As the norm in the AOIR governance process seems to be evolving towards public statements by/about candidates, here's mine. I was nominated by Caroline Haythornthwaite and Keith Hampton for an open council seat on AOIR. I was asked by AOIR (via Jeremy Hunsigner) to prepare a 250-word self-description and platform. I present it below. For more details, see my website. Cheers, Barry ___________________________________________________________________ Barry Wellman Professor of Sociology NetLab Director wellman@chass.utoronto.ca http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman Centre for Urban & Community Studies University of Toronto 455 Spadina Avenue Toronto Canada M5S 2G8 fax:+1-416-978-7162 ___________________________________________________________________ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 18:30:52 -0400 From: Barry Wellman <wellman@chass.utoronto.ca> To: aoir office nominations <nominate@aoir.org> Cc: Caroline Haythornthwaite <haythorn@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>, jeremy hunsinger <jhuns@vt.edu> Subject: Self-description and platform for Open Seat As a keynote speaker at our founding conference, I want to keep the momentum going. Research: I believe in systematic, quality research. I've been studying the Internet and its precursors since the 1970s. I've (co)-authored more than 160 scholarly articles and (co)-edited three books, including The Internet in Everyday Life and Networks in the Global Village. Organization: Let's pioneer new ways to keep connected. In 1976, I founded the International Network for Social Network Analysis, quite similar to AOIR. I've served on the Sociology and Computing section Council of the American Sociological Association, and the International Sociologists' Community Council. I just co-founded a new journal as head of the ASA's Community section. Breadth: At AOIR, I will work to foster skill-expanding workshops. My research encompasses a wide range of interests: how people find community online, how people work together online, knowledge management, and the rise of the networked society. I've collaborated in the design of new communication systems. Interdisciplinary: I've collaborated with computer scientists, educators, engineers, historians, information scientists, lawyers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and sociologists, and I'm an ICA member. I've been a board member of Toronto's Knowledge Media Design Institute, McLuhan Program, and Structural Analysis Program. International: A Canadian, I've lived and worked in Europe and Asia. I've collaborated with scholars in 8 countries in Europe, Asia and America. My work has been translated into 8 languages. I've lectured and given workshops in 16 countries in South and North America; Eastern and Western Europe; Western, Southern and Eastern Asia. Barry ___________________________________________________________________ Barry Wellman Professor of Sociology NetLab Director wellman@chass.utoronto.ca http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman Centre for Urban & Community Studies University of Toronto 455 Spadina Avenue Toronto Canada M5S 2G8 fax:+1-416-978-7162 ___________________________________________________________________