Shaping the Network Society - DIAC-00

[mea culpa <jericho () DIMENSIONAL COM>]

From: sevoy () quark cpsr org



                        Shaping the Network Society

               The Future of the Public Sphere in Cyberspace

                                  DIAC-00

    A Directions and Implications of Advanced Computing (DIAC) Symposium

       Sponsored by Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility


                     First Call for Abstracts / Papers


                           May 20 - May 23, 2000

                          Seattle, Washington, USA
   _________________________________________________________________

   Cyberspace may become the dominant medium through which people create
   and share information and ideas. How their conversations about the
   environment, culture, leisure, and political decisions, are conducted
   and how they are resolved are likely to have major social implications
   in the new millennium. What directions and implications does
   cyberspace foretell for community, democracy, education and culture?
   Addressing those questions may be among the most urgent tasks facing
   humankind today.

   The objective of DIAC-00 is to integrate many perspectives,
   conversations, and people from around the world on the topic of public
   space in cyberspace: What is it? What should it be? What would we do
   with it? What can we do about it?

   While DIAC-00 will present "best practices" and other lessons learned
   "from the field" there is an urgent need for theoretical work (or
   "condensed practice") as well. For that reason, DIAC-00 is strongly
   encouraging reflective work on strategic and policy levels. There is
   enormous energy found at the grassroots level and it is growing. The
   big problem today is framing the idea of public space in cyberspace in
   a way that engages intellectuals, decision-makers, artists, and
   citizens. This can only be done by combining "best practice" stories
   with strong provocative conceptualizations of what is happening in our
   world and how public cyberspace can play a role. We need theories,
   concepts that can help us discuss, reflect, and take action on these
   critical matters. As an integral part of the DIAC-00 conference social
   scientists, engineers, computer scientists, artists, journalists, and
   other members of the research community will contribute their thinking
   on these pressing issues:

     * Community Informatics
     * Civic Knowledge, Civic Infrastructure
     * New Tools, Applications, Services, and Institutions
     * Theoretical Frameworks
     * Methodological Frameworks
     * Critical Theory
     * Social Economy of the Internet
     * Computers, Work, and Cyberspace
     * New -- and Retooled -- Media
     * Participatory and Community-Centered Design
     * Community Initiatives
     * Public Access and Community Networks
     * Practitioner and Researcher Co-Learning
     * Bridging the Digital Divide
     * Cyberspace Policy -- Social Policy -- Cultural Policy
     * Computer-Supported Community Work
     * Localism and Globalism
     * International Perspectives and Partnerships
     * Social Movements and Collaborations

   DIAC-00 will be a multifaceted event. This call for abstracts / papers
   addresses the research or academic component of the symposium. There
   are other opportunities for participation within this framework. The
   guidelines for workshop proposals will be released soon.

   DIAC-00 will be the seventh symposium sponsored by Computer
   Professionals for Social Responsibility in the "Directions and
   Implications of Advanced Computing" series. DIAC-00 is intended to
   broaden the discussion and awareness about the future of cyberspace
   both in terms of topics and in terms of participation. It is also our
   intent to provide visibility to topics and perspectives that are often
   neglected by the media.

   Each extended abstract should contain a description and outline of the
   work, supporting evidence and data, and references. Abstracts and
   papers should be written in English. All extended abstracts should be
   submitted (in plain text only!) electronically to Peter Day
   (p.day () btinternet com). Abstracts should be fewer than 2,000 words.
   Authors should remember that they will be addressing non-academics as
   well as academics at this conference and avoid jargon whenever
   possible. Citations should follow the Harvard Citation guidelines.

   Academic Program Committee: Phil Agre (US), Amy Bruckman (US), Natasha
   Bulashova (Russia), Peter Day (co-chair; UK), Fiorella de Cindio
   (Italy), Greg Cole (US), Steve Cisler (US), Susana Finquelievich
   (Argentina), Michael Gurstein (Canada), Toru Ishida (Japan), Peter
   Mambrey (Germany), Kate.ODubhchair (UK), Volkmar Pipek (Germany),
   Jenny Preece (US), Lodis Rhodes (US), Douglas Schuler (co-chair; US),
   Lisa Servon (US), Erik Stolterman (Sweden), Peter van den Besselaar
   (Netherlands), Murali Venkatesh (US), Ken Young (Australia).

   Important Dates: February 15, 2000 extended abstracts due; March 15,
   2000 feedback given to authors; May 1, 2000 revised abstracts due. May
   20 - May 23, 2000 DIAC-00. The final papers, ready for book / journal,
   will be due sometime in summer 2000. We are planning to publish all
   submitted abstracts on our web site. We are planning to publish
   accepted papers in a book or journal. The academic program will be
   thoroughly integrated with the rest of DIAC-00.

   We are pleased to be a member of the Global 2000 Virtual Community
   Coalition. The Global 2000 Virtual Community Coalition is a loosely
   affiliated group of people, organizations, and events all over the
   world who are working together in the year 2000 to help promote
   democratic use of communication technology and discourage social
   exclusion due to inequitable access to communication.

   DIAC-00 is sponsored by Computer Professionals for Social
   Responsibility and co-sponsored by Friends and Partners. Please
   contact us if your organization would like to become a co-sponsor or
   endorser.

   We thank the Morino Foundation for their support.

   For more information about the symposium, please see the web site
   (http://www.scn.org/cpsr/diac-00) or contact conference organizer Doug
   Schuler, douglas () cpsr org, 206.634.0752.

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