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new technologies: diffusion comparison diagram
by John Daly 17 Nov '03

17 Nov '03

I think about the diffusion of the Internet to developing countries. Getting onto the Internet depends on having a computer and a telephone connection. Most people who have computers already have telephones. Diffusion of the Internet to people with both is a relatively easy, inexpensive process. In developing countries few people have either computers or telephones. I suspect that the process of diffusion of the Internet will become much slower when it has exhausted the installed computer and telephone capacity, and new linkages will require both a new computer and a new telephone. I have seen estimates that a billion people in the world still don't have electricity. I suspect that the diffusion of Internet technology to illiterate people who not only don't have computers and telephones, but who don't have electricity will be quite a different process still. John Daly http://www.geocities.com/stconsultant http://stconsultant.blogspot.com

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New IT & Civil Society Reports from the Social Science Research Council
by Sabino 14 Nov '03

14 Nov '03

Dear Colleagues: The transnational digital linkages among civil society organizations have produced an entirely new realm of politics beyond the state. However, there are significant constraints on the further development of civil society networking. In order to provide the knowledge necessary to move forward to overcome those constraints and expand the global networking of civil society, the Social Science Research Council has produced two reports on information technology and civil society that we think might interest you and are now available. They are: - "Appropriating the Internet for Social Change: Strategic Uses of Networked Technologies by Transnational Civil Society Organizations " - "Global Governance of Information Communication Technology: Implications for Transnational Civil Society Networking." The reports can be read on or downloaded from our Web site at www.ssrc.org/programs/itic If you would prefer to receive a hard copy please send a request to Ms. Marcela Sabino at sabino(a)ssrc.org. In addition, we have recently published Bombs and Bandwidth which examines the use of ICT by governments, businesses, terrorist and criminal organizations, and social movements. The book has been featured in an article on MSNBC Newsweek: http://www.msnbc.com/news/986097.asp?0cv=KB20 Background on the book is available on our web site <www.ssrc.org/programs/itic> . **Note: This is an announcement by the Information Technology and International Cooperation program at SSRC. You are not subscribed to a mailing list. If you prefer not to receive announcements from us in the future, please let us know. We hope that you will be interested and engaged with our efforts.**

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re: new technologies
by Bernie Hogan 14 Nov '03

14 Nov '03

Its also important to remember that the levelling of the diffusion curve is the best way to predict saturation. It is not 100% of the population (that's a limit, like that ol' calculus stuff I once did). And the fact that it started in 1991 regardless of us *nix geeks reminds me of a cheeky comment by Paul DiMaggio at Webshop (http://www.webuse.umd.edu ) this summer. "Nobody used the Internet until 1994, cuase that's when *we* started measuring it". Cracks me up every time. In any case, recent reports like PEW (http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=88 ) from May 2003 suggest that some 'laggards' are in fact rejected adopters, while others live in the house with adopters and do indeed have 'access if they want it' but don't see the need in adopting the Internet. In a sense, imposing the discourse of "Internet is great, get on board" on them might be a sort of technological imperialism. I think of my former employer, smart as a whip and owner of one of the finest collections of Newfoundland historical literature in the world, who really did not see herself as benefitting from internet adoption, and she might actually be right! If anyone wants to take this thread off the list feel free to email me. oh and: PLEASE DO NOT SEND HTML POSTS TO AIR-L!!!! I get a daily digest which does not parse the html, so I have to read through a lot of xml and html crap to get at the goods (your thoughtful posting). Be kind to you ascii feathered friends. BERNiE Bernie Hogan Ph.D. Student Department of Sociology NetLab, Knowledge Media Design Institute University of Toronto bernie.hogan(a)utoronto.ca

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Conference: Quality for cultural Web sites
by Monica Murero 14 Nov '03

14 Nov '03

This is one of the most important events of the year in the field of "quality for cultural web sites"- online cultural heritage for research. If you will participate let me know so we can gather! Monica Murero AoIR Executive Committee- Appointed Seat ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Italian Semester of Presidency of the European Union EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF MINERVA Quality for cultural Web sites Online Cultural Heritage for Research, Education and Cultural Tourism Communities Parma, 20-21 November 2003, Auditorium Paganini Free entrance Conference website: http://www.minervaeurope.org/events/parma/parmaconference.htm Program: http://www.minervaeurope.org/events/parma/parmaprogramme.htm

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new technologies: diffusion comparison diagram
by catherine middleton 14 Nov '03

14 Nov '03

Hello, Can someone point me to a downloadable diagram that compares diffusion rates for new technologies, e.g. telephone, VCR, internet etc? I've seen many versions of this sort of diagram, but can't seem to locate one that I can put directly into a powerpoint presentation. It doesn't really matter whether the data is North American or from elsewhere, it's the overall trendlines I'm interested in. Any suggestions as to where to find something like this would be most appreciated. Thanks, catherine middleton cmiddlet(a)ryerson.ca

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new technologies: diffusion comparison diagra
by Bernie Hogan 14 Nov '03

14 Nov '03

Hi everyone, #1 DVD is diffusing faster than the Internet, as is the mobile phone in many places. It is not unprecedented. Furthermore, the diffusion curve here suggests that television might have been as steep. #2 Everett Roger's book "Diffusion of Innovations" is highly recommended. I haven't read the fifth edition so I cannot speak to it, but the fourth is really great. #3 Internet diffusion should be probably broken down by dail-up vs high-speed and definately by country. #4 It shold also be noted that this chart wold sugest the internet was invented 9 years ago. Would that make the chart 2000, and the internet being correlated with WWW? One should be very careful to make such claims, given that the role of DARPAnet and all sorts of precommercial work has been embedded in the history of the Internet's development. It would still behave like a logarithmic curve but it does inject a different sort of ideology into the picture about who is responsible for the Internet's diffusion, AOL, the FCC or general diffusion trends. #5 There is some evidence to suggest that the Internet will not receive the total diffusion that telelvision did. It is already being outpaced by mobile phones in many places. Nonetheless, this is still an interesting graphic. Thanks! BERNiE Bernie Hogan Ph.D. Student Department of Sociology NetLab, Knowledge Media Design Institute University of Toronto bernie.hogan(a)utoronto.ca http://edublog.com/hogan/

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Two jobs, Michigan
by Charlie Breindahl 13 Nov '03

13 Nov '03

The Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media in the Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences is currently searching for: 1) an Assistant Professor whose primary area of teaching and scholarship is the interaction between communication media and society, with a strong emphasis on new and emerging media and technologies. 2) an Assistant Professor in digital media arts and technology, with expertise in several of the following areas interactive multimedia design, web design, video and audio production, compositing and effects (CGI), 3D graphics design, game design, programming, and human-computer interaction. If you or someone else, might me interested in these fine opportunities, further details are available at: http://cas.msu.edu/faculty-hiring/tccms.html http://cas.msu.edu/faculty-hiring/tcdmat.html Thanks very much. Mark R. Levy Professor and Chairperson Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, & Media Michigan State University Room 409 Comm Arts & Sciences Building East Lansing, MI 48824-1212 Phone: (517) 355-8372 Fax: (517) 355-1292 mlevy(a)msu.edu

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Fwd: CTP Call for Papers - IAMCR Porto Alegre 2004
by Maren Hartmann 13 Nov '03

13 Nov '03

>*** Apologies for possible cross postings *** > > >Porto Alegre - CTP Call for Papers > > >The Communications Technology Policy section invites submission of >abstracts for papers and posters to be presented at the 2004 IAMCR >Conference to be held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 25.-30. July 2004. >The Conference will be held under the theme: Communication and >Democracy: Perspectives for a New World. More information about the >conference is available at: http://www.pucrs.br/famecos/iamcr/ > >Digital technology opens up new possibilities for democratization. >Through ICTs citizens may get better access to information and find >new means to participate in democratic debate and decision-making. >Yet, there are a number of political and social challenges to enable >these potentials to be fully realized on local, national and global >levels. These challenges include questions of culture, capabilities, >access and social inclusion, of the openness of the networks and of >the possibilities for citizens to use ICTs effectively for >participatory purposes. How does policy address these issues - and >how does this interact with new market developments? How do user >aspects enable or constrain possibilities of digital participation? >What new dimensions of research can contribute to a better >understanding of the relationships between policy, information and >communication technology and democracy? > >Papers and posters to be presented in the CTP Section should relate >to the overall theme of the conference and contributions on the >following sub-themes are especially invited: > >* Digital Divide vs Democratic Inclusion - political, social and >cultural challenges on local and global levels. >* Structures and governance of the liberalized ICT industries. >* Strategies and policies regarding gate keepers in converging markets. >* Global Technologies and Local Power Relations - policies, >adaptation and use at community levels. > >The CTP section encourages papers that address these themes from the >perspective of the production and/or consumption of technologies. >Although the sub-themes above are of particular interest, the >section welcomes submissions on closely related issues and will give >consideration to such abstracts. The section encourages papers >offering theoretically informed and empirically grounded >contributions. > >Abstracts of about 500 words should be sent by 14. February 2003 to >iamcr-ctp(a)encip.org. In addition you should also put the four e-mail >addresses of the section heads and deputies in CC (Carbon Copy) >(hdunn(a)cwjamaica.com, Verhoest2(a)stb.tno.nl, jo.pierson(a)vub.ac.be, >tanja.storsul(a)media.uio.no) Please indicate whether the abstract is >intended for the paper or poster sessions. All prospective >presenters will be advised by 12. April 2004 of the outcome of their >applications. The full text of accepted papers would be due for >submission no later than 13. July 2004. > >For updates and further information about the section, please visit >eCTP - the section's website: >http://www.komdat.sbg.ac.at/ectp/ >

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EQ Researchers Meet
by T.L. Taylor 13 Nov '03

13 Nov '03

Hi folks. I'm hoping this reaches everyone who expressed an interest in EQ researchers event. I'm also forwarding this message to a couple extra lists that might contain members who would like to join in. Please feel free to pass this announcement along to interested parties as well. On Saturday, Nov 22 there will an online meeting of EQ researchers (or researchers interested in doing work in the game). In fine Norrathian tradition everyone will start out as a level 1 and we will proceed to have drunken races, fireworks, and who knows, maybe some serious talk in between ;) The details: Saturday, Nov 22 @ 3pm EST (12pm PST and 9pm CET) EverQuest, Bristlebane server, Butcherblock Mountains outside the city of Kaladim (everyone is encouraged to start a level 1 dwarf, beards optional!) Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions or already have a character on BB and want to help out with any of the pre-fest preparations. Look forward to seeing folks there! TL -- ___________________________________ T.L. Taylor, Assistant Professor Center for Computer Games Research Dept. of Digital Aesthetics and Communiction IT University of Copenhagen Glentevej 67, 2400-DK NV Copenhagen +45 38 16 89 61 (tele) / +45 38 16 88 99 (fax) tltaylor(a)itu.dk / http://www.itu.dk/~tltaylor/

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RE: [Air-l] AoIR Presidential Thoughts
by Blanchard, Anita L 12 Nov '03

12 Nov '03

APOLOGIES! That was meant as a private email. I'm sorry! Anita

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