One week until optional-but-strongly-recommended abstracts due. The curious may be interested in pictures of the 2004 minitrack and workshop, and a link to a cumulative list of the previous five years' papers at: http://www.pliant.org/personal/Tom_Erickson/HICSS38pc.html * * * Please forward as appropriate * * * CALL FOR PAPERS Sixth Annual Minitrack on Persistent Conversation at the Hawai'i International Conference on Systems Science on the Big Island of Hawaii, January 3-6, 2005 *** AT A GLANCE *** * Topic Area Conversation via digital media such as email, chat, IM, texting, web boards, blogs, wikis, mailing lists, 3-D VR, multimedia computer-mediated communication, etc. The focus of work may range from the analysis of structural characteristics of conversation such as turn-taking and threading, to the use of digital conversation in domains such as distance learning, knowledge management, and workplace collaboration, to the design of novel systems for supporting computer-mediated conversation. * Who Researchers and designers from fields such as anthropology, computer-mediated communication, HCI, interaction design, linguistics, psychology, rhetoric, sociology, and so forth. * Chairs Thomas Erickson, IBM T. J. Watson Research Center Susan Herring, School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University * Important Dates Abstract submission - Monday, March 15, 2004 [instructions below] Abstract feedback - by Wednesday, March 31, 2004 Paper submission - Tuesday, June 15, 2004 [instructions below] Accept/Reject notice - Sunday, August 15, 2004 Final papers due - Friday, October 1, 2004 One author must register for HICSS - Friday, October 1, 2004 Deadline for conference-negotiated hotel rates - Wednesday, December 1, 2004 * For More Information - The online call, including pictures of the 2004 minitrack, and a list of previous years' papers: http://www.pliant.org/personal/Tom_Erickson/HICSS38pc.html - Contacts: snowfall@acm.org, herring@indiana.edu - About the HICSS conference: http://www.hicss.org/ *** DETAILS *** * About the Minitrack This interdisciplinary minitrack and workshop brings designers and researchers together to explore persistent conversation, the transposition of ordinarily ephemeral conversation into the potentially persistent digital medium. The phenomena of interest include human-to-human interactions carried out using chat, instant messaging, text messaging, email, weblogs, mailing lists, news groups, bulletin board systems, multi-authored Web documents, structured conversation systems, textual and graphical virtual worlds, etc. Computer-mediated conversations blend characteristics of oral conversation with those of written text: they may be synchronous or asynchronous; their audience may be small or vast; they may be highly structured or almost amorphous; etc. The persistence of such conversations gives them the potential to be searched, browsed, replayed, annotated, visualized, restructured, and recontextualized, thus opening the door to a variety of new uses and practices. The particular aim of the minitrack and workshop is to bring together researchers who analyze existing computer-mediated conversational practices and sites, with designers who propose, implement, or deploy new types of conversational systems. By bringing together participants from such diverse areas as anthropology, computer-mediated communication, HCI, interaction design, linguistics, psychology, rhetoric, sociology, managment, and the like, we hope that the work of each may inform the others, suggesting new questions, methods, perspectives, and design approaches. * About Paper Topics We are seeking papers that address one or both of the following two general areas: Understanding Practice. The burgeoning popularity of the internet (and intranets) provides an opportunity to study and characterize new forms of conversational practice. Questions of interest range from how various features of conversations (e.g., turn-taking, topic organization, expression of paralinguistic information) have adapted in response to the digital medium, to new roles played by persistent conversation in domains such as education, business, and entertainment. Design. Digital systems do not currently support conversation well: it is difficult to converse with grace, clarity, depth and coherence over networks. But this need not remain the case. Toward this end, we welcome analyses of existing systems as well as designs for new systems which better support conversation. Also of interest are inquiries into how participants design their own conversations within the digital medium -- that is, how they make use of system features to create, structure, and regulate their discourse. Examples of appropriate topics include, but are not limited to: Turn-taking, threading and other structural features of CMC The dynamics of large scale conversation systems (e.g. USENET) Methods for summarizing or visualizing conversation archives Studies of virtual communities or other sites of digital talk The roles of mediated conversation in knowledge management Studies of the use of instant messaging in large organizations Novel designs for computer-mediated conversation systems Analyses of or designs for distance learning systems For other examples of appropriate topics see the list of previous years' papers: http://www.pliant.org/personal/Tom_Erickson/HICSS_PC_History.html * The Workshop [tentative] For the past five years the minitrack has been preceded by a half-day workshop; we hope this will be continued for 2005, but will not know for sure until April. The intent of the the workshop is as follows: The workshop will provide a background for the sessions and set the stage for a dialog between researchers and designers that will continue during the minitrack. The minitrack co-chairs will select in advance a publicly accessible CMC site, which each author will be asked to analyze, critique, redesign, or otherwise examine using their disciplinary tools and techniques before the workshop convenes; the workshop will include presentations and discussions of the participants' examinations of the site and its content. The workshop is primarily intended for minitrack authors, although other participants are welcome provided they are willing to prepare for it as described above. * Instructions for Abstract Submission 1. Submit a 250 word abstract of your proposed paper via email to the chairs: Tom Erickson <snowfall@acm.org>, Susan Herring <herring@indiana.edu> by the deadline noted above. 2. We will send you feedback on the suitability of your abstract shortly thereafter. * Instructions for Paper Submission 1. HICSS papers must contain original material not previously published, or currently submitted elsewhere 2. Do not submit the manuscript to more than one Minitrack Chair. If unsure which Minitrack is appropriate, submit the abstract to the Track Chair for guidance. 3. Submit your full paper according to the detailed formatting and submission instructions found on the HICSS website. Note: All papers will be submitted in double column publication format and limited to 10 pages including diagrams and references. * About the HICSS Conference Since 1968 the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) has become a respected a forum for the substantive interchange of ideas in all areas of information systems and technology. The objective of HICSS is to provide a unique environment in which researchers and practitioners in the information, computer and system sciences can frankly exchange and discuss their research ideas, techniques and applications. Comments and feedback from each HICSS conference indicate that the conference format continues to be professionally rewarding and stimulating to everyone who attends. More information about the HICSS conference can be found at http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/. * Conference Administration: Ralph Sprague, Conference Chair, sprague@hawaii.edu Sandra Laney, Conference Administrator, hicss@hawaii.edu Eileen Dennis, Track Administrator, eidennis@indiana.edu * 2005 Conference Venue Hilton Waikoloa Village (on the Big Island of Hawaii) 425 Waikoloa Beach Drive Waikoloa, Hawaii 96738 Tel: 1-808-886-1234 Fax: 1-808-886-2900 http://www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com -- ------------------------------------------ Tom Erickson IBM T.J. Watson Research Center Email: snowfall@acm.org (preferred); snowfall@us.ibm.com(IBM confidential) http://www.pliant.org/personal/Tom_Erickson/