- Air-L - lists.aoir.org

2-year Postdoc @ King's College London - digitalisation and conspiracy theories
by Clare Birchall 14 Aug '22

14 Aug '22

Dear all, please pass on details of the following postdoctoral research post to interested candidates: https://jobs.kcl.ac.uk/gb/en/job/052425/Research-Associate-in-the-Departmen… <https://jobs.kcl.ac.uk/gb/en/job/052425/Research-Associate-in-the-Departmen…> King’s College London (KCL) is seeking to appoint a full time Postdoctoral Research Associate for two years to work on the CHANSE (Collaboration of Humanities and Social Sciences in Europe)-funded research project REDACT (Researching Europe, Digitalisation, and Conspiracy Theories). The project aims to understand the impact of digitalisation on the production, consumption, circulation and regulation of conspiracy theories across Europe. It will examine how both the conditions of digitised mediation and political, social and historical contexts shape the content, communities, consequences of and responses to online conspiracy theories today. REDACT will employ a comparative and interdisciplinary framework that combines digital methods, ethnography, and granular cultural and political discourse analysis to examine the actors, tactics, cultural forms, technologies and audiences involved in the online spread of conspiracy theories in different European regions as well as the tactics that have been developed to combat them. The project will run from November 2022 to October 2025, and involves collaboration between researchers in the UK, Germany, Slovakia, Estonia and Croatia. The team will be led by Prof. Clare Birchall (KCL), and, in addition to this digital methods postdoc position, it includes five co-investigators, three postdocs, one PhD and two research assistants. We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher with expertise in digital methods to ascertain the most engaged with conspiracy platforms, websites, blogs and accounts in each case study region (Western Europe, German-speaking countries, Central Europe, the Baltics and the Balkans), with the aim of producing focussed and manageable datasets for each subproject. Using a variety of digital methods techniques, the postdoc will also map, analyse and produce data visualisations of the viral flows between countries and regions for the project as a whole. Please click on the link above for more details on how to apply. Many thanks, Clare Birchall Professor of Contemporary Culture, King’s College London

1 0

Qualtrics Survey Question
by Samantha LeBouef 11 Aug '22

11 Aug '22

Hi Everyone, I'm wondering if anyone has any experience using Qualtrics for their surveys and the surveys receiving fraudulent or scam responses? I've spoken to Qualtrics support and they've assured me I have all the correct security features in place on the survey. I do not have incentives sent out automatically but it appears my survey links ended up on some kind of scammer list. I've closed the surveys for now but I was wondering if anyone has any experience dealing with this or knows of any additional security measures I could put into place? Thank you in advance! Samantha LeBouef -- Samantha LeBouef, MA 391 McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108 PhD Candidate | Department of Family Social Science | University of Minnesota |umn.edu *lebou006*(a)umn.edu <anedoe(a)umn.edu>

2 1

Cybersecurity Governing Conversations: 8/18 at 10 AM ET BRICS & Cybersecurity
by David Morar 11 Aug '22

11 Aug '22

*Join Governing Conversations <http://bit.ly/GovConv> next week, on Thursday August 18th at 10 AM ET for the BRICS & Cybersecurity webinar! Register here! <https://nyu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xAPm564zToCdaMhvnjIE7w>* A specific and powerful bloc has emerged in the digital governance space and otherwise, the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries. Our panelists will discuss the increasing relevance of cybersecurity for the BRICS countries, the recent national policymaking developments occurred in this area at the BRICS level, and the recent calls from BRICS leaders to enhance cooperation on cybersecurity matters. The 2021 BRICS Summit Declaration enshrined the bloc’s five members pledged to pursue enhanced cooperation on cybersecurity issues, including by “establishing legal frameworks of cooperation among BRICS” and exploring the development of a BRICS intergovernmental agreement on cybersecurity. This panel will discuss BRICS cybersecurity concerns, and solutions from the perspectives of the BRICS countries. *Moderator*: *Sofia Chang, *Researcher, CyberBRICS Project *Scholars*: *Arindrajit Basu*, Non-Resident Research Fellow, *Centre for Internet and Society, India* *Kseniia Ermoshina* Researcher, *CNRS Centre Internet et Société* *Sizwe Snail*, Professor, *Nelson Mandela University*; Former Board Member, *Information Regulator of South Africa* *Luca Belli*, Coordinator, *Center for Technology and Society at FGV*: Director *CyberBRICS* *Register here!* <https://nyu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xAPm564zToCdaMhvnjIE7w> More about the Cybersecurity Governing Conversations <https://www.digitalinterests.org/events/governing-conversations/#cybersecur…> events Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) Center for Technology and Society <https://direitorio.fgv.br/pesquisa/centro-de-tecnologia-e-sociedade> & CyberBRICS <https://cyberbrics.info/> Project joins the Governing Conversations event series, as a co-sponsor for the Cybersecurity theme! Following the success of the Platform Governance <https://www.digitalinterests.org/events/governing-conversations/#platformgo…> and Access & Accessibility <https://www.digitalinterests.org/events/governing-conversations/#accessibil…> themes of the event series initiated by the NYU Digital Interests Lab and Yale Law Information Society Project, the third and final theme, Cybersecurity, benefits from the knowledge and expertise of two world-class institutions from Rio de Janeiro, helmed by Prof. Luca Belli. The Cybersecurity Governing Conversations will shine a spotlight on cybersecurity issues related to the Global South, the BRICS and the topic of interoperability. The first event in the theme, *Cybersecurity in the Global South* <https://www.digitalinterests.org/events/governing-conversations/#globalsouth> *,* was on July 21st at 10 am ET (video coming soon!), with the following event, *BRICS and Cybersecurity* <https://www.digitalinterests.org/events/governing-conversations/#BRICS>, on August 18th at 10 am ET (*registration here!* <https://nyu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xAPm564zToCdaMhvnjIE7w>), and the final event, *Interoperability*, on September 8th at 10 AM ET (registration coming soon). David Morar, PhD @morar <https://twitter.com/morar> davidmorar.com

1 0

Tenure-track Assistant Professor Position
by Claudia Aragon 10 Aug '22

10 Aug '22

Hello, The Department of Government and Politics (GVPT) in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) and the College of Information Studies (iSchool) at the University of Maryland College Park, invite applications for two tenure-track positions at the assistant professor level. These positions are open to applicants from any fields within political and information sciences that apply data science concepts and methods in their work. GVPT and the iSchool particularly seek candidates whose scholarship and teaching interests address important social science problems in the fields of American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Politics, and Political Methodology that intersect with Information Science. Please see below for the description and a PDF of the posting. Interested applicants can apply directly from our website: https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/98270 <https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/98270>. Thank you! -- Claudia Aragón | Faculty Affairs & Recruitment Specialist (she/her/hers) University of Maryland | College of Information Studies (iSchool) 4161 Fieldhouse Drive (Patuxent Building) | College Park, MD 20742 www.ischool.umd.edu | caragon(a)umd.edu

1 0

UT Austin iSchool - Four Assistant Professor Positions, 2023
by Amelia Acker 10 Aug '22

10 Aug '22

Dear Colleagues, We have four open positions for tenure track assistant professors in the iSchool this fall. UT is looking for information scholars with expertise in the following research areas: - Cultural Heritage Informatics - Health Informatics - Human-Centered Data Science - Social Informatics - Social Justice Informatics - User Experience (UX) Design https://apply.interfolio.com/111313 Please share with your graduating doctoral students and early career colleagues. Happy to answer any questions about the call or the process. Sincerely, Amelia -- Dr. Amelia Acker Assistant Professor School of Information University of Texas at Austin 1616 Guadalupe Suite #5.434 Austin, TX 78701-1213 http://www.ameliaacker.com/

1 0

Marconi Society Digital Inclusion Leadership Certificate
by Joly MacFie 09 Aug '22

09 Aug '22

The Marconi Society is partnering with Arizona State University to create the first professional accreditation for digital inclusion leadership. This program will shape the field of digital inclusion and establish a workforce development pipeline. In order to qualify for federal broadband infrastructure funding, cities, counties, and states must develop comprehensive broadband plans. These plans require interdisciplinary expertise most government staff do not have, so governments will need to skill up existing staff, hire consultants, or create new digital inclusion roles and fill them. While many national and local organizations are working on the ground to improve digital inclusion, the field has no established workforce development program. The Marconi Society is partnering with Arizona State University (ASU) to create this online certificate, which is designed to build a digital inclusion workforce that can meet the interdisciplinary challenges of this young field. Leading experts in technology, policy, and digital inclusion present a compelling and cross-disciplinary curriculum. The program will provide a professional certification as well as access to ongoing affinity working groups, webinars, a resource library, peer networking opportunities, and other relevant published information. The program will launch with a pilot cohort in the fall of 2022. The full certificate is expected to be available in the fall of 2023. Join the waitlist! https://www.marconisociety.org/programs-services/digital-inclusion-leadersh…

1 0

Special Issue: The Lonely Nerd: Cultural representations of nerds around the world
by Johnson, Gareth 09 Aug '22

09 Aug '22

Dear all, We're delighted to announce the publication the latest special issue of Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal, this time in collaboration with Scholars at Oxford and SOAS. The issue is a celebration and exploration of 'the lonely nerd' trope from around the world in various media and cultural settings. Direct access and table of contents below. Best wishes Gareth Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal Volume 9 No 3 (2022) – Special Issue Lonely Nerd https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3 Table of Contents Gareth J Johnson. Going Where My Heart Will Take Me: Editorial, Volume 9, Part 3. pp. i-xii. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.1186. Filippo Cervelli & Benjamin Schaper. Socially Inept?: The perceived loneliness of nerds. pp. 1-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.946. Benjamin Schaper. Conquering the Meatspace: The lonely nerd in David Fincher’s The Social Network (2010) and Baran bo Odar’s Who Am I (2014). pp. 11-29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.866. Janée Burkhalter. ‘Gus, don’t be the comma in Earth, Wind & Fire’: Understanding Psych’s (sometimes) lonely blerd Burton Guster. pp. 30-45. https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.869. Alena Cicholewski: ‘A place where everybody is a legendary hero… and a total dork’: Representing the American nerd community as an antidote to loneliness in G. Willow Wilson’s Ms. Marvel Comics (2014-2019). pp. 46-61. https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.861. Sharon Coleclough. So Many Ways to be an Outsider: ‘Nerdism’ and ethnicity as signifiers of otherness. pp. 62-83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.859. Rebecca Lewis. The Simultaneity of Loneliness and Popularity in Dear Evan Hansen. pp. 84-103. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.864. Daniele Durante. From Misfit to Guide: Toward a corrective depiction of Otaku and Hikikomori in Japanese videogame Persona 5. pp. 104-123. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.854. Natalia Rumak. Sherlock and Shārokku: ‘Nerdy’ detectives in the West and in the East. pp. 124-144. https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.860. Kwasu David Tembo. Social and Spatial Representations of the Nerd in Donnie Darko. pp. 145-161. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.917. Carolin Fleischer-Heininger. Loneliness as the New Human Condition in Murakami Ryū's In za miso sūpu: Otaku-ness, space, violence and sexuality. pp. 162-184. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.893. Christopher Smith: Consumable Bodies, Consumable Self: The queer potential of otaku subjectivity in Kio Shimoku’s Genshiken. pp. 185-202. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.855. Filippo Cervelli. Saved by the Nerd: Otaku and the space of family in Summer Wars. pp. 203-225. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v9i3.887. --- Dr Gareth (Gaz) J Johnson Managing Editor-in-Chief, Exchanges Journal Room C0.10, Institute of Advanced Study, Zeeman Building, University of Warwick https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/ T: 024 765 7443 (extn 74423) E: gareth.johnson(a)warwick.ac.uk<mailto:gareth.johnson@warwick.ac.uk> B: https://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/exchangesias/ Tw:@ExchangesIAS<https://twitter.com/ExchangesIAS> P: https://anchor.fm/exchangesias

2 1

Against Catastrophe: Ukraine Dispatch (Website Launch)
by Sudipto Basu 09 Aug '22

09 Aug '22

*Project Launch for AGAINST CATASTROPHE**: UKRAINE DISPATCH* Hi everyone, Hope you all had a pleasant summer break. We are happy to launch the website for our multimodal research project, ‘Against Catastrophe’ <https://againstcatastrophe.net/>, with the *Ukraine Dispatch*. Our project challenges the normalization of catastrophic thinking and necropolitical designs in the contemporary world. It does so through the histories of science and technology, infrastructure studies, environmental criticism, research-based art and speculative design. The project outputs <https://againstcatastrophe.net/about> will include an edited volume, offline and online art/design exhibitions, and a series of online publications. As we were conceptualizing the project, Russia invaded Ukraine. Faced with the resulting humanitarian and geopolitical crisis, we felt a need to respond to the unfolding tragedy. With ‘Dispatches’ – a short-form, multimedia, online publishing format – we hope to move past the news cycle-based temporality of contemporary catastrophism, but faster than traditional academic publishing, to shed light on the longer-term structural causes and implications of catastrophes. In the first dispatch, on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, our intention is not to offer a single response to the immediate human tragedy, but to explore the war in and beyond the multiple catastrophes it has wrought. The six collected dispatches here – by Asia Bazdyrieva <https://againstcatastrophe.net/dispatch-1/of-brushwood-reeds-and-foil>, Anna Engelhardt <https://againstcatastrophe.net/dispatch-1/adversarial-infrastructures>, Krolikowski Art <https://againstcatastrophe.net/dispatch-1/start-over>, Katarzyna Nowak <https://againstcatastrophe.net/dispatch-1/mourning-a-forest-road>, Oleksiy Radynski <https://againstcatastrophe.net/dispatch-1/nord-stream-studies>, and Jonathon Turnbull et al. <https://againstcatastrophe.net/dispatch-1/the-dogs-that-survived> – examine the infrastructural and environmental antecedents and impacts of the war. You can read the full editorial statement here: https://againstcatastrophe.net/editorial ‘Against Catastrophe’ is led by Dr. Orit Halpern, Lighthouse Professor and Chair of Digital Cultures and Societal Change at Technische Universität Dresden. The core project team <https://againstcatastrophe.net/ac-team> is based out of Concordia University (Montreal), MIT, and TU-Dresden. ‘Against Catastrophe’ is funded by Fonds de recherche du Québec and the Swiss National Science Foundation, and is part of the larger Governing Through Design research cluster. [Our apologies for crossposting] Regards, Sudipto Basu and Jan Dutkiewicz, on behalf of the 'Against Catastrophe' team Sudipto Basu PhD student, Film and Moving Image Studies, Concordia (Montreal / Kolkata) https://concordia.academia.edu/SudiptoBasu

1 0

Online Survey on Media Consumption Behavior
by ALEXANDER WASDAHL 08 Aug '22

08 Aug '22

Hello everyone, I am conducting an (extremely brief) online survey on media consumption behavior as part of my dissertation project on automated journalism. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete and I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to fill it out. Thanks! Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M7CS2BR Best regards, Alex Wasdahl -- Alex Wasdahl PhD Candidate, Information Studies Graduate School of Education & Information Studies University of California, Los Angeles alexwasdahl(a)g.ucla.edu | alexwasdahl16(a)gmail.com

1 0

Robert Gehl and Sean Lawson, Social Engineering
by Ilana Gershon 08 Aug '22

08 Aug '22

Dear Colleagues, Emma Briant asks Robert Gehl and Sean Lawson questions about their book, Social Engineering on the CaMP anthropology blog today. https://campanthropology.org Best, Ilana Press blurb: The United States is awash in manipulated information about everything from election results to the effectiveness of medical treatments. Corporate social media is an especially good channel for manipulative communication, with Facebook a particularly willing vehicle for it. In *Social Engineering*, Robert Gehl and Sean Lawson show that online misinformation has its roots in earlier techniques: mass social engineering of the early twentieth century and interpersonal hacker social engineering of the 1970s, converging today into what they call “masspersonal social engineering.” As Gehl and Lawson trace contemporary manipulative communication back to earlier forms of social engineering, possibilities for amelioration become clearer. The authors show how specific manipulative communication practices are a mixture of information gathering, deception, and truth-indifferent statements, all with the instrumental goal of getting people to take actions the social engineer wants them to. Yet the term “fake news,” they claim, reduces everything to a true/false binary that fails to encompass the complexity of manipulative communication or to map onto many of its practices. They pay special attention to concepts and terms used by hacker social engineers, including the hacker concept of “bullshitting,” which the authors describe as a truth-indifferent mix of deception, accuracy, and sociability. They conclude with recommendations for how society can undermine masspersonal social engineering and move toward healthier democratic deliberation.

1 0