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James W. Carey Media Research Award
by Mark D. Johns 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

CALL FOR AWARD APPLICATIONS James W. Carey Media Research Award Sponsored by the Carl Couch Center for Social and Internet Research http://www.cccsir.org/ The Carl Couch Center invites self-nominations for works to be considered for its annual James W. Carey Media Research Award. The Couch Center welcomes works on topics that have been central to Carey's scholarship. Among others, submissions might focus on technology, time, space and communications, the nature of public life, the relation between journalism and popular culture. Applications will be evaluated based on the quality of (1) mastery of Carey’s approaches and concepts, (2) originality, (3) organization, (4) presentation, and (5) advancement of knowledge. Evaluation will be administered by a Review Committee of six: Prof. Stuart Adam, Carleton University Prof. Theodore L. Glasser, Stanford University Prof. John Pauly, St. Louis University Prof. Jeff Pooley, Muhlenberg College Prof. Linda Steiner, Rutgers University Prof. Lance Strate, Fordham University Both single and multiple authored works will be accepted. All submissions must be works that have been published/presented or have been accepted for publication or presentation—that is, works that have been accepted for publication in a book or journal, or have been accepted for presentation at a competitive academic conference. To be considered for the 2006 award, works should be published or presented in 2004 or 2005. Those interested please submit a copy of their works electronically to Mark D. Johns, executive director of CCCSIR, at johnsmar(a)luther.edu in plain text, Microsoft Word, or Corel WordPerfect format. If the work submitted is a paper, a 100-word abstract needs to be included. Paper length is limited to 30 pages plus references. If a book is submitted, a copy of the table of contents and one chapter are sufficient. The application deadline is April 1, 2006. Notification of award application will be sent out by June 15. The Award winner will receive the Carey Award plaque to be presented at the winner’s choice of the 2006 annual convention of the International Communication Association (ICA), Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), or National Communication Association (NCA). Questions and comments about the Carey Award, please contact: Mark D. Johns Dept. of Communication Studies Luther College Decorah, IA 52101 Tel: (563) 387-1347 E-mail: johnsmar(a)luther.edu OR Shing-Ling S. Chen Dept. of Communication Studies Univ. of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA 50614 Tel: (319) 273-6021 E-mail: chen(a)cccsir.org

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Antw: air-l Digest, Vol 17, Issue 6 (Absence - Carl-Markus Piswanger)
by Carl-Markus Piswanger 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

I am out of office. I will be back on December 14. Carl-Markus Piswanger

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Inquiry by LSE Masters student re e-dieting
by David Brake 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

"I am curently researching the e-dieting phenomena, specifically, online slimming clubs, such as weightwatchers.co.uk. This is a new topic and as such I have had difficulty finding scholarly research on the topic -- do you have any ideas of where I might look?" I believe there is some literature on the negative aspects of 'extreme' slimming clubs - pro-ANA sites for example but none of it comes to my hand. He's particularly interested in the commercial aspects but would also be interested in diet/nutrition articles. Please email a.a.macdougall(a)lse.ac.uk or this list with any references you have. --- David Brake, Doctoral Student in Media and Communications, London School of Economics & Political Science <http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/media@lse/study/ mPhilPhDMediaAndCommunications.htm> Also see http://davidbrake.org/ (home page), http://blog.org/ (personal weblog) and http://get.to/lseblog (academic groupblog) Author of Dealing With E-Mail - <http://davidbrake.org/ dealingwithemail/> callto://DavidBrake (Skype.com's Instant Messenger and net phone)

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Re: [Air-l] wikipedia and defamation
by David Brake 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

On 6 Dec 2005, at 20:03, Ulf wrote: > these statements are only harmful on a significant scale > if anyone looks at them, believes them (and - in some cases - repeats > them). The Seigenthaler episode is a good example. Being rather > ignorant about the Who's Who in the media business I wouldn't have > known of Seigenthaler and would never have connected him with the > Robert Kennedy assassination It is exactly people like Seigenthaler or you and I who are most at risk from defamation both on Wikipedia and blogs etc. The danger comes if you are just known enough to be a target to some people but not well-known enough to have either PR professionals or 'allies' who are aware of the truth about you and could deal with attacks or let you know about them. Why should someone like Seigenthaler have a new responsibility to scan the Internet every so often just to make sure someone with a grudge hasn't defamed them? It's true that people should take what they read online with a pinch of salt but empirically I think you would find most people don't (could someone with the relevant information science pop in here and give us some relevant citations on this point?) I am not a big David Brin supporter but I do think one of his proposals in The Transparent Society has some merit - that even people contributing online 'anonymously' should have as a backstop some way to be traced if they abuse that facility. IP addresses help here but don't provide a complete remedy. --- David Brake, Doctoral Student in Media and Communications, London School of Economics & Political Science <http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/media@lse/study/ mPhilPhDMediaAndCommunications.htm> Also see http://davidbrake.org/ (home page), http://blog.org/ (personal weblog) and http://get.to/lseblog (academic groupblog) Author of Dealing With E-Mail - <http://davidbrake.org/ dealingwithemail/> callto://DavidBrake (Skype.com's Instant Messenger and net phone) --- David Brake, Doctoral Student in Media and Communications, London School of Economics & Political Science <http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/media@lse/study/ mPhilPhDMediaAndCommunications.htm> Also see http://davidbrake.org/ (home page), http://blog.org/ (personal weblog) and http://get.to/lseblog (academic groupblog) Author of Dealing With E-Mail - <http://davidbrake.org/ dealingwithemail/> callto://DavidBrake (Skype.com's Instant Messenger and net phone)

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CFP Digital Games
by Mark D. Johns 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

- Please distribute, apologies for cross posting - Call for Papers: Open Session "Cultural Studies and the Research of Digital Games" at: Crossroads Conference at Istanbul Bilgi University (Turkey) http://www.crossroads2006.org 20-23 July 2006 The investigation of computer games still is a field seldomly considered in academic research. In contrast to this, a large public interest in the possible "effects" of computer and video games exists, which seems understandable since this "leisure time activity" plays an increasingly central role in the life of many young people and adults. Thus game research has to examine potentials of meaning, patterns of interaction and readings contained in the representations of the game and their influence on the player's "lifeworld". The actual forms of appropriation of this "new" medium vary widely e.g. different forms of identity construction and community building, therefore the following session search for papers that address a wide range of topics and focus especially on the relationship between Cultural Studies and game research. To submit a paper to this session, please send an abstract of maximum 150 words to the Session Organizer Markus Wiemker (markus(a)wiemker.org) The deadline for the submission of papers is January 18, 2006. Best wishes, Markus Wiemker --- Markus Wiemker Lecturer for New Media University of Applied Sciences Media Management, St. Pölten, Austria Heinrich-Schneidmadl-Str. 15 lbwiemker(a)fh-stpoelten.ac.at Tel.: +43 2742 313 228 416 Fax: +43 2742 313 228 409 www.fh-stpoelten.ac.at markus(a)wiemker.org www.wiemker.org

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Oslo PhD grants in participation, games
by Anders Fagerjord 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

Two positions as doctoral research fellows (PhD-stipendiat) are available at the Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo. Enquiries about the posts should be directed at one of the following: • Associate Professor Anders Fagerjord, tel no +47 22850411, anders.fagerjord(a)media.uio.no. • Associate Professor Tanja Storsul, tel no +47 22850405, tanja.storsul(a)media.uio.no. • Head of Administration Niels Christian Hervig, tel no +47 22850474, n.c.hervig(a)media.uio.no. Salary band: 39-45 in the Norwegian state salary system (depending on qualifications and seniority) Organisation: Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo, Norway The positions are fixed three-year appointments. Closing date: 20 December 2005 Ref no: 05/17812 and 05/17813 Applicants should submit four copies of their application, including a description of their intended research project (max 10 pages), list of published and unpublished works and CV. One copy of certificates should also be submitted. Applications should be sent to Det humanistiske fakultet, Postboks 1079, Blindern, 03l6 Oslo, Norway. Project: Participation in dialogic mass media Dialogic mass media refers to a number of digital media technologies established over the past ten years, in which the receiver is also a sender and therefore able to engange in a dialogue. Media such as these combine the main features of mass media, where several audiences can observe and participate within the same context. Web and online games are typical examples of dialogic mass media, whereas new applications are being developed for mobile platforms and digital television. By participation we mean audiences who participate in a dialogue exchange by consuming media messages and, based on this, automatically generates new messages. This kind of participation is shaped by various circumstances, some in which promotes participation, others limit the participation. Dialogic media represent a new media development; they give audiences new opportunities while at the same time demanding increasingly financial resources, technical equipment and knowledge. They represent potential new opportunities for a growing participation-based society. However, research shows that the we underestimate the significance of users’ motivation, intentions and opportunities. One view is that the audiences participate differently, in different ways and have different roles when encountering various digital media and genres. Position 1: New political arenas in dialogic media (ref no 05/17812) Dialogic media seek to open new forums for political debate, with a potential to change and strenghten democracy. On one hand, there are discussion forums in online newspapers, weblogs and ’citizen journalism’. These are examples of amateur journalists given coverage in the established media. On the other hand, established political players and governments are opening up to a larger degree of direct communcation with its citizens. We are seeking a doctoral research fellow to explore this topic. Position 2: Online games with high degree of graphic realism (ref no 05/17813) Computer games are an increasingly popular form of media, and to children growing up today, computer games will become a natural part of their media experience. As a consequence, elements of computers games will potentially influence on other media forms. Computer games like Half-life 2 have taken the graphic realism in real-time animation to a new level. Multi-user games are becoming an important social arena for millions of people around the globe. There is a need to enhance our knowledge of games as moving images, of participation in virtual games communities, and of how the design influences the user’s participation in a game. We are seeking a doctoral research fellow to explore this topic. Research fellows are employed as part of the Factulty of Humanities’ research programme. The scientific production aim to complete with a PhD dissertation. Candidates should possess: • University degree equivalent to Master’s degree or Cand.Polit/Cand.Philol (in media studies) on the same level as a Norwegian degree. • Minimum 5 years degree in relevant area of study • Studies abroad need be approved beforehand and a copy of the approval letter must be enclosed with the application letter. Women are encouraged to apply. More details about guidelines and the PhD programme are available from http://www.hf.uio.no/forskning/english/phd-information.html Anders Fagerjord, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Media and Communication University of Oslo P.O. Box 1093 Blindern, N-0317 OSLO, Norway Tel. +47 22 85 04 11 Fax +47 22 85 04 01 http://fagerjord.no

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Re: [Air-l] wikipedia and defamation
by Dan L Burk 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

Two versions of this theory were bandied about nearly 10 years ago. One version involved some brief speculation as to whether defamation via CMC is more like slander (spoken defamation) than like libel (written defamation). The rules for slander differ slightly, as spoken defamation is less permanent. A second variation suggested that the U.S. NYT v. Sullivan "public figure" standard applies to everyone on-line; i.e., that cheap access to CMC gives everyone access to mass media, making everyone a public figure. In that case, counter-speech would be the preferred remedy. Some of the proprietary ISPs (AOL, Compuserve, Prodigy) adopted this as their internal policy for a time: if you felt you had been defamed on their systems, you got free access to rebut the defamation. Neither of these ideas went anywhere, and CMC defamation nowadays gets (mostly) treated like print defamation. DLB On 5 Dec 2005, Judd Antin wrote: > An interesting side note: the distinction between 'transient' and > 'fixed' communication or media appears to underlay the legal notion of > defamation. Wikipedia doesn't fit cleanly into either of those > categories. Should a work that is universally and indefinitely editable > be subject to the same requirements as traditional slander and libel? It > could certainly have an effect on an individual's reputation, but at the > same time that individual (or any other) is empowered to immediately > remove the offending passage. > > --Judd > > --Judd Antin > School of Information Management & Systems (SIMS) > University of California Berkeley > jantin(a)sims.berkeley.edu > http://technotaste.com > blog: http://technotaste.com/blog Dan L. Burk Oppenheimer, Wolff & Donnelly Professor University of Minnesota Law School 229 19th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA *************************************** Voice: 612-626-8726 Fax: 612-625-2011 bits: burkx006(a)umn.edu

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Re: [Air-l] wikipedia and defamation
by Dan L Burk 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

On 5 Dec 2005, Barry Wellman wrote: > the current AOIR debate about wikipedia highlights another problem. > It is quite easy to make legally defamatory statements on Wikipedia. Or on listservs, or blogs, or Usenet newsgroups, etc., etc. This is not a very new or very unusual problem. > Normally, the remedy is a law suit for civil damages. > > But if the author is anonymous, whom does one sue? Outside the United States, one sues the publisher of the libel -- the website or ISP or carrying the defamation. This at a minimum creates an incentive to remove the material from the system promptly. Inside the United States, there are First Amendment and statutory limitations on that remedy, so you will probably have no damages remedy for online defamation. > And yes, I know that defamation law suits are expensive and hard to do. > But at least the legal remedy is there in principle -- when the author is > known. But the Wikipedia approach is like someone flooding the mail with > anonymous defamatory photocopies. Again, no different than e-mail or newsgroups. This question was mostly worked out about a decade ago. DLB Dan L. Burk Oppenheimer, Wolff & Donnelly Professor University of Minnesota Law School 229 19th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA *************************************** Voice: 612-626-8726 Fax: 612-625-2011 bits: burkx006(a)umn.edu

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wikipedia
by Barry Wellman 07 Dec '05

07 Dec '05

I take issue with 2 contentions made here. 1. Defamatory wikipedia entries are only micro, so they can't hurt the universe. BUT, they can sure hurt the individual. Supposed I put an entry about a mythical grad student named Dinah Bayd, saying she plagirizes her papers. This could harm her career immensely. DISCLAIMER: Dinah Bayd is a made-up name. Neither I -- nor Google -- has ever heard of her. If she does exist, I am confident that she does not plagirize. Neither I am sure does someone who has a similar name (and frequently posts to this list.;-) 2. danah boyd contends that wikipedia entries are patrolled so often that they are self-correcting. I wonder. I certainly didn't know for months? that an entry existed in my name. It slurred me a bit, although not legally defamatory. It was finally corrected, but I don't go back daily to check it. Most of us are too busy or even more likely -- too unaware of Wikipedia to do such patrols. 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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[CSL]: Research Positions in Amsterdam (fwd)
by david silver 06 Dec '05

06 Dec '05

fyi. david ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 10:08:28 -0000 From: J Armitage <j.armitage(a)UNN.AC.UK> Reply-To: Interdisciplinary academic study of Cyber Society <CYBER-SOCIETY-LIVE(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK> To: CYBER-SOCIETY-LIVE(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK Subject: [CSL]: Research Positions in Amsterdam From: paul.wouters(a)VKS.KNAW.NL ** apologies for cross posting ** The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) is an independent body that advises the Dutch government on matters related to scientific research, promotes international scientific co-operation, assesses the quality of scientific research and is responsible for managing and defining the policy for 17 research institutes in the life sciences, humanities and social sciences. The Academy employs approximately 1,300 staff. The VKS is a new five year research programme of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. It aims to support researchers in the humanities and social sciences in the Netherlands in the creation of new scholarly practices using state of the art information and communication technologies. The Studio also aims to analyse these new practices and the development of e-research in a variety of disciplines. A core feature of the Virtual Knowledge Studio is the integration of design and analysis in a close co-operation between social scientists, humanities researchers, information technology experts and information scientists. The VKS has three research themes: data & digital information, communication & collaboration, and virtual institutions. The VKS develops three new methodologies: virtual ethnography, simulation & modelling in the humanities & social sciences, and Web Archiving for research. The working language of the VKS is English. The VKS will start on January 1, 2006 and will be evaluated in the course of 2010, after which the KNAW will decide whether and in which form the VKS will be continued. To realise this exciting interdisciplinary programme, the VKS is currently seeking: one senior research fellow (38 hours a weekvacancy number: PZ277) two senior researchers ( 38 hours a weekvacancy number: PZ 298) one management assistant (30,4 hours a weekvacancy number: PZ 279) The Senior Research Fellow will play an important role in leading and contributing to the empirical and theoretical development of the VKS research portfolio. The Senior Research Fellow will be a member of the VKS management team, and will be responsible for a theme as well as a methodological collaboratory. AppointmentThis position involves a tenure track appointment beginning with a temporary appointment for a maximum of 2 years. Given proven suitability for the job, the position will become permanent. Forms of secondment ('detachering') for candidates having tenured positions at a Dutch university can be considered. Candidates from the humanities and social sciences in the Netherlands are particularly encouraged to apply. SalaryDepending on education and work experience, the maximum gross monthly salary with a full-time appointment will amount to EUR 4.996,--, scale 13, Collective Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-Nederlandse Universiteiten), excluding 8% holiday pay and a year-end bonus. We offer an extensive package of fringe benefits. Work locationAmsterdam, the Netherlands. The two Senior Researchers will play an important role in the empirical and theoretical development of the VKS research portfolio. Beside developing their own research and acquiring external funding in one of the VKS themes or methodological foci, they will have specific responsibilities within the team. One senior researcher will be responsible for the peer review process of the VKS, the other senior researcher will organise one of the VKS collaboratories. AppointmentThis position involves a tenure track appointment beginning with a temporary appointment for a maximum of 2 years. Given proven suitability for the job, the position will become permanent. Forms of secondment ('detachering') for candidates having tenured positions at a Dutch university can be considered. Candidates from the humanities and social sciences in the Netherlands are particularly encouraged to apply. SalaryDepending on education and work experience, the maximum gross monthly salary coming with a full-time appointment will amount to EUR 4.605,--, scale 12, Collective Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-Nederlandse Universiteiten), excluding 8% holiday pay and a year-end bonus. We offer an extensive package of fringe benefits. Work locationAmsterdam, the Netherlands. All candidates for these research positions should- be strongly focused on ground-breaking basic research in one of the relevant fields in humanities and social sciences- have a PhD in either humanities or social sciences- have a strong international orientation in their research- have expertise in, or willingness to develop, the use of digital tools in research- have, or be willing to develop, expertise in the methodological innovations necessary for the specific tasks within the VKS- enjoy theoretical plurality and be able to engage with, and contribute to diverse theoretical perspectives based on empirical research- have excellent organisational skills- have a strong research track record, as demonstrated by an excellent publication list and acquired funding for research projects- be proficient in English. Applicants who are not proficient in Dutch are expected to acquire a sufficient level of Dutch language skills within two years. ____________________________________________________________________________ __________ The Management Assistant will have a central role in the organisation of the VKS. He/she will perform all administrative and secretarial duties and be responsible for the planning of meetings. The Management Assistant will organise VKS lectures, seminars and scientific conferences. He/she will also be responsible for the production of the VKS Website, newsletter and for the VKS information services. Candidates for the Management Assistant position:- should have outstanding organisational and administrative skills- will be excellent communicators in both English and Dutch- will be used to working in innovative work environments and taking the initiative will come naturally to them- should have expertise in project management or be willing to acquire these skills in a short time. AppointmentThis position involves a permanent appointment, beginning with a temporary appointment for a maximum of 2 years. Given proven suitability for the job, the appointment will then be converted into a permanent appointment. SalaryThe position is part-time (4 days a week). Depending on education and work experience, the maximum gross monthly salary coming with a full-time appointment will amount to EUR 2.796,--, scale 8, Collective Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-Nederlandse Universiteiten), excluding 8% holiday pay and a year-end bonus. We offer an extensive package of fringe benefits. Work locationAmsterdam, the Netherlands. ____________________________________________________________________________ __________ InformationInformation about the VKS programme can be obtained from the VKS Website www.virtualknowledgestudio.nl. Questions about the programme can be sent to the programme leader Paul Wouters, paul.wouters(a)vks.knaw.nl. ApplicationYou may send your application, consisting of a letter of motivation, copies of two publications, and curriculum vitae, to the VKS to the attention of Lianne Heuschen, Postbus 95110, 1090 HC Amsterdam, the Netherlands by 15 January 2006 at the latest.You may also email your application by forwarding a Word document to lianne.heuschen(a)vks.knaw.nl stating the vacancy reference. Any acquisition further to this advertisement will not be appreciated. Paul Wouters ============== Dr. P. F. Wouters Programme Leader The Virtual Knowledge Studio for the Humanities and Social Sciences (VKS); Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Amsterdam, NLMail Address: PO Box 95110 1090 HC Amsterdam The Netherlands Visiting address: Joan Muyskenweg 25 1096 CJ Amsterdam, NL T 3120 4628654 F 3120 6658013 http://www.virtualknowledgestudio.nl http://www.darenet.nl/en/page/language.view/keur.page ==== This e-mail is intended solely for the addressee. It may contain private and confidential information. If you are not the intended addressee, please take no action based on it nor show a copy to anyone. Please reply to this e-mail to highlight the error. You should also be aware that all electronic mail from, to, or within Northumbria University may be the subject of a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and related legislation, and therefore may be required to be disclosed to third parties. This e-mail and attachments have been scanned for viruses prior to leaving Northumbria University. Northumbria University will not be liable for any losses as a result of any viruses being passed on. ************************************************************************************ Distributed through Cyber-Society-Live [CSL]: CSL is a moderated discussion list made up of people who are interested in the interdisciplinary academic study of Cyber Society in all its manifestations.To join the list please visit: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/cyber-society-live.html *************************************************************************************

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