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cfp: special issue on games and ethics
by Charles Ess 24 Apr '05

24 Apr '05

Dear AoIR-ists, You heard it first on AoIR... Please distribute as appropriate, and with apologies for cross-postings. == CFP special issue of IRIE on e-games. - Deadline for abstracts: June 30, 2005 - Notification of acceptance to authors: August 15, 2005 - Deadline for full chapters: September 30, 2005 - Publication: December, 2005 The Ethics of E-Games Call for Papers - IRIE, Vol. 2/2005 International Review of Information Ethics. Deadline for abstracts: June 30, 2005 Introduction Computer-based or e-games, in both standalone and networked incarnations (including ³Massive Multiplayer Online Games² or MMOGs), represent one of the most popular and an economically profitable uses of ICTs and CMC in the contemporary world. Such games not only simulate a range of human social interactions, from building (perhaps utopian) societies to historical and fantasy warfare of every age: the games further occasion and catalyze a range of human interactions that rightly inspire research from a variety of disciplines and specialties. Especially violent games (e.g., Quake, Doom, Grand Theft Auto III, and others) have generated some critical discussion, ranging from ³moral panics² in popular media to social science investigations into possible effects and consequences of participating in such games. But e-games represent a relatively neglected subject in Information Ethics. At the same time, however, if broader discussion of e-games is to include responsible and informed ethical reflection, much more critical reflection from the various perspectives of Information Ethics upon the multiple dimensions of e-games and game-playing is needed. Hence this special issue of IRIE calls for such critical ethical reflection. Possible Topics and Questions 1. The Rules and thus Ethics of Play While much has been written about potential psychological and social consequences of e-games, very little academic research has focused on the ethics of e-games. The ethical questions and issues here, however, are many for example: A. What ethics if any may be expected of gamers (e.g., honesty, fairness, respect, integrity - see: Code of Ethics http://investors.egames.com/ethics.asp)? B. On the contrary, is it ethically justified to suspend such ethical expectations within specific games (e.g., Grand Theft Auto III) precisely because these are ³just a game,² i.e., a kind of psychological and/or social exercise that, like Carneval and other traditional events that temporarily invert prevailing social norms, may have cathartic and/or other beneficent effects? C. Are there ethical norms to be expected of game designers e.g., avoiding designs that intentionally or inadvertently reinforce questionable (if not dangerous and unethical) stereotypes regarding gender, ethnic and national identities, etc.? Or is anything justified as long as it sells in the marketplace? D. How do different cultures shape and shade these ethical questions and responses? For example, are concerns with illicit sexuality in games primarily only an issue for U.S. (puritanical) parents, while European parents are more concerned about violence, while parents in Asian countries are concerned about ? Do different cultures understand the role of games differently and thus, the ethical questions and ways of responding to these questions in different ways? E. Additional questions / issues? 2. Virtue Ethics and Ethics of Care E-games, especially in their online versions, bring together participants from around the globe. A specific approach to the ethics of e-Games invokes virtue ethics e.g., in Aristotelian and/or Confucian traditions to ask the question, what human excellences and potentials are fostered by our playing such games (e.g., Coleman 2001)? Contemporary feminist ethics, including an ethics of care (e.g., as developed by Nel Noddings) would also raise critical questions regarding what we learn and develop specifically, what capacities for caring, if any as we play such games. What would such ethical analyses suggest to us regarding contemporary games? Are these analyses legitimate to use and/or do they beg several questions regarding the nature of games, gamers, and game-playing? [Coleman, Kari. 2001. Android Arete: Toward a Virtue Ethic for Computational Agents, Ethics and Information Technology, 3 (4): 247-265.] 3. Social Dimensions The larger social impacts of computing and information technologies are one set of consequences that are ethically relevant to design and use of ICTs and thus are of importance in Information Ethics. Many negative consequences of game-playing are thematic of both popular and scholarly literature, e.g., concerns with encouraging violence, potential addiction, and other anti-social impacts. At the same time, however, at least some games may be argued to have ethical and social value as they enhance social and other sorts of skills, serve as an attractor in e-learning environments, etc. What can reliable research in fact tell us regarding these impacts both positive and negative? And: given the best available research on these impacts what ethical conclusions (if any) may be drawn regarding the production and consumption of e-games? 4. Gender, Culture It is not hard to find examples in especially the more popular e-games of gender and cultural stereotypes stereotypes that are ethically reprehensible insofar as they ideologically justify a range of inequalities and the violation of basic human rights. If certain games only work to reinforce prevailing ³masculinist² stereotypes regarding how to be male; and if certain games teach us to see ³the Other² (whether as a female and/or as a member of a cultural/ethnic identity different from our own) as naturally inferior, the legitimate target of violence, etc. then a strong ethical case against such games could be made. On the other hand, gamers may be perfectly aware that ³this is just a game² i.e., they may well approach such stereotypes with a distance and irony that helps diffuse rather than reinforce them. Moreover, not all games work by presuming such gender and/or cultural stereotypes. And finally, a growing community of women gamers directly challenge these stereotypes about games. Are there games and ways of playing games that help us explore our identities as gendered beings in positive and fruitful ways, rather than simply playing off and thus reinforcing stereotypes that may be questionable, if not oppressive? Are there games and ways of playing games that in fact help us overcome ethnocentrism and come to see ³the Other² in ways that teach us to respect the irreducible differences that define diverse gender and cultural identities perhaps even teach us to communicate more effectively across these differences? 5. None of the Above We do not imagine that this initial list of suggestions exhausts all possible topics and approaches to ethical reflection on e-Games. On the contrary, we encourage interested authors to propose additional frameworks, questions, ethical and analytical approaches, etc., that will add to our insight regarding ethics and e-Games. The Rules of the Game Potential authors are asked to provide an extended abstract (max. 1.500 words) by 30. June 2005. The abstract should be written in the mother tongue of the author. An English translation of this abstract has to be included, if the chosen language is not English or German. The IJIE will publish accepted articles (3000 words or 20,000 letters including blanks) in German, English, Spanish, French or Portuguese. For further details see the submission guidelines <http://ijie.zkm.de/About#submissionguidelines> . The abstracts will be selected by the guest editors, Dr. Charles Ess and Dr. Elizabeth Buchanan. Authors will be notified by 15. August 2005. Deadline for the final article (according to IRIE format guide) is 30. September 2005. All submissions will be subject to peer review. Therefore the acceptance of an extended abstract by the members of the editorial board does not imply the publication of the final text unless the article passed the peer review. For more information about the journal see: www.ijie.org <http://www.ijie.org/> A list of documents, which potential authors might find useful, can be requested by e-mail. Members of the ICIE will get a copy of the list via the ICIE mailing list. Contact Please send queries and proposals to guest editors, Dr. Charles Ess: <cmess(a)drury.edu> Dr. Elizabeth Buchanan: <eliz1679(a)uwm.edu> == Thanks! Charles Ess Distinguished Research Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies Drury University 900 N. Benton Ave. Voice: 417-873-7230 Springfield, MO 65802 USA FAX: 417-873-7435 Home page: http://www.drury.edu/ess/ess.html Co-chair, CATaC: http://www.it.murdoch.edu.au/catac/ Exemplary persons seek harmony, not sameness. -- Analects 13.23

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IR conference acceptances
by Caroline Haythornthwaite 24 Apr '05

24 Apr '05

Notification of acceptance of papers, etc. for the conference are in progress. We will be sending these out over the next week. Please do not panic if your colleague has an acceptance and you have not yet heard. We may still be processing your submission. I will send a note to the list when we are done. /Caroline ---------------------------------------- Caroline Haythornthwaite Associate Professor Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 501 East Daniel St., Champaign IL 61820

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Data on Sampling?
by Pete Welsch 23 Apr '05

23 Apr '05

I'm beginning work on some social networking research that looks at ties between hip hop/electronic producers and the artists they sample. I was wondering if anyone knew about resources available for uncovering such data. My initial idea was to look at licensing fees paid by a set of artists, otherwise I'm not sure how/if it would be possible to get access to that information shy of lurking on dodgy sample-spotter listservs. Any thoughts? I'd be particularly interested in getting access to data on underground hip hop and/or downtempo producers, if that helps narrow the field a bit. Many thanks, Pete Welsch - pwelsch(a)indiana.edu ------------------------------------- http://ella.slis.indiana.edu/~pwelsch "That ideas should freely spread from one to another over the globe, for the moral and mutual instruction of man, and improvement of his condition, seems to have been peculiarly and benevolently designed by nature, when she made them, like fire, expansible over all space, without lessening their density in any point, and like the air in which we breathe, move, and have our physical being, incapable of confinement or exclusive appropriation." - Thomas Jefferson, 1813

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uk election 2005
by Wainer Lusoli 23 Apr '05

23 Apr '05

I was just wondering if any list members had plans for (or were already) studying the use of the net in the UK 2005 general election. Or just following the campaign (online). Would be nice to hear what the impressions of AIR-ers are. Kind regards Wainer ----------------------- Wainer Lusoli Research Fellow @ ESRI University of Salford http://www.lusoli.info w.lusoli(a)salford.ac.uk +44 (0)161 295 5126 -----------------------

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RE: [Air-l] uk election 2005
by Dominic Pinto 22 Apr '05

22 Apr '05

--- Wainer Lusoli <w.lusoli(a)lse.ac.uk> wrote: > Bill: > > Much appreciated, no surprise the OII is at the > forefront. > > [On the lighter note suggested > (http://www.whoshouldyouvotefor.com/) I > ended up a Trot, which is accurate but how on earth > did they guess ;) I > also received a call from the local Labour party, > the following day, who > wanted to shepherd me back to the flock; whether it > is a coincidence, I > leave it for you to decide ] > I've had no cold calls yet, and so far 2 leaflet drops (both from the local Tories) in Central London. The whoshouldyouvotefor site offered me the LibDems, as they 'take a strong stand against tax cuts and a strong one in favour of public services: they would make long-term residential care for the elderly free across the UK, and scrap university tuition fees. They are in favour of a ban on smoking in public places, but would relax laws on cannabis. They propose to change vehicle taxation to be based on usage rather than ownership.' So far this campaign has hardly come alive! Dominic Pinto e-m dominic.pinto(a)ieee.org M: +44 780 302-8268 Ph/Fax: +44 207 379-8341

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Podcasting/blogger/rss conferences
by Kate Raynes-Goldie 21 Apr '05

21 Apr '05

I'm compiling a list of trade shows/conferences that cover podcasting and/or blogging and/or rss. Anyone have any suggestions on what I should include? Thanks! Kate

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terminology to describe developing countries
by Carolyn Wei 21 Apr '05

21 Apr '05

Hello, I am de-lurking here in search of some vocabulary insight. I have been working on questions about technology use in the post-Soviet Central Asian republics, a developing region of the world. I am trying to find a word to describe the level of technological development in the region. If I were to adapt the problematic geopolitical terms of First, Second, and Third World, I am looking for a way to describe the "Second World" of industrialized areas. The Central Asian republics are not saturated in the latest digital gadgets, nor are they utterly devoid of electricity and technology. They're inbetween those two extremes: Central Asia has aging analog telecomm systems, some introduction of digital phone lines, and growing internet and mobile use. I've been using "digitally emergent" to describe Central Asia. Has anyone seen the term "digitally emergent" before? Or is there a more common way to describe this level of development? Thanks, Carolyn Carolyn Wei Dept. of Technical Communication University of Washington

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CFP: proposed edited collection REMOTE RELATIONSHIPS IN A SMALL WORLD
by Attwood, Fiona 21 Apr '05

21 Apr '05

CFP: proposed edited collection REMOTE RELATIONSHIPS IN A SMALL WORLD We are seeking contributions for this proposed edited collection. Rather than producing more speculative work, we wish to focus on empirical data collected online about the intricate, intimate virtual ways that people forge connections. The three sections will be: Love & Sex; Work & Education; and Methods & Ethics. Chapters should be empirically based, 8000 words in length, and written in an accessible style suitable for an interested, intelligent general audience as well as for an academic readership in gender/cultural/media studies, sociology/anthropology, and new media. Deadline for abstracts Friday May 8th. Deadline for completed chapters February 14th 2006. Please send abstracts of up to 250 words (attached as a .doc or .rtf file) and including a brief bio or CV to: Feona Attwood, Sheffield Hallam University, UK f.attwood(a)shu.ac.uk and Dr Samantha Holland, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK s.holland(a)leedsmet.ac.uk

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Call for Chapters: Queer Intersections: Revisiting online media and queer sexualities
by O''Riordan, Kate 21 Apr '05

21 Apr '05

Call for Chapters (edited book) Queer Intersections: Revisiting online media and queer sexualities Edited by Kate O'Riordan and David J Philips Introduction This edited collection will bring together crucial examinations of the intersecting fields of sexuality and the internet, and will provide an overarching contextualisation and consolidation of cyber/queer practices and theories. In the early to mid-1990s, the repercussions of queer theory were being engaged across academic feminism and lesbian and gay studies. At the same time, the internet was emerging as a key structuring device for academic networks, and as an important area of study. With the advent of the commercial web in 1994 the internet intersected with popular culture, and key questions of modernity - identity, community, governance, time and space - intersected with the web as it unfolded across multiple social domains. Whilst the mid-1990s wasn't the beginning of internet research, cybercultural studies, or queer, it was a period of sustained attention and excitement in relation to identity and the web. Since then, there has been intense collision and collaboration between queer theory and cyberculture, as the imagined ideal queer subject and the imagined ideal cybersubject came to occupy the same ground. Moving on from and challenging this formulation, the book aims both to document queer internet practices and to limn their theoretical implications at the intersection of the fields of queer, technology, and communication studies. Drawing on interviews with central actors, analyses of internet activity, syntheses of critical debates, and both new and historical research, the collection will provide both an overview and an in depth analysis of these engagements. We invite papers for consideration that complement either of the proposed sections of the book: Section 1 will provide theoretical contextualisations, histories and political economies of queer/communication technology intersections. Section 2 will showcase new and innovative work on queer sexuality and the internet that offers new insight, whilst also showing evidence of a rigorous connection to historical and theoretical context. Suggested topics and themes include (but are not limited to): · Sexual identities practices and communities · Art and activism · Consumption · Political economy · Representation · Performativity · Queer theory Target Market and Readership The book aims to provide a contribution to course materials for postgraduate and undergraduate work in digital/new media/internet and communication studies, queer theory, cultural and gender studies. The collection also aims to support postdoctoral researchers by providing a consolidation and bridging of existing and new work in the field. Deadlines Submission of 400 word abstract along with a CV: 1st of July 2005. Authors notified: 1st of August 2005 Draft chapters: 1st November 2005 Editors Kate O'Riordan, Centre for the Economic and Social Aspects of Genomics, Lancaster University, http://www.cesagen.lancs.ac.uk/staff/oriordan.htm k.oriordan(a)lancaster.ac.uk David Phillips, Department of Radio-Television-Film, University of Texas at Austin, http://rtf.utexas.edu/faculty/phillips, djp(a)mail.utexas.edu Dr Kate O'Riordan CESAGen IEPPP Lancaster University Furness College Lancaster LA1 4YG tel: 01524 592769 email: k.oriordan(a)lancaster.ac.uk

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web browsing patterns and distributions?
by Allan A Friedman 21 Apr '05

21 Apr '05

Hi All, I've been looking for information on web browsing patterns in terms of page exposure. Ideally, I'd be interested in roughly how many pages people visit in a given time period and the shape of that distribution (i.e. most people look at a few pages, but a long tail look at many pages). If anyone could point me to some any broadly applicable information about how people "acquire" new pages (search engines, links, email), I would be a happy modeler of user behavior. I've found plenty of user studies on browsing behavior *inside* a website, but I'm looking for domain-level use for a project on trust mechanism simulation. Thanks! /\llan Allan Friedman PhD Student, Public Policy Kennedy School of Government

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