Hello to all fellow AoIR community members! In an effort to build our community and stabilize our membership rolls the Executive Committee is initiating our first official Membership Drive. Our goal is to bring the number of dues paying members more in line with our Air-L list participants. Most Air-L list members consider themselves members of the AoIR community as well as the Association of Internet Researchers organization, proudly listing their affiliation on vitas and resumes. Unfortunately, in any given year, actual dues paying membership wildly fluctuates because people generally renew their memberships when they attend the conference. So, while “conceptual” membership persists, many people only take out “actual” membership when they attend the conference. Sustaining dues paying membership in AoIR is critical in maintaining a vibrant association by demonstrating to the broader academic and private sector communities that AoIR is, as we as members realize, an important forum for cutting edge Internet and new media research. Membership in AoIR provides support for the Association including the Air-L list and programming our yearly conferences as well as giving you a voice in the Association's affairs and its future. We strongly encourage all AIR-L list subscribers to support our AoIR community by becoming a member if you are not already. In addition to a warm-fuzzy feeling, instant hipness, and a well-deserved sense of satisfaction, AoIR members get a special registration rate for our annual AoIR conference, may run for positions on the Executive, and vote in elections. Membership in AoIR is extremely* *inexpensive compared to most professional and scholarly associations and helps support Internet scholarship and research. We would welcome you joining the association and helping us to grow and promote studies of the Internet. The annual membership dues are as follows: (all figures in US$) Standard individual membership $45 Students (including Ph.D. students) $30 Individuals in non-OECD countries $10 Lifetime individual membership $1000 Educational institution (academic department, library, etc.) $250 Non-profit organization $100 Non-profit institutions in non-OECD countries $25 Corporate sponsor (for-profit institution) $2000 Affiliate membership is available for persons and non-profit institutions in non-OECD countries – free to a maximum of two years, includes only basic AoIR.org web access We know you appreciate AoIR and being part of our community. Now is the time to step up and make that membership official. It is inexpensive and easy. Please visit http://aoir.org/membership/ to sign-up and support AoIR. Not sure of your member status? Email AoIR’s Secretary, Katherine Middleton: secretary@aoir.org. For any questions about membership costs, please contact AoIR’s Treasurer, Michael Zimmer: treasurer@aoir.org Finally, thank you for your support and participation on the list and in other AoIR-related activities. AoIR has always been a volunteer-run organization, and has continued to be the association that I feel is my strongest academic 'home' as well as one where I see the best research and theory about the Internet occurring. All the best, Mia, AoIR President -- Mia Consalvo, Ph.D. Visiting Associate Professor Comparative Media Studies Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Building 14N-226 Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 USA consalvo@mit.edu 617.324.1868