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NCA panel - urgent CFP:)
by Radhika Gajjala 10 Feb '04

10 Feb '04

Hi all, My doctoral advisees and I are working on a panel for NCA on a theme that deals with critically investigating the impact that technologies (such as computer and Internet) has on shaping societal discursive practices, or on modifying and even perpetuating dominant ideologies. We are looking for one or two more panelists - if you are interested - Please email me ASAP with an abstract. thanks, r

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fAf: Latest and last ...
by linda carroli 09 Feb '04

09 Feb '04

fineArt forum v.18 n.02 2004 fineArt forum = art + technology netnews http://www.fineartforum.org This issue: :: Latest and last fAf :: Call to the Community: Proposals for Continuation of fineArt forum :: News :: fAfText :: Latest and last fAf The current issue of fAf, now live, will be the last produced by the present Australian team of Paul Brown, Linda Carroli and Nisar Keshvani. Due to a number of setbacks and obstacles, the magazine has ceased its operations at QUT, Brisbane, Queensland. Without an appropriate level of resourcing fAf could not continue in its current form, context or locale. Rather than close down the publication after 17 years of consistent publishing in the field of arts, science and technology, the Art Science and Technology Network has issued a call for expressions of interest from organisations that are interested in publishing fAf. :: Call to the Community: Proposals for Continuation of fineArt forum As has been announced in this issue of fAf this is the last issue being produced by the Australian team. fineArt forum was set up by Ray Lauzzana in 1988 and has been operated by a number of organisations since then as a community resource under the umbrella of the "Art, Science, Technology Network" (ASTN) presided by Annick Bureaud. Organisations who may be interested in exploring ways to take on publishing of fineArt forum may contact Roger Malina at leo(a)mitpress.mit.edu indicating their possible interest. The ASTN takes this opportunity to thank Paul Brown, Linda Carroli, Nisar Keshvani and the whole Australian team for their many years of work sustaining fAf as an invaluable community resource. All back issues of fAf will be archived on the Leonardo Electronic Almanac website and will continue to be available. Other opportunities for archiving are also being sought. The art/science/technology landscape has changed dramatically over the past 15 years. It is likely that fAf needs to mutate to respond to real community needs today. We look forward to working with interested organisations in developing an new evolutionary niche for fAf. :: fAf Ezine is online News stories and announcements in Upfront online at http://www.fineartforum.org/Backissues/Vol_18/faf_v18_n02/upfront_index.html 2004 Events and Deadlines Calendar listings are online at http://www.fineartforum.org/Backissues/Vol_18/calendar_index.html :: fAfText [ ESSAYS ] Te[XT][C]hnology: A Play (on words) in FIVE ACTS Lisa Gye's presentation at Electrofringe in 2004 examines literary assassinations from Socrates to rap. Intimate Transactions A Quicktime documentary produced by Keith Armstrong exploring the interactions of artistic practice and research in the development of the Transmute Collective's current collaborative project, Intimate Transactions. [ REVIEWS ] ME++ The Cyborg self and the networked city: William J. Mitchell reviewed by Molly Hankwitz Computers & Art: edited by Stuart Mealing reviewed by Tracey Benson The Surrealestate Project: MOOT Records reviewed by Brett Woodward Designer's Bureau at Art Miami 2003: Kirill Chelushkin Selma Stern profiles Russian artist Kirill Chelushkin's recent works. Live art, Dead art, and Things in-between, Or, The Good Thing about Forgetting Josephine Wilson reviews Coded Characters: Media Art by Jill Scott Supporting the Evolution of Australian Design: Australian INfront report by Zoe Winter Li'l Elvis Jones and the Truckstoppers reviewed by Lisa Chittick Designer's Dream Portal: Digital Thread report by Zoe Winter Writing Machines: N. Katherine Hayles reviewed by Linda Carroli fAfText online at: http://www.fineartforum.org/Backissues/Vol_17/faf_v17_n12/reviews/reviews_i…

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Re: first post (An Internet Without Space)
by Kevin Tharp 09 Feb '04

09 Feb '04

I cannot help but wonder if Eero's posting is not actually a troll, because I cannot believe that anyone that claims to be a scholar would make such statements (unless of course the horse and blinders analogy is correct). But that said, according to Eero, as a discipline, we should: * Ignore the needs and perceptions of the individual * Look only at numbers which of course represent real data * Focus on commercially significant projects * Abandon all traditions that are not positivist (not explicitly stated, but implied) * Stomp out anything that disagrees or competes with this world view. * All work in a monster division Sounds like maybe someone got their application to Microsoft mixed up with their posting to air-l. ;-) Regards, Kevin W. Tharp

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Re: first post (An Internet Without Space)
by Eero Tarik 09 Feb '04

09 Feb '04

thanks for that Denise, very interesting. my gut feeling of all this, the pocket sized edition would be... ... that internet studies/research needed a home and was able to slot itself into the Arts/ Humanities area in some universities. With very little real information to go on, because it was a field of study in its infancy, the focus needed to be more philosophical, looking at concepts rather than data. This is where we find many Internet Studies courses today. ( I realise this is not universal) But there does appear to be rebellion afoot if my own class is any indication. We want numbers to research, we want to look at data - not read about someones fantasy/ guess in 1990. And I suspect that in order to be relevant, and I do believe in the need to be relevant in scholastic endeavour (even though others dont agree), this field of study will turn more towards real number crunching, rather than worrying about "cyberspace" and "cyber communities". I think the new generation of students will force change as people who are less tolerant of "cyberisms" graduate and influence academia. I also think this new wave of Internet Studies scholars will drive the area into a more commercially focussed future as they understand the opportunities to be gained by excelling in the research of real data. However...the internet as we know it may not last more than another decade, it will be replaced by something else, but I imagine that whatever replaces it will still be a communications tool. So perhaps rather than concentrating on the "internet" part of this equation, all the little bits that are floating around in the academic world in related areas should pull themselves into one universal school of communications study so that they not only allow for greater diversity of study but also protect their own academic industry from the inevitable technological change. There will always be some form of human communication technology, but who knows what it will be from one decade to the next. A department called The Center for Internet Studies might look a bit stupid when the internet has died overnight and been replaced by a chip in our heads. To answer the question posed by the CFP I would see the solution being the evolution of a monster Division/School of Personal Communication Sciences where the rapidly evolving areas of personal communication like the internet, mobile phones, pay TV etc can all be studied comfortably at "home" without needing to find a temporary arrangement in some other division and I would see this evolving in a more global sense through an online Division rather than being an individual battle for status at every single university. How this would be put together in flesh and blood terms I leave to the geniuses of organisation. Thus, when the internet dies and is replaced by something else there is still a home for those who want to study the new emerging technology. just my 10 cents worth. see ya Eero Tarik Adelaide

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re:-my first post(reply to Ulla)
by Eero Tarik 09 Feb '04

09 Feb '04

Hi Ulla, you wrote... "Michele (and others) - out of curiosity, do you have an alternative suggestion? You reject "space" and "place" and much of the terminology and research that is connected to those meanings." Ulla, I note you are an Assistant Professor in the Dept of Communications. We are talking about the internet.Six hundred million people, apparently, use it regularly these days. It is possible that only a few percent of those people have any idea what the term cyberspace means. When they go on the internet they "do things". They sit in the real world, have real world problems running through their heads and bang away on their keyboards. They send emails, lurk or thrash around in a few forums, look at some porn, have a bet on tomorrows NBA game or communicate with friends and relatives anywhere around the world. Their experiences are simple - and we can describe them in simple terms that ALL of those internet users can understand, and by doing so we are communicating effectively. And there is a very good chance that non internet users can also understand our description of those simple internet experiences. If we want to study the internet and, therefore, all the activities of internet users, we can study how/why and when these people use the internet. We can study people from different groups and cultures. The opportunities to study internet habits are endless. Apart from this we can also study "social" problems connected with the internet - the so called Digital Divide as well as other social issues. Doesnt this give us enough to research and study without hallucinating about cyberspace? Must we have so much "cyber jargon" to describe what are very simple processes and for most users merely a convenient communications tool? Communication is all about speaking/writing clearly and simply. The greater the number of people who can understand you, the greater your ability to communicate. I dont understand how "cyber jargon" and hallucinating about cyberspace makes the world a better place or enriches humankind - or how it makes one a greater communicator. :-) see ya Eero Tarik Adelaide

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Re: [Air-l] Re: first post (An Internet Without Space)
by ren＠aldermangroup.com 09 Feb '04

09 Feb '04

On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 Eero Tarik wrote: >But there does appear to be rebellion afoot if my own >class is any indication. We want numbers to research, >we want to look at data - not read about someones fantasy >/ guess in 1990. Eero, I have to admit to not really knowing exactly what it is that "internet studies/research" does and does not look at, could you suggest the kind of data (quantative i assume from the ohter mails) that is not being looked at and should be? ren www.renreynolds.com terranova.blogs.com ---- Original message ---- >Date: Mon, 09 Feb 2004 19:53:49 +1030 >From: Eero Tarik <et(a)tarik.com.au> >Subject: [Air-l] Re: first post (An Internet Without Space) >To: air-l(a)aoir.org > >thanks for that Denise, very interesting. > >my gut feeling of all this, the pocket sized edition would be... > >... that internet studies/research needed a home and was able to slot >itself into the Arts/ Humanities area in some universities. With very >little real information to go on, because it was a field of study in its >infancy, the focus needed to be more philosophical, looking at concepts >rather than data. >This is where we find many Internet Studies courses today. ( I realise >this is not universal) > >But there does appear to be rebellion afoot if my own class is any >indication. We want numbers to research, we want to look at data - not >read about someones fantasy/ guess in 1990. And I suspect that in order >to be relevant, and I do believe in the need to be relevant in >scholastic endeavour (even though others dont agree), >this field of study will turn more towards real number crunching, rather >than worrying about "cyberspace" and "cyber communities". > >I think the new generation of students will force change as people who >are less tolerant of "cyberisms" graduate and influence academia. I also >think this new wave of Internet Studies scholars will drive the area >into a more commercially focussed future as they understand the >opportunities to be gained by excelling in the research of real data. > >However...the internet as we know it may not last more than another >decade, it will be replaced by something else, but I imagine that >whatever replaces it will still be a communications tool. > >So perhaps rather than concentrating on the "internet" part of this >equation, all the little bits that are floating around in the academic >world in related areas should pull themselves into one universal school >of communications study so that they not only allow for greater >diversity of study but also protect their own academic industry from the >inevitable technological change. > >There will always be some form of human communication technology, but >who knows what it will be from one decade to the next. A department >called The Center for Internet Studies might look a bit stupid when the >internet has died overnight and been replaced by a chip in our heads. > >To answer the question posed by the CFP I would see the solution being >the evolution of a monster Division/School of Personal Communication >Sciences where the rapidly evolving areas of personal communication like >the internet, mobile phones, pay TV etc can all be studied comfortably >at "home" without needing to find a temporary arrangement in some other >division and I would see this evolving in a more global sense through an >online Division rather than being an individual battle for status at >every single university. How this would be put together in flesh and >blood terms I leave to the geniuses of organisation. > >Thus, when the internet dies and is replaced by something else there is >still a home for those who want to study the new emerging technology. > >just my 10 cents worth. > >see ya > >Eero Tarik >Adelaide > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Air-l mailing list >Air-l(a)aoir.org >http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l

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Re: first post (An Internet Without Space)
by Eero Tarik 09 Feb '04

09 Feb '04

My apologies for starting this debate and then running away - I 've spent most of the past week in hospital or recovering from the experience :-) (I wont take this opportunity to lavish praise on the freely available Australian health system and how such systems are surely the measure of whether or not a nation is civilised) I'm surprised to see such a lengthy thread develop and have enjoyed catching up this morning with the views expressed over the past few days although its a pity your conference roundtable idea which has evolved from my thread won't be a real contest between the "yes there is a cyberspace" and "no there isnt" sides but rather like an All Stars charity match. However, if I might divert your attention a little - it appears that nobody found it noteworthy that half the members of a class of mature aged Internet Studies students disagreed with the idea that there is a cyberspace. What if we are typical of the modern internet user and typical of present and future students? Your ranks will swell with people who dont believe in cyberspace because we are people who see the internet as a tool and as an natural extension of our daily tasks. Some of my fellow students have already remarked how believing the cyberspace concept seems to be a religious like act of faith. It does make me wonder whether Internet Studies should be in the Arts/Humanities area or whether it should be a Science where numbers, rather than concepts, are investigated and analsyed. Now there is a subject worthy of discussion - Internet Studies, is it Art or a Science ?? see ya Eero Tarik Adelaide

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job announcement for digital arts specialist
by Lisa Nakamura 09 Feb '04

09 Feb '04

apologies for cross postings. Lisa DIGITAL ARTS ASSISTANT PROFESSOR The University of Wisconsin Art Department is looking for a dynamic and versatile colleague with expertise and a strong dedication to teaching and research in digital arts. Candidates must hold an MFA degree in studio art (preferred) or another terminal degree in an art-related field by start date. Must have demonstrated a broad expertise in digital art. Prior college/university level teaching experience is preferred. We seek candidates with distinguished professional activities who have a comprehensive knowledge of the history, theory, and practices of new media, contemporary art production and aesthetic concerns in the visual arts. Must be able to provide, and have the ability to provide, leadership and vision for the overall curriculum in Digital Arts in context of our program strengths in other art forms. Teaching assignment includes three courses per semester at the undergraduate to graduate level. Candidates will develop new courses and teach or supervise the teaching of courses in Computers in the Visual Arts, Computer Imaging Techniques, Computer Mediated Art, Computer Aided Design and Visualization, Animation, or Digital Art Installation, and participate in the diverse curriculum of a 3-D area within a nationally recognized department. Additional responsibilities include serving on MA and MFA graduate committees. Must keep current with new developments in technology and participate in the supervision, maintenance, and improvement of computer lab(s). Must meet the teaching, research, and service expectations of the department and university. To apply include a letter of application, a statement about your creative research, a statement on teaching philosophy for digital arts that includes a vision for overall curriculum in this area, a curriculum vitae, name and contact information for three references, documentation of creative research. Student work optional. Work samples will be accepted in the format that best showcases the work (CD, DVD, URL, video tape, text, etc.) but must include clear instructions for viewing (system specifications and start-up procedures) in hard copy. Application materials must arrive on or before March 1, 2004 in order to be considered. Applications received by January 23, 2004 will be reviewed for CAA conference interview. All applications must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of materials. Send materials to: Digital Arts Search Committee University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Art 455 N Park Street 6241 Humanities Building Madison WI 53706-1483 Lisa Nakamura Assistant Professor of Communication Arts/Visual Culture Studies University of Wisconsin-Madison 821 University Ave Madison, WI 53706

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CFP: Persistent Conversation Minitrack
by Tom Erickson 09 Feb '04

09 Feb '04

* * * Please forward as appropriate * * * CALL FOR PAPERS Sixth Annual Minitrack on Persistent Conversation at the Hawai'i International Conference on Systems Science on the Big Island of Hawaii, January 3-6, 2005 *** AT A GLANCE *** * Topic Area Conversation via digital media such as email, chat, IM, texting, web boards, blogs, wikis, mailing lists, 3-D VR, multimedia computer-mediated communication, etc. The focus of work may range from the analysis of structural characteristics of conversation such as turn-taking and threading, to the use of digital conversation in domains such as distance learning, knowledge management, and workplace collaboration, to the design of novel systems for supporting computer-mediated conversation. * Who Researchers and designers from fields such as anthropology, computer-mediated communication, HCI, interaction design, linguistics, psychology, rhetoric, sociology, and so forth. * Chairs Thomas Erickson, IBM T. J. Watson Research Center Susan Herring, School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University * Important Dates Abstract submission - Monday, March 15, 2004 [instructions below] Abstract feedback - by Wednesday, March 31, 2004 Paper submission - Tuesday, June 15, 2004 [instructions below] Accept/Reject notice - Sunday, August 15, 2004 Final papers due - Friday, October 1, 2004 One author must register for HICSS - Friday, October 1, 2004 Deadline for conference-negotiated hotel rates - Wednesday, December 1, 2004 * For More Information - The online call, including pictures of the 2004 minitrack, and a list of previous years' papers: http://www.pliant.org/personal/Tom_Erickson/HICSS38pc - Contacts: snowfall(a)acm.org, herring(a)indiana.edu - About the HICSS conference: http://www.hicss.org/ *** DETAILS *** * About the Minitrack This interdisciplinary minitrack and workshop brings designers and researchers together to explore persistent conversation, the transposition of ordinarily ephemeral conversation into the potentially persistent digital medium. The phenomena of interest include human-to-human interactions carried out using chat, instant messaging, text messaging, email, weblogs, mailing lists, news groups, bulletin board systems, multi-authored Web documents, structured conversation systems, textual and graphical virtual worlds, etc. Computer-mediated conversations blend characteristics of oral conversation with those of written text: they may be synchronous or asynchronous; their audience may be small or vast; they may be highly structured or almost amorphous; etc. The persistence of such conversations gives them the potential to be searched, browsed, replayed, annotated, visualized, restructured, and recontextualized, thus opening the door to a variety of new uses and practices. The particular aim of the minitrack and workshop is to bring together researchers who analyze existing computer-mediated conversational practices and sites, with designers who propose, implement, or deploy new types of conversational systems. By bringing together participants from such diverse areas as anthropology, computer-mediated communication, HCI, interaction design, linguistics, psychology, rhetoric, sociology, managment, and the like, we hope that the work of each may inform the others, suggesting new questions, methods, perspectives, and design approaches. * About Paper Topics We are seeking papers that address one or both of the following two general areas: Understanding Practice. The burgeoning popularity of the internet (and intranets) provides an opportunity to study and characterize new forms of conversational practice. Questions of interest range from how various features of conversations (e.g., turn-taking, topic organization, expression of paralinguistic information) have adapted in response to the digital medium, to new roles played by persistent conversation in domains such as education, business, and entertainment. Design. Digital systems do not currently support conversation well: it is difficult to converse with grace, clarity, depth and coherence over networks. But this need not remain the case. Toward this end, we welcome analyses of existing systems as well as designs for new systems which better support conversation. Also of interest are inquiries into how participants design their own conversations within the digital medium -- that is, how they make use of system features to create, structure, and regulate their discourse. Examples of appropriate topics include, but are not limited to: Turn-taking, threading and other structural features of CMC The dynamics of large scale conversation systems (e.g. USENET) Methods for summarizing or visualizing conversation archives Studies of virtual communities or other sites of digital talk The roles of mediated conversation in knowledge management Studies of the use of instant messaging in large organizations Novel designs for computer-mediated conversation systems Analyses of or designs for distance learning systems For other examples of appropriate topics see the list of previous years' papers: http://www.pliant.org/personal/Tom_Erickson/HICSS_PC_History.html * The Workshop [tentative] For the past five years the minitrack has been preceded by a half-day workshop; we hope this will be continued for 2005, but will not know for sure until April. The intent of the the workshop is as follows: The workshop will provide a background for the sessions and set the stage for a dialog between researchers and designers that will continue during the minitrack. The minitrack co-chairs will select in advance a publicly accessible CMC site, which each author will be asked to analyze, critique, redesign, or otherwise examine using their disciplinary tools and techniques before the workshop convenes; the workshop will include presentations and discussions of the participants' examinations of the site and its content. The workshop is primarily intended for minitrack authors, although other participants are welcome provided they are willing to prepare for it as described above. * Instructions for Abstract Submission 1. Submit a 250 word abstract of your proposed paper via email to the chairs: Tom Erickson <snowfall(a)acm.org>, Susan Herring <herring(a)indiana.edu> by the deadline noted above. 2. We will send you feedback on the suitability of your abstract shortly thereafter. * Instructions for Paper Submission 1. HICSS papers must contain original material not previously published, or currently submitted elsewhere 2. Do not submit the manuscript to more than one Minitrack Chair. If unsure which Minitrack is appropriate, submit the abstract to the Track Chair for guidance. 3. Submit your full paper according to the detailed formatting and submission instructions found on the HICSS website. Note: All papers will be submitted in double column publication format and limited to 10 pages including diagrams and references. * About the HICSS Conference Since 1968 the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) has become a respected a forum for the substantive interchange of ideas in all areas of information systems and technology. The objective of HICSS is to provide a unique environment in which researchers and practitioners in the information, computer and system sciences can frankly exchange and discuss their research ideas, techniques and applications. Comments and feedback from each HICSS conference indicate that the conference format continues to be professionally rewarding and stimulating to everyone who attends. More information about the HICSS conference can be found at http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/. * Conference Administration: Ralph Sprague, Conference Chair, sprague(a)hawaii.edu Sandra Laney, Conference Administrator, hicss(a)hawaii.edu Eileen Dennis, Track Administrator, eidennis(a)indiana.edu * 2005 Conference Venue Hilton Waikoloa Village (on the Big Island of Hawaii) 425 Waikoloa Beach Drive Waikoloa, Hawaii 96738 Tel: 1-808-886-1234 Fax: 1-808-886-2900 http://www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com -- ------------------------------------------ Tom Erickson IBM T.J. Watson Research Center Email: snowfall(a)acm.org (preferred); snowfall(a)us.ibm.com(IBM confidential) http://www.pliant.org/personal/Tom_Erickson/

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Quantitative Spuriousity
by Michael Gurstein 09 Feb '04

09 Feb '04

Since at least some of our referencing to quantitative assessment seems to be drawn from in-class responses to professor driven questions... In my graduate class after a lot of snickering and a few tentative raised hands, which after furtive glances around the room were quickly lowered, none of the 30 or so students indicated that they were currently downloading music off the net. In my undergraduate class with similar initial glances and rather stronger indications of humour, all of the students indicated that they were currently (illegally) downloading music off the Net. Hmmm... MG

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