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Re: [Air-l] How Much Information / Information Growth
by William Bain 01 Mar '07

01 Mar '07

I'm not sure this has bearing, but doing a bit of quick pre-research on the Internet brought back a reference to what Noam Chomsky's called "Plato's problem" regarding the difference between knowledge and experience. What I found is at http://www.answers.com/topic/plato-s-problem The Meno dialogue is suggested as a possible source. In general, would this be the same as the information/communication divide? Can it, I wonder, be traced to intuitive differences between connotation/denotation? sorry for all the questions. I was only going to put in 2 cents instead of 4, but, well, as often happens. Best regards, Will William Bain PhD Student Comparative Literature Department of Spanish Philology Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona --------------------------------- Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A.

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Symposium: Science Fiction, Science Faction
by Ineke Noomen 01 Mar '07

01 Mar '07

ANNOUNCEMENT Science Fiction, Science Faction An exploration of the visions behind the contemporary digital world. Organized by the Waag Society, Internet provider XS4ALL and the Cyberspace Salvations Research Team (University of Leiden, Erasmus University Rotterdam): In the mid-1980s, due to the rapid spread of personal and networked computing and the development of computer graphics, digital technologies seemed to change the world profoundly. Only nobody knew how. Computer designers, entrepreneurs and opinion makers put tremendous effort in envisioning and creating the kinds of futures they thought these technologies could and should bring. In this quest, many of them were inspired by science fiction. The mutual influence between science fiction and the production of techno-science is as old as science itself. From Jules Vernes From the Earth to the Moon (1865) to William Gibsons Neuromancer (1984), science fiction has provided science with possibilities for the future, and has suggested blueprints both utopian and dystopian - for an as yet nonexistent world. In 1984 William Gibson introduced the concept of cyberspace- an otherworldly space that was enclosed in a network of computers. His work, and that of other cyberpunk writers like Neal Stephenson, Vernor Vinge, Bruce Sterling and Rudy Rucker, greatly inspired a growing network of internet pioneers and game designers. The science fiction fantasies provided them with images of a future that was just around the corner and which they could help to build. New technologies, in turn, fed the imaginations of science fiction writers. This cross-fertilization between science fiction and science faction resulted, among others, in new understandings of user-computer interaction and in the production of online worlds such World of Warcraft and Second Life. During three evenings prominent Virtual World designers, cyberpunk writers and an editor of a cyberculture magazine will engage in a discussion about the ways in which they mutually inspired each other. They will be joined by social scientists, journalists and the audience in an exploration of the fertilization between science fiction fantasies and science factional engineering of new technologies. The speakers will look back at how new technologies and the visions, fantasies and ideologies that accompanied them helped shape the digital world we inhabit today. Insight in the process of fertilization between science fiction and science faction might not only shed light on the roots of our digital present, but also assist those who are involved in the process of finding new visions for a social and technological reality to come. Speaker schedule: March 21: Bruce Sterling (science fiction writer, design visionairy) & Peter Pels (anthropology, Leiden University) Moderator: Sally Wyatt (Virtual Knowledge Studio, president of the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology) April 11: Rudy Rucker (science fiction writer, mathematics professor) RU Sirius (founder cyberculture magazine Mondo 2000) Moderator: Giselinde Kuipers (sociology, University of Amsterdam) May 2: Brenda Laurel (virtual worlds and game designer) Bruce Damer and Galen Brandt (virtual worlds developers and performers) Moderator: Christian van t Hof (Rathenau Institute) Location: Pakhuis de Zwijger, Piet Heinkade 179, Amsterdam Start: 19.45 uur Entrance: Free Reserve through: symposium(a)cyberspacesalvations.nl Bios: Bruce Sterling (1954) is a science fiction writer and one of the founders of the so-called cyberpunk genre. His activities are not restricted to science fiction: in 2003 he was appointed as a professor at the European Graduate School where he lectures on media and design. In 2005 he became a visionary in residence at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His most recent (non science fiction) book is Shaping Things (2005). Peter Pels (1958) is a professor in cultural anthropology at Leiden University and project leader of the Cyberspace Salvations research group. Besides his specialization in sub-Saharan Africa, he is interested in the anthropology of modernity, religion, technology and the convergence of both in, for instance, science fiction novels. Among others, he has published a book Magic and Modernity together with Birgit Meyer (ed., Stanford 2003). Rudy Rucker (1946) is both a computer scientist and a science fiction writer and, like Sterling, one of the founders of cyberpunk. Rucker lectures at San José University since 1986, worked between 1988 and 1992 at Autodesk a company specialized in Interface Technology and is mostly known for his Wetware Tetralogy: Software (1982), Wetware (1988), Freeware (1997) and Realware (2000). RU Sirius (born as Ken Goffman) is an American writer and co-founded Mondo 2000 in 1989 one of the most influential magazines in the American cyberculture of the 1990s. MONDO featured contributions of Virtual Reality pioneers (like Jaron Lanier), science fiction writers (like William Gibson and Rudy Rucker) and New Age gurus (such as Timothy Leary). Goffmans most recent book is Counterculture through the Ages (2004). Brenda Laurel works as a senior director for Sun Microsystems Labs in Menlo Park, California and teaches at the Art Center of Design in Pasadena, California. She became a designer for Atari and Activision in the 1980s, worked in the field of Virtual Reality in the 1990s and (co)founded Purple Moon a company specialized in computer games for girls. Laurel authored many books on the vision and imagination behind technology, like Computers as Theatre (1991) and Utopian Entrepreneur (2001). Bruce Damer is an engineer of virtual worlds and started Contact Consortium in the 1990s the first organization that developed avatars as digital representations of people in cyberspace. He wrote the non-fiction book Avatars (1997) and is the director of Digital Space, a 3D modeling and visualization technology company that works for NASA. Damer is an active member of CONTACT an organization of technicians, academics and science fiction writers who explore scenarios, based on contemporary, technological innovations and developments, about possible future societies. Galen Brandt is a musician and performer who has used virtual reality systems in her performances and has collaborated with artificial reality pioneer Myron Krueger in the creation of interactive worlds. Galen has written and lectured as well about Virtual Healing: the use of virtual reality for healing real world problems. For more info: www.cyberspacesalvations.nl or info(a)cyberspacesalvations.nl www.xs4all.nl www.waag.org -- Drs. Ineke Noomen (PhD Student) Department of Sociology Faculty of Social Sciences Erasmus University P.O. Box 1738 3000 DR Rotterdam The Netherlands Email: noomen(a)fsw.eur.nl --------------------------------Disclaimer-------------------------------- De informatie verzonden in dit e-mail bericht inclusief de bijlage(n) is vertrouwelijk en is uitsluitend bestemd voor de geadresseerde van dit bericht. Lees verder: http://www.eur.nl/email-disclaimer The information in this e-mail message is confidential and may be legally privileged. Read more: http://www.eur.nl/english/email-disclaimer --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Nteworked communications and access to public debate
by lisa＠global-partners.co.uk 28 Feb '07

28 Feb '07

Dear all I’ve recently joined this mailing list and it’s great to see the wide range of subjects that people are working on. I’m currently working on a research project that’s concerned with exploring the challenges and opportunities that networked communications present for the right to freedom of expression. The website for the project is http://www.freedomofexpression.org.uk. At the moment I’m working on the following question: Do digital communications create new opportunities for the public to exchange information and ideas, and access and engage in informed public debate, even in countries where a free press does not exist? I was wondering if anyone knows of any sources of information that would be relevant to this, in particular any research that has been done around the world on how different people use new communication technologies (eg. blogging, citizen journalism, networking), the impact this has on public debate and the implications it has for ‘traditional’ or ‘mainstream’ media. Any pointers or suggestions would be much appreciated. Many thanks, Lisa -- Lisa Horner Global Partners and Associates 26 Southampton Buildings High Holborn London WC2A 1AH Phone: +44(0)207 8613960 Mobile: +44(0)7867 795859 lisa(a)global-partners.co.uk

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International Online Conference sponsored by the REAP Project, 29-31 May 07
by Janice Smith 28 Feb '07

28 Feb '07

Apologies for multiple sightings of this message. Further info at the conference website, http://www.reap.ac.uk/eventsADLR.html <https://nemo.strath.ac.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.reap.ac.uk/e…> International Online Conference sponsored by the REAP Project Assessment design for learner responsibility 29th to the 31st May 2007 You are invited to contribute to an innovative Online International Conference exploring the interplay between the theory and practice of assessment and feedback in HE in the digital age. We are especially interested in assessment designs that result in enhanced motivation and engagement and that help equip students to monitor and manage their own learning and feedback. How to Contribute The first way you can contribute is by submitting a short reflective case study of an implementation, design or institutional strategy for assessment or feedback. These should be submitted by 14th March 2007. All case studies that meet a minimum standard will be added, with your name attached, to a digital repository of case studies that will be one of the main conference outputs, regardless of whether you also "attend" and contribute to the conference. We aim to have this collection become an important reference point in the field for those developing both assessment theories and practices. Authors who submit more than one study, or whose study falls under more than one heading are especially welcome. A number of the cases submitted will be highlighted for discussions led by featured facilitators. So if you have a case of particular interest, then here is an opportunity to have it discussed by those at the forefront of assessment thinking and practice. The second way you might contribute is to submit a set of principles of good assessment and feedback practice to add to those we already have (see below). Again, the due date is by 14th March 2007. The third way, of course, is to participate in the conference itself and the discussions. These will be archived (with the participants' contributions identified) and form another major output of the conference. Participants should pre-register (no money involved) in the period 10-18th May 2007. Journal publications and an edited book on assessment based on the conference archive are being planned. Conference Themes This conference is being organised as part of the Re-engineering Assessment Practices (REAP) project (see www.reap.ac.uk <https://nemo.strath.ac.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.reap.ac.uk/> ), a £1m initiative funded by the Scottish Funding Council under its e-Learning Transformation initiative. Focusing on assessment for learning in tertiary education the conference has three themes to be addressed through keynotes, case studies and structured discussions. 1. Assessment and the first year experience 2. Great designs for assessment 3. Institutional strategies (designs) for assessment Keynotes and Facilitators Keynote speakers leading on the three themes include: · Mantz Yorke, Visiting Professor in the Department of Educational Research, Lancaster University, UK. · David Boud, Professor of Adult Education and Dean of the University Graduate School at the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia · Trudy Banta, Professor of Higher Education and Vice Chancellor of Planning and Institutional Improvement at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, USA Conference facilitators, experts in the field of assessment and learning (e.g. Derek Rowntree, Terry Mayes), will chair online sessions where theory and practice will inform discussion and debate. Other facilitators will be announced shortly. To contribute to the REAP conference please visit the REAP website at: http://www.reap.ac.uk/eventsADLR.html <https://nemo.strath.ac.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.reap.ac.uk/e…> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On behalf of Dr David Nicol, Director of REAP project ------------------------------------------------------------------- Jan Smith Lecturer Centre for Academic Practice and Learning Enhancement University of Strathclyde Graham Hills Building 50 George Street Glasgow G1 1QE t: 0141 548 3127 f: 0141 553 2053 http://personal.strath.ac.uk/jan.smith/ <http://personal.strath.ac.uk/jan.smith/> http://www.strath.ac.uk/caple

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Re: [Air-l] Internet Research Book Reccommendations Needed
by Jess Porter 28 Feb '07

28 Feb '07

Hello Amanda: When I saw the word Springer my eyes light up. I know from that, that this is an excellant book. I am going to check int it right away. You can't beat Srpinger-Verlag for math and technical computer books. I love the Aussies; I hope all is well for you in Australia, and you are enjoying the summer. Thank You, and Regards, Jess ----- Original Message ---- From: Professor Amanda Spink <ah.spink(a)qut.edu.au> To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 9:24:53 PM Subject: Re: [Air-l] Internet Research Book Reccommendations Needed Our book covers doing Web search research - Spink, A., & Jansen, B. J. (2004). Web Search: Public Searching of the Web. Dordrecht: Springer. Cheers, Amanda *************************************** Amanda Spink Research Capacity Building Professor of Information Technology School of Information Systems Faculty of Information Technology Queensland University of Technology Gardens Point Campus 2 George St, GPO Box 2434 Brisbane QLD 4000 Australia http://www.fit.qut.edu.au Tel: 61-7-3864-9583 Fax: 61-7-3864-2703 Email: ah.spink(a)qut.edu.au Homepage: http://sky.fit.qut.edu.au/~spinkah/ ---- Original message ---- >Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 17:12:07 -0800 (PST) >From: Jess Porter <vzetzy55(a)verizon.net> >Subject: [Air-l] Internet Research Book Reccommendations Needed >To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > >Hello: > >Can someone recommend 2 or 3 good books on doing Internet Research. I checked tonight and found books with 1999, and 1998 copyrights. I want the most recent copyrights possible, 2005, 2006, 2007. The technology has to match the research techniques, and Windows 95, Google and Yahoo in 1999 are outdated. Also, the $20.00 books are no good. A good computer book usually sets you back $50-80.00. > >I have to say, I am not a research scholar, like the rest of you, but I read alot of these messages, and it is fascinating. > >You can find out all about me at: > >http://www.ecademy.com >In the top right corner search for Jess Porter > >Thanks and Regards, > >Jess > > > > > >_______________________________________________ >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/ _______________________________________________ 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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How Much Information / Information Growth
by Jose-Carlos Mariategui 28 Feb '07

28 Feb '07

Dear members of Air-l: I am trying to find some reliable resources in relation to information growth. I found, for example several blogs or news about large data repositories in the world, but the information seems misleading and the modes of evaluation unclear (eg: http://www.businessintelligencelowdown.com/2007/02/top_10_largest_.html ; http://www.sci-tech-today.com/perl/story/19162.html ) Beyond the well known Lyman and Varian 2003 study ( http://www2.sims.berkeley.edu/research/projects/how-much-info-2003/ ) does anybody knows any other recent extensive study in this area ? Thanks in advance, Jose-Carlos

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student inquiry
by Garman, Allison P. 27 Feb '07

27 Feb '07

Hello all! My name is Allison Garman, and I am a student at Tulane University. I am taking an Internet Social Networking class and was referred to you by my Professor to ask for help regarding my semester research project. I am exploring the nature of internet career sites such as careerbuilder.com and monster.com in relation to how they frame themselves, how and why people use them, and if there a sense of community that comes out of participation. Does anyone know of any literature on career web sites? Or even literature on job searches in general (via newspaper ads, etc.) would be MUCH MUCH appreciated. Please email me back at agarman(a)tulane.edu Thank you in advance! All the best, Allison Garman

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Call for Abstracts
by Lorraine Buis 27 Feb '07

27 Feb '07

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS We are seeking abstracts for additional participants in a workshop titled "Past, Present, and Future Impacts of Communication Technologies on Healthcare Communities" to be presented at the 3rd International Conference on Communities and Technologies Conference at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI from June 28-30, 2007. This workshop is devoted to the use and impact of communication technologies in healthcare communities. In the course of the last two decades, we have seen incredible advancements in the use of communication technologies within the healthcare industry. These technologies have enormous potential to enhance many different sectors within the healthcare community such as promoting patient data availability and access to healthcare providers as well as improving the care of specialized communities of individuals including those with low literacy as well as remote/underserved groups in developing countries. This workshop is devoted to exploring the applications of communication technology in healthcare that have the potential to build and enhance communities of healthcare providers and patients. In addition to exploring different applications, we will also focus on reviews of pertinent research findings, culminating in an interactive discussion between workshop participants focused on setting an agenda for future research that will help to improve the delivery of care and health related information to these specialized communities. Themes of the Workshop: 1. Applications of current communication technologies in healthcare such as telemedicine and eHealth endeavors, including specialized telemedicine programs, electronic medical records, online health information for low literate populations, the use of online support groups, etc. 2. Pertinent findings from research conducted on the use of communication technologies in healthcare. Topics include efficacy of technologies, patient and provider acceptance, and possible and realized barriers to implementation and adoption. 3. Determining the future of the use of communication technologies in healthcare communities. This theme will be addressed through an interactive discussion between presenters and workshop participants with the goal in mind of setting a research agenda for future applications that will help improve the delivery of care and health-related information to specialized communities. Abstracts should be sent to Lorraine Buis, workshop coordinator, at buisl AT msu DOT edu by midnight, March 30, 2007. Abstracts should be no more than 300 words long and should be focused on communication technologies in healthcare and their impact on one or more healthcare communities. A review panel will identify appropriate participants for this workshop and notify the authors of their acceptance. Abstracts will be judged on the appropriateness in regards to the identified workshop topic as well as quality of work. For more information, please visit the workshop description and call for abstracts at https://ebusiness.tc.msu.edu/cct2007/page4c.html or contact Lorraine Buis directly at buisl AT msu DOT edu.

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Japanese suicide reference
by Jerald Block 27 Feb '07

27 Feb '07

Regarding Japanese suicide attempts and computers...two references that may help: Alao AO, et. al. Cybersuicide: Review On the Role of the Internet on Suicide.Cyberpsych Behav. 2006:9;489-493. General review, not specific to Japan Hikikomori - a Japanese mental illness that often leads to suicide attempts and is related to computer use. Tamaki Saito is the Japanese expert on this. If you want help, I'd be glad to lend a hand. Jerald Block, MD Board-certified Psychiatrist jblock(a)aracnet.com 503-241-4882 ============================================================================ Message: 2 Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:31:09 -0800 (PST) From: Christopher Helland <c_hella(a)yahoo.com> Subject: [Air-l] Information about online suicide pacts To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org Message-ID: <20070116233109.69146.qmail(a)web52308.mail.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ascii I'm wondering if anyone knows of any studies or ongoing research concerning online suicide pacts in Japan. The suicide rate in Japan is almost 20 times higher than their murder rate (one of the highest in the world)--and there appears to be "a frightening increase in the number of group suicides arranged over the Internet through chat rooms dedicated to discussing suicide." Any help researching this topic would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Chris Helland Christopher Helland, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Sociology of Religion Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology Dalhousie University 6135 University Avenue, Rm. 1128 Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada B3H 4P9 Tel: (902) 494-6757 Fax:(902) 494-2897 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~chelland/index.html

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Kelvin Grove Urban Village design competition
by Marcus Foth 27 Feb '07

27 Feb '07

[Sorry, we had a glitch with the web page in January. If the page didn't load when you first tried, please try again now. It's all sorted and online now. Thanks. marcus] Kelvin Grove Urban Village design competition The Kelvin Grove Urban Village Project Team is conducting a design competition, seeking ideas and proposals for an installation (or multiple / distributed installations) at the Kelvin Grove Urban Village that will “display visual evidence of connectivity within the community”. This competition aims to attract students and professionals who have an interest in the visual and multimedia applications of Information and Communication Technology. The competition has two streams. The student stream is available for full-time or part-time Australian secondary or tertiary students and offers a prize of AUD 2,000. The open stream is available for everyone including businesses and offers a prize of AUD 5,000. The indicative budget for creation and installation is AUD 40,000. The competition commences on 1 January 2007 and closes on 31 May 2007. For further details or to obtain an entry form visit the Kelvin Grove Urban Village website. http://www.kgurbanvillage.com.au/news/design_comp/ Please consider entering this competition and please distribute widely. Thank you. Dr Marcus Foth Kelvin Grove Urban Village Information and Communication Technology Committee -- Dr Marcus Foth Australian Postdoctoral Fellow Institute for Creative Industries and Innovation Queensland University of Technology (CRICOS No. 00213J) Creative Industries Precinct, Brisbane QLD 4059, Australia Phone +61 7 313 x88772 - Fax x88195 - Office Z6-511 m.foth(a)qut.edu.au - http://www.vrolik.de/publications/

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