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15th International Conference on Research Challenges in Information Science (RCIS 2021): Last Call for Papers
by Announce Announcements 14 Jan '21

14 Jan '21

*** Last Call for Papers *** 15th International Conference on Research Challenges in Information Science (RCIS 2021) May 12-14, 2021, Royal Apollonia Beach Hotel 5*, Limassol, Cyprus http://www.rcis-conf.com/rcis2021/ Abstract submission deadline (recommended): January 25, 2021 (AoE) Paper submission deadline: February 1, 2021 (AoE) (*** extended! ***) (Proceedings to be published by Springer; Special Issue in DKE, Elsevier) SCOPE AND TOPICS RCIS aims to bring together scientists, researchers, engineers and practitioners from a wide range of information science fields and to provide opportunities for knowledge sharing and dissemination. RCIS 2021 will continue paying attention to traditional topics at the conference; in addition, we solicit submissions aligned with the special theme "Information Science and global crisis". Global crisis, as the pandemic we are experiencing in these days, natural disasters, wars and international political crisis, are challenging Information Science to help building effective management solutions, to learn from previous experience how to prevent them, and to support Humans keep on performing core activities, as education, and communication. The diversity of crises' causes, the quality of the collected data as well as the complexity of the underlying mechanisms are among the relevant research challenges. RCIS welcomes submissions from the whole spectrum of the information science field. The list of themes and topics includes, but is not limited to: Information Systems and their Engineering · Requirements Engineering · Software Testing · Information Security and Risk · Method Engineering User-Oriented Approaches · Social Computing and Social Network Analysis · User-Centred Design · Collaborative Computing · Human Factors in Information Systems Data and Information Management · Databases and Information · Information Search and Discovery · Conceptual Modelling and Ontologies Business Process Management · Business Process Engineering and Reengineering · Process Mining · Enterprise Engineering Domain-specific IS Engineering · E-Health, e-Government, e-Commerce, ... · Web-Based Applications and Services · Industry 4.0 · Web-Based Applications and Services · Smart Cities · Educational Technologies · Digital Humanities Data Science · Big Data & Business Analytics · Decision Information Systems · Knowledge Management · Knowledge Discovery from Data Information Infrastructures · Cyber-Physical Systems · Web Information Systems · Grid Computing and Cloud Computing · Internet of Things · Pervasive and Mobile Computing Reflective Research and Practice · Research Methodologies in Information Science · Impact of Information on the Enterprise and the Individual · Lifecycle Models · Design Science and Rationale Tutorials, Doctoral Consortium, Posters & Demos and Research Projects @RCIS tracks will complement the main conference. SUBMISSION PROCESS Papers shall be formatted according to the Springer LNCS/LNBIP conference proceedings template (for LaTeX and Word): https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… . Papers that have already been accepted or are currently under review for other conferences or journals will not be considered for publication at RCIS 2021. Papers should be in English and must be associated to one of the following categories: Technical solution papers (max 16 pages Springer) present solutions that are novel or significantly improve existing approaches. A technical solution paper must include a preliminary validation of the proposed solution, and results must be stated clearly enough so that it is possible to validate them in follow-up research. Evaluation papers (max 16 pages Springer) evaluate existing problem situations or validate proposed solutions through scientific means, i.e., by empirical studies, experiments, case studies, simulations, mathematical proofs, etc. The research method must be sound and appropriate. Industrial practice and experience papers (max 16 pages Springer) thoroughly present problems or challenges encountered in practice, elaborate on success or failure with existing approaches, or report on industrial practice (e.g., methods and tools). A paper in this category shall provide a clear context, detail the problem or the industrial practice, and explain the lessons learned. Work in progress papers (max 8 pages Springer) present relevant preliminary results across the spectrum of information science. These papers can either present a novel technical solution, or report on a preliminary evaluation of a technique. Please note that the maximum length of the paper includes references, appendices, etc. The submission site is https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=rcis2021 . By submitting a paper, the authors agree that at least one of them will register to the conference and present the paper. The appearance of a paper in the Springer proceedings is dependent on the registration of one author within the early registration deadline on March 29, 2021. We adopt a single-blind review format, meaning that the author names are included in the paper itself under the paper title. JOURNAL SPECIAL ISSUE A selection of the best accepted papers of RCIS 2021, chosen by a dedicated committee, will be invited to submit an extended version of the RCIS paper to the Data & Knowledge Engineering (DKE) journal published by Elsevier (https://www.journals.elsevier.com/data-and-knowledge-engineering) The selection of the papers to invite will be based on the review scores and arguments, and the potential for extension. IMPORTANT DATES · Abstract submission deadline for regular papers: January 25, 2021 (AoE) · Regular paper submission deadline: February 1, 2021 (AoE) (extended) · Notification to authors and registration opening: March 12, 2021 · Author registration deadline for all paper types: March 29, 2021 · Camera-ready copy deadline for all paper types: March 29, 2021 · Conference: May 12-14, 2021 CONFERENCE COMMITTEES Steering Committee · Saïd Assar, Institut Mines-Telecom Business School, France · Marko Bajec,University of Ljubljana, Slovenia · Pericles Loucopoulos, Manchester University, University Kingdom · Haralambos Moratidis, University of Brighton, United Kingdom · Selmin Nurcan, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France · Oscar Pastor, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain · Jolita Ralyté, CUI, University of Geneva, Suisse · Colette Rolland, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France · Jelena Zdravkovic, Stockholm University, Sweden General Chairs · George A. Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus · Selmin Nurcan, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France Organising Chair · Petros Stratis, Easy Conferences LTD., Cyprus Program Chairs · Samira Cherfi, CNAM, France · Anna Perini, FBK, Italy Social Media Chairs · Itzel Morales Ramirez, Instituto de Ingeniería de la UNAM, Mexico · Vítor E. Silva Souza, UFES, Brasil Proceedings Chair · Raihana Ferdous, FBK, Italy

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CFC Extended Firm: Artificial intelligence and Blockchain for Future Cybersecurity Applications by Springer "Studies in Big Data"
by Yassine MALEH 14 Jan '21

14 Jan '21

*Call for Book Chapters: **Artificial intelligence and Blockchain for Future Cybersecurity Applications by Springer **"Studies in Big Data" <https://www.springer.com/series/11970> * Call for chapters website: https://sites.google.com/view/aiblockchain Submission Deadline: *January 20, 2021 (Extended Firm)* Submission Link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=aiblockcyber2020 *Scope:* AI and Blockchain technologies have infiltrated all areas of our lives, from manufacturing to healthcare and beyond. Cybersecurity is an industry that has been significantly affected by this technology and maybe more so in the future. The upcoming book will go in-depth showing how Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence can be used for cybersecurity applications. Merging AI and Blockchain can be used to prevent any data breach, identity theft, cyber-attacks, or criminal acts in transactions. Submission Guidelines: Authors are invited to submit their full chapter by* January 20, 2021*. Manuscripts submitted for the book must be original, must not be previously published or currently under review anywhere. Submitted manuscripts should respect the standard guidelines of the *Springer book chapter format*. Manuscripts must be prepared using Latex, or Word, and according to the Springer requirements that can be downloaded from the (*link* <https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.springer.com%2Fde%2Fauthors-…>) and the Chapter should contain between 20-30 pages. *Manuscripts that do not follow the formatting rules will be rejected without review.* Prospective authors should send their manuscripts electronically through the easychair submission system as mentioned below: *Submission Link: *https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=aiblockcyber2020 *NB:* There are *no submission or acceptance fees* for manuscripts submitted to this book publication. All manuscripts are accepted based on a *double-blind peer review* editorial process. List of Topics: - Artificial intelligence models and blockchain cybersecurity - Blockchain-based AI for future cybersecurity applications - AI and Blockchain in Cybersecurity threat detection - Blockchain in intelligent networks - Blockchain and AI for cybersecurity in E-Health - Blockchain and AI for cybersecurity in cyber-physical systems - Blockchain and AI for cybersecurity in Smart cities - Blockchain and AI for cybersecurity in IoT - Clustering and classification algorithms for blockchain for sensor networks - Crypto chips and artificial intelligence - Reinforcement learning and blockchain for Cybersecurity - Intelligent systems for fraud detection and forensics in blockchain environments - Intelligent applications of blockchain and cybersecurity - Multi-agent systems and blockchain for cybersecurity - AI and Blockchain for cybersecurity in cyber-physical systems - Malware detection and Prevention using AI - Deep Learning for Security Operation Centers - Blockchain and AI for detecting threats and attacks - Cybersecurity Using Blockchain Technology - Intrusion and cybersecurity threat detection and analysis - Deep Learning techniques for Cybersecurity and Privacy - Machine Learning techniques for Cybersecurity and Privacy - Big Data Analytics for cybersecurity Editors: - Yassine Maleh, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Morocco - Youssef Baddi, Chouaib Doukkali University - Mamoun Alazab, Charles Darwin University, Australia - Loai Tawalbeh, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, USA - Imed Romdhani, Edinburgh Napier, UK Important Dates: Chapters Submission: January 20, 2021 Authors notification: January 30, 2021 Camera-ready submission: February 15, 2021 -- Y. Maleh, Ph.D. *Senior Member IEEE* *Professor of Cybersecurity, ENSAK* *Editor in Chief IJSST <https://www.igi-global.com/journal/international-journal-smart-security-tec…>* *Associate Editor,* IEEE <https://ieeeaccess.ieee.org/editorial-leadership-and-staff/associate-editor…>*Access <https://ieeeaccess.ieee.org/editorial-leadership-and-staff/associate-editor…>, IJISP <https://www.igi-global.com/journal/international-journal-information-securi…>, IJDCF <https://www.igi-global.com/journal/international-journal-digital-crime-fore…>* <https://www.igi-global.com/journal/international-journal-digital-crime-fore…> Phone +212 608 867 568 Webiste: Personal Website <https://sites.google.com/view/maleh> *yassine.maleh(a)ieee.org <yassine.maleh(a)ieee.org>* ORC*ID* <http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4704-5364> ; *Pub* <https://publons.com/researcher/1529982>lons ; *R*esearch*G*ate <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maleh_Yassine>

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AMCIS 21 CFP> Social Theory in Information Research Minitrack
by Rosenbaum, Howard S. 13 Jan '21

13 Jan '21

Call for Papers: 27th AMCIS August 9-13, 2021 (online) https://amcis2021.aisconferences.org/ Mini Track Title: Social Theory in Information Systems (STIR ’21) Track: Social Inclusion and Socio-Technical Issues Dear Colleagues, We welcome papers for the mini track titled “Social Theory in Information Systems (STIR ’21), for AMCIS 2021. STIR’21 solicits papers that use social theory in IS research drawing upon such approaches as sociotechnical theory, critical theory, social informatics, and organizational theory. We are interested in highlighting research that critically examines the constitution of information and communication technologies (ICTs), and their roles in communities, organizations, and society. We are particularly interested in research that addresses the main theme of the conference “Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship.” We seek work that is innovative in terms of multi- and trans-disciplinary uses of social theory and methodologies to study ways in which people are using technology to transform or create innovative digital organizations, engage in digital entrepreneurship, and work that focuses on the sociotechnical impacts of new and emerging technologies on people in their organizational and social lives across social and technical boundaries We welcome papers that are innovative in terms of multi- and trans-disciplinary uses of social theory and methodologies to study ways in which people are using technology to transform or create innovative digital organizations, engage in digital entrepreneurship, and work that focuses on digital innovations pre, during and post global pandemic; the changing roles of ICTs from planning for utopian futures to responding to current dystopian times; the intended and unintended consequences of the use of ICTs, social media platforms, or synchronous videoconferencing tools. Of equal interest are the sociotechical implications of the ways in which people are leveraging digital innovation and entrepreneurship to find new ways of doing things in the private, public, and not-for profit sectors. Issues might include critical examinations of the shifting boundaries between the online and offline worlds, producers and consumers, and people and ICTs. They might also include the social impacts of digital innovation and entrepreneurship within and between organizations. The STIR minitrack has been exploring new frontiers in information systems research for years and we look forward helping you present your work at the conference. Suggested Topics In addition to research aligned with the conference theme we are also interested in high quality empirical and conceptual work that uses social theory to study and understand: • The implications of new ways of “doing business” for organizations and social groups in times of pandemic and economic uncertainty • Conceptual and empirical work focusing on the ways digital innovation and entrepreneurship can promote or hinder social inclusion • The relationships between ICTs and people as they participate in online communities and virtual teams • Online communities of practice, their roles, processes, and outcomes • Unintended consequences of the uses of technologies such as social media, or synchronous videoconferencing tools and their use in education, organizations, and in social life • Scientific collaboration and scholarly communication as enabled and constrained by ICTs • The impacts of social computing on our social and work lives broadly and during a pandemic This year we are proud to celebrate the 24th year of the Social Theory in Information Systems Research minitrack. Since 1996, scholars and researchers have presented cutting edge research, using social theory in their work. Important Dates March 1, 2021: Completed research and ERF submissions are due at 5 p.m. EST April 21, 2021: Workshop, panel, TREO and PDS submissions are due at 5 p.m Submit your paper here: https://new.precisionconference.com/user/login Submission instructions and information about the conference can be found here: https://amcis2021.aisconferences.org/amcis-2021-call-for-papers/ We look forward to your submissions! MINITRACK CHAIR CONTACT INFORMATION Pnina Fichman, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indiana University fichman(a)indiana.edu Howard Rosenbaum, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indiana University hrosenba(a)indiana.edu

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Job opening - Postdoctoral Fellow: Explainability and Auditability of AI in Content Moderation
by Dhanaraj Thakur 13 Jan '21

13 Jan '21

Hello everyone (and apologies for cross-posting), We have a job opening at the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) <https://cdt.org/> for a Postdoctoral Fellow <https://cdt.org/job/cdt-postdoctoral-fellow-explainability-of-ai-in-content…> to work on developing models and tools to improve the explainability and auditability of AI-based content moderation systems. I would appreciate it if you can share with relevant colleagues and recent PhD graduates. I am also happy to answer questions from interested applicants. This should be someone who recently completed their PhD in a relevant discipline, with demonstrated research expertise related to this topic. This is a one-year full-time Fellowship, with the possibility of renewal for another year based on performance and availability of funds. Limited funding is available for approved research expenses associated with the Fellow’s project. We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits. The expected start date for the Fellowship is March/April 2021, so interested persons should apply as soon as possible. The position is based at CDT’s Washington, D.C. office (with remote work currently in effect due to COVID-19). Further details and application instructions are here <https://cdt.org/job/cdt-postdoctoral-fellow-explainability-of-ai-in-content…>. thanks, Dhanaraj -- *Dhanaraj Thakur* (he/him) | Research Director Center for Democracy & Technology |*cdt.org <https://cdt.org/>* *E:* dthakur(a)cdt.org <mailto:dthakur@cdt.org> | *P:* +1 202 407 8849 | @thakurdhanaraj

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Invitation to Reflecting on Power and AI: The Case of GPT-3
by James Steinhoff 13 Jan '21

13 Jan '21

SAVE THE DATE! You are invited to attend: Workshop of the Society for Phenomenology and Media Reflecting on Power and AI: The Case of GPT-3 Date: February 18th 2021, 09:00 – 18:45 (GMT-8), 18:00 – 19:45 (CET) Location: Zoom, link will be provided later. Speakers: Dr. James Steinhoff (eScience Institute at the University of Washington, USA), Dr. Olya Kudina (TU Delft, The Netherlands), Dr. Bas de Boer (University of Twente, The Netherlands) Registration: No registration needed. You are all cordially invited to the workshop Reflecting on Power and AI: The Case of GPT-3. Description: One of the latest hallmarks of current boom in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Generative Pre-Trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), an unprecedentedly powerful autoregressive language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like texts ranging from historical fiction to functional code (Floridi & Chiriatti 2020). For the philosopher David Chalmers, GPT-3 is the most interesting and important AI system ever produced, and is suggested to be the first AI system displaying signs of general intelligence (Chalmers 2020). The possibilities presented by GPT-3 give rise to an array of ethical and political concerns that will be explored in this workshop: How to deal with potential biases GPT-3 inherited from training data? Can and should we use artificial language models to displace human workers? What role will language play in our lives when we know that it is often algorithmically produced? Can GPT-3 be used to eliminate existing inequalities, or is it likely to increase those? Last but not least, what can the companies behind GPT-3 do to ensure a responsible development and use of their product? The goal of this workshop is to explore the abovementioned issues from the perspective of two different philosophical approaches that each have a distinct outlook on the role of technologies in contemporary society but have rarely been put in conversation: Marxist media theory and the Technological Mediation Approach (TMA). In the first case, AI is approached as first and foremost an automation technology and is thus situated in the context of its commercial/industrial development and deployment. However, the Marxist approach also entails an ontological dimension insofar as it insists that capital (and its technologies) revolve around the central directive of the increase of the “real abstraction” of value, which is immaterial while configuring the concrete world. Two very different schools of Marxist theory will be drawn upon: labour process theory and value-form Marxism. In the second case,, AI can be approached as a mediating technology, through which the primary concern becomes how it shapes the way human beings understand and experience themselves and the world around them. In this workshop, we will use the framework of TMA to analyze how technologies generally shape our being-in-the-world, and point to how they do so very differently when integrated into different practices. After having outlined these two different perspectives, a plenary discussion will take place where the relevance of each of these perspectives for analysing the societal impact of GPT-3 will be explored. Preparation: An article will be distributed approximately one week before the date on which the workshop will take place. Schedule: 09:00 – 09:15 (GMT-8) / 18:00 – 18:15 (CET): General introduction and an introduction into GPT-3 09:15 – 09:45 (GMT-8) / 18:15 – 18:45 (CET): Marxist media theory and GPT-3 (James Steinhoff) – Title: TBA 09:45 – 10:15 (GMT-8) / 18:45 – 19:15 (CET): The Technological Mediation Approach and GPT-3 (Olya Kudina & Bas de Boer) – Title: TBA 10:15 – 10:45 (GMT-8) / 19:15 – 19:45 (CET): Discussion with audience about the two approaches in relation to GPT-3 Bios: James Steinhoff is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the eScience Institute at the University of Washington. His research interests include algorithmic media theory, political economy, philosophy of technology and Marxism. He is author of Automation and Autonomy: Labour, Capital and Machines in the Artificial Intelligence Industry (2021, Palgrave) and co-author of Inhuman Power: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Capitalism (2019, Pluto). Bas de Boer is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Twente, The Netherlands. His research interests are in the philosophy of science technology, (post-)phenomenology, and the philosophy of medicine. Recently, his monograph How Scientific Instruments Speak: Postphenomenology and Technological Mediations in Neuroscientific Practice (2021, Lexington) was published. Olya Kudina is an Assistant Professor in the Ethics of Technology at Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. She explores the role of technology in the sense-making processes and the technologically-induced value change. Her research interests span across the intersection of (post)phenomenology, design, bioethics and AI. References: Chalmers, D. (2020). “GPT-3 and General Intelligence.” https://dailynous.com/2020/07/30/philosophers-gpt-3/#chalmers (Accessed, 18/12/2020). Floridi, L., and M. Chiriatti. (2020). “GPT-3: Its Nature, Scope, Limits, and Consequences.” Minds and Machines 30, 681-694. Abstracts: TBA

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Job: Associate/Full Professor - Technology for Learning and Social Change
by mcburton 13 Jan '21

13 Jan '21

University of Pittsburgh, School of Computing and Information *Deadline: March 15, 2021* The School of Computing and Information (SCI) is seeking to hire an experienced and visionary faculty member at the associate professor/full professor level in the broad area of technology for learning and social change. The school is particularly interested in individuals who work at the intersection of computing and information with other areas including but not limited to Africana Studies, Artificial intelligence, Communications, Computational social science, Education, Educational psychology, Gender studies, Human-computer interaction, Law, Learning sciences, Public policy, Responsible data science, or Social work. For more information, please visit: https://www.sci.pitt.edu/recruiting/technology-learning-and-social-change <https://www.sci.pitt.edu/recruiting/technology-learning-and-social-change> The School of Computing and Information has 4 other faculty positions as well: https://www.sci.pitt.edu/recruiting -- Matt Burton School of Computing and Information University of Pittsburgh

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Research Ethics: Ethnography of Virtual World in Social Virtual Reality
by Hu2,R (pgr) 12 Jan '21

12 Jan '21

Dear all, Happy new year! My name is Runze. I'm a second-year PhD candidate from the Department of Media and Communications at London School of Economics. I am writing this email with the hope of gaining feedback and possibly initiating a discussion about the research ethics in social Virtual Reality (VR) studies. By social VR, I mean the emerging phenomenon that people use VR headset to socialise with people in immersive virtual environments. The AoIR community has produced three ethical guidelines which I found really helpful, but for social VR, I feel uncertain about many challenging ethical and methodological questions. Therefore, I am writing to seek help from the collective wisdom of the AoIR. I hope these ideas could be useful for people who are interested in studies of social VR I am about to conduct a multi-sited ethnography to study the participation in social VR in the Chinese context, and the chosen platform is VRChat https://vrchat.com/. This multi-sited ethnography will start from the VRChat platform and follow several recruited players across multiple online and offline sites relevant to the VRChat culture. 1. Filming in VR, Informed Consents and Confidentiality VRChat is constituted by numerous interlinked immersive virtual environments which could be public or private (with password protection). What usually happens in a virtual environment is players tend to form several gatherings in different locations on the map. One of my research questions is about how the affordances of social VR and users' daily interaction give rise to the norms and rules of participation (Erving Goffman's 'situational proprieties'). This requires me to be a participant observer of these daily interaction. However, one challenge unique to the social VR context is that, with the VR headset on, jotting is impossible. My solution is that my avatar will hold a virtual camera (visible to all participants) to capture my experiences. Filming in public space has always been an ethically complex issue both because the rich information it captures and the difficulties of gaining informed consents from all filmed individuals. To minimise potential harm, the footage will be converted to fieldnotes immediately after each session. All participants will be de-identified, and the original footage will be deleted. The terms of service of VRChat does allow filming. I also found that the negotiation of filming practices are common scenarios among VRChat players. I aim to gain informed consents from all key participants but not everyone involved. I plan to use 4 different strategies to tackle 4 distinctive scenarios. 1. For participants who travel across the scene without direct interaction with the researcher, informed consents will not be pursued. Chasing these people would be impractical and disruptive to their normal activities. The fieldnote will only describe the general patterns of the crowd with no intention of describing individual avatar and its IDs. The information collected could be considered as low-risk. 2. When approaching individuals or a group of participants, I will start by introducing my identity as a researcher and why I am here. When one or more participants refuse to be studied, I will immediately stop filming. The conversation will not be included in the fieldnote. Most importantly, due to the likely expected privacy in each gathering, in no circumstances will the researcher eavesdrop or covertly observe others' behaviours for an extended period without notifying them. 3. For participants who allow the researcher's participation and observation, consents will be negotiated verbally. In line with AoIR's three ethical guidelines, this is largely a dialogical process that will evaluate the potential harm and informed consent on a stage-by-stage and case-by-case basis. Asking for written consents may not be appropriate. Social VR usually does not have a file transfer system. Asking for written consents means I need to obtain other ways of contact, which will be considered intrusive for people who do not want to develop relationships beyond the platform. 4. After establishing a deeper relationship with specific participants, and when other messaging channels are established, written consents will be signed as a more secure record that indicates the participants are informed. I wonder if there are any ethically problematic practices I have not noticed, especially regarding filming in virtual semi-public space. 1. Harassment in Social VR and Illegal Activities One important aspect of the research is to understand how the user community define and self-regulate the improper behaviours such as hateful speech, harassment, violations of personal space etc. One thing I realise when playing social VR and reading relevant literature is that users' definition of 'improper' and 'harassment' is highly context-specific and personal. I wonder whether the researcher should have a more active role and to directly intervene when encountering such scenarios because the heightened sense of embodiment and presence may cause more harm than in other online contexts. My approach is that I would not directly intervene unless my informants clearly show signs of being offended or offend others. I will advise players to open their safety system if they appear to be helpless and do not know any countermeasures. VRChat has a built-in Safety and Trust system which could be used to shield certain social cues in VRChat. Users could also completely block untrusted users (blocked users will disappear). For activities against the Chinese law I may encounter on the platform (though the chances are slim), I will choose to ignore the majority of them (I will only report them when it is extremely serious). Platforms like VRChat occupies a legally precarious position in China. Chinese users' access to this type of software is protected by WTO agreement as long as it does not violate other Chinese law. VRChat is currently not under government censorship or intervention from the Great Firewall. Exposing illegal activities (including cult, terrorism, secession, subversion, endangering national unity etc.) may trigger a ban and jeopardise other users' access to the platform in mainland China. But I may choose to report prohibited activities to the platform when it violates the VRChat community guideline. Therefore, my research is more about the cultural politics of everyday meaning-making rather than activities usually defined as activism in the western contexts. This may not be seen as a limitation of the research but a conscious choice of theoretical framework. Thank you for reading this lengthy description and I will appreciate any constructive comments and suggestions about research ethics in social VR. I also hope these ideas could be useful for people who are interested in researching in social VR. All the best, Runze Hu PhD Researcher Department of Media and Communications London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

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Call for proposals now open for the 2021 Connected Learning Summit
by Jamieson L Pond 12 Jan '21

12 Jan '21

Call for proposals now open for the fourth annual Connected Learning Summit, which will run entirely online through the month of July, in 1 hour sessions scheduled between 9am – noon Pacific (noon-3pm Eastern). After this online year, we hope and expect that CLS will convene again in person. Connected Learning Summit 2021 July 1-31, 2021 | Virtual Event Online submissions open: January 11, 2021 Deadline for submissions: March 15, 2021 Notifications of Acceptance: April 2021 Call for proposals page: https://clsummit.news/aoirCFP21 Our CFP for this year is focused on self-organized online workshops, symposia, networking opportunities, social, and gaming events tailored to an online format. We welcome your proposals for creating an inclusive, learner-centered, community-driven event that will break new ground in what is possible for online events and community-building. Our hope is that this event will strengthen the community and create a space for sharing of ideas that are relevant and timely today and for the future. Given the experimental nature of this year’s event, we welcome any and all creative ideas that meet the goals of sharing ideas and promoting connections within the CLS community. Sessions, presentations, and papers originally accepted for CLS2020 will be invited to present for CLS2021 if they can be adapted to an online format. Authors of accepted papers will be getting an email from organizers with more details. We will be accepting proposals for: - Workshops - Symposia - Experimental and Social Sessions OFFICE HOURS Organizers Eric Klopfer, Scot Osterweil, and Mimi Ito will be hosting two open Zoom office hours for anyone who would like to discuss possibilities for sessions and events, consider a committee role, or share any ideas. Click the links below to join the Zoom office hours: January 29, 4-7PM ET (https://uci.zoom.us/j/92173707658) February 3, 10AM-1PM ET (https://uci.zoom.us/j/93305537103) About the Connected Learning Summit CLS was first convened in 2018 with the mission to fuel a growing movement of innovators harnessing the power of emerging technology to expand access to participatory, playful, and creative learning. It represents a merger between three community events with this shared vision and values: the Digital Media and Learning Conference, the Games+Learning+Society Conference, and Sandbox Summit. With a unique focus on cross-sector connections and progressive and catalytic innovation, the event brings together leading researchers, educators, and developers. The event is co-hosted by UC Irvine’s Connected Learning Lab, MIT’s Scheller Teacher Education Program and Education Arcade, and the Learning Games Network and supported by a wide network of academic, industry, nonprofit, and philanthropic partners. Respectfully, *Jamieson Pond, Head of Communications* Connected Learning Lab University of California, Irvine CLAlliance.org <https://clalliance.org/> | ConnectedLearning.uci.edu <http://connectedlearning.uci.edu/> | ConnectedLearningSummit.org <https://connectedlearningsummit.org> Twitter: @TheCLAlliance <https://twitter.com/TheCLAlliance> | @TheCLSummit <https://twitter.com/TheCLSummit> LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/connected-learning-alliance/> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/ConnectedLearningAlliance/> | YouTube <https://www.youtube.com/c/connectedlearningalliance> Connected Learning Newsletter <https://clalliance.org/newsletter> "Everyone you ever meet knows something you don't." - Bill Nye

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Participate in the 5th Asian CHI Symposium (May 7th - 8th, 2021)
by Jain, Pranjal 12 Jan '21

12 Jan '21

Dear Colleagues, A Happy New Year! [Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this message] =============== Call for Participation 5th Asian CHI Symposium (https://asian-chi.github.io/2021/ ) Virtually, May 7th - 8th, 2021 =============== The 5th Asian CHI Symposium is the annual symposium organized at CHI conference to showcase the latest HCI and UX works from Asia and those focusing on incorporating Asian sociocultural factors in their design and implementation. The symposium encourages researchers and practitioners from Asian professional and academic communities in all career stages (e.g., seasoned academics, early career researchers, graduate students, and even undergraduates who have interests in HCI) from Asian communities to be part of this. It also intends to foster a network of young researchers from the Bachelor to Doctoral candidates, recent graduates and postgraduate researchers. We seek your submissions of original work or showcase for the 5th Asian CHI Symposium. Selected papers will be published at the ACM Digital Library (ISBN: 978-1-4503-8203-8). For more details information about the submission, please kindly check the call for papers - https://asian-chi.github.io/2021/cfpEn.html We invite submissions on any of the following research themes and/or contributions within the following HCI fields, but not limited to: * Novel interactive systems and interaction design and techniques; * Novel hardware and software enabling new forms of interaction with computers; * Input and output systems to support creative activities and expressions; * Studies for understanding human capabilities related to interaction with computers; * Knowledge, practices, methods, components, and tools that make technology more useful, usable, and desirable; * Systems and services that address issues prominent in Asia; HCI for development or addressing issues well-known in Asia; * HCI applications for learning, education and family in Asia; * Playful interaction, player experience, and games; * HCI for healthcare management, wellness, medicine; * HCI and UX applications in the industry. * Specific application areas or domains of interest that have significant impacts in the community, e.g.: marginalized community, disability, non-human stakeholders, charities, low and middle-income people, etc. We have two rounds where researchers and practitioners could submit their work to us. Important Dates: * Round 1 * Submission Deadline: January 28th, 2021 * Notification of Desk Reject: February 4th, 2021 * Notification of Acceptance: March 9th, 2021 * Round 2 * Submission Deadline: February 25th, 2021 * Notification of Desk Reject: March 4th, 2021 * Notification of Acceptance: April 6th, 2021 * Submission of Camera-Ready Version: April 20th, 2020 If you have any query in regard to the submission, please contact Masitah Ghazali - masitah(a)utm.my<mailto:masitah@utm.my> or Sayan Sarcar - mailtosayan(a)gmail.com<mailto:mailtosayan@gmail.com>. If you are interested to become a reviewer for the 5th Asian CHI Symposium, please fill out this form: https://bit.ly/3hZ105b We look forward to having your participation at the symposium in May 2021. Warm Regards 5th Asian CHI Symposium Ambassador/Team For more details, see our website<https://asian-chi.github.io/2021/index.html> Follow us on Twitter<https://twitter.com/asian_chi_conf> and Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/asianchi2021/>.

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2021 Winter Events for Disrupting Disruptions: The Feminist and Accessible Publishing, Communications, and Technologies Series
by Alexandra Ketchum 12 Jan '21

12 Jan '21

Check out our Winter 2021 EVENTS! These events are free, virtual, open to the public, and professionally live captioned! https://www.feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.com/p/schedule-of-… January 13: Chancey Fleet <https://feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.us10.list-manage.com/t…>on Digital Frictions and Dark Patterns in Accessible Technology <https://feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.us10.list-manage.com/t…>at 7 PM (ONLINE EVENT) January 20: Sasha Costanza-Chock on Design Justice <https://feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.us10.list-manage.com/t…>at 7 PM (ONLINE EVENT) January 27: Deborah Raji on Facial Recognition Technology <https://feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.us10.list-manage.com/t…> on the Challenges of Audits, Accountability & Algorithmic Justice at 7 PM (ONLINE EVENT) February 3: Dr. Elinor Carmi on Media Distortions <https://feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.us10.list-manage.com/t…> at 12 PM (ONLINE EVENT) February 10: Yeshimabeit Milner on Abolish Big Data and Data 4 Black Lives <https://feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.us10.list-manage.com/t…> at 7 PM (ONLINE EVENT) February 17: Caroline Sinders on Feminist Data Set and CAre B0t <https://feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.us10.list-manage.com/t…>at 7 PM (ONLINE EVENT) February 24: Ana Brandusescu, Financing AI: The role of public investments in Canada <https://feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.us10.list-manage.com/t…>at 7 PM (ONLINE EVENT) March 3: Keoni Mahelona and Peter-Lucas Jones <https://feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.us10.list-manage.com/t…> at 7 PM (ONLINE EVENT) March 10: Morgan Klaus Scheuerman on How We Teach Computer Vision To See Race and Gender <https://feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.us10.list-manage.com/t…>at 12PM (lunchtime event) (ONLINE EVENT) March 17: Stephanie Dinkins at 7 PM (ONLINE EVENT) March 24: Rose Eveleth of Flash Forward Podcast <https://www.facebook.com/events/422397835779163/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2…> at 7 PM (ONLINE EVENT) March 31: Kate Crawford on the Atlas of AI at 7 PM (ONLINE EVENT) The Feminist and Accessible Publishing, Communications, and Technologies Speaker and Workshop Series, organized by Dr. Alex Ketchum, bring together scholars, creators, and people in the industry to discuss their work. These workshops reflect on the intersections of digital humanities, computer science, feminist studies, disability studies, communication studies, LGBTQ studies, history, and critical race theory. The series strives to apply the theories of these studies within its own practices to make this research accessible. You can follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/feministandacc1 <https://feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.us10.list-manage.com/t…> and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FeministandAccesiblePublishingandCommunication <https://feministandaccessiblepublishingandtechnology.us10.list-manage.com/t…> -- Alexandra (Alex) Ketchum, PhD Faculty Lecturer at the Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies at McGill University Director of the Just Feminist Tech and Scholarship Lab <http://www.justfeministtechandscholarshiplab.com/p/about.html> Founder of Disrupting Disruptions: disruptingdisruptions.com The Feminist and Accessible Publishing, Communications, and Technologies Series Creator of The Feminist Restaurant Project: thefeministrestaurantproject.com alexketchum.ca <http://www.alexketchum.ca/>| pronouns she/her

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