All, I am putting together a Roundtable to submit to IR 12 (see below). Besides myself, Amoshuan Toft ( U of WA Bothell) and John Anderson (U of IL) have signed on. Of particular interest are those whose research/experience crosses collective action/social movements, media and new media, and personal experiences with resistance movements. Diverse and interesting perspectives are welcome including but not limited to legal, regulatory, political, social, cultural, rhetorical, technical..., well, you get the idea. Please contact me directly at ted.coopman@sjsu.edu by Feb. 21 if you are interested. Resistance and Technology Roundtable (Brief DRAFT version) Recent successful and unsuccessful resistance actions such as the revolts in Iran, Tunisian, and Egypt, hackivism by Anonymous on corporate and organizational websites as well as the ongoing Wikileaks release of State Department documents highlight the role of digital technology in resistance to power. The limits and legitimacy of this activity is currently the subject of much debate. Issues include the definition of journalism and journalist, the limits and responsibilities of information and service providers, and the scope of legitimate action in digital environments and the relevance of physical space analogies to such actions. Even the role of the efficacy and centrality of digital communication in protest actions or movements has been hotly contested. While the use of technology in protests from the barricade to radio to Twitter play a role in resistance, the question is to what degree do these technologies enable or shape resistance and influence outcomes in comparison to other social, political, and cultural factors? -TED -- Ted M. Coopman Ph.D. Lecturer Department of Communication Studies San Jose State University http://www.sjsu.edu/people/ted.coopman/