Dear AIR'ers - I have to say AoIR 3.0 was the best thing ever, and no one took offense at my newbie enthusiam at any of the sessions I attended. I am now here at the Brookes Institute Oxford Media Workshop meeting some excellent folk who want to join the meeting in Toronto next year. Wednesday I'm on to link up again with Director William Dutton for a seminar by Juliet Webster at the Oxford Internet Institute. Then across the ocean to the the 4S meeting in Milwaukee and to research the Internet Studies Center at UMN-Minneapolis-St. Paul. (thanks to my family for the plane ticket!) Here's my comments on 3.0 - I most appreciated the cross-disciplinary richness of the presenters since each presenter gave a clear picture of their methodological assumptions - here's an idea - assuming that others know 'nothing' of one's methods in such an interdisciplinary conference may actually be a useful approach!!! While I can't single out a favorite presentation, the panel of the NIWI group and especially Andrea Scharnhost (sp)'s work on complex networks I found stimulating, as I did the 'scenario' analysis techniques of Erica Pearson at Curtin Uni, Australia. I missed Charlie Breindahl's presentation, but the 'buzz' afterwards in the lobby said he was 'spot on.' I also appreciated Marge Kibby's presence and others for reminding me of research techniques that the feminists have used for years to elaborate on issues of gender and culture. The STS panel was overstimulating in the extreme, with Momberg, Wouters, Hamm and Kling proving to me once again that I have read little, understand less, and know nothing. Thanks for that! The excellent "future Directions" panel indicated that my PhD research topic is a good one (now to analyze the research and write it up!). Bar room chats with Jay Bresan, Jeremy Hunsinger & Charlie Breindahl, Matthew Allen, Monica Murero, Nancy Baym, and (probably a monologue on my part) with President Steve Jones will definitely be cherished memories coloured by the opaque density of smoke and alcohol fumes. Interviews with the unnamed for research privacy issues were MUCH appeciated and breakfast, unexpected at the Bastion Hotel with Adrian Miles and Liz Klaustup (sp) was a bonus as well as chats with many, many, many others. I was sorry to miss out on a chat with Irene Berkowitz, best student paper at show. Go Irene! I'd better stop now, having greatly overstayed your patience, but my conclusion is brief: Consider yourself forewarned => Toronto is NOT to be MISSED!!! Denise My dinner companions, Michele Willson, Dan Burke, John Logie, and the odd moment with Matt Ratto and many others made for a smashing evening. In short, ===== "it's easier to use your mouse than your brain" Denise Rall, Sustainable Forestry Mentoring Coordinator & PhD student, School of Education, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW, 2480 Australia Phone +61-2-6624-8627 Fax +61-2-6624-8637 Office (Tuesdays) (02) 6620 3577 Mob 0438 233 344 http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/edu/research/deniserall/index.html __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Y! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your web site http://webhosting.yahoo.com/