- Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Re: [Air-l] not wishing to start a war . . .
by Christopher J. Richter 15 Mar '06

15 Mar '06

Nathaniel states "Really I think this is interesting, but moot: it just depends on your definition" I would add that your definition depends on your perspective (also, I'll accept that the issue of definition is moot in the sense of debatable, but I'll debate whether it's moot in the sense of no practical value!) In any case, I think I understand Bob's perspective as reflected in his question "if packet transmission methods are specialized according to different end needs, then doesn't this argue for the presence of the internet as a medium, in the sense that its protocols are made to serve specific expressive functions?" But another perspective emerges if starting with a different analogy, i.e. instead of 'news paper is to printing press as IM, e-mail, whatever, is to internet,' try 'piece of mail is to postal system as IM, e-mail, whatever, is to internet.' >From this perspective, I can argue that the mail is the medium, the postal system is implicated in it and a necessary condition, but in and of itself, arguably not a medium. It takes the specific pieces of mail actually to convey/share meaning. Without them the system is only an organization and hardware. This may not technically be a comparable issue to the internet vs. its uses, but does reflect a (possibly less tech savvy) user's perspective. In any case, I echo others in saying that this discussion is fascinating, useful, and more fun than the grading I'm avoiding. One more citation for consideration: Susan Douglas, in Inventing American Broadcasting: 1899-1922 (1987, Johns Hopkins UP)traces out the complex interrelations of institutional, technological, economic and cultural factors involved in defining a medium when she addresses the question of when, how and why wireless became radio. Eagerly waiting for the next contribution to the discussion Chris Christopher J Richter, PhD Assoc. Prof. & Chair, Communication Studies Hollins University P.O. Box 9652 Roanoke, VA 24020 Tel. 5403626358 Fax 5403626286 e-mail crichter(a)hollins.edu www.hollins.edu ww.aoir.org/

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11th International Conference of the International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics
by Isidro F. Aguillo 15 Mar '06

15 Mar '06

Dear colleague, This is the first Announcement of the 11th International Conference of the International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics (ISSI) to be held in June 25-27 2007 in Madrid (Spain) hosted by the Spanish Research Council (CSIC). Please, find the First Announcement at the conference website: http://issi2007.cindoc.csic.es Best regards, Isidro F. Aguillo on behalf of the Organising Committee isidro(a)cindoc.csic.es CINDOC-CSIC Spanish Research Council Joaquin Costa, 22 28002 Madrid. SPAIN http://www.cindoc.csic.es

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Re: [Air-l] not wishing to start a war . . .
by Matthew Allen 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

Denise wrote: > In my book the packet doesn't care what it is carrying. Carrying a bit > of binary code or a text message is all the same. Doesn't make the > packet a container of expressive content. That content appears to the > reader on the other end. While Bob has produced some argument against this position from a conceptual perspective (and I think Bob and Denise are both right depending on one's conceptual starting point), it might be worth pondering the longer-term impact of IPv6 on the received wisdom that the packet doesn't care what it is carrying. One of the empirical reasons why Denise's position has become, for some, a legitimate conceptual position is that the original design of internet protocol was heavily weighted towards 'all information is equivalent' within a particular packet, with very limited capacity to differentiate packets while they remained in transit and not being sent or received. Clearly though IPv6, by increasing the size of the header and permitting significant additional information about the packet might produce experiences in the world which will require some revision of the 'packet doesn't care'. Perhaps though, it's not the packets that care or don't care but, rather, the systems which use those packets (both technological and economic)? There's an extraordinarily complex and altogether unseen world within the network (which in fact Denise helped educate me in over coffee somewhere at an AoIR conference I think) which is mostly divorced from packet contents. IPv6 however has the potential to bring some interaction between packet content and packet-switching system. M Dr Matthew Allen Associate Professor in Internet Studies President Association of Internet Researchers Faculty of Media Society and Culture Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider Code 00301J http://smi.curtin.edu.au/NetStudies/allen.htm +61 8 92663511 (v) +61 8 92663166 (f)

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CFP: “Computer Game-based Learning” - ITSE Journal special issue
by Panayiotis Zaphiris 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

Call for papers: Special Issue of International Journal of Interactive Technology and Smart Education on “Computer Game-based Learning” Guest Editors Panayiotis Zaphiris & CS Ang, Centre for HCI Design City University London This special issue aims at discussing and examining the educational potential of computer games whose commercial success has recently attracted the scholarly study from various fields. Theoretical issues and practical challenges in game-based learning such as pedagogical principles for computer games, design and evaluation methodologies as well as implementation will be the focus of this issue. RATIONALE There is now almost no doubt that games and play are something worth studying academically due to its commercial importance, its increasing recognition from the society regarding its cultural importance, and its application on non-play/serious domains particularly education. The need of understanding game design in particular and the nature of games in general are evident in computer games as the basics of game design are still unexplored that we need to take a largely formalist approach to discover and explore the fundamental, intrinsic learning aspects of games. Despite the lack of formalist methodologies, some computer games are highly successful commercially. It is believed that this is due to the fact that games that people cannot learn to play and from which they do not get the enjoyment of learning would not sell. In other words, the commercially successful games are designed with good learning theories even though it is not intentional. Good game designers are already doing a very good job at making learning happen. Also, a good game is often accompanied by the pleasure of socialising and interaction with other players. Thus it is argued that learning and sociability are two important criteria game designers may want to apply to game design. THEMES Contributions from both the academic community and industry are most welcomed. Potential topics include (but are not limited to) the following: * Design approaches and techniques suitable for Computer Game Based Learning * Usability studies regarding Computer Game Based Learning * Theoretical and/or pedagogical foundations for analysing learning in/through the use of Computer Games * Within-game and/or out-game learning activities and their analysis * Computer Games and Online Learning Communities * Social and Cultural Issues and Computer Game Based Learning * Accessibility of Computer Game Based Learning SUBMISSION PROCESS Prospective authors should as soon as possible (but before 1st of April 2006) submit a tentative title and a short abstract (maximum 150 words) to Panayiotis Zaphiris (zaphiri(a)soi.city.ac.uk) Authors of abstracts that are judged to fit the themes of the special issue will be promptly invited to submit a full paper. Full paper should follow the journal’s suggested writing format (http://www.troubador.co.uk/image/journals/1-1-7-Janvier3411.pdf) and should be submitted to the editors (zaphiri(a)soi.city.ac.uk) Important dates: Title & Abstract submission: By 1st of April 2006 Full paper submission: 15th June 2006 Response to authors: 15th August 2006 Final version of papers: 10th October 2007 Date of Publication: Autumn of 2007 Dr. Panayiotis Zaphiris (zaphiri(a)soi.city.ac.uk) and CS Ang Centre for HCI Design, City University London Guest Editors Special issue of International Journal of Interactive Technology and Smart Education on “Computer Game-based Learning” -- Dr. Panayiotis Zaphiris Senior Lecturer Center for Human-Computer Interaction Design City University London, EC1V 0HB Tel: +44-(0)-20-7040-8168 Fax: +44-(0)-20-7040-8859 zaphiri(a)soi.city.ac.uk http://www.zaphiris.org/

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IRL teaser online
by stuszyn＠bgnet.bgsu.edu 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

For those of you who either were at AoIR 6.0 and didn't make it to the screening or weren't there at all, the teaser for "IRL (In Real LIfe)," which is one of the first documentaries to look exclusively at online groups, is now online. http://www.dlfilms.com/irl The link to the teaser, which is in Quicktime format and just over a minute long, is mid-way down the page. Please right-click and save if you want to view it and spare our servers. The film is currently being submitted to a couple of film festivals around the US. There is additional information on the website, or people can e-mail me here or at stevie AT dlfilms.com. if they'd like to learn more. Stevie Tuszynski, PhD Critical Media Studies Track American Culture Studies Program Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH ----- "Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art. It has no survival value. Rather, it is one of the things that give value to survival." --C.S. Lewis.

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Re: [Air-l] Internet as medium with different sub-media or channels?
by Christopher J. Richter 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

To state the obvious, whether considering "'real' communication between embodied individuals," or the ostensible communication between embodied and non-embodied beings, or even oil paint as medium of expression, the key commonality is the "between," specifically, that which (or s/he who) mediates. Granted the term "mediate" is itself open to varying interpretations, but it emphasizes process. In this sense, to the degree that each of the different applications mediates in different ways, enables and constrains different aspects of communication, you should consider them different media, as Anders suggests. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the internet taken broadly shouldn't be considered as a medium at all, but a domain or infrastructure for various media. But as Anders also suggests, since "media" and "medium" are already invested with other meanings it might be most practical to use another term altogether, genre, mode, even application. >From another perspective, whether medium or mediate, the more I think about it the more the terms imply a conceptualization of communication as something that can be more or less direct--a sort of sender-receiver model, with communication somehow changed, for better or worse, depending on mode and amount of mediation. This makes sense, but at the same time, what does it really mean, if the level or amount of mediation doesn't correspond necessarily to degree of ambiguity--physical touch, as relatively direct communication can be more ambiguous than a TV message or a web page; a television message can mislead, but so can the spoken word. All communication seems mediated through the intersection of physical perception, culture and psychology . . . ? I'm not quite sure where this line of reasoning leads, but in any case, these latter reflections are probably of no im-mediate help to you, Michaël! Christopher J Richter, PhD Assoc. Prof. & Chair, Communication Studies Hollins University P.O. Box 9652 Roanoke, VA 24020 Tel. 5403626358 Fax 5403626286 e-mail crichter(a)hollins.edu www.hollins.edu -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Alex Halavais Sent: Monday, March 13, 2006 11:26 AM To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org Subject: Re: [Air-l] Internet as medium with different sub-media or channels? Ulla: > A fifth meaning for the word "medium" is "person who can talk to ghosts and otherwise > dead people." This meaning doesn't really pertain to what most of us are studying... In "Speaking into the Air," John Durham Peters takes this idea--angelic communication and communion with the dead--as the starting point for thinking about what we do when we (fail to) communicate. If "real" communication is between embodied individuals, it seems that most of us study ghosts in some form. But I'm pretty sure that's not what your students mean :). _______________________________________________ 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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Liquid Architectures Symposium
by Ken Friedman 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

Dear Colleagues, Here is a forum that may interest you.. It's the Liquid Architecture Forum at the Tate Online web site of the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern in London. The speakers include Hani Rashid, Jasia Reichardt, Woody Vasulka, Eddie Berg, and Rodrigo Alonso as well as myself. Celine Condorelli is the moderator. If any of you wishes to join the conversation or interact with some of these exciting thinkers, there is an opportunity to participate using the interactive forum feature. Those who wish to observe -- or take part -- should go to this URL: http://www.tate.org.uk/contact/forums/onlineevents/ To read, click on "Liquid Architecture -- Panel Discussion." To participate, click on "Liquid Architecture -- Public Forum." Best regards, -- Ken Friedman Professor of Leadership and Strategic Design Institute for Communication, Culture, and Language Norwegian School of Management Center for Design Research Denmark's Design School +47 46.41.06.76 Tlf NSM +47 33.40.10.95 Tlf Privat email: ken.friedman(a)bi.no

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Re: [Air-l] not wishing to start a war
by William Bain 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

Hi. I'd just like to note something here in regard to the conversation Denise N. Rall began and Bob Rehak's recent comment that "The medium of the movies surely includes more than the optical apparatus that captures light, inscribes it chemically or optically onto film, and reconstructs it at the other end in a darkened theater. For me at least, it includes the lovely grain of the image, the shock of the jump cut, and the dreamy no-time of the closeup." First of all I'm speaking from a different and kind of nontechnical field, literary theory, for the most part. I'm about to present an MA thesis on Virginia Woolf's *Mrs. Dalloway* and since lit crit works with messages I've been very interested in the discussion as it's developed here. What struck me about Bob Rehak's comment was the way so much is involved in the process of "doing film". And it isn't only that, but also the fact that it's humans using tools. So within the usual analyses of message sending (and I'm not as up on this as I'd like to be), I wonder whether the concepts of hardware and software don't fit somewhere. There is also the philosophical concept of incorporeals, which I suppose in the end constitutes any message that gets sent in its "soft" form. The hard form or hardware would then be the celluloid or the page of the book involved. I offer these comments as, well, I've already noted my nonexpertise......... I'd be very interested in hearing what the group thinks. William Bain Grad Student Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona --------------------------------- Yahoo! Mail Use Photomail to share photos without annoying attachments.

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PDP decoded - unintentional humor
by Barry Wellman 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

I'm doing the final proofing of "Sociologists Engaging with Computers" which should appear this April in _Social Science Computing Review_. It's an intro piece to the issue's focus on the history of our Communication & Information Technology section of the American Sociological Association. As such, it has a bit of computing history in it. I was astonished that when the copyeditor read my reference to the DEC PDP (hallowed be its name), she changed it to "Programmed Data Processors". Ever since it arrived in William James Hall (Harvard) in the mid-1960s,it's been the PDP. In fact, I had to Google now to see that yes, this is the literal full name of the thing -- which nobody ever used. Dealing with copyeditors is always a tug of war. I've left the expansion of CPU and RAM go, but darn-it, a PDP is a PDP. 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 To network is to live; to live is to network _____________________________________________________________________

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FW: Call for papers: Digital gatekeepers and search engines (Berlin 26-27 June, 2006)
by Randolph Kluver (Assoc Prof) 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

-----Original Message----- From: Prof. Dr. Marcel Machill [mailto:machill@uni-leipzig.de] Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 4:07 PM Subject: Call for papers: Digital gatekeepers and search engines (Berlin 26-27 June, 2006) preparations for our international conference on digital gatekeepers and search engines are almost complete. We will have a scientific workshop on June 26 (with English as working language) and a broader conference for decision makers in media policy on June 27 (with English and German as working languages). Detailed information can be found at: http://www.uni-leipzig.de/journalistik/suma/ Please feel free to forward this URL to further colleagues and students who might be interested. There is a limited number of places for the scientific workshop on June 26 for which travel costs would be sponsored by the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation (see detailed information under "call for papers"). Experts who want to apply should hand in an extended abstract no later than April 30, 2006. The scientific workshop also has the objective to establish an international network of researchers focussing on various aspects of digital gatekeepers. With best regards, Marcel ----------------------------------------------------------------- Professor Dr. Marcel Machill, MPA (Harvard) Chair of Journalism and International Media Systems University of Leipzig Burgstr. 21 / 04109 Leipzig / Germany Phone: +49.341.97-35758 (Direct Line) Phone: +49.341.97-35750 (Assistant) Fax: +49.341.97-39330 E-mail: machill(a)uni-leipzig.de URL: www.uni-leipzig.de/~journ/machilleng.php -----------------------------------------------------------------

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