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AOIR 4: Getting to Toronto
by Rhiannon Bury 27 Jul '03

27 Jul '03

Hello all: Again, this message is for those of you coming to Toronto for the conferenence from Canada or the US. Air Canada has announced a massive seat sale for travel good in Canada and the US through December. *Tickets must be booked by July 31!* This has nothing to do with the conference booking code but I bet you $$$ to donuts, this is cheaper. For travel within Canada, please visit: http://www.aircanada.ca/e-home.html Or http://www.aircanada.com/us-home.html for travel to Canada from the US. See you in October! Rhiannon Bury

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The Fluxus Home Page
by George Lessard 27 Jul '03

27 Jul '03

The Fluxus Home Page http://www.nutscape.com/fluxus/homepage/ The Companion Web Site to the FLUXLIST Email Discussion Group The purpose of FLUXLIST is to promote an exchange of ideas about the past, present, and future of Fluxus. The list can include a wide range of members, ranging from those who have recently read or heard about Fluxus to experts. New Beginnings (Aug, 1999): Guidelines for FLUXLIST participation "Fluxus has been able to grow because it's had room for dialogue and transformation. It's been able to be born and reborn several times in different ways. The fluid understanding of its own history and meaning, the central insistence on dialogue and social creativity rather than on objects and artifacts have enabled Fluxus to remain alive on the several occasions that Fluxus has been declared dead."--Ken Friedman, A FLUXUS IDEA 1/2. Subscribing to FLUXLIST http://www.fluxus.org/FLUXLIST/subscrib.htm The Fluxus Email Discussion Group You can subscribe to FLUXLIST by sending the following command in the body of an email: subscribe FLUXLIST to majordomo(a)scribble.com Note: It doesn't matter what you type in the "Subject:" line of your email message. After you have successfully subscribed, you will begin receiving each new message as it is posted to the FLUXLIST discussion group. You will also receive instructions about how you can post messages to FLUXLIST. FLUXLIST-DIGEST: An Alternative Way to Subscribe If you would prefer to receive your FLUXLIST messages in batches, then please subscribe to FLUXLIST-DIGEST. You can do so, by sending the following command in the body of an email: subscribe FLUXLIST-DIGEST to majordomo(a)scribble.com Note: It doesn't matter what you type in the "Subject:" line of your email message. After you have successfully subscribed to FLUXLIST-DIGEST, you will begin receiving a new digest approximately every 6 to 10 emails. You will also receive instructions about how you can post messages to FLUXLIST. If you need assistance in subscribing, please contact fluxus(a)rust.net Before deciding to subscribe to FLUXLIST you may want to sample previous messages and discussions at: the Fluxus Mail Archive http://king.dom.de/fluxus/ QUESTIONS ABOUT FLUXUS --the "art" movement What is Fluxus? Some definitions, history, and resources. Geroge Maciunas "...a fusion of Spike Jones, vaudeville, gag, children's games and Duchamp." Martha Wilson "Fluxus...holds that change is the only constant. This movement contributed the term 'intermedia,' and popularized time-based performance, video, film, installation and published multiple forms that artists and the public take for granted today." Ken Friedman "Fluxus is (or was) an international community of artists, architects, designers and composers sometimes described as "the most radical and experimental art movement of the 1960s." In the aftermath of the 30th anniversary exhibitions, Fluxus has been celebrated as a leading force in the development of post-modern culture and dismissed as a group of charlatans. Variously described in terms of architecture, design, music, poetry, criticism, social sculpture, mathematics, politics, dance, film, visual art and many more, Fluxus can be thought of as a community of people engaged in all these disciplines. What they had (or have) in common is their engagement in evanescent forms that expanded the boundaries of art. When Fluxus emerged, it was radically distinct. It was not an art form or a way of making art, but a way of viewing society and life, a way of creating social action and life activity. "Fluxus occupied ecological border zones between existing forms and media, only some of which were art forms. Fluxus successfully and somewhat problematically erased all distinctions between art, philosophy, design and daily life. What distinguished Fluxus from everything else was the fact that we were in love with experimentation, really in love. "Often controversial, willing to argue with each other and with the common view of art, Fluxus participants were diverse in goals and divergent in viewpoint. The work was rooted in science and social practice as well as in art, resolutely experimental, profoundly theoretical and often didactic. These factors made Fluxus difficult to describe. Lacking a common sensibility or a trademark style, Fluxus was overlooked by an art market that defined the art history of recent decades. This situation has changed. Historical studies now locate Fluxus as a primary source of conceptual art, intermedia and performance art and Fluxus includes founding figures of video art, installation, mail art and Internet. Neglected by the market-oriented art world, Fluxus became a source of ideas and practices adopted by fields ranging from architecture and industrial design to culture theory and psychology." Fluxus Online "Fluxus is the wry, post-Dada art movement that flourished in New York and Germany in the 1950s and 60s, and influences many contemporary artists. The rest you have to figure out yourself." Ken Friedman (from a 4 October, 1996, post to FLUXLIST) "Heiko asks, 'Pop/Flux, I think the difference is the still unclear role of Maciunas, unclear to me. Why did people follow him?? What was so convincing in his concept, personality?' "It's not clear that anyone "followed" George in the normal sense of the word. I was close to him in the mid-60s and in those years worked more closely with him than many of the other Fluxus people, but you couldn't say I "followed" him. "George's role is quite clear. It's there in the history if you wish to read it. Four scholars have addressed different aspects of the issue, each from different views. Owen Smith's doctoral dissertation looks most specifically at George and at his relations with the rest of us. Smith, Owen. George Maciunas and a History of Fluxus (or) the Art Movement that Never Was. Seattle: University of Washington, Department of Art History, 1991. [doctoral dissertation] "What's a key here, is that much of what is said and written about George is the repetitive recycling of a few dramatic inventions that distort and mistake his role. He played an important role as one among several key figures, but the historical fact is that George was actually a late-comer to the circle of people who formed Fluxus. This circle began to form in the mid-50s in New York and in Europe among people who met and contacted each and who stayed in good touch during the formative years and after. In New York, this included the circle of Cage's students and friends such as Higgins, Knowles, Hansen, and others. In Europe, it included Paik, Vostell, Williams, Patterson and others. George met these people and brought them into the framework of his plan for a magazine called Fluxus. He had a name and an idea: the artists eventually adopted the name but they did not adopt George's ideas and he didn't lead them. Rather, there was -- after some fuss and bother -- a merging of ideas and expectations. If anything, you can say it was George who changed rather than the others, but it was all of them together who became Fluxus. "Fluxus was the name that George Maciunas created for a magazine. He used the name for a festival where some of the artists who became the group known as Fluxus met and performed together publicly for the first time under the name Fluxus. The name stuck, describing an existing complex of phenomena and a meeting ground of multiple concepts. To the degree that George brought the name with him that came to be applied to Fluxus, you can say that Fluxus was George's name. Even so, you can not say that Fluxus was "his concept." "Three other theses and dissertations discuss the several aspects of this in a brilliant way: Blom, Ina. 1993. The Intermedia Dynamic: An Aspect of Fluxus. Oslo, Norway: Institutt for Arkeologi, Kunsthistorie og Numismatikk, Universitet i Oslo. [magister thesis] Doris, David T. 1993. Zen Vaudeville: A Medi(t)ation in the Margins of Fluxus. New York, New York: Department of Art History, Hunter College. [master's thesis] Higgins, Hannah. 1994. Enversioning Fluxus: A Venture into Whose Fluxus, Where and When. Chicago: University of Chicago, Department of Art History. [doctoral dissertation] In addition, two magazine special issues shed great light on these matters: Sellem, Jean, ed. 1991. Fluxus Research. Lund Art Press, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1991: School of Architecture, University of Lund. This special issue of Lund Art Press is especially notable because it contains the first widely published version of Dick Higgins's key article, "Fluxus: Theory and Reception." Milman, Estera, ed. 1992. Fluxus: A Conceptual Country. [Visible Language, vol. 26, nos. 1/2.] Providence: Rhode Island School of Design."

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RESEARCH SOFTWARE
by D.Mepham 26 Jul '03

26 Jul '03

As an undergraduate I am seeking to find out the best way to continually update my PC skills while also studying my degree and aiming for a career in research. It would help if anyone could recommend skills, courses, and research software that would be relevant. For example if you are about to employ a Research Assistant want skills apart from their degree would give an application The Edge! Dont forget I am a UK student and am running Pentium 4 level PC with Windows XP as the OS. Thanks

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Online Support Groups
by David Jacobson 26 Jul '03

26 Jul '03

Dear Colleagues, I'm looking for references to journal articles, written by sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists or other social scientists about online peer illness support groups. The disorders can be of any kind--e.g., breast cancer, anorexia, pain syndromes, huntington's disease, etc. I'd appreciate any suggestions. If you email them to me (jacobson(a)brandeis.edu) I'll compile them and post them to this list. Thanks in advance, Dave Jacobson David Jacobson Professor of Anthropology Department of Anthropology Brandeis University MS 006 Waltham, MA 02454-9110 USA Phone: 781-736-2228 Fax: 781-736-2232

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Generations Online: Study from AARP
by Beth Mazur 25 Jul '03

25 Jul '03

Here's some info from a study just released by AARP. I thought this might be of interest to some on the list. From the website: ----- Generations Online: Getting By With A Little Help From One's Kids Over two-thirds (71%) of adults surveyed age 25-44 who reported having an older parent or older adult with a computer are contacted by that person for help with their computer or the Internet. In fact, of these, over three quarters (78%) are the first person their relative turns to for help, with nearly 50% saying they are contacted more than twice a month. While some might expect frequent requests for technology support would be a burden, the survey proves otherwise as over 80% of those surveyed report that having their older relatives online has made a positive difference in their lives. In fact, several respondents reported that they enjoyed being able to help their parents and that this was a way that they could give back for all their parents had done. Additional findings from the survey: * 43% of the respondent's 50+ parents use instant messaging to keep in touch with their children * email is used nearly as frequently with families who live closer geographically (94%) than those who live far apart (99%) * 78% of respondents have taught computer use; 74% how to use email; 64% have helped set up a computer * older grandchildren (52% of respondents with kids 18-24 years old and 48% of respondents with kids 11-17 years old) help their grandparents with the computer of the Internet ----- To download the report, click http://links.aarp.org/generationsonline (PDF, 72K) or visit http://www.aarp.org/olderwiserwired Beth Mazur IDblog: http://idblog.org

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Digital Divide review
by Barry Wellman 25 Jul '03

25 Jul '03

Dear Colleagues, Wenhong Chen and I have a draft article, "Digital Divides and Digital Dividends" which reviews Socioeconomic, Gender, Life Stage, Race/Ethnic, Linguistic, and Rural-Urban variations in access/use in 8 countries: US, UK, Germany, Italy, Japan, China, Korea and Mexico, For complex reasons, we can't post this paper now, but we would be happy to send it to you for your comments, as long as you don't post it. For a copy, please contact my assistant, Monica Prijatelj. <cinamon2000(a)utoronto.ca> 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 _____________________________________________________________________

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ph.d.fellowship in digital documentation at the Univ. of Tromsoe, Norway
by Niels Windfeld Lund 25 Jul '03

25 Jul '03

Doctoral Fellow in Documentation Studies, open specialty: Digital documentation, at the Faculty of Humanities, Institute of Art and Literature, University of Tromso, Norway. Reference: 03/3156 Date of announcement in Norwegian: 09.07.2003 http://tavla.uit.no/1060898400.Led.7697.html Date for applications: 15.08.2003 The University of Tromsø invites applications for 1 position as research fellow in Documentation Studies. The positions are fixed-term positions for 4 years with 25 % administration or teaching duties each year. Previous employment as research fellow or in an equivalent recruitment position will count as part of the education program, so that the total number of years spent on the education program is 3. The position are associated with the Faculty of Humanities and the Institute of Art and Literature. Documentation Studies explores in theory and practice: media like sound, writing or images, analogue and digital media, documents like books, letters, speeches, concerts, homepages, paintings and institutions like libraries, archives, museums, documentation centers, cultural centers, mass media and Internet etc. The applicant must include a research proposal (5-7 pages), which must be relevant to the general field of Documentation Studies and especially in relation to digital forms of documentation, either digital document types or document institutions being digital or using digital documentation. Proposals related to document institutions will be favoured. Apart from that, it is free for applicants to formulate and define their projects as they wish and draw on their individual background. The application should in addition include: a letter of application (up to 3 pages) with a description of the applicants' background, research experience and the relevance of previous work to Documentation Studies Master's thesis or equivalent work, and, possibly, other relevant material (see Works below) certified copies of diplomas and transcripts a complete list of publications including information about where the works have been published The applicants must document scientific competence in Documentation Studies or similar studies (Communication-, Media-, Information or Library Sciences) at the Master's level. Applicants must have mastery of English or a Scandinavian language. The successful applicant will submit a research proposal, which will be the basis for employment. The research fellow should, no later than 6 months after employment, submit a plan for the employment period which includes a detailed description of the research project and other parts of the doctoral degree program. The plan should name the project's supervisor. The research fellow will teach or conduct research-related activities on all levels from BA to MA within Documentation Studies. The salary for the positions follows the relevant Norwegian regulations. The regular salary for a research fellow is NOK 275.900 per year. A 2 % contribution to the Norwegian pension fund is obligatory. Applications will be evaluated by an expert committee. Emphasis will be put on the candidates' potential for research based on: the Master's thesis other academic works the research proposal In addition, work experience and other activities relevant to the fulfilment of the research, the doctoral degree program and teaching will be included in the basis for evaluation. Information and material which are to be included in the evaluation should be submitted by the deadline for applications. The University of Tromsø wishes to recruit women to academic positions. When two applicants are found to be essentially equally qualified, the University will rank the female applicant ahead of the male applicant. Employment is decided upon by the Board of the Faculty of Humanities based on recommendations from the Center's Director. The application should be sent in 5 collated sets marked by the reference number, 03/3156, to the following address by the deadline for applications, August 15th. 2003: The University Director The University of Tromsø NO-9037 Tromsø NORWAY Works: Applicants should send three collated sets of academic works - published or unpublished - to the following address by the deadline for applications. The Faculty of Humanities The University of Tromsø NO-9037 Tromsø NORWAY For more information, please confer "Regulations for the Degree of Dr. Art. at the University of Tromsø, available at the University's web pages. http://ws.uit.no/websim2/index.php?SiteId=58&PageId=15&RecordId=28 Further information: Professor Niels Windfeld Lund, Coordinator of Documentation Studies program email: niels.windfeld.lund(a)hum.uit.no Associate professor Ole Karlsen, Head of Institute of Art and Literature email:ole.karlsen@hum.uit.no Director of Faculty, Eirik Liland, Faculty of Humanities email: eirik.liland(a)hum.uit.no -- Niels Windfeld Lund, professor, Koordinator for dokumentasjonsvitenskap / Chair of Documentation Science Program Institute of Art and Literature HUM-FAK, Universitetet i Tromsø/University of Tromsoe Breivika, N-9037 Tromsoe, Norway tlf. +47-77646284, fax + 47-77644239 http://thedocumentacademy.hum.uit.no http://thedocumentacademy.hum.uit.no/students/niels.lund/index.html

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"The Social Construction of Rob Kling"
by harmeet s. sawhney 25 Jul '03

25 Jul '03

We have inserted a short piece on Rob in the TIS issue that is currently in press. It is a wonderful piece by Roberta Lamb entitled "The Social Construction of Rob Kling." An advance copy is now available on the TIS web site (URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~tisj/) Harmeet Sawhney Interim Editor, TIS

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toronto airfaire
by Ulla Bunz 24 Jul '03

24 Jul '03

I remember there being a question about airfaire to Toronto for the October conference. I keep getting announcements from www.travelocity.com that the price is going down. This might be specific to my New York departure, but if anyone is still looking for cheap tickets I recommend to check it out. Ulla ************************** Ulla Bunz Assistant Professor Department of Communication Rutgers University 4 Huntington Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901 **************************

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July, 2003 AoIR Executive Committee Report Update
by Nancy Baym 24 Jul '03

24 Jul '03

The report from Liss Jeffrey, conference coordinator, was inadvertently omitted from the report posted yesterday. Here it is (thanks Liss!): The Toronto crew continues to work on the "Broadening the Band" conference. Check out the web site www.ecommons.net/aoir for updates. An online forum has just started up on the site ( <http://www.ecommons.net/aoir/p/list.php?f=2>http://www.ecommons.net/aoir/p/list.php?f=2 ) so that our conference delegates can locate room-mates and enjoy a more affordable stay at the downtown Hilton, our AoiR 4.0 network central. A bit of cash raised in seed funding from the Bell University Labs at the University of Toronto has been put to work to develop an easier way to update the Program databases that we have created. You will see results soon. After the Toronto conference, we will donate this basic software to AoiR. (Thanks David Mason, Christie Hurrell, Bernie Hogan and the working group for help with this, and Matt Allen for handling the updates.) Please register if you have not yet < <http://order.kagi.com/cgi-bin/store.cgi?storeID=5WS1&&>http://order.kagi.com/cgi-bin/store.cgi?storeID=5WS1&& > Information on hotel registration can be found here: < <http://ecommons.net/aoir/registration.html#hotel>http://ecommons.net/aoir/registration.html#hotel > Hoping that perhaps those running for graduate student representative might volunteer to help with special plans for grad students, welcomes and birds of a feather at the Toronto conference. If you are interested, please contact Olivia Robertson <olivia.robertson(a)utoronto.ca>, who is our chief volunteer wrangler. BTW the new directors of the AoiR Toronto 2003 not for profit are: Liss Jeffrey, Catherine Middleton and Olivia Robertson. We have started to assign some chairs to panels, and to schedule certain special events ( including a memorial moment for Professor Ron Kling by some of his former students and colleagues), so if you are interested in chairing or have an idea that might help conference life, please drop a note to aoir(a)ecommons.net -- Francophones especially encouraged to apply! Our meetings continue 4 - 6 PM every Monday, so if you want to join in, come along or drop us an email. Hope you are enjoying the summertime and see you in Toronto for October's northern air :). -- Nancy Baym http://www.ku.edu/home/nbaym Communication Studies, University of Kansas 102 Bailey Hall, 1440 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045, USA Association of Internet Researchers: http://aoir.org

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