@@@ Apologies for duplication. Please forward to all relevant lists and colleagues.@@@ Frustrated by the Dot Force, Dot Opportunity, Dot Future, Dot For-All, Dot You-Name-It? Join the Global Information Village Plaza Celebrating ASIS&T SIG/III 20th Anniversary A major feature in the so-called "information society" or else "digital economy" is its global nature. This aspect is analyzed, described and commented upon by many "specialists." The same specialists and other happy few are involved in the preparation of policies and programs supposed to support the transition into this "new era." Yet the lay professional public has little opportunity to express and confront its views in a truly open and participative fashion, unbiased by corporate, political or career stakes. While general economic and social challenges or current practices are often debated, what do this "new" society mean and imply for people is more often than not overlooked. This event will provide a unique opportunity for all ASIS&T members and information professionals at large to express and share their personal views. In keeping with the spirit of the Plaza -e.g., the 'public place' or shared community space reminiscent of the public sphere- the social interaction between the various participants and contributors is an important part of the process of reflecting about these issues. HOW TO PARTICIPATE? Step #1: Send to the SIG/III discussion list sigiii-l@asis.org a short(300 words maximum) position statement on the following questions: 1° What in your opinion will be radically changed in your professional life as a result of the globalization of the information society? - Why? - What should you do in order to cope with the change? - What should the information science & technology community do to help you cope with the change? - What should the information science & technology community do to help itself cope with the change? 2° What in your opinion will be radically changed in your personal life as a result of the globalization of the information society? - Why? - What should you do in order to cope with the change? - What should the information science & technology community do to help you cope with the change? Messages should clearly indicate "Plaza" in the subject line. Anyone can post messages to the sigiii-l list but if you wish to see what others have posted and participate in further discussion, we recommend that you subscribe to the list (see http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sigiii-l for details on how to subscribe). Note that the list will be moderated to avoid spamming and unrelated announcements. Step #2: Send your comments about the statements posted on the list Step #3: Attend the "Global Information Plaza" session on Tuesday November 19 from 12-1pm, at the ASIS&T Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA (http://www.asis.org/Conferences/AM02/index.html) and participate in the debates. WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE ASIS&T ANNUAL MEETING? A few weeks before the session, the moderators will summarize the major themes that arose from the statements and discussions into poster form. A poster with an overview of the main topics identified will be placed in the Registration area. Attendees are encouraged to contribute their ideas by putting stickers with their comments and suggestions throughout the conference. At the special session on "Global Information Plaza": a) Posters on the various topics identified will be placed on the walls around the room. Participants will be able to move around the room and contribute to the topics by placing stickers with their ideas, or discussing these with other participants b) Volunteers will be asked to moderate each poster discussion. c) Halfway through the session, individual discussions will stop. The volunteers and moderators will then gather the various ideas (and stickers) and produce a short position statement summarizing the main concepts and proposals. d) The volunteers and moderators will briefly introduce the position statements and highlight the contentious issues. This will be followed by a general discussion (recorded). A summary of the session will be subsequently posted on the Sigiii-l discussion list along with edited position statement(s). It is our hope to then revise and expand these for publication in a professional journal, along with reflections on the process and outcomes of the experience. Don't miss the opportunity to say your word (politically correct language NOT required). It might not change the course of history but it may make you feel better. The moderators: Michel J. Menou, Department of Information Science, City University London (menou@soi.city.ac.uk) and Nadia Caidi, Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto (caidi@fis.utoronto.ca) for the Special Interest Group on International Information Issues SIG/III of the American Society for Information Science & Technology