds really interesting, the deadline for registering is next week, and I'm going. :) I noticed some recent interest in Facebook here and thought some people may have missed the original post. Cheers, Matt On 29 May 2007, at 9:03PM, air-l-request(a)listserv.aoir.org wrote: > Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 11:15:00 +0100 > From: "Neil Selwyn" <N.Selwyn(a)ioe.ac.uk> > Subject: [Air-l] Facebook research symposium - London Nov 15th > To: <air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org> > Message-ID: <0CA6909EDE335041AE76D94C1A828B7F0139C7A9(a)M2.ioead> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > ** Apologies for Cross-posting ** > > > > > > Poke 1.0 - a Facebook social research symposium > > > > A half-day social research symposium organised by the London Knowledge > Lab, University of London, UK > > Thursday 15th November 2007 > > > > > > This social research symposium will allow academics who are > researching > the 'Facebook' social networking site to meet and exchange ideas. > Researchers are welcome from the fields of sociology, media, > communication & cultural studies, information science, education, > politics, psychology, geography and any other sphere of 'internet > research'. PhD and post-doctoral researchers are especially > welcome, as > are researchers considering Facebook as a potential area of research. > > > > It is intended that there will be five or six research papers > presented > as well as plenty of time for discussion and face-to-face networking. > Topics for discussion will include: > > > > * Empirical studies of Facebook users and Facebook uses; > > * Issues of ethics and access when researching Facebook; > > * Other methodological issues when researching Facebook; > > * The use of Facebook as a social research tool; > > * The future of Facebook research - emerging trends and practices. > > > > > > The symposium will be free of charge but spaces will be limited and > allocated on an RSVP first-come-first-served basis. If you wish to > attend then email Neil Selwyn (n.selwyn(a)ioe.ac.uk) to reserve a > place by > Friday 31st August 2007. > > > > If you wish to present a research paper then email an outline abstract > of 500 words to Neil Selwyn (n.selwyn(a)ioe.ac.uk) by Tuesday 31st July > 2007. Accepted presenters will be informed by Friday August 31st 2007. > > > > > > The symposium will take place between 13.00pm to 17.30 pm on Thursday > 15th November 2007 in the London Knowledge Lab (located in the > Bloomsbury/ Holburn area of central London). -- Matthew Riddle Research Associate University of Cambridge Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies (CARET) 1st Floor, 16 Mill Lane Cambridge CB2 1SB Tel: +44 1223 765384 Fax: +44 1223 765505 http://www.caret.cam.ac.uk/ Learn to dance in Cambridge: http://www.cambridgelindy.com/

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AMIS eGov Final Submission Deadline Reminder: 9/30/2007
by srbecker 24 Aug '07

24 Aug '07

This message is being sent on behalf of Dr. Hans J Scholl. _______________________________________________________________________ Call for Volume Chapters and Reviewers Submission Deadline September 30, 2007) Electronic Government: Information, Technology, and Transformation (Volume Title) To appear as a volume within the Advances in Management Information Systems (AMIS) series published by ME Sharpe, Armonk, NY. AMIS is a series of research monographs devoted to the principal aspects of information systems with Dr. Vladimir Zwass as the series editor. AMIS is intended to become a lasting record of both the knowledge about organizational information systems and of research methods for creating new knowledge. For more information about the AMIS monograph series, please visit http://www.mesharpe.com/amis.htm. As the volume editor, I would also like to invite you to join the reviewer team, which will meet the highest standards of academic peer reviewing. Please send contact information and a short statement of interest regarding either one or both (submission and reviewer team membership) to me (jscholl(a)u.washington.edu) Thank you! For further details please see http://faculty.washington.edu/jscholl/CfP_AMIS_e_Gov.html Since EG is a relatively new domain of study, the first contribution of this volume is to serve as a springboard and a steward for developing and demonstrating principles, accepted standards, and exemplars of disciplinary (e.g., IS), multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and perhaps transdisciplinary EG. The second envisioned contribution of this volume would aim at sharpening and accentuating the various topical orientations within EG through review and representation of unique and exemplary research contributions. The third (and implicit) contribution of this volume would lie in furthering the development of a worldwide academic scholarship in EG. For this volume theoretical, empirical, quantitative, or qualitative research contributions are sought. Inquiries are welcome regarding any submission- or review-related question. Please send your inquiries and submissions electronically to Dr. Hans J Scholl AMIS EG Volume Editor University of Washington jscholl(a)u.washington.edu The deadline for submitting a manuscript to the AMIS volume on EG is September 30, 2007. However, we encourage you to submit your manuscript earlier and will send it out for review immediately upon receipt. Again, please find further details under http://faculty.washington.edu/jscholl/CfP_AMIS_e_Gov.html -- Samantha Becker MLIS Candidate | Graduate Assistant The Information School University of Washington 206-221-6444

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Fwd: Number of SNSs users are active in.
by Ed Lamoureux 24 Aug '07

24 Aug '07

sorry bounced the first one./.. included the report. my bad http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/198/report_display.asp Begin forwarded message: > From: Ed Lamoureux <ell(a)bumail.bradley.edu> > Date: August 24, 2007 11:10:21 AM CDT > To: Association of Internet Researchers <air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org> > Subject: Re: [Air-L] Number of SNSs users are active in. > > I can't produce evidence FOR a number, but can offer some against > the notion of 5 . . . > the January 07 Pew piece on teens and social networks doesn't even > find 5 that are used by teens enough to report them: > Over 1/2 of those surveyed (who have filled out an online profile) > did so on myspace or facebook. And of the sites listed for those > who used social networking sites, 85% used my space, 7 % > facebook . . . > > tough to figure another 3 sites that many use. > HOWEVER . . . it's certainly possible that canter included flicker/ > twitter . . . throw in one web blog . . . and maybe that's how he > got there? > > OR > maybe he calls blogs social networks > On Aug 24, 2007, at 9:51 AM, Emma Duke-Williams wrote: > >> I've just been reading Wired's article about SNS for Students and >> Marc >> Canter was quoted as saying that the average user was active in 5 >> Social Networks. I wasn't entired sure if they meant "5 communities" >> or "5 websites", but, given that they then went on to list 5 sites, I >> guess it was the latter. >> (http://www.wired.com/software/webservices/news/2007/08/ >> student_networks >> ) >> >> I've found (I think!) Canter's blog ( http://marc.blogs.it/) but >> can't >> seem to find anything about the numbers of active networks. >> >> I was rather surprised to read the 5, clearly the definition of >> "active" could vary, I'm sure my MySpace account that I signed up for >> ages ago doesn't count, but I wouldn't call myself active on Facebook >> either (login perhaps once a fortnight, don't actively add friends, >> delete requests from those I don't recognise etc). >> >> I'm also assuming that he's not counting things like forums, which >> are, in effect, a community, but again, I could be wrong. >> >> Does anyone else have any evidence (published or anecdotal) to >> support >> or otherwise Canter's claim? >> >> Emma >> >> >> -- >> Blog: http://userweb.port.ac.uk/~duke-wie/blog/ >> _______________________________________________ >> 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/ > > Edward Lee Lamoureux, Ph. D. > Associate Professor, Multimedia Program > and Department of Communication > Co-Director, New Media Center > 1501 W. Bradley > Bradley University > Peoria IL 61625 > 309-677-2378 > <http://slane.bradley.edu/com/faculty/lamoureux/website2/index.html> > <http://gcc.bradley.edu/mm/> > AIM/IM & skype: dredleelam > Second Life: Professor Beliveau > > > Edward Lee Lamoureux, Ph. D. Associate Professor, Multimedia Program and Department of Communication Co-Director, New Media Center 1501 W. Bradley Bradley University Peoria IL 61625 309-677-2378 <http://slane.bradley.edu/com/faculty/lamoureux/website2/index.html> <http://gcc.bradley.edu/mm/> AIM/IM & skype: dredleelam Second Life: Professor Beliveau

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Number of SNSs users are active in.
by Emma Duke-Williams 24 Aug '07

24 Aug '07

I've just been reading Wired's article about SNS for Students and Marc Canter was quoted as saying that the average user was active in 5 Social Networks. I wasn't entired sure if they meant "5 communities" or "5 websites", but, given that they then went on to list 5 sites, I guess it was the latter. (http://www.wired.com/software/webservices/news/2007/08/student_networks ) I've found (I think!) Canter's blog ( http://marc.blogs.it/) but can't seem to find anything about the numbers of active networks. I was rather surprised to read the 5, clearly the definition of "active" could vary, I'm sure my MySpace account that I signed up for ages ago doesn't count, but I wouldn't call myself active on Facebook either (login perhaps once a fortnight, don't actively add friends, delete requests from those I don't recognise etc). I'm also assuming that he's not counting things like forums, which are, in effect, a community, but again, I could be wrong. Does anyone else have any evidence (published or anecdotal) to support or otherwise Canter's claim? Emma -- Blog: http://userweb.port.ac.uk/~duke-wie/blog/

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[Fwd: Re: The slow decay of mySpace?]
by Rhiannon Bury 23 Aug '07

23 Aug '07

I respectfully beg to differ on this distinction made between online an offline community formation. Just because someone is a physical neighbour in no way guarantees that one is a member of that neighbourhood community. I myself have lived in neighbourhoods where I was a very active community member in a political context. I have lived in others where I didn't even know the names of my neighbours. Similarly in cyberspace, creating a mailing list, bulletin board or Facebok grouping is not synonymous with creating a community. To paraphrase David Buckingham writing about media audiences, being a community member is not something you are but something you do. This suggests a discursive understanding of community. I see both online and offline communities as being defined and produced by the practices of those who participate in them. Of course I recognize that the lack of physical presence has effects, both positive and negative. The issue of "lurking" for example, and even the negative connotation of that term, suggests that one must actively participate to be viewed as a legitimate community member (I think this was discussed on this list some time back). Very interesting discussion, folks! I don't want to give the impression of jumping in and then "disappearing" but I'm off on vacation tomorrow and don't be accessing this account for 10 days or so. Best Rhiannon Alecea Standlee wrote: >Another issue that we might consider, is how we define >membership. When we talk about online communitites >maybe we need to address how someone is or is not >defined as a community member. After all in an offline >community, often geographic occupation is the primary >indicator if someone is a neighbor or community >member. Online the definitions of community are more >complex. The degree of interaction and active >participation in community life online functions very >differently. Before we can really examine the FB vs MS >debate, we have to set some perameters and define some >core idea. > >Alecea > > >

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Re: [Air-L] Reminder: Firm Oct 1 deadline
by ebenyehu＠sfu.ca 23 Aug '07

23 Aug '07

Is the issue hermeticaly closed even if my subject is right on target? (My abstract was not sent and was hoping to get in ) On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 09:38:55 -0500 (CDT) air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org wrote: > This was the wrong date and wrong email list -- it's September first > and not be > confused with submissions of papers to the conference. Can you send a > follow > up to ignore this and I'll send an email specifically to the ICS > authors. /C > > ---- Original message ---- > >Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:57:02 -0400 > >From: Barry Wellman <wellman(a)chass.utoronto.ca> > >Subject: Reminder: Firm Oct 1 deadline > >To: aoir list <air-l(a)aoir.org> > >Cc: Caroline Haythornthwaite <haythorn(a)uiuc.edu> > > > >Just a reminder that those of you planning to send in AOIR papers for > >the special issue of Information, Communication and Society MUST submit > >them by midnight, Central (US) Daylight Time, October 1, 2007. > > > >Send a .doc copy online to each of (. > > > >No late submissions; no excuses. > > > > Barry Wellman > > _______________________________________________________________________ > > > > S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director > > Centre for Urban & Community Studies University of Toronto > > 455 Spadina Avenue Room 418 Toronto Canada M5S 2G8 > > http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-7162 > > Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php > > Elvis wouldn't be singing "Return to Sender" these days > > _______________________________________________________________________ > > > > > > ---------------------------------------- > Caroline Haythornthwaite > Associate Professor > Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of > Illinois at Urbana-Champaign > 501 East Daniel St., Champaign IL 61820 > > > _______________________________________________ > 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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Re: [Air-L] public/private [part 1 of 2]
by Lois Ann Scheidt 23 Aug '07

23 Aug '07

Ed, It's interesting to me that you say you have no agenda but you chose to reply to a private message in public...and you quoted my email without asking me in advance. Very interesting You have now wound back to my first email, where I addressed the confusion about the unit of analysis. If the unit of analysis is the webpage only, then of course application to an IRB is required in the US. But it will, most likely be exempt level research. You are not analyzing people, you are analyzing the artifacts they produce...the text. And publicly available text, etc. is similar to a letter to the editor in any major newspaper...the producer placed the work in a publicly accessible location and unlocked it for the standard uses allowed under the law. Do the producers always know that's what they did...of course not...and in those cases we educate. As Marj has said, ethnographic work is different, assuming that you are "participating" as well as "observing" and everything is in a publicly accessible local. I sincerely hope that the newbie researchers reading this thread made note of an earlier post that pointed out the sometimes dichotomous definitions of "public" and "private". Sometimes the term "publicly accessible" is clearer...in that a mall may be private property but the owners of that private property are running a publicly assessable establishment and have very few reasons they can legally ask someone to leave. Another example would be that you can't yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater but you can study the way people sit physically while they are there, and that too would be exempt level research...as long as you are only observing. Ed, your most recent email appears to be saying that you are concerned that research is being conducted without IRB review. I think you will find that others share that concern. However no where in your previous posts do I find that being stated as your primary concern...nor do I find the concern about IRB oversight being clearly articulated. It's a very different discussion than saying that the creator's of intellectual property have final say on that properties use in any situation...assuming they didn't post their blogs with an explicit statement that research is allowed. And finally, neither here or in my private email to you did I express a need for guidance. Your "mind-reading" decision that a title makes you the "expert" and my lack of that title makes me the "learner" is interesting, and while I can't address your qualifications I can address my own...and I am not in need of guidance related to the material I have discussed here or in my private email. While it is wonderful that AoIR and other listservs reach out to assist students who ask for help, it is also best for those who answer to do more than express their opinions...opinions alone are very unhelpful to grad students as many of them are looking for "the right" answer and may confuse an opinion with the actual process. I have to note, that in a previous email I commented on the problems with "mind-reading" subjects rather than asking them about their expectation of privacy. Mind-reading is never good, and it is always both a controlling behavior and one that places the mind-reader above the mind-read person...the mind-reader knows best. I for one do not believe that my studies, and my good fortune in both being able to take the time for PhD studies or for having the access to funding to gain my degree, gives me some superior insight into another persons thinking, asking is always best. Now if a blogger posted "NO RESEARCH HERE." I would have to think twice before I would know if I would use that site in my research. No doubt I would be consulting with some of my colleagues on this list who are experts in ethics, law, and human subjects work. I would have remained in this "public/private" discussion, prior to you calling me out, had I felt that it was actually an academic discussion...rather then one person using a baseball bat to force their "opinion" on others. As I have said previously in this thread, it's like watching someone who thinks they are arguing against the Tuskegee Syphilis Studies with people who are supporting that research...when no one here is supporting harm to subjects or the creators of the artifacts we study. I want to caution anyone new to the "human subjects" debate, that when you read IRB rules or any Human Subjects legal documentation please remember these documents were created, in very legalistic language, to primarily address historic problems with medical and psychological research. I am in no way saying they do not apply to social science research, rather that they don't fit us neatly...hence so many of these discussions must be had as we work through how old rules apply to new situations. I would also caution new researchers to talk to experts, and to read published ethical and IRB essays and research so they know the prevailing point of view...don't just take a faculty members word for it, you need to take the time to learn it yourself, because you will be held responsible for your own research ethics. Lois Ann Scheidt Doctoral Student - School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University, Bloomington IN USA Adjunct Instructor - School of Informatics, IUPUI, Indianapolis IN USA and IUPUC, Columbus IN USA Webpage: http://www.loisscheidt.com Blog: http://www.professional-lurker.com

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international internet usage?
by Nancy Baym 23 Aug '07

23 Aug '07

Hi -- I am looking for any sources comparable to the Pew site (for instance this chart: http://pewinternet.org/trends/Internet_Activities_6.15.07.htm) that track simple CURRENT statistics about how many people use email, im, the web, and other modes of online interaction. I'd like to be able to teach and report on non-US populations. I am aware of these two sites: http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/resources.jsp?section=pr_netv&nav=1 which provides some information about web use in 10 different countries and http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm which reports on percentages of world populations using the internet at all but neither break it down to compare which things they do on line or how many do each online activity. Thanks in advance for any links, if any exist. Nancy

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