- Air-L - lists.aoir.org

RE: FW: [chineseinternetresearch] National Science Foundation to help CIA spy on IRC chatrooms
by Allan A Friedman 08 Dec '04

08 Dec '04

I am curious what the major issue of concern is here. Is it that the CIA is involved clandestinely? While I agree that is somehat troublesome, the NSF has many portfolios in which the security community might (and probably does) take an active interest. Are we surprised that there is some sort of "reverse technology transfer"? Should we be upset by this? Alternatively, we could be upset at the monitoring of chat rooms. I have little experience in this sort of research, but Camtempe, Krishnamoorthy and Yener[1] describe an interesting system that finds clusters of social activity. But this occurs on an *open* system. There are countless ways to use Privacy Enhancing Technologies for group communication. IRC is not only unencrypted, but the protocol was designed to enable lurking. It's not even covert lurking though: the authors make no attempt to modify their IRC bot so that channel users are cannot see the surveilling bot. What is the privacy zone we should expect in open communication forums? If there is information to be gained by monitoring this sort of thing, why should any interested actor not exploit it? Companies like Intelliseek are already moving to capture and quantify consumer buzz. Whether they can successfully turn data into useful information is an interesting research and business strategy problem, but I am not sure that it is cause for concern. Using info gleaned from chat rooms for warrants, or intentionally mapping from an online identity to a legal identity--these seem like Bad Ideas. But is there a strong case for protecting an open system from passive surveillance? /\llan Allan Friedman Doctoral Student, Public Policy Kennedy School of Government [1] http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~yener/PAPERS/35.pdf

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FW: [chineseinternetresearch] National Science Foundation to help CIA spy on IRC chatrooms
by Charles Ess 08 Dec '04

08 Dec '04

So shall we invite the CIA to the next AoIR conference? (smile) In seriousness, I thought this report would be of considerable to many Airists who know something about chatroom research and how easy it is to profile users... (_not_ smiling this time...) Charles Ess Fall '04: Fulbright Senior Scholar Universität Trier Fachbereich II Fakultäten der Medienwissenschaft, Sinologie Universitätsring 15 54296 Trier (Germany) Office phone: (49) (0)651-201-3744 Sekretariat: (49) (0)651-201-3203 Fax: (49) (0)651-201-3741 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 ------ Forwarded Message From: George Lessard <media(a)web.net> Reply-To: <chineseinternetresearch(a)yahoogroups.com> Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 10:05:50 -0700 To: Chinese Internet Research List <chineseinternetresearch(a)yahoogroups.com> Cc: L mediamentor <mediamentor(a)yahoogroups.com> Subject: [chineseinternetresearch] National Science Foundation to help CIA spy on IRC chatrooms <http://management.silicon.com/government/0,39024677,39126120,00.htm>http:// management.silicon.com/government/0,39024677,39126120,00.htm CIA checks out chatrooms November 25 2004 by Declan McCullagh [Excerpts] In April 2003, the CIA agreed to fund a series of research projects that the documents indicate were intended to create "new capabilities to combat terrorism through advanced technology". One of those projects is research at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., devoted to automated monitoring and profiling of the behaviour of chatroom users. Even though the money ostensibly comes from the National Science Foundation, CIA officials were involved in selecting recipients for the research grants, according to a contract between the two agencies obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and reviewed by silicon.com sister site CNET News.com. EPIC director Marc Rotenberg, whose nonprofit group obtained the documents through the Freedom of Information Act, said the CIA's clandestine involvement was worrisome. "The intelligence community is changing the priorities of scientific research in the US," Rotenberg said. "You have to be careful that the National Science Foundation doesn't become the National Spy Foundation." A CIA representative would not answer questions, saying the agency's policy is never to talk about funding. The two Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers involved, Bulent Yener and Mukkai Krishnamoorthy, did not respond to interview requests. Yener and Krishnamoorthy, both associate professors of computer science, wrote that their research would involve writing a program for "silently listening" to an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel and "logging all the messages". A June 2004 paper they published, also funded by the NSF, described a project that quietly monitored users of the popular Undernet network, which has about 144,000 users and 50,000 channels. In the paper, Yener and Krishnamoorthy predicted their work "could aid [the] intelligence community to eavesdrop in chatrooms, profile chatters and identify hidden groups of chatters in a cost-effective way" and that their future research will focus on identifying "topic-based information". -- -- = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Via / By / Excerpted / From / Tip from / Thanks to: JULES SIEGEL Apdo. 1764 77501-Cancun Q. Roo Mexico http://www.cafecancun.com/portfolio Newsroom-l, news and issues for journalists http://www.newsroom-l.net/blog © info http://members.tripod.com/~media002/disclaimer.htm Due to the nature of email & the WWW, check ALL sources. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor <http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=129e02o8a/M=296572.5585671.6651487.3001176/D=gr oups/S=1705004924:HM/EXP=1101748008/A=2343726/R=0/SIG=12ivg7cu0/*http://clk. atdmt.com/VON/go/yhxxxvon01900091von/direct/01/&time=1101661608093081> Get unlimited calls to U.S./Canada <http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=129e02o8a/M=296572.5585671.6651487.3001176/D=gr oups/S=1705004924:HM/EXP=1101748008/A=2343726/R=1/SIG=12ivg7cu0/*http://clk. atdmt.com/VON/go/yhxxxvon01900091von/direct/01/&time=1101661608093081> Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: * http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chineseinternetresearch/ * * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: * chineseinternetresearch-unsubscribe(a)yahoogroups.com <mailto:chineseinternetresearch-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscr ibe> * * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> . ------ End of Forwarded Message

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research on distinctions between personal/work email
by catherine middleton 07 Dec '04

07 Dec '04

Hello all, I'm working with a colleague on a new project looking at the adoption of mobile devices (mainly palm pilots/blackberry type devices, but it's becoming harder to consider these as separate from mobile phones). One of the things we're interested in is whether people make distinctions between using their device for personal or for work/professional usage. At the moment, we've got a specific interest in email usage, but would also be interested in knowing about similar distinctions being made for web surfing, IM or mobile phone calls. I haven't had much luck finding anything on this topic in the communications databases in our library. I do expect that there is some work out there on this topic, and am hoping that someone on the list may be able to point us in the right direction. Thanks in advance, catherine middleton

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E-democracy Best Practices Research
by Steven Clift 07 Dec '04

07 Dec '04

How would you like to convert some of your research on e-democracy practices into a "Brief" format as part of the global E-democracy Best Practices effort? I've seen a number of web content surveys of government (local government is our main focus) web sites and whether they have X or Y democratic feature. Our goal is to describe many of the things you might evaluate, suggest the benefits of such features, offer a few tips on how to best apply them along with links to best known implementations around the world from any level of government. Sound like something you'd like to do during your December and January academic lulls (if you have one or for others you know)? I have some small honorariums - 50 GBP for accepted Briefs (about $90 US via PayPal only) and a larger amounts for full project-oriented case studies (more soon). The full details and links: ------- Forwarded message follows ------- To: do-wire(a)lists.umn.edu Subject: BP - Join the E-democracy Best Practices Team Date sent: Tue, 07 Dec 2004 18:23:58 -0600 My vacation is over. The time to collaboratively generate the best collection of practical e-democracy advice for governments and local communities to date begins now. If you would like to participate in this UK government-funded effort, simply fill out submission form "6. Join the E-democracy Best Practices Leadership Team" from: http://dowire.org/submit Our first step will be to generate a set of "Briefs" on e-democracy features - technologies, techniques, online features, etc. This will be a descriptive laundry list of the top items - - from e-mail notices to webcasting public meetings - a government can or should do online to fulfill their democratic responsibilities. As part of the team you can help draft a "Brief" or simply comment or contribute to the creation of these short documents. (Think future one page, two column PDF files with a list of links to real implementation and top sources for further information.) Those drafting accepted quality briefs or future project-oriented case studies will also receive honorariums for their service. You will also know that you will be contributing to a collection of useful materials that will be read around the world for years to come. For more information on the International E-democracy Best Practice effort, see: http://dowire.org/bp Please forward far and wide. Thanks, Steven Clift Democracies Online Newswire http://dowire.org Steven Clift - http://publicus.net - Reply to: clift(a)publicus.net Join DoWire: http://dowire.org E-Democracy: http://e-democracy.org

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CFP: Romancing (on) the internet
by Patrick B. O'Sullivan 07 Dec '04

07 Dec '04

Below is a Call for Papers for a special issue of the Electronic Journal of Communication. Thanks! CALL FOR PAPERS Electronic Journal of Communication (EJC) Special Issue: Romancing (on) the internet Do romance and technology mix? Is it possible that computer-mediated communication (CMC), once considered a cold and impersonal tool suited only for terse business information exchanges, might actually be capable of helping lovers find one another and build romantic relationships? In recent years, scholarly studies, the popular press, and our everyday experiences indicate that the answer is a definite Yes! However, our knowledge of the extent of this phenomenon remains fragmented and underdeveloped, as does an understanding of the communication processes involved. This special issue will present the best new research on romance via the internet. We invite scholarship that addresses the topic broadly, conceptualized to include romantic relationships initiated, developed, maintained, transitioned, and/or ended via one or more of the various internet-based communication technologies. Empirical pieces, both qualitative and quantitative, are welcome for consideration, as are reviews of literature and theory (think) pieces. What each submission should have in common is a solid contribution to literature on romance and communication technologies. Of particular interest is scholarship that takes a communicative approach to the topic, i.e., that examines a chosen aspect through the lens of interaction and communication theories. In other words, scholarship that approaches CMC as an acronym for communication mediated by computer to reflect a foregrounding of the communicators and their communication process (rather than the communication hardware). The following questions are only some of the possible topics but reflect a communicator/communication emphasis: · What are the parallels and what are the differences between relationships experienced primarily online and those experienced primarily face-to-face? · Are relationships experienced primarily online built and maintained with different practices, perceptions, and processes than those experienced primarily face-to-face? · Do the conventional relationships sequences or phases, observed for relationships experienced primarily face-to-face, also accurately describe relationships experienced primarily online? · How do partners in relationships experienced primarily online manage the dialectical tensions that exist in relationships experienced primarily face-to-face? · Do relationships experienced primarily online exhibit perceptual distortions (positive and/or negative)? Are those distortions different than those in relationships experienced primarily face-to-face? · Are online relationship activities as real, substantial, and consequential as those experienced face-to-face? · What is lost or missing in relationships experienced primarily online and what is lost or missing in relationships experienced primarily face-to-face? · Are relationships experienced primarily online real (whatever that might mean) or virtual (whatever that might mean)? · Do assumptions about relationships, which emerge from the literature on face-to-face relationships, apply to relationships experienced primarily online? What insights do relationships experienced primarily online provide that help scholars strengthen existing theory about all relationships (online and offline)? The special issue is scheduled for publication in late 2005. Deadline for completed manuscripts is Monday, May 2, 2005. Submissions can be either electronic (.doc or .rtf format only, please) or hard copies. Inquiries about possible topics are welcome. Submissions and inquiries should be directed to: Patrick B. OSullivan, PhD Special Issue Editor, EJOC Department of Communication 4480 Illinois State University Normal, IL 61790 posull(a)ilstu.edu (309) 438-2688 voice (309) 438-3048 fax ****************************** Patrick B. O'Sullivan, PhD Associate Professor Department of Communication 4480 Illinois State University Normal, IL 61790 309-438-2688 voice 309-438-3048 fax posull(a)ilstu.edu http://www.communication.ilstu.edu/posull/homepage

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Distrust the government
by Derek McMillan 07 Dec '04

07 Dec '04

Sci Fi writer Frank Herbert described democracy as a system in which the people distrust the government. I think the surveillance of chatrooms is not so much a hunt for terrorists as a hunt for people expressing the "wrong" opinions. In a democracy they would expect to be able to do that without government snoopers taking an interest......perhaps they would be wrong. The attack on Indymedia in the UK is a clear indication of a clampdown on freedom of speech on a number of fronts. Which is a shame. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.289 / Virus Database: 265.4.6 - Release Date: 05/12/2004

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RE: [Air-l] Re: Air-l-aoir.org Digest, Vol 4, Issue 20
by J. J. 07 Dec '04

07 Dec '04

Hi Ellis, >Ah, that I understand! ...but don't believe. :) > >The content of interactions has certainly changed in some regards. For >example, the proportion of content which is reflexive (about the content >and >the interactions themselves) has increased. And reflexive content is >distributed unevenly not only through time, but across different situations >and relationships. Before I answer the first question, could you please define "reflexive content?" I still believe that the content of our discussions maybe different but only to the extent that's allowed by the new medium (the technology part) and what we bring to the discussion from the outside world. >I'm curious what you mean by the Internet providing answers to questions. >Whatever changes the Internet represents, presents, and effects may >contribute to answer-finding (and question asking) in indirect and even >abstract ways. I think I hold a pessimistic view here, and I am really greatful for your help in my own understanding of our discussion here. In our discussion, hate has been put in the context of Islamic extremists, which to me is a socially generated construct outside of the cyberspace. Even though we have this magnificent capability to connect, we don't connect to seek answers like: why we hate, or where Islamic extremists come from. Instead we put up web sites along the lines of power struggles, that have nothing to do with technology. So while I do agree that changes because of the Internet "may" contribute to "answer finding" the truth is that they simply don't. Technology and connectivity do not bring us equity, social justice, fairness, or whatever else that we think we all deserve. I don't think that technology has made us into better human beings at all. Best ... Jarek >-eg > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: J. J. [mailto:japeks@hotmail.com] > > Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2004 10:41 PM > > To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org; ellis.godard(a)csun.edu > > Subject: RE: [Air-l] Re: Air-l-aoir.org Digest, Vol 4, Issue 20 > > > > > > Hi Ellis, > > > > Thanks to you and Peder for a good discussion. I think we are > > talking about > > the same thing here. I tried to point out the embedment of > > technology within > > the society. The way I see it, is that technology's > > development and use > > follow the socially generated inequalities. So while > > discussions thanks to > > the Internet do take place in cyberspace, these are still > > same discussions > > we've had for millennia: us vs. them, let's kill somebody > > because it will be > > good for us, our religion is the better religion etc . So > > while the medium > > has changed, the content of human interactions hasn't. > > Therefore, I wrote > > that the Internet will only provide answers to questions > > asked outside of > > it. Does it make sense? > > > > Again, thanks for the time you took to respond to this. > > Jarek > > > > > > >From: "Ellis Godard" <egodard(a)csun.edu> > > >Reply-To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org, ellis.godard(a)csun.edu > > >To: <air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org>, <air-l-aoir.org(a)listserv.aoir.org> > > >Subject: RE: [Air-l] Re: Air-l-aoir.org Digest, Vol 4, Issue 20 > > >Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2004 09:42:31 -0800 > > > > > >Many disconnects in there, Peder. Being able to spread a > > message wider > > >does not mean *actually* spreading it wider, and neither necessarily > > >means social change of any interesting variety or degree. > > Further, even > > >if the web allows > > >hitherto unheard extremes to spread their messages wider to > > such an extent > > >that social change is engendered, that could still be simply > > a replication > > >of existing social divisions. > > > > > >On the other hand, I don't understand Jarek's argument that > > "cyberspace > > >will > > >provide answers only to the point already determined (and > > allowed) in the > > >world outside of it." I don't disagree; I'm simply not yet > > sure what it > > >means. :) > > > > > >-eg > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: air-l-aoir.org-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org > > > > [mailto:air-l-aoir.org-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On > > Behalf Of Peder > > > > Are Jensen > > > > Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004 7:31 AM > > > > To: air-l-aoir.org(a)listserv.aoir.org > > > > Subject: [Air-l] Re: Air-l-aoir.org Digest, Vol 4, Issue 20 > > > > > > > > > > > > Hello, Jarek. > > > > > > > > Yes, hate is basically socially generated. However, it > > > > can also be strengthened or weakened in various ways. > > > > I am not sure whether I fully agree with you that "web sites only > > > > replicate the existing social divisions." I think they do > > more than > > > > that. I spend a lot of time researching websites related > > to Islam or > > > > anything Islamic. From all possible angles, both conservative > > > > ones, websites dealing with extremist militants > > > > calling for Jihad, reformist and secularist ones and > > > > even websites of people rejecting Islam. Now, if you > > > > take the extremes on both ends of this, the most > > > > violent Islamists and radical Islam-rejecters, these > > > > are groups that would have a hard time getting their > > > > message across in more traditional and conservative > > > > media. I do think the Internet itself is empowering > > > > such groups in a way that is significant, enabling > > > > them to spread their message to wider audiences. At > > > > the very least, the web is greatly facilitating social > > > > changes already underway. It may even be creating > > > > changes, even though I know many would reject such a > > > > view as technological determinism. This includes hate > > > > sites, such as those Islamic militant sites decsribed > > > > on the Internet Haganah. > > > > > > > > Just my 2 cents. > > > > > > > > Yous sincerely, Mr. Peder Jensen. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 17:21:00 -0800 > > > > From: "J. J." <japeks(a)hotmail.com> > > > > Subject: RE: [Air-l] 1. Re: Virtual Ethnicities/Online > > > > Hate Speech > > > > To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > > > > Message-ID: > > > > <BAY23-F37A0D77B14B2C3695B4C4CC9B90(a)phx.gbl> > > > > Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed > > > > > > > > Hi Peder, > > > > > > > > I think that "hate" is socially generated, cyberspace > > > > or not. The web > > > > sites > > > > only replicate the existing social divisions. I've > > > > checked the links > > > > you > > > > provided, and they don't help me understand the > > > > phenomenon of the > > > > "Islamic > > > > extremists" much. I am not sure if that can be > > > > understood without > > > > active > > > > participation of the other side either and those web > > > > sites don't seem > > > > to be > > > > inviting any such discussion. My point then is that > > cyberspace will > > > > provide > > > > answers only to the point already determined (and > > > > allowed) in the world > > > > outside of it. > > > > What do you think? > > > > > > > > Jarek > > > > > > > > > > > > >From: Peder Are Jensen <pajensen75(a)yahoo.no> > > > > >Reply-To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > > > > >To: air-l-aoir.org(a)listserv.aoir.org > > > > >Subject: [Air-l] 1. Re: Virtual Ethnicities/Online > > > > Hate Speech Date: > > > > Mon, > > > > >22 Nov 2004 17:27:26 +0100 (CET) > > > > > > > > > > >From Peder Jensen, Master Student at the University > > > > of Oslo, Norway. > > > > >Charles Ess mentioned searching for hate communities > > > > online. Have you > > > > tried > > > > >looking at websites by Islamic extremists? You can > > > > track some of them > > > > >through websites like these: > > > > > > > > > >http://www.jihadwatch.org/ > > > > > > > > > >http://internet-haganah.co.il/haganah/ > > > > > > > > > >Yours sincerely, Mr. Peder Jensen. > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > The Air-l-aoir.org(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://aoir.org/airjoin.html > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > >The Air-l-aoir.org(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://aoir.org/airjoin.html > > > > >

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RE: [Air-l] A Decade of Webdesign
by Ellis Godard 06 Dec '04

06 Dec '04

1994 seems like a late target. I was given a copy of a Mosaic beta sometime in 1992. Yeah, I was still in an academic egg, but my use of and connection to it was nonacademic at the time. But to say that "the first phases of popular consciousness" came two years later seems odd. -eg > -----Original Message----- > Sent: Monday, December 06, 2004 5:56 AM > To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > Subject: [Air-l] A Decade of Webdesign - Register Now! > > > A DECADE OF WEBDESIGN > A two day international conference > 21-22 January 2005, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. > www.decadeofwebdesign.org & www.designtimeline.org > Conference registration: > http://www.decadeofwebdesign.org/practical_info.html. > > A Decade of Webdesign > In 1994 the world wide web crept out of its scientific and > academic egg > and entered the first phases of popular consciousness. At this point > the web design explosion began. Ten years later, we would > like to stand > back and attempt to map something of these years of frenetic and > inventive interdisciplinary work. ...

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Fwd: [SECURITY] Computer and Network Security in Higher Education book now available in electronic format (free of charge)
by jeremy hunsinger 06 Dec '04

06 Dec '04

some of you may find this useful, just click on the html button to see the chapters and such. Begin forwarded message:-----Original Message----- > From: The EDUCAUSE Security Discussion Group Listserv > [mailto:SECURITY@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU] On Behalf Of Valerie Vogel > Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 8:25 PM > To: SECURITY(a)LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU > Subject: [SECURITY] Computer and Network Security in Higher Education > book now available in electronic format (free of charge) > > I am pleased to announce that the book Computer and Network Security in > Higher Education, edited by Mark Luker and Rodney Petersen, is now > available in electronic format, free of charge. Please see: > http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666?ID=PUB7008. In case you > are not familiar with this book, I have included the Resource Center > abstract below. > > Abstract: Computer and Network Security in Higher Education offers > campus leaders and IT professionals an essential resource for > determining the most technically viable, cost-effective, and culturally > appropriate approaches for securing college and university computers > and > networks. The book includes the information needed to establish and > enforce effective policies, create strategies that will help secure > information resources, and put in place an organization that can > provide > leadership, expertise, and real-time incident response. > > Thank you, > Valerie > _____________________________________ > > Valerie M. Vogel > Security Task Force Project Assistant > EDUCAUSE > Phone/Fax: (310) 450-6552 > > EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Security Task Force > www.educause.edu/security > _____________________________________ > > ********** > Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Discussion > Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/. > _______________________________________________ > va-scan-discussion mailing list > va-scan-discussion(a)list.mail.virginia.edu > https://list.mail.virginia.edu/mailman/listinfo/va-scan-discussion > > 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

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A Decade of Webdesign - Register Now!
by S.M.C. Niederer 06 Dec '04

06 Dec '04

A DECADE OF WEBDESIGN A two day international conference 21-22 January 2005, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. www.decadeofwebdesign.org & www.designtimeline.org Conference registration: http://www.decadeofwebdesign.org/practical_info.html. A Decade of Webdesign In 1994 the world wide web crept out of its scientific and academic egg and entered the first phases of popular consciousness. At this point the web design explosion began. Ten years later, we would like to stand back and attempt to map something of these years of frenetic and inventive interdisciplinary work. What do we mean by web design? At the most obvious level, web design is about bringing visual organisation and power to computational and networked processes. It means organising sites by means of graphic elements and structuring devices. But increasingly digital media designers also work in the area of what used to be walled off as 'technology'. Designing is now as much about formal language, that is to say, code, as much as it is about more subjective, free-form or 'natural' and visual languages. Designers make and link digital processes which are then taken up by social processes. They do this with a sensibility that is as much in dialogue with technicity as with a visual aesthetic or a model of communication. Until recently web design discourses have been dominated by a frantic, market driven search for the latest and coolest. The ongoing media buzz around 'demo design' has prevented serious scholarship from happening. Technical innovations such as frames, Shockwave, Flash, WAP and 3G have dominated the field. Until 2001 a substantial part of the sector's activities was geared towards instruction and consultancy. The dotcom crash and IT slump have cleared the field - but not necessary in positive ways. Due to budget cuts some firms now believe they can do without design altogether. Instead of asking ourselves what the Next Big Thing will be, we firmly believe that future design can be found in the understanding of a recent past that offers a rich mix of utopian concepts and undigested controversies. In short, this ten years of web design has seen design change as much as it has seen the impact of a new form of global media. We want to celebrate this and to use a consideration and testing of the recent past to provide a platform for thinking about what is to come. In this, the conference will be unprecedented, the first event of its kind. SESSIONS Histories of Web Design What do social, technical and cultural historians propose as ways to make an account of the last decade? Meaning Structures As automated site-design becomes increasingly important, the history of the interweaving of technology and culture up to the point of semantic engineering is mapped out. Modeling the User Creativity and usability have often been set up as the two key poles of web design. This panel asks instead for a more sophisticated narrative about the change in understanding of user needs and desires over the last ten years. Digital Work Can we redesign work? From economics, sociology and design, key observers and critics of the changing patterns of work in web design will comment on the decade and encourage you to have your say. Distributed Design The web amplified an explosion of non-professional design. This panel will ask what happens to design once it becomes a non-specialist network process. CONFIRMED SPEAKERS Geke van Dijk, Rosalind Gill, Michael Indergaard, John Chris Jones, Olia Lialina, Peter Luining, Peter Lunenfeld, Adrian MacKenzie, Franziska Nori, Danny O'Brien (NTK), Steven Pemberton, Helen Petrie, Schoenerwissen/OfCD, Hayo Wagenaar. The conference programme and the speakers’ biographies are available online at http://www.decadeofwebdesign.org/programme.html. DESIGN HISTORY TIMELINE Make Web History at www.designtimeline.org As a core part of the project, beginning before and continuing after the conference we have initiated an open research website/database into the first decade of webdesign. The online forum is a visual and textual timeline generated out of a self-customisable questionnaire. Using a custom content management system the site allows for users to add images, comments and links to make a collective history of the web as it developed. Such elements might include histories of their own first homepage; the first use of a technology; original html code; reminiscences of key designers, innovators, critics and technologists. Using a question based interface users can write their own questions and respond to those of others. All questions entered will then be available, ensuring that no one set of views or way of writing predominates. The site is designed for use both by the general public and as a simple structured tool which can be used for research and teaching. The site started on October 1, 2004 and will continue for six months after the conference, at which point it will be archived and remain publicly available. During the conference breaks you are invited to prepare a short presentation of Timeline hotspots based on your responses in the www.designtimeline.org website. PRACTICAL INFORMATION A Decade of Webdesign Two day international conference Friday 21 and Saturday 22 January, 2005. Location The conference will take place in 11, located on the top floor of the TPG-building / Post CS, Oosterdokskade 5, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. http://www.ilove11.nl Entrance fee 30 euros per day / 50 euros for two days. Students: 17,50 / 30 euros Conference dinner: 30 euros Registration For registration please visit http://www.decadeofwebdesign.org/practical_info.html . A Decade of Webdesign is an initiative of: Media Design Research, Piet Zwart Institute, Willem de Kooning Academie Hogeschool Rotterdam http://pzwart.wdka.hro.nl/mdma/ Institute of Network Cultures, Hogeschool van Amsterdam Interactive Media http://www.networkcultures.org In collaboration with: Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam http://www.stedelijk.nl A Decade of Webdesign and the Design History Timeline are supported by: Gemeente Amsterdam, Dienst Maatschappelijke Ontwikkeling, Afdeling Kunst & Cultuur Mondriaan Foundation Digitale Pioniers Thuiskopiefonds For further information about the conference and press, please contact: Sabine Niederer at sabine(a)networkcultures.org or Kim van Haaster at kim(a)networkcultures.org. For further information about the Design History Timeline, please contact: Femke Snelting at snelting(a)geuzen.org. Graphic design: Léon Kranenburg & Loes Sikkes. -- Sabine Niederer Institute of Network Cultures Amsterdam Media Reseach Centre www.networkcultures.org Phone: +31 (0)20 5951866 Fax: +31 (0)20 5951840

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