- Air-L - lists.aoir.org

CFM: Symbolic Interaction and AI--2nd Call
by Sarina Chen 29 Jan '24

29 Jan '24

Dear Colleagues, Greetings! Below please find the 2nd call of CFM: *Symbolic Interaction and AI*, Vol. 61 of *Studies in Symbolic Interaction: A Bi-annual Book Series*, published by Emerald Publishing. Thank you very much for your consideration. Looking forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Shing-Ling Sarina Chen *Studies in Symbolic Interaction* ********************************************* CFM: Symbolic Interaction and AI Artificial Intelligence (AI), an umbrella term that includes any device capable of emulating or even exceeding human capabilities, emerged as computer technologies became more sophisticated and complex. While AI currently evokes frightened responses associated with human replacement, it has a history of being useful regarding human enterprises. For instance, mathematical analysts have used AI to find patterns in huge sets of data. However, recent rapid developments in AI have utilized the pattern-matching capacity to create words, images, and sounds independent of human intention , often referred to as Generative AI. In 2021, Open-AI introduced Dall-E, a-text-to-image generator that creates artworks after receiving text prompts from users. In 2022, Open-AI unveiled ChatGPT, a computer program designed to simulate conversation with users. After receiving inputs from users, ChatGPT displayed the capacity to provide lifelike answers, including grammatically correct essays that appeared filled with human insight. Also in 2022, Google introduced an AI text-to-video generator that created high-definition videos from text prompts. When considering the above developments, Al has become equated with raw human intelligence, from authoring cogent essays to completing artistic and intricate designs. Most alarming, those who consume information and design feel that they cannot easily discern the difference between a genuine human creation or the work of AI. As mentioned in regard to mathematical analysis, using AI for analytical purposes is not a new phenomenon. Neither is such use restricted to our current day-to-day lives. Before Dall-E, ChatGPT, and the AI video tool, humans have long employed "assisted living," using AI technologies such as Alexa and Siri to create and assist voices, turn on and off appliances, answer short queries, and make transmission of information easier to accomplish. In addition, various AI programs appeared at workplaces that served as useful ways to type, make phone calls, and even to transport people from place to place. One dimension of AI that fascinates students of technology is not only its capacity to simulate human activity, but to learn ways of communicating. Such learning emerges through the use of mathematical systems to find connections in huge data sets. The responses AI generate consist of pattern matching, or a process that connects words, images, and sounds to sequences of subsequent symbols. In effect, AI is powered by large language models in which a bot can ingest huge amounts of data. Such ingestion enables a bot to predict and generate the most appropriate word or symbol to generate. While these chatbots do not duplicate human intelligence in that they lack the capacities to understand the environment around them or distinguish factual from non-factual information, they still represent potential dangers. Their incapacity to duplicate human intelligence becomes a source of intriguing content; the chatbots may churn out wrong or nonsensical information (a phenomenon called " hallucinations") regarded as potential insights. In response to these hallucinations, humans work closely with AI as attendants in various fields including business, medicine, education, journalism, and public safety. Despite the rapid advancement of AI, and the astonishing potential of AI in transforming social life, social scientists have not accumulated much knowledge regarding human-AI interaction. For this reason, it seems crucial to explore the implications of the emergent interaction between humans and AI technologies. *Studies in Symbolic Interaction: A Bi-annual Book Series*, Vol. 61, *Symbolic Interaction and AI*, is devoted to examinations of the implications of utilizing AI in human reflexivity and social interaction. Human Reflexivity and AI: From Dyad to Triad AI, although designed to enhance efficiency and productivity, challenges human reflexivity in ways that we did not anticipate. When typing a sentence, AI accompanies a user in an intellectually intimate fashion by suggesting what is to be typed (specific words or phrases to be used) and flagging misspelled words and grammatical errors. Hence the user not only authors an intended statement but also constantly attends to AI suggestions. AI assisted typing may expedite the typing and enhance the quality of the text. However, the level of reflexivity needed when doing assisted typing seems to be substantial and laborious. AI assisted writing also gives a new definition to single authorship. To further examine the activity of reflexivity and the use of AI, one may examine the interaction of AI with (a) I and Me, (b) Self and Generalized Other, and (c) Self and Other(s) in SI literature. I, Me, and AI In classic SI literature, reflexivity is conceptualized as the interaction between the I and the Me. Using AI creates the appearance of a generated I and Me, one that emerges in the creative process. Such emergence leads to question the relationship of the newly formed triad--I, Me, and AI. Specifically, is AI now challenging the authority of me? The question relates to how AI seems to be based on vast (objective) databases, while Me is based on one's experiential (and subjective) socialization. Self, Generalized Other, and AI Mead discussed the Self in reference the Generalized Other, especially when engaged in the process of making an existential decision. Currently, however, AI’s emergence on the scene could make AI appear to be more applicable than the Generalized Other. As an immediate (and often forceful) source of correction, AI represents the seemingly reliable patterns found in vast databases, while Generalized Other appears less linked to current technology (and more associated with a less sophisticated process of socialization). As interactionists, we ask, what is the relationship between AI and the Self and AI and the Generalized Other? Are we in the process of confronting a newly formed triad consisting of the Self, Generalized Other, and AI? Self, Other(s), and AI Interactionists have maintained that humans take each other into account when engaging in social interaction. However, the emergence of AI leads to the question of how humans incorporate AI in their interaction with others. Should humans assign more weight to AI than the responses from other human interactants, if after all, AI becomes a more valid and objective source of information? However, while AI may seem as more valid, it could subvert the human’s creative process. Suggestions by AI could actually be a form of second guessing, providing a barrage of useless suggestions. AI could clog a user's creative process, by dispensing warnings or “error signals” that interrupt the flow of human activity. Instead of coming up with new insights, AI can interrupt the reflexivity associated with creativity. Social Interaction and AI Among different forms of interaction with AI, the one that has garnered much attention is the use of AI companions for mental health. Although lacking the distinctly familiar companionship that humans experience with one another, an AI companion exhibits potential for mental health care. AI companions can assist with users’ wellness and provide social support. AI companions work to support mental wellness, first, by allowing a user to describe his/her mood through writing, voice, note, or video. Then, the AI companion would quickly analyze the user's statement for signs of anxiety, depression, or loneliness, and provide a personalized, conversational recommendation for how the user can feel his/her best. Chatbots, designed to provide digital companionship, provide conversations that appear helpful owing to the immediacy of responsiveness. Using the vast exemplary examples of human responsiveness, chatbots effectively (at least seemingly so) display provocative personality traits and conversational flair. In so doing, AI companions allow users to share their feelings and thoughts, provide empathetic language to support them, and help humans deal with loneliness, anxiety, and depression. The AI “therapists” provide a sense of connection, and contribute to users' well-being. Questions to be addressed in this area also include how users develop relationships with AI companions like they do with traditional mental health providers, how trauma is processed using AI companions. Given the vast possibilities associated with the above, we welcome empirical research articles or conceptual papers that analyze and assess how AI is experienced in all human life endeavors. Topics to be addressed include, but not limit to: Mind and AI Self and AI Mental Health and AI Social Relationships and AI Medicine and AI Business and AI Education and AI Public Safety and AI Please send an abstract of no more than 750 words to Shing-Ling Sarina Chen (sarina.chen(a)uni.edu) by March 1, 2024. If the abstract is selected for inclusion, the final manuscript is due September 1, 2024. Looking forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Shing-Ling Sarina Chen Studies in Symbolic Interaction ***********************************************

1 0

EASST-4S Call for Abstracts: Datafied Publics (Due Feb 12)
by Karen Gregory 29 Jan '24

29 Jan '24

Dear AoIR: Please see our call for abstracts: https://www.easst4s2024.net/open-panels/#14188 Marres’s term ‘material participation’ describes how objects facilitate political action through everyday doing and making (2012). It is a useful theory for thinking about data publics – for instance, people with similar technical interests who come together to work with datasets and software toward political ends. We can also use material participation to understand data publics in another way, by considering how data has “the capacities to organize publics” under the gaze of data-intensive systems (Ibid p. 9). We can ask how people politically mobilise when they are subject to commercial and government data systems that algorithmically govern them but remain opaque. Such collectives come together as a particular type of data public – a datafied public – to understand the ways they are sorted, shaped and targeted and to demand greater control over these processes. How do datafied publics take shape and what forms of participation do they engage in? What role do calls for transparency and democratic oversight play towards actual, substantive political accountability of these systems (Annany and Crawford 2016)? From health to social security and policing, the role of datafication in public participation demands renewed theoretical-empirical attention. We welcome panelists who look at a range of datafied publics, such as: • patient populations ‘enriched’ for inclusion in clinical trials • workers of digital platforms in the gig economy • groups who are unduly targeted by risk prediction models in social security and child services • policing and border control data that target certain communities • those muted by online platforms for certain content or identities Ananny, M., & Crawford, K. (2018). Seeing without knowing: Limitations of the transparency ideal and its application to algorithmic accountability. New Media & Society, 20(3), 973-989. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816676645 Marres, N. (2012). Material Participation: Technology, the Environment and Everyday Publics. Palgrave Macmillan. Morgan Currie (University of Edinburgh) Catherine Montgomery (University of Edinburgh) Karen Gregory (University of Edinburgh) Gavin Sullivan (The University of Edinburgh) -- Karen Gregory, PhD School of Social and Political Science University of Edinburgh Recent Publications: Gallagher, C., Gregory, K., and Karabaliev, B. 2023. Digital Worker Inquiry: The Critical Potential of Participatory Worker Data Science for On-Demand Platform Workers.* New Technology, Work & Employment*. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ntwe.12286 Gregory, K. 2022. "The Students are Already Gig Workers" in *Data Justice and the Right to the City. *University of Edinburgh Press. Open Access available here: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-data-justice-and-the-right-to-the…

1 0

SI: Disinformation-for-hire as everyday digital labor, Social Media + Society journal
by Rafael Do Nascimento Grohmann 29 Jan '24

29 Jan '24

Hi there, Social Media + Society journal published a special issue<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/20563051231224723> edited by me and Jonathan Corpus Ong (University of Massachusetts - Amherst) on disinformation-for-hire as everyday digital labor, highlighting industries and workers behind disinformation. In our introductory position paper, we argue for greater articulation between digital labor scholarship and disinformation studies. We invite you to read the special issue<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/20563051231224723> and spread the word! Here is the table of contents: Disinformation-For-Hire as Everyday Digital Labor Rafael Grohmann & Jonathan Corpus Ong https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/20563051231224723 Shadow Politics: Commercial Digital Influencers, “Data,” and Disinformation in India Sahana Udupa https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/20563051231224719 “It Was Very Hard for Me to Keep Doing That Job”: Understanding Troll Farm’s Working in the Arab World Marina Ayeb & Tiziano Bonini https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/20563051231224713 Authenticity Governance and the Market for Social Media Engagements: The Shaping of Disinformation at the Peripheries of Platform Ecosystems Johan Lindquist & Esther Weltevrede https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051231224721 Downlining Disinformation: How MLM Distributors Use Gendered Strategies for Recruitment and Pastel QAnon Indoctrination Frankie Mastrangelo & Gina Marie Longo https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/20563051231224735 “Memes Save Lives”: Stigma and the Production of Antivaccination Memes During the COVID-19 Pandemic Stephanie Alice Baker & Michael James Walsh https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/20563051231224729 Whistleblower Memoirs: Deconstructing Data Consultants’ Insider Stories Charlotte Knorr, Margitta Wolter & Christian Pentzold https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/20563051231224730 Three Critiques of Disinformation (For-Hire) Scholarship: Definitional Vortexes, Disciplinary Unneighborliness, and Cryptonormativity Jayson Harsin https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/20563051231224732 best regards, Rafael Grohmann and Jonathan Corpus Ong -- dr. Rafael Grohmann Assistant Professor of Media Studies Department of Arts, Culture and Media<https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/acm/rafael-grohmann> Faculty of Information<https://ischool.utoronto.ca/profile/rafael-grohmann/> University of Toronto Leader, DigiLabour<https://digilabour.com.br/> Principal Investigator, Fairwork<https://fair.work/> Brazil<https://fair.work/> International Experts Coordinator, Platform Work Inclusion Living Lab<https://pwill.eu/>

1 0

CfP 4S/EASST Amsterdam, 16-19 July 2024 - Panel 276. Navigating the Long-Term Impact of Technological Interventions: The Role of Folgekostenabschätzung
by Aal, Konstantin, Dr. 29 Jan '24

29 Jan '24

Dear colleagues, I am inviting submissions to the open panel 276. Navigating the Long-Term Impact of Technological Interventions: The Role of Folgekostenabschätzung to be submitted to the EASST-4S 2024, which will take place in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 16-19 July 2024. Deadline for submission is February 12, 2024. Panel Description: In an era marked by rapid technological advancement, the concept of Folgekostenabschätzung – the German term for "cost estimation of consequences" or "cost estimation of follow-up expenses" – has emerged as a critical tool for assessing the long-term impacts of technological implementations. This panel will focus on understanding and applying how this perspective is relevant in socio-technical systems, where the complex interplay between technology, society and the environment requires nuanced and forward-looking approaches. The focus of this panel is to stimulate a critical discourse on future sustainable technological solutions, emphasising the need to develop Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that have a positive impact not only on society, but also on the natural environment and its finite resources. In the context of socio-technical systems, which are inherently complex and dynamic, technological interventions can have unforeseen consequences that are difficult to anticipate. Hence, a robust Folgekostenabschätzung is indispensable. Accepted panelists will present their ideas, experiences and perspectives on assessing the long-term costs and consequences of technology deployment. The following questions may be of interest: * How can we accurately assess the potential impacts of technology on society and the environment over time? * What frameworks and methodologies are effective for conducting consequential cost assessments? * How can this assessment inform policy making and guide sustainable technology development? This panel invites scholars and researchers to engage in a thought-provoking discussion. The aim is to foster a deeper understanding of how to navigate the intersection of technology, society and the environment in a thoughtful and responsible way, ensuring that our technological advances contribute to a sustainable and equitable future for all. Session Chair: Konstantin Aal (konstantin.aal(a)uni-siegen.de<mailto:konstantin.aal@uni-siegen.de>) Keywords: Sustainability, Future of technology, Folgekostenabschätzung, Technological advances Link to the Panel: https://www.easst4s2024.net/open-panels/#14353 Submissions: If you would like to participate in this session, please submit your individual abstract of approx. 250 words and follow the instructions described here: Link to the submission form: https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easst-4s2024/paper-form/14353 ### The 2024 quadrennial joint meeting of the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST) and the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) invites panels, presentations, making & doing contributions, and other events that explore the role of STS in making and doing contributions to transformations in an era of grand societal challenges. More information can be found here: https://www.easst4s2024.net/ -- Konstantin Aal Research assistant and PhD student pronouns: he/him/his Information Systems and New Media SFB 1187 "Medien der Kooperation" University of Siegen Kohlbettstr. 15, 57072 Siegen Raum. US-E-102 Tel. +49 (0)271 / 740 3383 Mob. +49 (0)176 / 30 780 007 http://www.uni-siegen.de/fb5/wirtschaftsinformatik/index.html.en?lang=en

1 0

CfP 4S/EASST Amsterdam - P036 Questioning data annotation for AI: Empirical studies
by Girard-Chanudet Camille 28 Jan '24

28 Jan '24

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to invite you to participate in the panel on data annotation activities for AI , which we are organizing as part of the EASST/4S Congress taking place in Amsterdam from July 16 to 19, 2024. This panel aims to bring together empirical research on annotation work, documenting organizational configurations, doubts, and choices that progressively shape training datasets, and thus, the results produced by artificial intelligence. The panel will also provide an opportunity to establish the foundations for an international working group on this subject. The deadline for submitting proposals [ https://www.easst4s2024.net/open-panels/#14069 | is set for February 12, 2024 ] . Detailed information is provided below. Assia Wirth (Affiliation ?) Camille Girard-Chanudet (CEMS - EHESS/INSERM/CNRS) ----- PANEL 036 - Questioning data annotation for AI: Empirical studies The growing implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in “sensitive” fields such as health, justice or surveillance has triggered diverse preoccupations about algorithmic opacity. The efforts to crack open the “black box” of machine learning have mainly focused on coding architectures and practices, on the one hand, and on the constitution of training data sets, on the other hand. Both these components of machine learning dispositives are however held together by an essential link, which has largely remained on the fringes of AI studies: the manual annotation of data by human professionals. Annotation work consists of the manual and meticulous labeling of documents (pictures, texts…) with a desired outcome that the algorithmic model will then reproduce. It can be undertaken by various categories of actors. While annotation conducted by underpaid and outsourced workers has been well documented, these activities can also be assumed by qualified workers even within prestigious professions. All of these empirical cases raise questions regarding the micro doubts, inquiries, choices, and overall expertise, that progressively shape the training data sets and, thus, the results produced by AI. Data labelling is about putting classification systems into practice, defining categories and their empirical borders, and constructing information infrastructures. Despite these strong political impacts, data annotation remains highly invisible. This panel welcomes papers addressing the question of annotation from an empirical perspective. The contributions may include: - Ethnographic studies documenting the practices of annotation work in particular contexts. - Historical studies situating annotation work for AI in a broader genealogy of classification instruments and inscription practices. - Organizational studies describing the effects of different institutional settings (in-house, outsourced, subcontracted etc.) and social configurations (gender, nationality, socioeconomic background etc.) on the annotation process. The last session will be constructed as an open workshop, aiming at drawing research questions and perspectives.

2 1

CAiSE'24 Forum: Third Call for Papers and Tool Demonstrations
by Announce 27 Jan '24

27 Jan '24

*** CAiSE'24 Forum: Third Call for Papers and Tool Demonstrations *** 36th International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE'24) June 3-7, 2024, 5* St. Raphael Resort and Marina, Limassol, Cyprus https://cyprusconferences.org/caise2024/ (*** Submission Deadline: 4th March, 2024 AoE ***) The CAiSE Forum is a space within the CAiSE conference to present and discuss the new exciting ideas and tools related to Information Systems Engineering. The Forum intends to serve as an interactive platform, encourage potential authors to present emerging topics and controversial positions, and demonstrate innovative systems, tools, and applications. The Forum sessions at the CAiSE conference will facilitate the interaction, discussion, and exchange of ideas among presenters and participants. Contributions to the CAiSE'24 Forum are welcome to address any of the CAiSE'24 conference topics and, particularly, this year's theme—Information Systems in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. We invite two types of submissions: • Visionary papers present innovative research projects, which are still at a relatively early stage and do not necessarily include a full-scale validation. Visionary papers will be presented as posters in the Forum. • Demo papers describe innovative tools and prototypes that implement the results of research efforts. The tools and prototypes will be presented as demos in the Forum, accompanied by a poster. Both visionary papers and demo papers must not exceed 8 pages in LNCS format. See authors' guidelines at the Springer site: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… . Papers should be submitted in PDF format through the conference management system available at Easy Chair (https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=caise2024) and select the Forum option. The submitted papers must be unpublished and must not be under review elsewhere. PUBLICATION AND PRESENTATIONS Accepted papers will be published by Springer in a CAISE Forum proceedings volume within the Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing (LNBIP) series (https://www.springer.com/series/7911) Authors should consult Springer's authors guidelines and use their LaTeX or Word proceedings templates for the preparation of their papers. Springer encourages authors to include their ORCIDs in their papers. In addition, the corresponding author of each paper, acting on behalf of all of the authors of that paper, must complete and sign a Consent-to-Publish form. The corresponding author signing the copyright form should match the corresponding author marked on the paper. Once the files have been sent to Springer, changes relating to the authorship of the papers cannot be made. It is expected that at least one of the authors attends CAiSE'24, presents the poster/delivers the demo, and interacts with the Forum participants. We also envision a short oral presentation for all papers to attract participants to the posters. IMPORTANT DATES • Paper Submission Deadline: 4th March, 2024 (AoE) • Notification of Acceptance: 1st April, 2024 • Camera-ready Deadline: 8th April, 2024 • Author Registration Deadline: 8th April, 2024 FORUM CHAIRS • Shareeful Islam, Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom • Arnon Sturm, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel FORUM COMMITTEE • Steven Alter, University of San Francisco • Abel Armas Cervantes, The University of Melbourne • Giuseppe Berio, Université de Bretagne Sud and IRISA UMR 6074 • Drazen Brdjanin, University of Banja Luka • Corentin Burnay, University of Namur • Cinzia Cappiello, Politecnico di Milano • Suphamit Chittayasothorn, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang • Maya Daneva, University of Twente • Sergio de Cesare, University of Westminster • Johannes De Smedt, KU Leuven • Marne de Vries, University of Pretoria • Michael Fellmann, University of Rostock • Christophe Feltus, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology • Hans-Georg Fill, University of Fribourg • Janis Grabis, Riga Technical University • Sergio Guerreiro, INESC-ID / Instituto Superior Técnico • Martin Henkel, Stockholm University • Jennifer Horkoff, Chalmers University of Technology • Shareeful Islam, Anglia Ruskin University • Janis Kampars, RTU • Evangelia Kavakli, University of the Aegean • Marite Kirikova, Riga Technical University • Janne J. Korhonen, Aalto University • Elena Kornyshova, CNAM • Agnes Koschmider, University of Bayreuth • Chung Lawrence, University of Texas at Dallas • Henrik Leopold, Kühne Logistics University • Tong Li, Beijing University of Technology • Beatriz Marín, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia • Andrea Marrella, Sapienza University of Rome • Raimundas Matulevicius, University of Tartu • Jose Ignacio Panach Navarrete, Universitat de València • Oscar Pastor, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia • Francisca Pérez, Universidad San Jorge • Pierluigi Plebani, Politecnico di Milano • Manuel Resinas, University of Seville • Genaina Rodrigues, University of Brasilia • Ben Roelens , Open Universiteit, Ghent University • Mattia Salnitri, Politecnico di Milano • Stefan Strecker, University of Hagen • Arnon Sturm, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev • Irene Vanderfeesten, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven • Yves Wautelet, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven • Hans Weigand, Tilburg University • Manuel Wimmer, Johannes Kepler University Linz • Anna Zamansky, University of Haifa

1 0

UMD's iSchool is hiring open rank faculty in survey methodology & data science
by Jessica Vitak 26 Jan '24

26 Jan '24

The University of Maryland's College of Information Studies (iSchool), in collaboration with the university's Joint Program in Survey Methodology (JPSM) seeks an open rank tenured or tenure track faculty focused on pursuing novel, innovative, and impactful research at the intersection of data science and survey methodology to address core societal information problems. We welcome candidates whose scholarship explores the use of complementary sources of information, including social media and the web, to enhance traditional surveys; as well as candidates exploring the design of novel survey methodology approaches through novel technologies and platforms. *See the full job ad here: *https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/116070 *Best consideration date* is February 16, 2024. *Questions? *You can email the search chair (that's me, Jessica Vitak / jvitak(a)umd.edu) *My perspective as search chair:* we're looking for a computational social scientist and/or social scientist with survey expertise who works on "iSchool-y" topics/questions to join us as we continue building out our third undergraduate major in Social Data Science (joint program shared between the iSchool and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences). I have been in the iSchool for 12 years and have had an affiliate appointment in JPSM for four years, so I can answer questions about both programs. If hired, your tenure home would be the iSchool. ------------------------------------------ Jessica Vitak, PhD (she/her/hers) Associate Professor, College of Information Studies Faculty Director, Doctoral Program Director, Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 www.ischool.umd.edu | jvitak(a)umd.edu | 301-405-8617 https://jessicavitak.com | https://pearl.umd.edu | https://hcil.umd.edu

1 0

Milton Wolf Seminar in Vienna, April 8-10: Now accepting Emerging Scholar applications
by Smith, Briar R. 26 Jan '24

26 Jan '24

Bots, Bombs, and Bilateralism: Evolutions in Media and Diplomacy<https://www.asc.upenn.edu/research/centers/milton-wolf-seminar-media-and-di…> Each year the seminar organizers select approximately 10 outstanding advanced MA candidates, PhD students, postdoctoral students, law students, or equivalents studying areas related to the seminar theme to serve as Emerging Scholar Fellows. Emerging Scholar Fellows receive economy class airfare, accommodation, and a food and local travel stipend, which covers all costs of attending the Seminar. We expect the Emerging Scholars to attend all seminar discussions and events and serve as rapporteurs for the event and author a 1500-2000-word blog post documenting and analyzing the seminar discussions. Applicants from anywhere in the world are welcome to apply. Application Details If you are interested in applying to be an Emerging Scholar at the next Milton Wolf Seminar, please monitor our Facebook page<https://www.facebook.com/MiltonWolfSeminar>. Applications are solicited annually in January/February before the Seminar. We are currently accepting applications for the 2024 Seminar<https://www.asc.upenn.edu/research/centers/milton-wolf-seminar-media-and-di…>, which will take place April 8-10, 2024 in Vienna. Please read this section carefully before submitting your application. * Eligibility: The program is only open to graduate students and those holding a full-time post doctoral position or the equivalent. Those who have graduated with their terminal degree and are already engaged in full time work in their chosen field (i.e. faculty members) are not eligible to apply. * Conditions of Funding: To participate in the Program, Emerging Scholars agree to attend all seminar events and produce an approximately 1500-2000 word analytical blog post about the seminar discussions. A template for these blog posts will be provided. * Blog Posts: Emerging scholar blog posts<https://www.asc.upenn.edu/research/centers/milton-wolf-seminar-on-media-and…> typically focus on panels, themes, or issues raised by the seminar discussions that are of particular interest to their academic work and/or highlight areas that were under-explored during the seminar discussions. These posts are important, because they help to serve as a permanent record of the proceedings and discussions. Posts are normally due four weeks following the end of the Seminar. Examples of previous posts are available here<https://www.asc.upenn.edu/research/centers/milton-wolf-seminar-on-media-and…>. * Application Process: Applications must include: your CV, a completed and signed application form<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SJBA4p8ZUZQ0E31J1P3-O1QqjBz_lcPc/view?usp=…>, and a cover letter that outlines how your areas of research, your methodologies, your regional interests, might benefit through participation in the seminar. Applications are due to briar.smith(a)asc.upenn.edu<mailto:briar.smith@asc.upenn.edu> by February 25, 2024. Please put all attachments in one email. Briar Smith Associate Director Media, Inequality & Change Center (MIC) 215-520-0773 (m) 215-573-9218 (o) www.miccenter.org<http://www.miccenter.org>

1 0

Fw: two post-docs at the U of WAW at ERC Consolidator grant
by Jennifer Stromer-Galley 26 Jan '24

26 Jan '24

Forwarded from my friend Magdalena. ~Jenny ________________________________ From: Magdalena E Wojcieszak <mwojcieszak(a)ucdavis.edu> Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2024 5:14 PM To: Jennifer Stromer-Galley <jstromer(a)syr.edu> Subject: RE: two post-docs at the U of WAW at ERC Consolidator grant Two Post-doctoral Openings at the University of Warsaw at the Center for Excellence in Social Science Are you an expert in computer science or computational social science research? Do you specialize in political communication, media exposure and effects? Are you interested in social media, their recommendation algorithms, polarization, and misinformation? ? We invite applications for two post-doctoral researcher positions at the U of Warsaw’s Centre of Excellence in Social Sciences for the ERC-project “NEWSUSE: Incentivizing Citizen Exposure to Quality News Online: Framework and Tools” directed by Magdalena Wojcieszak. More information about the quantitative / computational social science position: https://cess.idub.uw.edu.pl/en/2024/01/competition-for-a-postdoctoral-resea… (Application deadline: 29 February 2024, starting June 1st 2024 or later, 4 years, remote/hybrid work partly possible) More information about the computer science position: https://cess.idub.uw.edu.pl/en/2024/01/competition-for-a-postdoctoral-resea… (Application deadline: 29 February 2024, starting January 1st 2025 or later, 3 years, remote/hybrid work partly possible) ~~ Magdalena Wojcieszak Professor of Communication, University of California Davis Associate Researcher (PI ERC Consolidator), University of Warsaw Associate Editor, Political Communication Email: mwojcieszak(a)ucdavis.edu<mailto:mwojcieszak@ucdavis.edu> Other: @mwojcieszak<http://magdalenawojcieszak.com/>, Google Scholar<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=eiPR5agAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao> Recent Publications Auditing YouTube’s recommendation system for ideologically congenial, extreme, and problematic recommendations<https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2213020120> Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences Like-minded sources on Facebook are prevalent but not polarizing<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06297-w> Nature Non-news websites expose people to more political content than news websites: Evidence from browsing data in three countries<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10584609.2023.2238641> Political Communication Political content and news are polarized but other content is not in YouTube watch histories<https://journalqd.org/article/view/4114> Journal of Quantitative Description

2 1

10am TODAY -: CATCHUP WEBCAST – Digital Equity Planning: Past, Present, and Future – Jan 23
by Joly MacFie 26 Jan '24

26 Jan '24

This ISOC-DC webcast will go out at 10:00 EST (15:00 UTC) today Friday, but video/audio/transcript is already available in the archive. The webinar itself was on Tuesday, and, as might be imagined, included discussion of how the imminent wind down of the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program <https://otter.ai/u/uTJs0ECxBsOzl43DiB5yV1U2meE> (ACP) will affect state's digital quity efforts. The ACP wind down itself appears to be forging a movement the like we haven't seen since FOSTA/SEPTA days, judging by yesterday's (Thursday) DON'T DISCONNECT US DAY <https://www.dontdisconnectus.org/> [image: isoc.live] <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=e8bf105ffca1bd25152b6af3…>On *Tuesday January 23 2024*, *Next Century Cities <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=1789ac47cf6ef0568801a7d7…>* hosted a webinar '*Digital Equity Planning: Past, Present, and Future <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=4afec3f03dd4c3c568fa0b83…>*'. Tribes, states, and territories across the US are developing digital equity plans with funding from the $60 million *Digital Equity Planning Grant Program <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=dcbdf63b90eec7ecc05ce0d1…>*. Nearly every state has released their plan for comment and many have completed the public feedback process. National *Broadband Resource Hub <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=5ae20d25188c5396c34409d8…>* experts highlight key takeaways from state digital equity plans, strategies for successful coalition-building, and how local leaders can prepare for forthcoming Digital Equity Capacity Building and Competitive Grant Programs. Today, *Friday January 26 2024,* at *10:00 EST* (15:00 UTC), an edited and captioned version of the webinar will be webcast by the *Internet Society US Washington DC Chapter. <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=9c4e5b820652bcb67edd56d1…>* *SPEAKERS* *Grace Tepper*, Senior Writing Associate, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society *Amy Huffman*, Public Policy Director, NDIA *Brian Donoghue*, City of Boston *Leah Mims*, Broadband Grants Coordinator, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development *NCC TEAM* *Andy Stutzman*, *Brittany-Rae Gregory*, *Ryan Johnston*, *Corian Zacher*, and *Stacey Baxter* *LIVESTREAM https://livestream.com/internetsociety/ncc-digitalequity <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=ad77622c2c53179e97a1d185…> (captioned)* *TRANSCRIPT* *https://bit.ly/498fcC7* *TWITTER #DigitalEquity @NextCentCit <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=87b160a7b93ae465f2166ecf…> Grace Tepper @Benton_Inst @arhuffman78 @netinclusion @_donoghue @CityOfBoston Leah Mims @NTIAgov @TNECD #ACP #DigitalInclusion #BEAD* *MASTODON #DigitalEquity <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=d1e6974005ea0e38ca1d878c…>* *SIMULCASTS* (captioned) *https://twitter.com/ISOC_Live <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=334562c25e04226ca3b84edf…>* *https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=aa0cdf525b3c192b095b9c70…>* *https://www.facebook.com/liveisoc/ <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=5acc88ac0f6541c5c64f53d4…>* *ARCHIVE* *https://archive.org/details/ncc-digitalequity <http://isoc.live?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=62ec8cb994ebc068b0fd6d2b…>* *Permalink https://isoc.live/17269 <https://isoc.live/17269>* - -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

1 0