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Info Overload, and How!
by Leslie Regan Shade 18 Apr '05

18 Apr '05

Hi there, in response to Jeff's post below re David Levy's work on info overload...Canadian Heather Menzies has just published a new book called No Time: Stress and the Crisis of Modern Life (Douglas and McIntyre, 2005). Menzies is one of the most trenchant feminist critics of technology in Canada. I reviewed the book for the Globe and Mail this past Sat., the entire review is at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050416/BKT… Excerpt: 'Mom, you work too hard," my teenage daughter tells me. "You never stop . . . you carry that laptop around with you, even while you're watching TV." "Well," I say defensively, "I just told someone I would get back to them on something . . . and a student e-mailed me about her paper topic, so I should respond . . ." I fear I'm one of those multi-tasking, high-achieving and frequently frazzled adults to whom Heather Menzies refers in her compellingly honest and evocative book, No Time: Stress and the Crisis of Modern Life. Like the Canadian academics she studied on a time-use survey, I find myself seduced and sucked up in the thrill and flotsam of e-mail to colleagues near and far away, to the rush of roaring across an ocean to another gab-fest conference, to the inevitable time-suck of managing grants and students and juggling administrivia. So, for many of us, Menzies's latest book will be an urgent wake-up call to slow down, reflect on our family and work priorities, and talk among ourselves. It's often not until the infrastructure -- whether physical or emotional -- breaks down that we engage in inner contemplation and a renewal of community connections. Cheers, and back to Grading Lockdown LESLIE > ------------------------------ > > Message: 11 > Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 12:22:57 -0400 > From: Jeff Young <jeff.young(a)chronicle.com> > Subject: [Air-l] article and discussion on 'information overload' > To: Air-l-aoir.org(a)listserv.aoir.org > Message-ID: <4263DEE1.8060508(a)chronicle.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed > > Hi, > > I thought folks on this list might be interested in an article in this > week's Chronicle of Higher Education about information overload and the > social impacts of technology. The article is free to anyone (even > non-subscribers): > > Knowing When to Log Off > http://chronicle.com/free/v51/i33/33a03401.htm > > Also, we're hosting an online chat about the issues this Thursday: > http://chronicle.com/colloquy/2005/04/overload/ > > -Jeff > -- Leslie Regan Shade Associate Professor Communication Studies Concordia University 7141 Sherbrooke St. W. Hingston Hall 421 Montreal Quebec H4B 1R6 514-848-2424 x2550

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New book, 2 papers + thesis on opensource.mit.edu|freesoftware.mit.edu
by Karim R. Lakhani 18 Apr '05

18 Apr '05

<apologies in advance for any x-posting> Hello All, We have received one book, two papers and a thesis as contributions to our community site this month. Many thanks to all the authors that have made their submissions. See you all soon! Karim Book Author von Hippel, Eric Title: Democratizing Innovation (MIT Press, 2005) http://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/democ.htm Overview: Innovation is rapidly becoming democratized. Users, aided by improvements in computer and communications technology, increasingly can develop their own new products and services. These innovating users--both individuals and firms--often freely share their innovations with others, creating user-innovation communities and a rich intellectual commons. In Democratizing Innovation, Eric von Hippel looks closely at this emerging user-centered innovation system. He explains why and when users find it profitable to develop new products and services for themselves, and why it often pays users to reveal their innovations freely for the use of all. The trend toward democratized innovation can be seen in software and information products--most notably in the free and open-source software movement--but also in physical products. He shows that product and service development is concentrated among "lead users," who are ahead on marketplace trends and whose innovations are often commercially attractive. Von Hippel argues that manufacturers should redesign their innovation processes and systematically seek out innovations developed by users. User innovation has a positive impact on social welfare, and von Hippel proposes that government policies, including R&D subsidies and tax credits, should be realigned to eliminate biases against it. An electronic version of this book is available under a Creative Commons license. Paper 1 Authors Boettiger, Sara & Dan L. Burk Title: Open Source Patenting http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=645182 Abstract: The open source and free software movements have used self-perpetuating copyright licenses to maintain open access to publicly distributed software. This model of licensing has now migrated to the field of biotechnology, where patents rather than copyrights dominate proprietary rights. Consequently, a model for open source patenting or free biotechnology presents a constellation of legal issues not typically found in previous open source licensing. This paper discusses several of these issues, including the nature of the rights transferred, the activities that may trigger the terms of the license, and the legal prohibitions on certain forms of licensing. Paper 2 Author: Lin, Yuwei Title Hybrid Innovation - How Does the Collaboration Between the FLOSS Community and Corporations Happen? http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/lin4_hybrid.pdf Abstract Unlike innovation based on a strong professional culture involving close collaboration between professionals in academia and/or corporations, the current Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) development entails a global knowledge network, which consists of 1) a heterogeneous community of individuals and organisations who do not necessarily have professional backgrounds in computer science but competent skills to understand programming and working in a public domain; 2) corporations. This paper highlights the importance of the hybrid form of developing and implementing software, and also identifies several key factors shaping the collaboration between OSS firms and the community. Undergraduate Thesis Author Greenberg, Robert Title: Open Source Software Development http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/greenberg.pdf Abstract: This paper examines applies basic economic theory to Open Source Software Development. Through examination of rational actor behavior I show why economically motivated individuals and firms choose to develop code that to be given away freely. It also examines the various Open Source licenses, including the two most common, the Free Software Foundation’s General Public License (GPL) and Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) License. Included are case studies to illustrate the workings of Open Source Software projects and how profit seeking firms have attached themselves to them. These case studies include the Apache Web Server, Mozilla, IBM, Microsoft’s Shared Source Initiative, and Red Hat. The associated business plans are also discussed. An executive summary precedes the paper and a glossary is attached to the end. -- Karim R. Lakhani MIT Sloan | The Boston Consulting Group Mobile: +1 (617) 851-1224 http://spoudaiospaizen.net http://web.mit.edu/lakhani/www | http://opensource.mit.edu

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article and discussion on 'information overload'
by Jeff Young 18 Apr '05

18 Apr '05

Hi, I thought folks on this list might be interested in an article in this week's Chronicle of Higher Education about information overload and the social impacts of technology. The article is free to anyone (even non-subscribers): Knowing When to Log Off http://chronicle.com/free/v51/i33/33a03401.htm Also, we're hosting an online chat about the issues this Thursday: http://chronicle.com/colloquy/2005/04/overload/ -Jeff

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CFP: C&W 2005, Stanford
by Samantha Blackmon 18 Apr '05

18 Apr '05

Here is the CFP you've all been waiting for: Computers and Writing Online 2005! Complete details can be found at http://kairosnews.org/cwonline05/cfp When Content Is No Longer King: Social Networking, Community, and Collaboration David Reed explains that in the early stages of a network's formation and growth, that "content is king," that there are a "a small number of sources (publishers or makers) of content that every user selects from" (qtd in Rheingold Smart Mobs 61). As the network scales, "group-forming networks" occur, and the value of the network increases exponentially in relationship of the number of users, otherwise known as Reed's Law, privileging the social interaction over content. We can see this change in network valuation in today's Internet. The increased valuing of social interaction in large scale networks is reflected in the new technologies that place emphasis on social communication and community over content. These technologies, often dubbed "social software" are applications that, as Clay Shirky explains, "support group interaction." We invite proposals from scholars, graduate students and others who have an interest in computers and writing and social interactions and are working on projects in gestation, in progress, near completion, or at any stage in between, whether a thesis or dissertation, article, book project, or just want to preview and fine-tune your conference presentation for Computers and Writing Conference hosted by Stanford University. This is a unique opportunity for extended discussion of your ideas before heading to Palo Alto. Conference organizers are particularly interested in presentations that address, but are not limited to, the following concerns: --Internet "social software" technologies such as blogs, wikis, RSS, social networks (orkut and friendster), and social bookmarking (del.icio.us). --Mobile technologies such as wi-fi and smart phones. --More traditional social, community communication spaces of email, discussion forums, newsgroups, listservs, and MOO's. As an acknowledgment of the value of social networks in creating discourse of and about scholarly work, CWOnline 2005 will follow a submission process using weblogs whereby participants will submit abstract proposals for public review and feedback within the Kairosnews site. Final versions of presentations will be made available online on Kairosnews. -- Samantha Blackmon, PhD Assistant Professor Department of English Purdue University West Lafayette, IN http://www.sla.purdue.edu/blackmon http://joe.english.purdue.edu/blog - blog **Please change my email in your address books to sblackmon(a)cla.purdue.edu**

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RE: [Air-l] universal ethics?
by Christopher J. Richter 18 Apr '05

18 Apr '05

Hello: Though mostly a lurker here, I couldn't resist airing some thoughts on this one: >PT >> If there are universal ethics we can prove these on the Internet. > > > > > RG> whose ethics will be universalised do you suppose? and what kinds of > > intolerances might that validate/legitimize? > > >Exactly the right questions - thank you, Radhika! >And I would gently reply: I think we can propose an ethics that begins in >part with the universal value implicit in the suggestion here that >"universal" claims have all too often in the past served as excuses for >colonialism, imperialism. . . . I would like to suggest that it is not only the concept of "universal" that we need to problematize in thinking about these issues, but the concept of "ethics" as well. Although the term can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, ethics in the modern sense of "the science of morals; the department of study concerned with the principles of human duty" (OED) may have grow out of the erosion of tradition as the primary guiding force of behavior beginning in the 14th or 15th century. Thus, a concern with ethics is a concern with codes of behavior, and not just with studying them (most of us in the social sciences study them, in some sense), but with prescribing them. And while the study of what we call ethical issues certainly exists and has long existed in other cultures, ethics per se, especially as separate from any sense of religion or at least the spiritual, may be a particularly Western abstraction. In modern usage, ethics often seem to be conceived of as context specific. Thus, "business ethics," "environmental ethics," even "net- or computer ethics." And certainly, as much of the on-going discussion here acknowledges, normative codes of behavior tend to be culturally and historically situated. Thus we should consider whether "universal ethics" constitutes an oxymoron. >Moreover, my more recent work (with the help, I must hasten to add, of >many, many colleagues in these domains) on Information Ethics and Internet >Research Ethics in countries such as China, Japan, Thailand, and Korea also >offer grounds for optimism. For example, two recent examples of Internet >research in Japan demonstrate more or less perfect consonance with the AoIR >guidelines recommendations regarding informed consent, protection of >confidentiality, anonymity, and personal data, etc. >Indeed, emerging conceptions of privacy and data privacy protection law in >these countries - while clearly retaining distinctive cultural "shape" in >their conception and application - are nonetheless recognizable cousins of >"Western" conceptions and laws. This suggests that even across the >considerable cultural differences, say, between the U.S. and Germany, on >the one hand, and China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, and Hong Kong, on the >other - there may be agreement on basic (universal?) values such as >privacy, Following my reasoning above, I have to ask: could it be that there are similarities because of shared context that crosses cultural boundaries? When I think about privacy, data encryption and the like, my thoughts are also never far from government surveillance and trans-national corporate capitalism--contexts indeed shared across many nations and cultures. >I would add: this tolerance is not unlimited. Rather, I think it's quite >possible to endorse tolerance as a universal value - but not thereby be >committed to tolerating, say, fascist regimes and violent repression of >women and minorities. On the contrary, by proposing that rights to >integrity, autonomy, cultural identity, and so forth are, at the very >least, strong candidates for universal rights Although I am sympathetic to being intolerant of intolerance, the ramifications of this scare me if you are talking about the net generally, as opposed to specific locales within it such as thus one. Even if it were possible to police the entire net, who should the ethical (moral) police be? i.e. who gets to decide what constitutes intolerance? Likewise, who gets to define "violence"? Contrast, e.g. Paulo Freire's definition of cultural invasion as violence with the rhetoric of the anti-abortion movement in the U.S. on violence against the unborn, if you think defining violence is unproblematic. Finally, is cultural identity ever linked to systematic intolerance (history of the U.S. suggests this is the case!)? If so, where do we draw the line, and again, more fundamentally, who gets to decide this? >Indeed, I think we make more progress towards some sort of shared, humane >value system_s_ and ethics through such dialogues, rather than giving up >the effort, however much previous failures and disasters might tempt us to >do so. The sentiment of this I can agree with (I think), but isn't dialogue, as an act of synthesis, with its potential for compromise, and even recognition of disagreement as opposed to consensus, fundamentally a different process from that of seeking to uncover some essential ethical nature that is already embedded in all of human culture, which seems to be the process implicit in much of the rest of what you say? Also, when talking about dialogue, it is important to remember, as Nancy Fraser and others point out, the difficulty/impossibility of bracketing status differentials so that those with less power come to the table "as if they were equals" with the holders of power. (Fraser, N. (1992). Rethinking the public sphere: A contribution to the critique of actually existing democracy. In C. Calhoun (Ed.), Habermas and the public sphere (pp.109-142). Cambridge MA: MIT Press.) Perhaps there is no better approach than dialogue, but that doesn't mean we should let optimism become a cover for idealistic naivety (but perhaps my one-time Midwestern optimism has dissolved into Southern U.S. style cynicism). 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

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New Grant: Constructive Dialogue About Sensitive Issues on College Campuses (fwd)
by david silver 18 Apr '05

18 Apr '05

this (below) looks quite exciting. (unfortunately, i believe, but am not certain, this is for colleges and universities in the US.) here in the states, we need constructive and engaged dialogue on campuses more than ever. here's an idea: wouldn't it be great if the colleges and universities that receive grants try to coordinate events between campuses? for more information, visit http://www.fordfound.org/news/more/dialogues/index.cfm david *** New Ford Foundation Grants Initiative Program Seeks to Foster Constructive Dialogue About Sensitive Issues on College Campuses: National grants initiative "Difficult Dialogues" calls for proposals http://www.fordfound.org/news/view_news_detail.cfm?news_index=151 http://www.fordfound.org/news/more/dialogues/index.cfm Difficult Dialogues is a new, national competitive grants initiative in undergraduate education. The initiative will support the development of rigorous academic programs that engage students in constructive dialogue around difficult political, religious, racial and cultural issues. The goal is to help institutions create a campus environment where sensitive subjects can be discussed in a spirit of open scholarly inquiry and intellectual rigor and with respect for different viewpoints. The initiative is part of a broader, $6.7 million effort by the Foundation to understand and combat anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of bigotry in the United States and Europe . Difficult Dialogues builds on the Foundation's history of supporting efforts by colleges and universities to foster more inclusive campus environments and to engage effectively with the growing racial and ethnic diversity of their student bodies. The Foundation expects to award approximately 25 grants of up to $100,000. We anticipate supporting projects with an emphasis on teaching and learning. Colleges and universities with general undergraduate programs are encouraged to submit preliminary proposals by May 16, 2005 . Please see the Request for Proposals for a detailed description of potential areas of interest and specific guidelines for submitting proposals.

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CFP: New Media Technologies at the ECCR
by O''Riordan, Kate 18 Apr '05

18 Apr '05

Call for papers for a panel of the ECCR ?New media technologies? section @ The First European Communication Conference KIT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, November 24-26, 2005 We would like to invite abstracts for contributions to a panel of the ?New media technologies? section of the ECCR, the European Consortium for Communications Research (http://www.eccr.info/) at the First European Communication Conference (http://www.ecc2005.nl/) in Amsterdam in November. The ECCR aims to strengthen the European research area in media and communication research. Joining forces with the ECA (the European Communication Association ? http://www.eca.org) for this conference, the ECCR is currently expanding its scope. Its links with the IAMCR are still strong, but the emphasis is on facilitating a consolidation of European networking seen as here as additional to, not exclusive from, other networks. Within the existing CfP of the overall conference (to which we have to send the panel applications), we would like to concentrate on the second set of topics: ?State-of-the-art research and theory building? which includes Assessments of the theories and methods developed in the field during the past half century as well as analytical work on lessons learned; Critical summaries of research findings in the various (sub)fields of European communication research; Comparative intra-European communication research; Innovative methodologies, pedagogies and theories; State-of-the-art research findings; Future studies in communication and mediation: issues and methods. The ?New media technologies? section shares the aim of strengthening the European networking efforts. It aims to be a forum that brings together researchers in the field from a variety of backgrounds. The emphasis of the current leadership team is on media and communications studies, cultural studies as well as the representation and sociology of technology. The first emphasis within the section will be on technology and its particular role in relation to both everyday life and cultural theory. This applies to technological and cultural forms and their intersections and crystallisations. Recognising the importance of new media and technologies within the conduct of everyday lives around the world, but also emphasising the limitations of possible changes, this panel aims to concentrate on the axes of new media and technologies as they move across communicational and interactional fields. Possible contributions could cover fields such as the aesthetics and form of new media; digital illiteracy; the domestication of technologies; metaphors of new media; political economies; and cultural theories of technology. Abstracts of no more than 800 words should be sent by April 27th to Maren Hartmann (Maren.Hartmann(a)uni-erfurt.de) The section was only recently founded and is currently in its formation phase. Thus any contribution made now can help to define what this section?s role within the ECCR shall be. The conference will be the official inauguration of this newly formed section. A section meeting will take place in Amsterdam. Here, new members will be welcomed and asked to contribute to the content-formation of the section. Thus a draft of the ?letter of intent? of the section will be open to discussion. Maren Hartmann (Erfurt, D) Kate O?Riordan (Lancaster/Sussex, UK) Caroline Bassett (Sussex, UK)

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Sources - online revelations and offline life?
by Jennifer Martin 18 Apr '05

18 Apr '05

Hello all, Given my problems finding relevant sources, I'm wondering if anyone might know of any accounts (personal or academic) of individuals who have experienced a revelation about their offline lives from online interaction, and especially online gaming. There's a fair number of examples Sherry Turkle's work, but I'm interested in some other sources to work with alongside it. Specifically, I'm interested in accounts of online or virtual interaction that have somehow illuminated offline life and created some kind of conscious experience of a previously unregarded behaviour, relationship, or action. I'd greatly appreciate any sources (studies, websites, journals, books, blogs) that might be on offer. Thanks kindly in advance. Jenn Martin Masters Candidate Department of Communication and Culture York University, Toronto, Canada jenn80(a)yorku.ca

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Ethics and IRB periodic reminder
by Mark D. Johns 18 Apr '05

18 Apr '05

Just a brief, periodic reminder that the AoIR Ethics Committee continues to seek narratives of Internet researchers' experiences in utilizing the AoIR Ethics Guidelines in conversations with IRBs. If you have had an encounter with your IRB, positive or negative, in which the Ethics Guidelines played a role -- or one in which they might have played a role -- we seek your confidential feedback at this web site: http://faculty.luther.edu/~johnsmar/AoIR/AoIRform.htm If you are unfamiliar with the AoIR Ethics Guidelines they are available at: http://aoir.org/reports/ethics.pdf -- Mark D. Johns, Ph.D. Asst. Professor of Communication/Linguistics, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa http://faculty.luther.edu/~johnsmar/ ----------------------------------------------- "Get the facts first. You can distort them later." ---Mark Twain

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International Symposium on Intellectual Property (IP) Education and Research
by Miraj Khaled 18 Apr '05

18 Apr '05

FYI Only. |||||||| International Symposium on Intellectual Property (IP) Education and Research June 30 - July 1, 2005 http://www.wipo.int/academy/en/meetings/iped_sym_05/ Background and objectives In the knowledge based society of the 21st Century, intellectual property (IP) comprises not only valuable economic assets of private firms, but also social and cultural assets of society. The impact of IP assets has become so crucial that it may have a great impact on our daily life and on the development and prosperity of the nation. The lack of awareness about IP and its importance in the past is understandable because IP was generally limited to legal and technical experts working in specialized arenas. However, times have changed; the information technology revolution, and the Internet in particular, have expanded the use and horizons of IP, the circle of users, as well as categories of beneficiaries of the IP system. The lack of awareness about IP makes it difficult for the people and many nations to leverage their knowledge, innovation and imagination for the purpose of enhancing their wealth, their rate of economic, cultural and social growth and development, and their quality of life. Against this backdrop, the critical role of academic institutions, such as universities, public learning centers for economic and social studies, and specialized IP training, which have traditionally contributed to the education element of valuable human resources, as well as to the IP research capacity, over many years, now requires an in-depth review and a structured reinforcement. The area of IP education and IP research are relatively new to many academic institutions, particularly those located in developing countries. Emerging challenges in different countries require nationally focused and tailor-made solutions�one size, as usual, does not fit all. However, some challenges facing academia and research operations could be better addressed through international cooperation underpinned by coherent approaches and recognition of common challenges and opportunities. On-going efforts can be greatly enhanced, where appropriate, to strengthen and expand partnerships and strategic cooperation among academic institutions. The cooperation between academic institutions and the different stakeholders (e.g., private enterprise and government agencies) will also have to be developed and expanded, since there is a growing need for an interdisciplinary approach to IP education and IP research capacity. WIPO, in its capacity as an international forum for IP subject, will produce an international, in-depth forum in its first international symposium in the area of IP education and IP research. This symposium will provide a structured opportunity for many of the major players in these two areas to assess the current situation, identify the challenges ahead, explore the various possibilities for enhancing international cooperation, and suggest appropriate actions to the international community for further development of IP education and IP research. Audience The International Symposium on IP Education and Research is intended to provide a forum in which discussion on IP education and IP research could be further developed and advanced. It is of particular interest to: * Managers, administrators, advisors, professors of academic institutions. * Policy makers responsible for national programs for assisting academic institutions in the area of IP education and IP research. * Business managers of the private firm who are responsible for IP education of their staff members. * IP professionals. * Students and researchers who are studying IP or other fields relevant to knowledge assets. * Representatives of national, regional and international organizations who are interested in assisting activities in the area of IP education and IP research. Venue and date The Symposium will be held at the headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 34, chemin des Colombettes, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland. It will run from 9 a.m. to 5.15 p.m. on June 30 and 9.30 a.m. to 4.45 p.m. on July 1, 2005. Participants should arrive before 8.30 a.m. on the first day of the Symposium, in order to complete their registration. A reception will be offered to participants in the lobby of the WIPO headquarters building at the end of the first day of the Symposium. Working languages The Symposium will be conducted in English, French and Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation to and from each of those languages. Registration The Symposium is open to all interested persons. Participation will be limited to 250 persons. Those wishing to register are requested to return the registration form. Further information may be obtained from: WIPO Worldwide Academy World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) 34, chemin des Colombettes 1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland Tel: (41-22) 338 9111 Fax: (41-22) 740 14 17 Email: meetings.academy(a)wipo.int Website: http://www.wipo.int/academy __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

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