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IR7.0 Conference - Message to presenters about full papers
by Fay Sudweeks 28 Jul '06

28 Jul '06

I'm still having problems getting messages to everyone from the conference system, so apologies for using the list. This is just to clarify that submitting a full paper for the conference archive is optional. You do NOT have to submit a paper in order to present at the conference, but you MUST register for the conference. Obviously if you intend to submit your paper for the archive, then the sooner we get it the better. We have nominated a deadline of 31 July to give us time to organise the papers and get them uploaded. We can extend that to 21 August. However, we will accept full papers up to the time of the conference, even though it will be more difficult for uploading. Fay ----- Dr Fay Sudweeks School of Information Technology Murdoch University Murdoch WA 6150 Australia Tel: (08) 9360 2364 Fax: (08) 9360 2941 Web: www.it.murdoch.edu.au/~sudweeks Co-Chair CATaC conferences: www.catacconference.org Program Chair, IR7.0 Conference: http://conferences.aoir.org

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Call for Papers: The Governmediality of Work, Welfare, and the Life Course: Regulating Lives in the Knowledge Society
by Christoph Engemann 28 Jul '06

28 Jul '06

*Call for Papers* Graduate School of Social Sciences | University of Bremen *‘The “Governmediality” of Work, Welfare, and the Life Course: Regulating Lives in the Knowledge Society’ * Workshop to be held at the Hanse Institute for Advanced Study <http://www.h-w-k.de> Delmenhorst, Germany 7-8 December 2006 The organizers of the International Workshop ‘Governmediality of Work, Welfare, and the Life Course’ invite contributions that investigate the relations between life course, social welfare reforms, media technologies, and expertise/professionalism. The Workshop is supported by the Graduate School of Social Sciences and will be held at the Hanse Institute for Advanced Study (HWK) near Bremen, Germany. The HWK will host all participants for the duration of the workshop. Some travel funding for international speakers is also available. The political as well as the economic and cultural regimes of governing one’s life are currently undergoing profound changes. Corporations, the state, and intermediary organizations are employing new modes of management that are frequently characterized as decentralized, flexible, and knowledge based. The individuals themselves are expected to be responsible and enterprising agents of their lives, acting as experts, maximizing personal benefits while minimizing their cost to society. Under these conditions, both institutions and individuals are required to develop new regimes of knowledge about themselves and their circumstances. The formation of such knowledge, its distribution and application is shaped by two interrelated factors currently underestimated in academic discussions: expertise and media. We propose the term ‘governmediality’ to analyse the media and formations of (self-) knowledge and their application in governing the social and the self. Currently, a triad of expertise, decentralized bureaucracy and new media forms a specific new ‘governmediality,’ whose emergence we can observe and which we aim to explore at this workshop. Experts and professionals such as consultants, coaches, therapists, welfare bureaucrats, social workers, and scientists appear wherever regimes of flexibilisation and networks emerge. Individuals are expected to become experts (of) themselves, while simultaneously a growing number of experts problematise lifestyles, reinterpret gendered working and caring habits, bear ambiguity, and guide decisions. Experts interpret situations and collect information, creating or employing technical and moral standards that increasingly aim at what is constructed as ‘life itself’. As ‘mediating’ actors, they govern potentially conflictual social practices and inequalities by linking social spaces, (social) technologies and subjectivities. The Internet, as the latest development in the history of media, plays a crucial role in transforming organizational structures, social relationships and regulations of the self. New forms of production and representation of knowledge about social groups and individuals are available and used by institutions, by social groups, and by individuals themselves. The private sector has pioneered Internet-driven realignments between individuals and organisations, while the public sector only recently has begun to actively embrace these technologies under the keyword Electronic Government. In European welfare states, the reorganised management of life events like unemployment, education or illness is closely tied into E-Government. The aim of the workshop is to explore the social relations, media regimes, and bodies of knowledge that constitute the contemporary governmediality of managing individual life courses. We invite both empirical and theoretical contributions discussing the following topics, among others: • The ambivalent role and agency of experts/professionals in the broadening psycho-social sector and their (re-)construction of gender, race, class, and self • The creation, application and legitimation of norms and standards in governing the social and the (enterprising) self • Current standards and their application in education, work, healthcare, and social insurance • Electronic Government, with special respect to welfare state reforms • Media regimes and knowledge regimes in education, work, healthcare and social insurance • Contemporary social theory, sociology of knowledge, and media theory – conceptual challenges and opportunities for the application of media theory to social thought and sociology We welcome submissions (2-page abstract and a CV) to: Christoph Engemann engemann(a)gsss.uni-bremen.de Boris Traue traue(a)kgw.tu-berlin.de Please submit your proposals no later than September 20. Pre- and postdoctoral researchers are especially encouraged to contribute. The Graduate School of Social Sciences <http://www.gsss.uni-bremen.de/> (GSSS) was founded in 2002 by the top-ranked sociology and political science departments at the University of Bremen. The GSSS offers interdisciplinary doctoral education in an international environment. The Hanse Institute for Advanced Study <http://www.h-w-k.de> (HWK) was founded in 1995 and supports the disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration of outstanding national and international researchers, offering the opportunity to concentrate on chosen research projects and to absorb ideas and inspirations from other disciplines and differing national traditions of science and scholarship. -- Christoph Engemann, Dipl. Psych. Graduate School of Social Sciences University of Bremen Postfach 330 440 28334 Bremen/Germany Telephone: ++049 179 1233 933 engemann(a)gsss.uni-bremen.de www.gsss.uni-bremen.de http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blogs/engemann/

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Re: [Air-l] India Rejects One Laptop Per Child
by J. J. 27 Jul '06

27 Jul '06

Wojciech, >I must say that the first argument is a perfect example of how people in >developed countries often lack the foresight and local knowledge required >to >adequately decide whether a technology truly is "appropriate". Forget the >merits to education or the potential for employability skills -- those are >secondary to the potentially negative health effects of the laptops. Responses of the Western civiliation to the needs of the "developing" countries abound. The Westerners have developed this keen "foresight" as to what the "other" countries really need. In the meantime, merits of access to computers in education are questionable. There does not seem to be any direct link between computers and raised student academic achievement. What constitues "academic achievement" is yet a different matter. Commercial use of the Internet is most prevalent and one may argue that it is the Western culture that is carried through the newest of technologies. Western thought imposed on other lands does not always bring the desired fruits of stability and prosperity, does it? I believe that the Indian government's actions deserve more of a dialogue, then outright condemnation. That only builds resentment. Best, Jarek >From: "Wojciech Gryc" <wojciech(a)gmail.com> >Reply-To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org >To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org >Subject: [Air-l] India Rejects One Laptop Per Child >Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 00:49:50 -0400 > >Hi, > >Keeping in mind the long discussion that was posted a few weeks ago with >regards to the merits (or lack thereof) of the One Laptop Per Child >project, >I thought this may interest subscribers of this list: > >HRD rubbishes MIT's laptop scheme for kids >http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1698603,curpg-1.cms > >So India has decided against the One Laptop Per Child Project (for now). >Two >arguments that stood out for me: > > 1. Poor rural children often have health problems that may be > exacerbated by laptop use, especially those affecting eyesight and > children's backs. > 2. No developed country has universalized laptops for children, so why > should India? > >I must say that the first argument is a perfect example of how people in >developed countries often lack the foresight and local knowledge required >to >adequately decide whether a technology truly is "appropriate". Forget the >merits to education or the potential for employability skills -- those are >secondary to the potentially negative health effects of the laptops. > >Thanks, >Wojciech Gryc > >-- > >Five Minutes to Midnight: >Youth on human rights and current affairs >http://www.fiveminutestomidnight.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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WRYTING-L email list for theory and writing
by Charles Baldwin 27 Jul '06

27 Jul '06

WRYTING-L As the open spaces of the internet narrow between bureaucracy and greed, email lists become ever more important. The aim of WRYTING-L is to maintain a balance between dissemination and conversation, to offer the possibility of a space of writing not overdetermined by academic rule, party line or limit of genre. All kinds of writing and discussion are welcome. The list is run with a minimum of management by Alan Sondheim and Sandy Baldwin, and is open to all. WRYTING-L is an email list for theory and writing, focusing on texts and comments presented by the participants. The list is managed out of the Center for Literary Computing at the West Virginia University. It is open to anyone, in or outside the University. The object is to provide a forum for writing and theory that may not fit within the confines of a particular discipline, in recognition of the recent interest in operating between and across theories and genres in the humanities and beyond. We're interested in all sorts of issues - 'avant-garde' pieces, psychoanalytical, phenomenological, or deconstructive approaches, etc. Wryting is cross-platform, cross-gender, cross-reason; it may involve embodiments of reader and writer, codework and sestinas, abstract language, the collapse of genre. If you are working with images, please give a URL; they won't come through the list. If you are working on an extremely long piece, you might want to give a URL as well (there is a 500-line limit on every post). WRYTING-L stems from the older fiction-of-philosophy list, which presented work between literature and theory, fiction and poetry, philosophy and lyric, and so forth. Any discussion and original work is welcome. To join send the message "subscribe wryting-l [your email address] [your name]" without the quotation marks and square brackets to listserv(a)listserv.wvu.edu Alternatively, you can go to the following online subscription screen: http://listserv.wvu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=wryting-l&A=1 A digest option is available.

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Re: [Air-l] air-l Digest, Vol 24, Issue 25
by Eduardo Villanueva 27 Jul '06

27 Jul '06

Mark, it is interesting that your point of view regarding the OLPC project is so different from the stated objectives by the promoters, like Negroponte, who insist that OLPC is not a computer project but an educational one (as stated in their project wiki). My opposition to OLPC, as I have stated before (macareo.pucp.edu.pe/evillan/shdf.htm), has to do with the educational perspective and the way governments are suppossed to heed the higher knowledge coming from "there", instead of developing local answers to local problems. While I would certainly cheer for lower cost hardware in my country, I do believe that OLPC will bring, in the long run, too many problems to make the cost-saving aspects worth anything at all. I support the OLPC project because I basically see it as an > additional low-cost hardware alternative. I'm all for computer > equipment becoming cheaper and more accessible, rather than > exclusively targeting the high end market. To be honest, even though > I see other aspects of technology implementation, such as teacher > development or curriculum development, as crucial, it never bothered > me that OLPC didn't provide these, because I never saw OLPC as a > single be-all, end-all, or any kind of total integrated package, but > just an additional hardware alternative. One of the positive > benefits I predicted from OLPC is that it would put downward pressure > on the computer price market, and I think that has already occurred, > through sparking other laptop and desktop projects targetted at > low-income groups in developing countries. OLPC also appears to be > developing some innovative design features that again might be more > broadly useful beyond this particular product (see the most recent > issue of Wired). Wojciech, I will not get into a debate on development theory here, but I believe my > organization should be defended. There are different stages of > development, > and to say that all we should do is provide people with nutritious food is > to ignore the complexities of development and the needs of society as a > whole. This is why there are eight Millennium Development Goals, and not > one. I cannot agree more with you. And precisely, OLPC reduces everything into one sole objective. That's wrong. For instance, regarding the comment on "one glass of milk per child": it has more or less happening here in Peru since the eighties, and good as it is, it has just solved one aspect of one problem (a specific kind of malnutrition) and has brought many others, like corruption and dependence on hand-outs when they are no longer needed, especially in urban areas where income has risen. So even specific solutions have to be retooled in the long run, to avoid creating newer problems. Sorry for the drift. Eduardo

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Fwd: ::fc-announce:: Mediamatic workshop: RFID and the Internet of Things
by Jeremy Hunsinger 27 Jul '06

27 Jul '06

Begin forwarded message: > From: workshops <workshops(a)mediamatic.nl> > Date: July 26, 2006 6:17:17 AM EDT > To: announce(a)fibreculture.org > Subject: ::fc-announce:: Mediamatic workshop: RFID and the Internet > of Things > > Upcoming workshop: RFID and The Internet of Things > 11, 12, 13 September 2006 > @ Mediamatic Amsterdam > > After a succesfull CrashCourse in May, Mediamatic now presents a > second workshop on RFID and The Internet of Things. > > > > RFID allows for the unique identification of objects, and any kind > of online data can be linked to these unique ID's. If RFID becomes > an open web-based platform, and users can tag, share, and > contribute content to the digital existence of their own places and > objects, we can truly speak of an Internet of Things. This opens > perpectives for new sustainability scenario's, for new relations > between people and the stuff they have, and for other locative > applications. > > > The participants of this workshop will develop critical, utopian or > nightmarish concepts for an Internet of Things in a hands-on way. > Ideas can range from scripts for small new rituals to outlines of > societal changes of epic scale. Prototypes can be tested with the > workshop tools The Symbolic Table or the Nokia3220 phone with RFID > reader. > > The workshop has room for 16 designers, artists, thinkers and > makers. Participation fee is €350 per person, ex BTW. Lunches, > technical equipment and assistance are included. If you want to > participate in this workshop, please register at our online > registration form: > http://www.mediamatic.net/workshopregistration > > > For questions or more information, surf to http:// > www.mediamatic.net/workshops, > > mail to workshops(a)mediamatic.nl, or call Klaas Kuitenbrouwer: +31 > 20 6389901. > > _______________________________________________ > ::fibreculture::announcements:: > To subscribe or unsubscribe from fibreculture announce, please > visit the List Info page: > http://fibreculture.org/mailman/listinfo/announce_fibreculture.org > > Fibreculture website: > http://www.fibreculture.org jeremy hunsinger jhuns(a)vt.edu www.cddc.vt.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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Re: [Air-l] Social software and ICT on Wikipedia
by paolo massa 27 Jul '06

27 Jul '06

I found the blog post "Tracing the Evolution of Social Software" [1], published on October 13, 2004, very interesting. It starts with "The term 'social software', which is now used to define software that supports group interaction, has only become relatively popular within the last two or more years. However, the core ideas of social software itself enjoy a much longer history, running back to Vannevar Bush's ideas about 'memex' in 1945, and traveling through terms such as Augmentation, Groupware, and CSCW in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. By examining the many terms used to describe today's 'social software' we can also explore the origins of social software itself, and see how there exists a very real life cycle concerning the use of technical terminology." So here there is one more term "social software", luckly enough nobody mentioned "Web2.0" [2] yet ... ouch! ;-) And about ICT, you might like to know that there is no page for ICT on Wikipedia, in fact the "Information and communication technology" Wikipedia page [3] redirects to the "Information technology" Wikipedia page. Of course I'm not saying that if something is not on Wikipedia then that something does not exist but simply that someone might want to edit the Wikipedia pages related to the many concepts we are discussing on this mailing list, such as for example the CMC one [4] P. [1] http://www.lifewithalacrity.com/2004/10/tracing_the_evo.html [2] http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.… [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_and_communication_technology [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-mediated_communication

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Moodle conference
by Derek McMillan 27 Jul '06

27 Jul '06

In the Moodle In the past “Virtual Learning Environments” were regarded with suspicion by teachers as a sci fi concept in which teachers are replaced with computers. After attending Moodlemoot ’06 at the Open University, I can honestly say that Moodle, the open source course management system, is actually whatever the teacher wants it to be. The course seminars included teachers from diverse disciplines from Science to English to Music and of course ICT who all used Moodle to teach in the way which suited them. Although the system is based on a social constructivist model of education, teachers frequently start out using it to replicate traditional classroom activities like essay-writing, feedback and redrafting or quizzes/tests with the slight difference that these are self-marking and pupils get instant feedback. Teachers only then go on to some of the more unusual features of Moodle like Wikis, blogs, asynchronous discussion groups and podcasting. And because it is Open Source free software, teachers can contribute to the future design of Moodle without some acquisitive corporations we could mention seeking to block them under the pretext of “business secrets”. Moodle is now used by over 100000 registered users, including the Open University. It is free to download and use and many schools and local authorities who have poured hundreds of thousands of pounds into the coffers of Microsoft are keen to find free software. If you want to find out more there is a website which talks about the conference and demonstrates the program at the same time. It is called http://moodlemoot.org/ and all of the conference is available as audio or video files. I recommend the audio file because the video quality will depend on the quality of your computer. ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger - NEW crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

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India Rejects One Laptop Per Child
by Wojciech Gryc 27 Jul '06

27 Jul '06

Hi, Keeping in mind the long discussion that was posted a few weeks ago with regards to the merits (or lack thereof) of the One Laptop Per Child project, I thought this may interest subscribers of this list: HRD rubbishes MIT's laptop scheme for kids http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1698603,curpg-1.cms So India has decided against the One Laptop Per Child Project (for now). Two arguments that stood out for me: 1. Poor rural children often have health problems that may be exacerbated by laptop use, especially those affecting eyesight and children's backs. 2. No developed country has universalized laptops for children, so why should India? I must say that the first argument is a perfect example of how people in developed countries often lack the foresight and local knowledge required to adequately decide whether a technology truly is "appropriate". Forget the merits to education or the potential for employability skills -- those are secondary to the potentially negative health effects of the laptops. Thanks, Wojciech Gryc -- Five Minutes to Midnight: Youth on human rights and current affairs http://www.fiveminutestomidnight.org/

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CMC, network of networks
by Barry Wellman 26 Jul '06

26 Jul '06

I believe that Roxanne Hiltz and Murray Turoff were first/early users of "Computer Mediated Communication" (CMC) in the first edition of Hiltz, S. Roxanne, and Murray Turoff. 1978. The Network Nation. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Yup, that's before some list members were born. (But I don't have the book handy.) THeir Network Nation title was consciously adopted from Paul Craven and my "The Network City" paper (1973). Which also introduced "network of networks" well before the Internet. And which may have begat "THe Network Society" (Castells, 1996), and certainly begat Tracy Kennedy and my "The Network Household" (2007; ICS) and my "networked individualism" (2000; IJURR) As far as CMC/ICT, I've been increasingly using ICT because it encompasses information as well as communication. (Of course, info has to be communicated to be useful.) My sense is that the CSCW crowd still uses CMC a fair amount. Talk about anachronisms -- CSCW sure is a misleading one. But yet there is an annual conference. Everything old is new again. Barry _____________________________________________________________________ Barry Wellman Professor of Sociology NetLab Director wellman at chass.utoronto.ca http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman Centre for Urban & Community Studies University of Toronto 455 Spadina Avenue Toronto Canada M5S 2G8 fax:+1-416-978-7162 You're invited to visit & contribute to the new version of "Updating Cybertimes: It's Time to Bring Our Culture into Cyberspace" http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php _____________________________________________________________________

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