- Air-L - lists.aoir.org

failed media
by Jonathan Sterne 15 Mar '04

15 Mar '04

At 12:01 PM -0500 3/11/04, air-l-request(a)aoir.org wrote: >Message: 5 >From: "Mattia Miani" <katanankes(a)yahoo.com> >To: <air-l(a)aoir.org> >Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 21:16:56 +0100 >Subject: [Air-l] Re: Air-l digest, Vol 1 #1001 - 8 msgs >Reply-To: air-l(a)aoir.org > >Hi all. > >Time ago, i believe, someone issued on the list a call for chapters for a >book aimed at exploring how forms of new media have failed in the past. An >intriguing question. Does anybody know id they came out with the book? > >Mattia Miani >University of Bologna Hi Maria, I have no idea who posted that call. There is a dead media database somewhere online, and failure is an ongoing theme in the history of communication technology. For a good theoretical take, check out John Durham Peters _Speaking Into the Air_ and Briankle Chang _Deconstructing Communication_ (especially the last chapter). Otherwise, I'd recommend any of the classic media histories available -- most of them deal at some length with ulternatives and unrealized plans. Charles Acland at Concordia is editing a book called _Residual Media_ (in which I have a chapter on computer obsolescence) and I am working on a book about abject moments in the 20th century history of communication technology (pretty US-centric but not exclusively) -- failure, obsolescence, decline, absurdity. There's also an upcoming conference at a school in Florida (forget which one) on media disasters. Best, --J -- Jonathan Sterne, Assistant Professor Department of Communication, University of Pittsburgh http://www.pitt.edu/~jsterne

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CFP: Special Issue on Campus Institutional Review Boards
by Lois Ann Scheidt 14 Mar '04

14 Mar '04

Since several people on this list are interested in IRB issues I am forwarding this announcement to all. I am not connected with the journal so please address any questions as instructed on their website, http://www.ku.edu/~jacr/ ______________________________________________________________________ Special Issue on Campus Institutional Review Boards Journal of Applied Communication Research Call for Contributions Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) have become a mainstay of all university campuses in the United States that receive federal funding or grants. Over the years IRBs have become increasingly active in their oversight of communication scholarship. This oversight can be particularly constraining for applied communication scholars who often study at risk populations (e.g. prisoners, physically abused women, children) and/or uncontrolled contexts (e.g. health care settings, anarchist gatherings, workplace violence). The purpose of this special issue of the Journal of Applied Communication Research is to explore the experiences of communication scholars with IRBs and the practices communication scholars use to manage the IRB process. The general approach of this special issue will be similar to the special issue on sexual harassment published in JACR in 1992. To explore these topics, we request submissions of brief narratives on any of the following topics: 1. Positive experiences working with a campus IRB. 2. Negative experiences working with a campus IRB. 3. Advice for gaining IRB approval. 4. Resistance strategies used to cope with a campus IRB. Contributors may submit narratives for more than one category or may combine categories in their narratives. Narratives may vary in length from a few sentences to a maximum of four double spaced pages and may be single authored or coauthored. Narratives can be written in either the 1st or 3rd person. Narratives need to avoid revealing individual, departmental, and institutional identities. Narratives should be based on personal experience. Reports of direct interaction with others describing their experiences, advice, or strategies may be included. Avoid including rumors and hearsay examples without direct knowledge of the accuracy of the information. Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, the narratives will be published anonymously. However, scholars who wish to be recognized for their contributions will have the option of being listed alphabetically at the end of all the narratives, whether their narratives are selected for publication or not. For an example of this approach see the special issue on sexual harassment published in JACR in 1992. The special issue will include an introductory essay on the purpose and functions of IRB, representative narratives from those submitted, and one or more essays analyzing the narrative contributions. Your Consent: By submitting a narrative you are consenting to have your narrative published anonymously and you are also consenting to have other scholars analyze your published narrative. The benefit of your participation in this project will be your contribution to an important scholarly conversation concerning the way research is conducted by applied communication scholars. There is a slight risk that your local IRB could discover your participation in this project and take punitive actions against you for what you have written. However, since the narratives will be published anonymously and written so that individuals and institutions cannot definitively be identified, this is a minimal risk, even less than might be experienced by sharing the stories with colleagues. Submission guidelines: 1) Do not submit narratives electronically. Electronic submissions will not be considered. 2) Include two printed copies of your narrative and a computer disk (floppy or CD) with a word file of your narrative. Do not include any personal identifiers on the printed copies or on the computer disk or file. Narratives should be double spaced and follow APA 5th edition guidelines. 3) In an accompanying letter, indicate which category or categories of narrative you feel best describes your contribution. 4) In the same letter, indicate whether you wish to be listed alphabetically as a contributor of a narrative. 5) In the same letter, include a statement indicating that you are giving your consent to have the narrative published in JACR and are consenting to have it analyzed by other scholars. Send contributions by April 30th, 2004 to: Special Issue on IRB Debbie Dougherty/Michael Kramer, editors 115 Switzler Hall Department of Communication University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211 DoughertyD(a)Missouri.edu KramerM(a)Missouri.edu Lois Ann Scheidt MPA MIS SPHR CCP Doctoral Student School of Library and Information Science Indiana University Bloomington IN USA Webpage: http://www.loisscheidt.com Blog: http://www.professional-lurker.com

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CFP -- JIAD Special Issue on Interactive Advertising
by sjmcmill 13 Mar '04

13 Mar '04

Apologies for Cross Posting ***** CALL FOR PAPERS JOURNAL OF INTERACTIVE ADVERTISING Special Issue on Interactivity and Its Relationship to Advertising, Marketing, and Communication The Journal of Interactive Advertising (an electronic journal published at http://www.jiad.org) is pleased to announce a special issue addressing interactivity and its relationship to advertising, marketing, and communication. Interactivity is often viewed as central to new media technologies, but the concept is often under-defined and poorly conceptualized. The goal of the special issue is to improve our understanding of interactivity in the context of advertising, marketing, and communication. JIAD encourages both academicians and practitioners from diverse disciplines interested in expanding the body of knowledge of this fundamental area to submit manuscripts. RESEARCH TOPICS Any topic that addresses the impact of interactivity on advertising, marketing, or communication is appropriate for this special issue with particular emphasis placed on empirical research, conceptual papers, and insightful case studies. All research methods are welcome. Suggested topics include but are not limited to: *Historical trends in interactivity *Defining interactivity conceptually and operationally *Measuring interactivity *Applications of interactivity to various forms of advertising, marketing, and communication including examination of how interactivity affects professional practices such as media planning and buying and development of persuasive messages *Relationships between interactivity and other key variables such as involvement, attitude, and purchase intent *Effects of interactivity *Consumer responses to interactivity *Social impacts of interactivity *Cross-cultural issues related to interactivity *Industry trends and forecasts related to interactivity SUBMISSION INFORMATION The submission deadline is September 30, 2004. Submitted manuscripts will be subject to a double-blind peer review process and must not have been published, accepted for publication, or presently under consideration for publication elsewhere. Electronic submission is expected via email in either Word or PDF format, with all manuscripts following the JIAD guidelines (www.jiad.org) The target publication date for this special issue is Spring 2005. QUESTIONS AND ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE EDITOR. Dr. Sally J. McMillan Guest Editor, Journal of Interactive Advertising School of Advertising and Public Relations 476 Communication Building The University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN 37996-0343 (865) 974-5097 sjmcmill(a)utk.edu

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The Serendipity Machine & the Components of Navigation
by George Lessard 12 Mar '04

12 Mar '04

The Serendipity Machine David G. Green Information Technology, Monash University http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~dgreen/books/serendipity/ serendipity_article.htm [excerpt] Predictions about the future of technology are notoriously risky. In the 1940s, Tom Watson, then chairman of IBM Corporation, made what must rank as one of the worst predictions of all time. "There is a need", he said, "for perhaps five computers in the world." By the year 2000, computers numbered in the hundreds of millions. In Watson's day, information was a rare and expensive commodity. Today it is abundant and cheap. That transition marks a revolution in the ways we do things, and even in the way we think and live. As anyone knows who has searched the Internet, abundant information means that we inevitably discover things that we never set out to look for. Serendipity, accidental discovery, is an everyday event. The importance of serendipity was driven home to me while building an environmental information system. The design focussed on crucial questions, such as "Where is species X found?" But as we gathered the necessary data, a curious phenomenon emerged. Data that we collected for one purpose yielded unexpected discoveries about other matters. For instance, data on species distributions, which we needed to describe different environments, could also help us interpret seasonal colour changes in satellite images. As the volume of data grew, the number of potential discoveries soon went off the scale. Since that time, new areas of computing, especially data mining, have arisen to exploit this "serendipity effect." ================================ The Serendipity Machine: Voyage of Discovery through Unexpected World of Computers (A Voyage of Discovery through the Unexpected World of Computers) The incredible advances in information technology during the second part of the 20th century have created a new form of complexity and have produced many surprising and totally unexpected consequences Table of Contents The information revolution The serendipity effect Divide and rule The platypus effect From the Net to the grid Nuggets of knowledge Talk to my agent Computing and nature Pandora's box The Internet turns green Virtual worlds The global village. Author : DAVID GREEN Format : Paperback ISBN : 186508655X Publisher : Allen & Unwin (Australia) Pty Ltd Publication Date (AUS) : January 2004 Pages : 216 Imprint : Allen & Unwin http://www.abbeys.com.au/items/25/65/26/ Abbey's Bookshops 131 York Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Phone: +61 2 9264 3111 or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 426 657) Fax: +61 2 9264 8993 Book enquiries: books(a)abbeys.com.au ====================================================== The Serendipity Machine: A Voyage of Discovery Through the Unexpected World of Computers Paperback - ISBN: 186508655X - AU $22.95 http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/18/pid/3882.htm Cover Image http://www.publish.csiro.au/covers/3882.jpg Description The incredible advances in information technology during the second part of the 20th century have created a new form of complexity and have produced many surprising and totally unexpected consequences. Computers, we love them and we curse them. No matter what we think about them, we know they have changed the world irrevocably. They have allowed us to make surprising, fantastic and unexpected discoveries. They are serendipity machines. However, computers have also made our world and our lives more complex. From mobile phones to the Internet, we use them to cope with rapid change and global crises. But what of their social impacts, especially when it comes to personal privacy and the role of the Internet in the globalisation of terror? The Serendipity Machine helps us make sense of recent developments in information technology. It explains how innovations such as data mining and evolutionary computing deal with the complexity by exploiting serendipity. It looks at possibilities raised by new technologies of personal agents and virtual communities. And it examines the growing influence of computers in new fields including biotechnology, environmental management and electronic commerce. It also reveals surprising connections between computing and everyday life. What do handbags, platypuses and traffic congestion have to do with computing? Why is computing becoming more and more like electricity supply? And why do computer scientists increasingly look to nature for inspiration? The Serendipity Machine is an engaging and insightful trek through the new worlds of information technology with plenty of chance discovery on the way. ================================= Components of Navigation http://www.izhd.uni-hamburg.de/paginae/Book/Ch2/Navigation.html [excerpt] ‘Lost in Hyperspace’ The topic of navigation is discussed by most hypermedia authors in close connection with the thesis formulated by Conklin (1987) that the user might »get lost« in the multitude of information contained in the interaction space, a risk that has been expressed in the catchphrase »lost in hyperspace« [Edwards/Hardman (1989)]. This thesis crops up in many studies, like a biblical quotation. Does it belong to the pedagogical myths that have grown around multimedia? Most authors conclude from this that it is necessary to develop transparent methods of navigation. I think that one can clearly see from the manner in which this argument is brought forward over and over again that the thesis of getting lost serves as a justification of introducing more strict forms of navigation for most authors. It seems to me that this topic therefore has a definite point of contact with the question of learner control, which I am going to discuss later. =============================

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Mongolian Internet pioneer Narantsetseg (Nara) Baljin has died
by jeremy hunsinger 12 Mar '04

12 Mar '04

Some of you may have known Nara Baljin, this is sad news. Begin forwarded message: > From: Adam Peake > Date: March 11, 2004 3:51:05 AM EST > Subject: [isoc-members-discuss] Mongolian Internet pioneer > Narantsetseg (Nara) Baljin has died > > Very sad news. Nara was one of the Internet pioneers in the Asia > Pacific. A great person. We miss her. > > Adam > > > > NARANTSETSEG BALJIN: A DIGITAL PIONEER WHO SHAPED THE FUTURE > > > Narantsetseg, Nara to all who knew her, was a rare visionary working > at the distant peripheries of the Internet who bravely embraced the > new technologies and made them the centre of her life. It was a life > cut short but lived inspiringly well. > > To many people outside her country, Nara was not only the > representative of the Mongolian Internet but also of Mongolia itself. > She was an immensely effective and impressive representation of both. > > Nara was equally successful at home. She was awarded the "Best IT > Researcher for 2003" by the ICT Stakeholders group, a recognition > which moved her to tears. And on the day she died, the Mongolian > Business Women's Association named her the "Best Business Lady". > > Nara was in Jakarta, Indonesia, the week before, taking an active part > in the meeting of the Panel of Authors of the Digital Review of Asia > Pacific. She spoke passionately about the digital inequalities which > existed and the importance of not under estimating the commitment > required to close the digital divide. > > The challenges Nara vividly described never once clouded her vision of > what the Internet could deliver: from distance education and expert > medical advice to more transparent government and cheaper > communication services. > > Nara spoke with quiet authority as one of the original movers of the > digital revolution in Mongolia. She was the Marketing Director of > Datacom, the first Internet services provider in Mongolia, before > establishing her own InfoCon Co. Ltd, one of the earliest information > technology consulting companies in the country. > > Nara took an active part in drawing up Mongolia's Mid-Term Strategy > and Plan for the Development of Information and Communication > Technologies. She also directed a diverse portfolio of development > projects initiated by the International Development Research Centre of > Canada, UNDP, Soros Foundation and the World Bank. > > Despite all these commitments, which would have discouraged many > others, she found time to educate herself. She was working on her PhD > even as she ran her company, implemented development projects and > travelled widely and regularly to represent Mongolia at international > events. > > The frantic pace never distracted Nara from what she considered the > more important things. On her last morning in Jakarta, even though she > had a flight to catch, she found time to assemble a > beautifully-arranged platter of fruits to share over breakfast with > her fellow authors. Technologies were important to her, but people > were even more important. > > > This tribute to Nara is by the authors and publishers of the Digital > Review of Asia Pacific <http://www.digital-review.org> originating > from the Pacific Islands, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, > Bhutan, Cambodia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, India, > Japan, Lao PDR, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Macau, Maldives, Malaysia, > Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, > Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam > _______________________________________________ > ISOC-members-discuss mailing list > ISOC-members-discuss(a)mailman.isoc.org > http://mailman.isoc.org/mailman/listinfo/isoc-members-discuss > Jeremy Hunsinger Center for Digital Discourse and Culture () ascii ribbon campaign - against html mail /\ - against microsoft attachments

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Signs of Intelligent Life on the Internet
by Kylie Veale 12 Mar '04

12 Mar '04

Evening list, I've just come across Chapter 1 of the book "Signs of Intelligent Life on the Internet" by Kanakaris [http://www.wordpop.com/Signs_Intelligent_Life_CH1.pdf] and thought the list would appreciate some Internet-related humour (and possibly some great Internet-related quotations!) WordPop.com says "It's a fun, catchy, and often humorous take on everything Internet." I certainly found some quite amusing :) Kylie ------------------------------------------ Kylie J. Veale | Brisbane, Australia GradDipInvEnv, MInetStds(Design) Provisional PhD candidate email: kylie(a)veale.com.au www: http://casa.de.veale.com.au www: http://www.veale.com.au/kylie www: http://www.veale.com.au/phd icq: #27938257 msn: kyliej(a)hotmail.com

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Live webcast
by Barry Wellman 12 Mar '04

12 Mar '04

FYI, 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 _____________________________________________________________________ ANNOUNCING A WEBCAST LIVE FROM OXFORD INTERNET INSTITUTE Stephen Coleman, Visiting Professor in e-Democracy at the Oxford Internet Institute, will discuss his article 'Connecting Parliament to the Public via the Internet: Two Case Studies of Online Consultations' with response from Dr Damian Tambini, Head of the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at Oxford University. ABOUT THIS EVENT Stephen Coleman will take part in a discussion with the Information, Communication & Society Journal Editor, Brian Loader and invited audience, that will be broadcast on the internet via - www.infosoc.co.uk The presentation will start at 17:00 GMT. Following the presentation a critical response to Stephen's paper will be given by Dr Damian Tambini. Viewers having questions for Stephen may forward them to webcast(a)oii.ox.ac.uk (please also include your name and contact information) and Stephen will answer as many of them as possible during the webcast Stephen Coleman's article is due to be published in Information, Communication & Society, a Taylor & Francis journal, and the article will be available to download prior to the webcast at www.infosoc.co.uk TIMES AND DATES Monday 29th March 2004 1700 - 1800 [GMT] 1800 - 1900 [Central European Time] 1100 - 1200 [US Eastern Standard Time] 0800 - 0900 [US Western Standard Time] 2130 - 2230 [Indian Standard Time] 0400 - 0500 [New Zealand Time - 30 March] -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Re: [Air-l] Web and thought
by Nentwich, Michael 12 Mar '04

12 Mar '04

> >>One of my arguments is that keyword searching tends to give a > >>number of results that are fairly high in information (in the > >>technical sense of information theory...unpredictability), and that > >>can be conducive to new insights and creative thinking as the user > >>tries to figure out why certain results were returned. It seems to > >>me that this is somewhat similar to surfing the web, where people > >>may be stimulated to think about things in new ways as they go from > >>site to site and, in the process, encounter ways of approaching > >>things that had not occurred to them before. I haven't been able to > >>find anything about how web surfing affects the way people think > >>about things. Do you know of anything that has been done along > >>those lines? I agree with your hypothesis. What you are looking for is often discussed under the notion of "serendipity effect". A search with this keyword might bring you to the literature you are looking for. In my book on "Cyberscience" I discuss in some depth the idea that the new media have a creative potential (also for science and research). This relates not only to the effect you are describing (by- products of database search), but also to serendipitous contacts with people and to the creativity contained in what Stevan Harnad used to call "scholarly skywriting". These ideas are, however, not undisputed. At the reverse side of the coin we find for instance the usual "lost in hyperspace" argument. Hope this helps, MN ------------- M. Nentwich http://eiop.or.at/mn/ author of "Cyberscience" http://hw.oeaw.ac.at/3188-7

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Re: [Air-l] failed media
by Michael T Zimmer 11 Mar '04

11 Mar '04

Bruce Sterling's Dead Media Project is a good place to start: http://www.deadmedia.org/ ----------------- Michael T. Zimmer Doctoral Student, Media Ecology Department of Culture and Communication New York University ----- Original Message ----- From: Jonathan Sterne <jsterne+(a)pitt.edu> Date: Thursday, March 11, 2004 3:43 pm Subject: [Air-l] failed media > At 12:01 PM -0500 3/11/04, air-l-request(a)aoir.org wrote: > >Message: 5 > >From: "Mattia Miani" <katanankes(a)yahoo.com> > >To: <air-l(a)aoir.org> > >Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 21:16:56 +0100 > >Subject: [Air-l] Re: Air-l digest, Vol 1 #1001 - 8 msgs > >Reply-To: air-l(a)aoir.org > > > >Hi all. > > > >Time ago, i believe, someone issued on the list a call for > chapters for a > >book aimed at exploring how forms of new media have failed in the > past. An > >intriguing question. Does anybody know id they came out with the > book?> > >Mattia Miani > >University of Bologna > > Hi Maria, > > I have no idea who posted that call. There is a dead media > database > somewhere online, and failure is an ongoing theme in the history > of > communication technology. For a good theoretical take, check out > John Durham Peters _Speaking Into the Air_ and Briankle Chang > _Deconstructing Communication_ (especially the last chapter). > Otherwise, I'd recommend any of the classic media histories > available > -- most of them deal at some length with ulternatives and > unrealized > plans. > > Charles Acland at Concordia is editing a book called _Residual > Media_ > (in which I have a chapter on computer obsolescence) and I am > working > on a book about abject moments in the 20th century history of > communication technology (pretty US-centric but not exclusively) -- > > failure, obsolescence, decline, absurdity. There's also an > upcoming > conference at a school in Florida (forget which one) on media > disasters. > > Best, > --J > -- > Jonathan Sterne, Assistant Professor > Department of Communication, University of Pittsburgh > http://www.pitt.edu/~jsterne > > _______________________________________________ > Air-l mailing list > Air-l(a)aoir.org > http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l >

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Hobbyist Uses of the Internet
by Kylie Veale 11 Mar '04

11 Mar '04

Good morning list, I have just commenced a PhD with Curtin University in Australia, researching the changing face of the hobby genealogy. I am interested in how the advent of the Internet has changed the social phenomenon of genealogy, using a three-part conceptual framework: communicating, transacting, and publishing. Has anyone come across any empirical studies / papers / books regarding the pursuit of any hobbyist genre online? I am specifically interested in hobbies that were once offline and now pursued online (or a combination of both), rather than those that only exist virtually. To date I have found very few, other than those researching amateur photographers and Internet usage. Thanks Kylie Kylie J. Veale | Brisbane, Australia GradDipInvEnv, MInetStds(Design) Provisional PhD candidate email: kylie(a)veale.com.au www: http://casa.de.veale.com.au www: http://www.veale.com.au/kylie www: http://www.veale.com.au/phd icq: #27938257 msn: kyliej(a)hotmail.com

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