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Online survey reminder
by Steve Jones 28 Nov '05

28 Nov '05

A group of students in a graduate seminar I am teaching has developed an online survey to learn more about the use of the internet and new media by air-l subscribers, and about internet tools made available at AoIR IR 6.0. I would appreciate it if you would take the survey. In all likelihood, unless you write extensive responses to the open- ended questions (which I would encourage), the survey should take about 10 minutes. It will be online until *Tuesday, November 22*. The url for the survey is http://toolssurvey.notlong.com. For those of you who filled out the conference evaluation that was online, please note that this is an entirely different survey, and is not a conference evaluation. If you have any questions please email me off list. Thank you in advance. Sj PS: Those of you who attended the conference met most of these students there, they were the volunteers without whom the conference would have been, logistically, a flop. I hope you share in my gratitude for their work and can repay the favor they showed AoIR by helping them out. Thanks.

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Central European University, Semester Abroad, MPP
by Nanne Priebs 28 Nov '05

28 Nov '05

Budapest Semester Abroad Program General Description: The Central European University (CEU) invites applications from graduate students to spend the Fall 2006 semester or the academic year 2006 * 2007 in Budapest, Hungary. The program is sponsored by the Center for Media and Communication Studies (CMCS) at CEU. In the semester program offered only in fall, students ordinarily remain enrolled at their home institution but spend an exciting semester in Budapest, engaging in the MPP Media Stream and taking selected courses (including courses on EU law) from the gifted CEU faculty. Students from the University of Pennsylvania, Cardozo and Tulane have taken part in this program. Students can remain for the academic year and receive a Master’s in Public Policy (http://www.ceu.hu/mpp/) CMCS launched the MA Program in “Media, Information and Telecommunication Policy” as part of CEU’s Public Policy Program. The Media Stream is designed to train a new generation of policy-makers and advisors in several fields, including the important area of telecommunications and media development (http://www.ceu.hu/mpp/courses/Media.pdf) Students can obtain the semester credit at home (with permission from their home institution) and the Master’s degree from CEU within the one year span. CEU (www.ceu.hu) is a US-style English language graduate university with a focus on the social sciences and the humanities, accredited both in the United States and in Hungary, and located in Budapest, in the heart of Europe. The university is oriented to interdisciplinary research on, and the study of social change and the policy implications of transition to open societies. In addition, emphasis is placed on European Union affairs, as well as on the special features of non-Western democracies. CMCS (www.cmcs.ceu.hu) aims to be the vehicle for conducting various international research and policy projects; researchers and experts affiliated with CMCS play an important role in shaping national research and development priorities in Eastern Europe. Eligibility: Graduate students with a strong interest in media policy. Currently enrolled students have a legal studies, political science or communication background. Applicants should have a demonstrated record of academic or professional involvement relevant to the Media Stream of CMCS’ Master’s in Public Policy Program. The visiting non-degree student status is available to individuals who have earned a first degree from a recognized university and are able to present evidence of English language proficiency (if they are not native speakers of English). To be considered for the 1-year MA program, students have to fulfill the general CEU requirements. Duration: For the semester program: September 2006 through December 2006; For the 1-year MA-program: September 2006 through July 2007. Application: For application information please contact me at vispriebs(a)ceu.hu. Applications must be received by January 6th 2006. Nanne Priebs Project Manager Center for Media and Communication Studies (CMCS) Central European University Nador u. 9, H-1051 Budapest, Hungary email: vispriebs(a)ceu.hu www.cmcs.ceu.hu

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CFP EASST Conference 2006 in Lausanne
by Jeremy Hunsinger 28 Nov '05

28 Nov '05

> > > > > Call for Papers EASST 2006 > > > > PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY > > > > EASST Conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, August 23-26, 2006 > > > > The biennial conference of the European Association for the Study > of Science and Technology will be held in Lausanne from 23rd to > 26th August, 2006. All members of the European science, technology > and innovation studies community are invited to attend. > Contributions are particularly encouraged which address the general > conference theme. > > > > "Reviewing humanness: bodies, technologies and spaces" > > > > What is it to be human today ? Human "nature" is made and re-made > by ideas and practices assembling bodies, technologies, and spaces. > Three processes in particular seem to be transforming the very > notion of humanness: > > > 1. it is reconfigured by the life sciences, from genetics to > neurobiology, with the invention of new forms of human corporeity. > Within contemporary philosophy and STS literature, this is > associated with conceptual changes, displacing traditional binaries > such as human/animal, animal/machine, nature/technology, mind/body > towards all kinds of hybrids. > 2. it is reassigned to and redistributed throughout sociotechnical > networks and artifacts. In other words, the notion of humanness is > rethought; it is considered no longer to be enclosed within the > human subject, but instead disseminated in and through human-made > objects and technological systems. > 3. it is rescaled by the increase in transnational connections and > the development of a cosmopolitan imaginary. The increase of > spatial mobility (international migration, tourism, professional > travel, etc.) and information flows, 'stretching' social relations > across space, have reterritorialized, and in the best cases > broadened, our conceptions of humanness. > > > > The conference organizers invite contributions that address both a > general conceptualization of humanness and these three particular > processes. The further aim of this conference is to address the > political (in the broad sense of the term) dimension of a reviewed > humanness. The re-fabrication of humanness is not only an academic > thought-experiment but a daily life experience, and sometimes an > object of concern, for society as a whole. The organizers therefore > also invite contributions specifically focusing on the > politicization of contemporary humanness. Such topics include: > > > a) issues related to participative forums created by state or > supranational organizations to trigger public debate around the > anthropological consequences of scientific and technological > innovations; > b) initiatives of different segments of civil society (patient > organizations, feminist movements, indigenous groups, consumer > associations, etc.), including public action and mobilizations, > regarding the definition of research agendas, the organization of > knowledge production and diffusion, or the political regulation of > the three above-mentioned processes; > c) questions regarding participation in the global redefinition of > humanness. Are not large sectors of humankind excluded from these > changes? Do they mean the same thing regardless of social class, > gender and ethnicity? > > > Threads: > 1. Biomedical practices, politics and markets > 2. Medicine, healthcare & patients > 3. Information and communication technologies > 4. Technological artifacts & users > 5. Environments, landscapes and resources > 6. Spatialities, transnationalism and governance > 7. Expertise, governance & publics > 8. Normative issues & the production of norms > 9. Science, politics & markets > 10. Knowledge objects, practices & cultures > 11. Science, culture & arts > 12. Practices and processes of innovation > 13. STS in practice (methods, research networks, computer tools) > Contributions will be welcome from the range of disciplines found > within the broad field of science, technology, and society studies. > For those whose work does not relate directly to the Conference's > theme, there are open paper sessions. > > > Deadline for abstracts and session proposals: December 16th, 2005 > > > Abstract submissions should include all contact details, the text > of the abstract (300 words), three keywords and the preferred > Conference Threads. Please use the ad-hoc template file on the > website as the basis for your submission and send it by December > 16th, 2005, to easst2006(a)unil.ch > > > If you plan to propose a session, please send a message to the > organisers as soon as possible, and put « session proposal » in the > subject of your e-mail. In order to help the preparation of the > programme, session proposals will be posted on a page of the > Conference's website. Session proposals should include all contact > details, the text of the proposed session (600 words max.). Please > use the ad-hoc template file on the website as the basis for your > submission and send it by December 16th, 2005, to easst2006(a)unil.ch > > > All information can be found on the Conference's > website:www.unil.ch/easst2006 > > > Contact : easst2006(a)unil.ch, Tel/Fax : +41 21 693 84 77 > Address: EASST 2006, University of Lausanne, IEPI, Bat. Humense, > CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland > > jeremy hunsinger jhuns(a)vt.edu www.cddc.vt.edu jeremy.tmttlt.com www.tmttlt.com () ascii ribbon campaign - against html mail /\ - against microsoft attachments http://www.aoir.org The Associatiion of Internet Researchers

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Research Request: Philosophy of Design
by Ken Friedman 28 Nov '05

28 Nov '05

Dear Colleagues, This is a research request for articles and books on philosophy of design. This includes articles and books in which philosophers discuss issues that can be applied to design process as well as articles and books in which designers and design researchers discuss or develop a philosophy of design. In this sense, I do not restrict the call to full-formed or comprehensive philosophies, but invite also propositions and heuristic probes. Please send suggestions and comments to me off-list at <ken.friedman(a)bi.no> I will compile all responses and post them to the list. The compilation will incorporate respoinses to an earlier research request posted to the list PhD-Design. Thank you. Ken Friedman Applicable definitions of the term, "philosophy" in "philosophy of design": Merriam-Webster's (1990: 883) defines philosophy as: "2 a : pursuit of wisdom b : a search for a general understanding of values and reality by chiefly speculative rather than observational means c : an analysis of the grounds of and concepts expressing fundamental beliefs 3 a : a system of philosophical concepts <Kantian philosophy> b : a theory underlying or regarding a sphere of activity or thought <the philosophy of cooking> <philosophy of science> 4 a : the most general beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group <the hippie philosophy>." The Oxford English Dictionary (2002: Unpaged) defines the relevant aspects of the word philosophy the same way: "1. a. (In the original and widest sense.) The love, study, or pursuit of wisdom, or of knowledge of things and their causes, whether theoretical or practical." To speak of a "philosophy of" is to discuss "The study of the general principles of some particular branch of knowledge, experience, or activity." OED cites this usage example, "Expressions like 'philosophy of science', 'philosophy of history', 'philosophy of government', 'philosophy of law', 'philosophy of religion', and so forth creep into the language, indicating that after scientists, historians, statesmen, jurists, priests, and the rest have said all they have to say, there is still need of a special kind of knowledge to inform us what it is all about." Webster's International Dictionary (1913: 1077) defines philosophy as "1. Literally, the love of, including the search after, wisdom; in actual usage, the knowledge of phenomena as explained by, and resolved into, causes and reasons, powers and laws. When applied to any particular department of knowledge, philosophy denotes the general laws or principles under which all the subordinate phenomena or facts relating to that subject are comprehended." References Merriam-Webster, Inc. 1990. Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, Massachusetts. OED. 2002. OED Online. Oxford English Dictionary. Ed. J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. Second edition, 1989. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Oxford University Press. URL: http://dictionary.oed.com/ Date accessed: 2002 January 18, verified 2005 November 27. Webster's. 1913. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (G & C. Merriam Co., 1913, edited by Noah Porter). ARTFL (Project for American and French Research on the Treasury of the French Language). Chicago: Divisions of the Humanities, University of Chicago. URL: http://humanities.uchicago.edu/orgs/ARTFL/forms_unrest/webster.form.html Date accessed: 2002 January 18, verified 2005 November 27. -- Ken Friedman Professor of Leadership and Strategic Design Institute for Communication, Culture, and Language Norwegian School of Management Design Research Center Denmark's Design School email: ken.friedman(a)bi.no

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Two open positions at Michigan State Dept of Telecommunication, Info Studies & Media
by Nicole Ellison 28 Nov '05

28 Nov '05

Hello all, My department at MSU is conducting two searches this year; please see below for the announcement. I hope to see some of your names in our applicant pool! Nicole ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Nicole Ellison, PhD Asst. Professor, Dept. of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media Michigan State University 517.432.1667 nellison(a)msu.edu *** The Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University invites applicants for two tenure system positions: . An assistant professor in the area of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Areas of focus could include social, behavioral, cultural, or economic and policy aspects of ICTs, or ICTs as they relate to human-computer interaction and interaction design, or group and/or organizational applications. Candidates who combine their research interests with a focus on the design or development of innovative ICT applications are especially encouraged to apply. . An open rank position in the area of telecommunications and health. Candidates are sought who focus on the role of ICTs in health care contexts, including such topics as telemedicine, online health applications, medical informatics, and new media and health communication. Candidates whose work has an international and/or developing country dimension are also encouraged to apply. Candidates are expected to develop a substantial program of research leading to peer reviewed publication, and the application of research for outreach activities is valued. Teaching opportunities will be at the undergraduate and graduate level, with the typical teaching load set at two courses per semester. Summer teaching appointments are often available. Efforts to obtain external funding for research and/or design activities is expected. Released time is available based on grant productivity. Requirements: A Ph.D. in a relevant discipline is required. ABDs will be considered. Evidence of scholarship and teaching ability is required. The Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University is a thriving place of scholarship, teaching, and public service. Its faculty has a national and international reputation and is actively involved in research projects funded by the National Science Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and other major organizations. Founded in 1855, Michigan State University is situated in East Lansing, a pleasant university town just on the border of Lansing, the capital of Michigan. Our vast campus is known as one of the most beautiful in the nation and is home to over 40,000 students from 85 nations and about 4,000 faculty and staff. MSU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. Female and minority applicants are especially encouraged to apply. People with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation. Applicants should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and names and addresses of three references. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Search closes when suitable candidates are hired. Positions are to begin in August 2006. Please mail the application to the search committee chair, Dr. Charles Steinfield, 409 CCAS, Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. 48824-1212. On the web: http://tc.msu.edu

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facebook
by Jillana 27 Nov '05

27 Nov '05

I just received this from a student about the facebook at Northwestern University: Begin forwarded message: > > speaking of electronic forms of communication... I'm not sure if you > heard about it at all, but last weekend an RA in one of the > residential halls up north killed himself. I didn't know him, but I > found it really interesting how people responded to his death in the > online world. People were using his facebook profile as a site for > eulogizing him. The sentiments seemed sincere, but to me it seemed > trite. I wasn't sure how you felt about. A friend of mine who knew > him because she was an RA also made an interesting comment. She > mentioned to me over lunch that she and her other RA friends had > decided he was officially dead when he got signed off of AIM. I don't > mean to bring so dire a piece of news, but I wasn't sure how to react. > The FB brought me closer to him, and showed me explicitly who our > mutual friends were, but I never knew him. I'm not too affected by it > now, and I meant to email you about it earlier (they've since taken > his profile off of FB). > > > Thought it was an interesting use of online space, have you > encountered anything like that in your research? >

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an emerging social phenomenon on the web
by Derek McMillan 27 Nov '05

27 Nov '05

Groups of posters (who for all I know could have consisted of one person!) have hijacked usenet newsgroups for the purpose of posting irrelevant material in vast quantities and swamping the group. This was on top of all the spam. I have shifted to using moderated boards rather than usenet now because of this. I have never been personally attacked although my views have attracted vigorous criticisms - I particularly remember a heated exchange with fascists in Kent whose main issue was they hated people from Sussex! ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Model Search 2005 - Find the next catwalk superstars - http://uk.news.yahoo.com/hot/model-search/

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Internet use in Brazil
by Michel J. Menou 26 Nov '05

26 Nov '05

Results of a recent (2005) national survey for households and enterprises are available, in Portuguese, at http://www.nic.br/indicadores/ -- ================================================================= Dr. Michel J. Menou Consultant in ICT policies and Knowledge & Information Management Adviser of Somos@Telecentros board http://www.tele-centros.org Member of the founding steering committee of Telecenters of the Americas Partnership http://www.tele-centers.net/ B.P. 15 49350 Les Rosiers sur Loire, France Email: Michel.Menou(a)wanadoo.fr Phone: +33 (0)2 41511043 http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ciber/peoplemenou.php ================================================================== -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.8/183 - Release Date: 25/11/2005

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Cfp: HCI Issues in Computer Games (Special issue - Interacting with Computers Journal)
by Panayiotis Zaphiris 25 Nov '05

25 Nov '05

CALL FOR PAPERS INTERACTING WITH COMPUTERS JOURNAL Special Issue of Interacting with Computers on “HCI Issues in Computer Games” http://www.soi.city.ac.uk/~zaphiri/Announcements/games.html Guest Editors Panayiotis Zaphiris & CS Ang, Centre for HCI Design, City University London Introduction to special issue topic Computer Games are at the forefront of technological innovation and their popularity in research is also increasing. Their wide presence and use makes Computer Games a major factor affecting the way people socialize, learn and possibly work. Computer Games are also beginning to attract the attention of educators and education technologists. With this special issue of Interacting with Computers we wish to explore the relationship between Computer Games and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Are current HCI techniques and methodologies appropriate for designing Computer Games? Do we need new Computer Game focused HCI methods, theories and paradigms? What are the new challenges when it comes to evaluating Computer Games? This special issue of Interacting with Computers is inviting contributions from both the academic community and industry. It will focus on issues surrounding the analysis, design, development and evaluation of Computer Games and the issues surrounding them. Potential topics include (but are not limited to) the following: * Design approaches and techniques suitable for Computer Games * Usability studies regarding Computer Games * Theoretical and/or pedagogical foundations for analysing Computer Games * Within-game and/or out-game activities and their HCI analysis * Computer Games and Online Communities * Social and Cultural Issues and Computer Games * Accessibility of Computer Games * Transfer of gaming metaphors to business applications "Interacting with Computers" is an interdisciplinary journal of Human-Computer Interaction, published by Elsevier. More information about this journal can be found at: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/525445/descrip… IwC special issues contain only 5 - 6 papers, each of no more than 10,000 words (so acceptance will be fairly selective). Submission: Papers should be submitted through the manuscript management system at http://ees.elsevier.com/iwc/ by the 10th of April 2006. The style standard is that of the American Psychological Association (APA), more details about which can be obtained from: http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPAFormatting.html Important dates: Full paper submission: 10th April 2006 (Monday) Response to authors: 8th May 2006 (Monday) Final version of papers: 5th June 2006 (Monday) Planned publication: September 2006 Dr. Panayiotis Zaphiris (zaphiri(a)soi.city.ac.uk) and CS Ang Centre for HCI Design, City University London Guest Editors Special issue of Interacting with Computers on HCI Issues in Computer Games -- 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/ -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.5/177 - Release Date: 21/11/2005

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Re: [Air-l] wiki tool suggestion?
by M.B.Gaved 24 Nov '05

24 Nov '05

Hi Radhika I used pmwiki ( http://www.pmwiki.org/ )for a community informatics workshop - http://kmi.open.ac.uk/events/ci2005/ it worked really well. You need to install it on a machine you have ftp access to that's running php and can webserve php pages, but you don't need mysql or similar. I found that I could set it up and tweak it quite a bit just knowing my way round html code. So probably in the middle between setting up a wikipedia style fully fledged wiki, and using a bit of space on somebody else's server. good luck! Mark Knowledge Media Institute The Open University Milton Keynes UK -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org on behalf of Radhika Gajjala Sent: Thu 24/11/2005 15:52 To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org Cc: Subject: [Air-l] wiki tool suggestion? Can anyone suggest a free wiki tool (space) I can use for my classes next semester? thanks, r -- Radhika Gajjala Associate Professor School of Communication Studies Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 http://personal.bgsu.edu/~radhik ; http://cyberdiva.typepad.com/teach/ http://www.cyberdiva.org _________ or to glance at multiple blogs http://www.cyberdiva.org/cyberdivalive.html _______________________________________________ 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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