Directions and Implications of Advanced Computing Symposium Conferenceon Online Deliberation (DIAC-2008/OD2008)

Twenty-one years since the first DIAC Symposium!

Tools for Participation: Collaboration, Deliberation, and Decision Support

Directions and Implications of Advanced Computing Symposium Conference on Online Deliberation (DIAC-2008/OD2008)

Sponsored by Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility and UC Berkeley School of Information

Partners: National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD)

University of California, Berkeley
June 26 - 29, 2008
http://www.publicsphereproject.org/events/diac08/


At the dawn of the 21st century humankind faces challenges of profound proportions. The ability of people around the world to discuss, work,
make decisions, and take action collaboratively is one of the most important capabilities for addressing these challenges.

Researchers, scholars, activists, advocates, artists, educators, technologists, designers, students, policy-makers, entrepreneurs,
journalists and citizens are rising to these challenges in many ways,including, devising new communication technologies that build on the
opportunities afforded by the Internet and other new (as well as old) media. The interactions between technological and social systems are of
special and central importance in this area.

DIAC-08 combines CPSR's 11th DIAC symposium with the third Conference on Online Deliberation. The joint conference is intended to provide a
platform and a forum for highlighting socio-technological opportunities, challenges, and pitfalls in the area of community and civic action.
Technology enhanced community action ranges from informal communities of practice to democratic governance of formal organizations to large
social movements.

We are especially interested in technology development that is already being tested or fielded. We are also interested in theoretical and other
intellectual work that helps build understanding and support for future efforts. In addition to exploring social technology, we must at the same
time understand and advance the social context of technology, including its design, access, use, policy and evaluation, as well as intellectual
frameworks and perspectives that inform technological as well as social innovation including requirements, case studies, critique and
self-reflection, and infrastructures for future work.

Our areas of focus include but are not limited to: deliberative and collaborative systems, e-democracy and e-participation, mobilization and
organization, negotiation, consultation, sustainability, community support systems, open source models, human rights, ecological awareness,
conflict resolution, justice, transparency systems, media and civic journalism, media literacy, power research, citizen science, economic
development and opportunity, peace and reconciliation, infrastructure development, policy, education, community networks, research and
development for civil society, social software, virtual communities and civic intelligence.

We are currently interested in the following types of submissions: research paper and exploratory paper presentations (both of which will
be peer reviewed), technology demonstrations, workshops and poster sessions. We are currently seeking co-sponsors who can help provide
various types of assistance. We are also seeking donations and other support (including volunteer labor) to help make this event successful.

The DIAC symposia have resulted in six book publications (in addition to the proceedings). Although we don't have specific plans at this time, we
are hoping to publish our seventh book based on this event.

Guidelines for papers and other submissions

All submissions must be made via the conference submission system on the DIAC-08 web site. Submissions should be written in English and foreign
speakers are encouraged to have their submissions reviewed for language prior to submission. Submissions should be formatted for "US Letter"
size using 11 point Times-Roman font. Research papers should be a maximum of 10 pages. Accepted research papers should be revised
according to reviewer comments and resubmitted by the deadline. Workshop proposals (two pages) should include motivation, objectives, expected
outcomes, intended audience, process (including specific description of how people will be engaged during the workshop). Taking a cue from PDC
2008, we are also interested in exploratory papers (4 pages), that reflect novel concepts, works-in-progress, reflections, manifestos or
other ideas and issues that aren't currently suitable for a research paper.

Important Dates

January 1, 2007 Submission system available January 15, 2007 Early
registration begins February 15, 2008 Research paper submissions due
March 15, 2008 Demonstration, workshop proposals due April 1, 2008
Notices of research paper acceptances April 15, 2008 Poster proposals
due May 1, 2008 Late registration begins May 15, 2008 Completed research
papers due June 26 - June 29, 2008 DIAC-2008/OD2008

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility

CPSR is a public-interest alliance of people concerned about the impact of information and communications technology on society. By sponsoring
international, national, and local projects and events, CPSR serves as a catalyst for in-depth discussion and effective action in key areas.

UC Berkeley School of Information

Providing the world with innovative information solutions and leadership, the UC Berkeley School of Information conducts research,
provides policy counsel, and trains information professionals in five areas of concentration including information design and architecture,
information assurance, social studies of information, human-computer interaction, and information economics and policy.

Conference Chair
Douglas Schuler

Program Chairs
Todd Davies, Jerome Feldman, and Douglas Schuler

Related Conferences

We also recommend the Participatory Design Conference which will be held in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. September 30, 2008 - October 4, 2008. See
http://www.pdc2008.org/. The theme of this 10th PDC is "Experiences and Challenges" and it is an excellent opportunity to reassess the
achievements of the PD movement and to consider its future

Murdoch changes mind on online fees

RUPERT MURDOCH has done an about-face on his plans to scrap fees for The Wall Street Journal online, deciding to keep charging readers amid fears a recession in the United States will hit advertising demand.

His turnabout came just weeks after News Corp finished its $US5.6 billion ($6.3 billion) acquisition of Dow Jones, the publisher of the Journal. Earlier this month the company offered the finance paper's editorials and opinion columns on the internet free.

"We're sort of dividing it up," Mr Murdoch told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. "Those things that you can get more or less as a commodity on different sites about finance, that will certainly be free." But the "really special things will still be a subscription service, and sorry to tell you, probably more expensive", he said.

Only two months ago, Mr Murdoch said the site, which has about 1 million subscribers, would be made free to boost user numbers to up to 15 million and "attract very large sums of advertising". Brushing off concerns the site would lose $US60 million in annual subscription fees, he said on another occasion that "if the site is good, you'll get much more".

But with talk of a recession, the advertising outlook is more uncertain. Advertising spending is closely tied to the health of the economy. Morgan Stanley this week cut its price targets for shares of Time Warner, the world's largest media company, and CBS, the biggest US broadcaster, saying the downturn would hurt advertising spending this year and next.

"It's all about protecting revenues," said Mark McDonnell, an analyst at BBY. At News, "they may have done the maths and said we're going to lose an x amount of money" by scrapping the charges, he said.

Mr Murdoch may also have come to the conclusion Journal customers would willingly pay for the depth of specialised content on the site, media analysts said.

Instead of giving up fixed subscription fees and become hostage to the volatile advertising market, News Corp has settled on a hybrid model - and plans to ask its subscribers to fork out even more: fees will rise to $US119 a year, from $US99, the Journal said.

Mr Murdoch's original comments, and The New York Times's move last year to drop online charges in favour of boosting advertising dollars, had sparked a debate on whether subscription-based journalism on the internet was feasible, putting pressure on Fairfax Media's site afr.com to follow suit.

Two months ago afr.com simplified its pricing model, but rebuffed suggestions it should offer free content to increase its readership and ad revenues.

with agencies

http://business.smh.com.au/murdoch-changes-mind-on-online-fees/20080125-1o7m.html#