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RE: [Air-l] Re: peace
by Nicole Ellison 25 Mar '03

25 Mar '03

To this point: I wonder how the video of the American POWs (available online but which the networks made a self-congratulatory vow not to show) will affect students' (and others) notion of the immediacy (or lack thereof) of the war? That is, would hearing and seeing these young men and women in captivity change the sense some may have about the war being so far away and unrelated to one's "real life." As others have noted, the media coverage does de-emphasize the human cost of war (especially in regards to the Iraqi people). I discussed this in an intro to mass media course here yesterday and brought up the ted koppel's argument that "we have an obligation to remind people in a graphic way that war is a dreadful thing" (quoted in LAT, 3/24). While I don't think it's appropriate to show the video in class, I did set up a online discussion forum for students to discuss media coverage of the war and provided a link to it for those interested. I don't know yet how useful this will be to the students. Nicole PS the video if you are interested is available here: http://www.rtl.nl/actueel/rtlnieuws/ Click on "Video: Krijgsgevangenen" at the bottom of the pg Probably other places as well, by now. -----Original Message----- From: radhika gajjala [mailto:radhika@cyberdiva.org] Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2003 5:02 AM To: air-l(a)aoir.org Subject: Re: [Air-l] Re: peace The war is not far away for my students who have relatives, friends, parents, siblings, boyfriends/girlfriends - just plain friends - either already out there or have the possibility of being sent there. r At 12:41 PM 3/25/2003 +0100, you wrote: >But the persistent fact remains that the war is somewhere far away, and >there is no fighting on American soil. There is no geographic immediacy >associated with the events, nor is there much doubt about the outcome (has >anyone seen articles discussing what happens once Iraq wins?). _______________________________________________ Air-l mailing list Air-l(a)aoir.org http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l

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touchgraph google browser
by jeremy hunsinger 25 Mar '03

25 Mar '03

http://www.touchgraph.com/TGGoogleBrowser.html this lets you see the sites that your site points to and that point to your site in a very interesting way Jeremy Hunsinger Center for Digital Discourse and Culture

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CFP: Visions of Humanity in Cyberculture
by meravka＠post.tau.ac.il 25 Mar '03

25 Mar '03

1st Global Conference Visions of Humanity in Cyberculture, Cyberpunk and Science Fiction 11 to 13 August 2003, Prague, Czech Republic Call for Papers (Please cross post where appropriate) Marking the launch of a new annual conference, research and publication series, this inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary project aims to explore what it is to be human and the nature of human community in cyberculture, cyberspace and science fiction. In particular, the project will explore the possibilities offered by these contexts for creative thinking about persons and the challenges posed to the nature and future of national, international, and global communities. Papers, short papers, and workshops are invited on issues related to any of the following themes: * the relationship between cyberculture, cyberspace and science fiction * science fiction and cyberpunk as a medium for exploring the nature of persons * humans and cyborgs; the synergy of humans and technology; changing views of the body * human and post-human politics; cyborg citizenship and rights; influence of political technologies * bodies in cyberculture; from apes to androids - electronic evolution; biotechnical advances and the impact of life, death, and social existence; the impact on individuality * gender and cyberspace: new feminisms, new masculinities * electronic persons, community and identity; cyberspace, cybercommunities, virtual worlds, and home worlds * nature, enhancing nature, and artificial intelligence; artificial life, life and information systems, networked living * Cyberpolitics, cyberdemocracy, cyberterror; old conflicts, new spaces: elections, protest and war in cyberspace; nationality and nationalism in cyberculture; the state and cyberspace: repression vs. resistance * cybercultures: the transnational and the local * boundaries, frontiers and taboos in cyberculture * cyberculture and orientalism * religion and spirituality in cyberculture, science fiction and cyberpunk * old messages, new medium: cyberspace and mass communication * cyberculture, cyberpunk and the near future: utopias vs. dystopias * technology vs. the natural? cyberculture and the green movement Papers will be considered on any related theme. 300 word abstracts should be submitted to the Joint Organising Chairs by Friday 9th May 2003. Full draft papers should be submitted by Friday 11th July 2003. Send proposals to: Christopher Macallister, University of Kent at Canterbury <cjm23(a)ukc.ac.uk> and Rob Fisher, Inter-Disciplinary.net <rf(a)inter-disciplinary.net> Papers should be sent as an email attachment in Word, WordPerfect or RTF; abstracts can also be submitted in the body of the email text rather than as an attachment. All papers accepted for and presented at the conference will be published in an ISBN e-Book. Selected papers will be developed and published in a themed hard copy book(s). Further details and information about the Cyberworlds, Virtual Reality series of projects can be found at http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/cwvr.htm For specific information about the conference, please go to: http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/vhccsf03cfp.htm Graduate Program for History & Philosophy of Science Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel

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People's voices online and off (fwd)
by Jay Hauben 25 Mar '03

25 Mar '03

Hi, Ronda and I were among the over 250,000 New Yorkers who marched on Saturday against the bombing and invasion of Iraq. The march resembled the Internet. There were 1000's of home made signs voicing a large spectrum of opinion and understanding of the tragedy of this war. I also saw two signs in support of this war. There was not much media coverage but the people saw each other and expressed a kinship with those opposed to the war everywhere. A short article on this march appears on Telepolis with an interesting set of comments in German. Here is the url: http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/co/14450/1.html The article is titled: Giant Protest March in New York City Condemns the U.S. government Attack on Iraq and begins: "Our grief is not a cry for war", one sign proclaimed. "New York City is not for war", another protester explained. These were but two of the sea of homemade signs and people that filled the streets of New York City on Saturday, March 22, 2003. Protesters stretched at least two miles across Broadway, marching from 42nd Street to Washington Square Park." A longer version of the article if anyone is interested is at: http://www.columbia.edu/~rh120/other/march22protest.txt The Internet and connections with people around the world are helping many people in the USA to know we are not alone in our fight against the reactionary policies and practices of the Bush regime. It would make a fascinating study to gather the 1000's of slogans and see what the patterns and understandings behind them are. It will come as no surprise to those on this list how important the Internet has been to the organization and coordination of such marches and the informing of the marchers. My heart goes out to the Iraqi people and the military personnel and their families whose lives are being shattered by this war. The turn out in NYC lifted my spirit because it gave me an idea of the number of people who will not rest until this madness is stopped. It will come as no surprise to those on this list how important the Internet has been to Take care. Jay

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Fwd: TP Msg. #469 GUIDANCE FOR INSTRUCTORS CONCERNING CLASS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WAR IN IRAQ
by jeremy hunsinger 25 Mar '03

25 Mar '03

I thought that I'd forward this through, since it popped up today and seems pertinent to the current discussion. Begin forwarded message: > "The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the > University of Michigan offers the following guidelines to help faculty > and graduate student instructors deal with class discussions of the > war in Iraq." > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > ----------------------- > TOMORROW'S PROFESSOR(SM) LISTSERV > "desk-top faculty development, one hundred times a year" > THE STANFORD UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING > http://ctl.stanford.edu > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------------------------- > Folks: > > After September 12, 2001 I posted a set of guidelines for discussing > the previous days events developed by the Center for Research on > Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the University of Michigan. CRLT has > just formulated guidelines for the purpose of of discussing the > current war in Iraq. The guidelines are posted below and can also be > found at: www.crlt.umich.edu. I am indebted to Constance Cook, > Director, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, Associate > Professor of Higher Education, and Adjunct Associate Professor of > Political Science at the University of Michigan for this information. > > Regards, > > > Rick Reis > reis(a)stanford.edu > UP NEXT: Getting Homework to Work > > Tomorrow's Academia > > -------------------------------------- 1,121 words > ------------------------------------- > > GUIDANCE FOR INSTRUCTORS CONCERNING CLASS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WAR IN IRAQ > > The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the > University of Michigan offers the following guidelines to help faculty > and graduate student instructors deal with class discussions of the > war in Iraq. The guidelines contain three sections: > > * Issues to consider before discussing the war > > * Suggestions for classes in which the topic of war comes up > unexpectedly > > * Suggestions for instructors planning and leading discussions about > the war > > > Issues to Consider Before Discussing the War > > 1. Students will have very different interpretations of the war, its > causes and its potential outcomes. It is important to allow students > to express these differences without fear of ridicule or attack, while > also encouraging disagreement, which is a cornerstone of critical > thinking and part of the academy's long tradition of intellectual > inquiry. > > 2. Some individuals have a special and complicated relationship to > this war. For example, discussions about the war may be especially > difficult for faculty and students from certain groups, including the > following: > > * those personally connected to the U.S. armed forces, > including those in the campus ROTC > program and those with family and friends in the armed > forces > * those from the Middle East and those who have close > connections to the Middle East > * international faculty and students, who may be viewed or > treated differently during this > crisis > * members of groups that some are blaming for the current > crisis > > For each of these groups, there is a potential for backlash during > class discussions. It is important that students not be doubly hurt as > a result of discussion - first by effects of the war itself, and > second by misguided generalizations. > > 3. Comparisons of current world leaders and events with historical > figures or events must be made carefully and with an awareness of the > complexity of history. Individual perspectives on these comparisons > are shaped by differences in political point of view, personal history > or age, past experience of violence or tragedy, group membership, or > geographical or cultural origins or reference points. Expression of > these differences can be a resource for enriching discussion. > > 4. Instructors should not feel compelled to lead a discussion, > especially if your own emotions or reactions make you hesitant to do > so, if you have strong views that would make it difficult to relate to > all students, or if you do not consider this discussion an appropriate > use of class time. You can make a simple statement to the class to > this effect and then move on. > > > Suggestions for Classes in Which the Topic of War Comes Up Unexpectedly > > 1. Acknowledge the concern of the student who raised the issue and > also point out that all those in the room have their own individual > responses and concerns. > > 2. Decide whether you are ready and willing to engage with this topic > now. > > 3. Get a quick sense from the class if others would like to devote > time to sharing views. If you do pursue a discussion, set a time frame > and then look to the strategies outlined below for suggestions about > format for the discussion. > > 4. If a discussion seems inappropriate, or other students resist > having a discussion on the spot, point out the available forums on > campus and encourage students to attend them, stay informed, and share > their concerns. Alternatively, you could schedule a discussion for a > later class and suggest ways that students could prepare for it. > > > Suggestions for Instructors Planning and Leading Discussions About the > War > > 1. Think through appropriate ways to introduce and close the session. > For example, you might begin with the reasons you are having the > discussion, acknowledging that there are widely divergent opinions and > feelings about the war. In closing a discussion, you might reiterate > the fact that substantial differences of opinion remain, and you can > encourage students to continue the dialogue and look for ways to take > advantage of campus programming on this topic. > > 2. Ask the class to establish ground rules for the discussion before > it begins. For example, you might suggest that the class: > > A. Commit to use the discussion as an opportunity to learn more > about complex and difficult > issues, rather than re-enacting polarized debate. > > B. Respect each other's views and avoid inflammatory language. > > C. Allow expression of personal stories and feelings. (Be > prepared for students to be emotional > about this topic.) > > D. Allow students to express anger and frustration within > limits. (While it is important for > students to express themselves, it is also vital to control > the class and maintain an > environment that encourages responsible discourse.) > > E. Limit the length of any one student's contributions to avoid > "speeches" so that all students > have an opportunity to participate. > > F. Agree to discuss this topic in a way that does not shut out > any members of the class. > > 3. Create a framework for the discussion. Where you can, explore links > to your discipline, letting topics emerge from the specific content of > your course. Discussion topics applicable to all students include the > following: > > A. What questions and fears do you have about this war? > > B. In what ways are you personally affected by these events? > > C. How might these events affect your/our future? > > D. How can you become better informed? > > E. What positive actions can individuals take in response to > this war (e.g., attend university > events about the war, support students who are far from > home)? > > 4. Encourage participation, but don't force students to participate. > Ways to accomplish this include: > > A. Use of a "round," i.e., giving each student a chance to speak > without interruption or discussion > in response to a guiding question, and allowing students to > pass if they desire. Following the > round, open the discussion for general response. > > B. Division of students into discussion partners or small groups > of 3-5 students. > > C. Offering students a chance to write down and organize their > thoughts before speaking. > > 5. Be prepared for the ways these discussions can go awry: > > A. Prepare questions that will help break down silence and > hesitation about speaking. Some > examples include the following: What makes this hard to talk > about? What is most confusing > at this point? > > B. Balance the emotional and intellectual aspects of the > discussion by helping students > differentiate between these ways of responding. For example, > acknowledge the emotion in > responses and help students to identify important questions > and issues embedded in these > responses. > > C. Validate personal experience while also helping students to > identify inappropriate > generalizations. > > D. Prepare a brief in-class writing assignment that can be used > to refocus discussion if you feel > as if you are losing control of the class or if the > discussion is going in unproductive directions. > > 6. Exchange ideas and strategies with other instructors, including > debriefing the class discussion. > > > Contact crlt(a)umich.edu or 734/764-0505 with comments or questions. > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------------------------------ > TOMORROW'S PROFESSOR LISTSERV is a shared mission partnership with the > American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) http://www.aahe.org/ > The National Teaching and Learning Forum (NT&LF) http://www.ntlf.com/ > The Stanford Center for Innovations in Learning (SCIL) > http://scil.stanford.edu/ > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------------------------------- > NOTE: Anyone can SUBSCRIBE to Tomorrows-Professor Listserv by > addressing an e-mail message to: > <Majordomo(a)lists.stanford.edu> > > Do NOT put anything in the SUBJECT line but in the body of the message > type: > > subscribe tomorrows-professor > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------------------------------- > To UNSUBSCRIBE to the Tomorrows-Professor send the following e-mail > message > to: <Majordomo(a)lists.stanford.edu> > > unsubscribe tomorrows-professor > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------------------------------- > > > -++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== > This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list > server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the > message body of "unsubscribe tomorrows-professor" to > majordomo(a)lists.stanford.edu > > Jeremy Hunsinger Center for Digital Discourse and Culture

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MelbourneDAC registrations
by Adrian Miles 25 Mar '03

25 Mar '03

Hi apologies for the cross postings that inevitably occur, registrations for the 2003 Melbourne Digital Arts and Culture (melbourneDAC) conference are now open. may 19 - 23 Melbourne, Australia. http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au/dac/registratio.html a final list of papers and presenters will be available shortly. regards adrian miles conference chair -- + MelbourneDAC2003 digital arts and culture conference [http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au/dac/] + interactive desktop video developer [http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au/vog/] + hypertext rmit [http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au] + InterMedia:UiB. university of bergen [http://www.intermedia.uib.no]

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DfT funded studentship in usability
by Susan Kenyon 25 Mar '03

25 Mar '03

Apologies for cross posting. Please bring the following to the attention of your colleagues: ______________________________________________ Usability of Web-based Multimodal Traveller Information ______________________________________________ The Unit for Transport and Society at UWE, Bristol, invites applications for a three year PhD studentship fully-funded by the UK Department for Transport. The successful applicant will be based in London and will work within the Transport Direct Division at DfT (see www.dft.gov.uk/itwp/transdirect) Transport Direct is a major Programme within the Government's Ten Year Plan for Transport. It aims to provide the UK with a 'one-stop-shop' traveller information service, initially via the Internet. The studentship will focus upon the understanding of user needs and reactions associated with traveller information services and, more specifically, usability issues concerning Transport Direct itself. The studentship stipend will be up to 50% higher than the standard research councils' maintenance grant of £8000 p.a. The studentship also includes payment of fees and travel. For further information please visit www.transport.uwe.ac.uk. _________________________ Please take a look at the INTERNET project web site: http://www.transport.uwe.ac.uk/research/projects/internet/index.htm. Susan Kenyon Research Fellow in Transport and Social Exclusion Unit for Transport and Society Faculty of the Built Environment University of the West of England Bristol BS16 1QY Office Tel: 0117 344 3996 Work Mob: 07879 242758 Email: susan.kenyon(a)uwe.ac.uk Web: www.transport.uwe.ac.uk

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Re: peace
by Rune Dalgaard 25 Mar '03

25 Mar '03

David, I generally agree with your skepticism of the Iraq war. I find my country (Denmark), as one of only 3-4 countries participating in war against the majority opinion here in Denmark and around the world - a very frustrating experience, when you belong to that majority! I too, have noted the absence of war-related mails in a couple of days, not just on this list but also on at least one other I am participating in. I have a feeling that once the war started some of the discussions leading up to it seemed futile to many (to late to avoid it). Second, there might have been a general need of a little time to make sense of the information coming from the war zone. As to the appropriateness of discussing 'non-curricular' issues on a list like this? Generally, I think not, unless the discussion is clearly related to the Internet as a phenomenon. However, some times there are exceptions to rules - I think a war like this is exceptional enough for people to voice their opinion in this forum (as exceptions to the rule - a continued discussion could be carried out off-list) - sorry for carrying it on here ;-) Best, Rune ________________________________________________ Rune Dalgaard | MA, Ph.D. Candidate | Information and Media Studies | Aarhus University | Denmark runed(a)imv.au.dk | http://www.imv.au.dk/medarbejdere/runed

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Stratfor online
by Randolph Kluver (Assoc Prof) 25 Mar '03

25 Mar '03

This is an interesting piece on how people other than peace activists are using the internet in this period. The article doesn't highlight the impact of the Internet on Stratfor, but from my experience, it has been its web presence that has had the greatest impact in its diffusion. http://webreprints.djreprints.com/707830853467.html March 14, 2003 Dow Jones WebReprint Service(r) How Wall Street Now Acquires Intelligence on the War Scene By SUSAN PULLIAM Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL AUSTIN, Texas - George Friedman stands with three young analysts in front of a 10-foot map of Iraq tacked on the wall of the downtown offices of his intelligence firm. Talk quickly turns to sandstorms in the Iraqi desert. "Check for me the earliest in April that the sandstorms can start," Mr. Friedman says to one of the analysts here at Strategic Forecasting Inc., or Stratfor, which analyzes geopolitical events for private clients. Then he hurries down the hall to begin preparing for a conference call with 11 energy traders, hedge funds and Wall Street analysts. The callers are eager to know Mr. Friedman's opinion on whether there will be a war with Iraq and when it will begin. A. Randolph Kluver School of Communication and Information Nanyang Technological University 31 Nanyang Link Singapore, 637718 (65) 6790-5770 Fax (65) 6792-4329

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email&communities of practice
by jeremy hunsinger 25 Mar '03

25 Mar '03

it's not the first time internet research has been in nature, or probably the first time you've seen the article this is based on, it made rounds about 2 weeks ago in the blogs, but it is interesting nonetheless http://www.nature.com/nsu/030317/030317-5.html Jeremy Hunsinger Center for Digital Discourse and Culture

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