:: Netwoman ::

:: Tuesday, September 28, 2004 ::

Meeting Bloggers at AoIR

I did manage to meet some bloggers on my Blogroll last week at the AoIR that I haven't met face-to-face before. Torill blogs about her experiences of meeting people, and how sometimes they are not what she expected, while other times they are. It really depends on the identity you create on your blog. Is it different from your physical self or the same?

So I saw Alex again (though with my new look many people didn't recognize me - dark red hair and 50 lbs lighter), met Jill, Torill and Lilia, briefly saw Kathleen. I missed others because the dynamics of the conference itself unfortunately. Hopefully at next year's AoIR we can plan something social - and I hope my favourite gang of Scandinavian bloggers can be there.

:: Netwoman 10:02 AM [+] ::
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Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology

Call for Short Articles for
Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology
Editor: Eileen M. Trauth, Ph.D.
School of Information Sciences and Technology
The Pennsylvania State University

As information technology (IT) has spread throughout all aspects of personal and work life, so too, has grown an interest in understanding more about those who use and develop IT, as well as those who are affected by it. This, in turn, has lead to an increasing interest in the demographics of IT developers and consumers. One demographic category of considerable research interest is gender. Consequently, a diffuse body of research related to the role of gender in human interactions with information technology has emerged in recent years. This body of research spans a number of disciplines including information science, information systems, computer science, education, women's studies, gender studies, labor studies, human resource management, and technology and society. The purpose of this research is to inform teachers, parents, educators, managers, policy makers and other researchers about such issues as the differences between women's and men's use of information technology and the under representation of women as IT professionals.

In an effort to bring together this diffuse body of research so that it can better inform subsequent research and practice, an Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology is being produced. The objective is to develop an international compilation of research about the role of gender in human interaction with IT and the IT profession. It will be most helpful as it provides comprehensive coverage and definitions of the most important issues, concepts, trends and research devoted to the topic of gender and IT. This important new publication will be distributed worldwide among academic and professional institutions and will be instrumental in providing researchers, scholars, students and professionals access to the latest knowledge related to research on women and men with respect to information technology. Contributions to this important publication will be made by scholars throughout the world with notable research portfolios and expertise.

Coverage: The Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology will provide an international compilation of research on the topic of gender and information technology from a broad range of perspectives. Contributions by leading experts as well as emerging investigators are welcome. This volume will feature short articles (3,000-3,500 words) that provide an overview of research being carried out around the world related to gender and IT. Chapter submissions will be peer reviewed. We welcome both empirical and conceptual chapters.

Invited Submissions: Individuals interested in submitting short articles (3,000-3,500 words) on a topic related to gender and information technology should submit an email proposal to GenderITEncyclopedia@ist.psu.edu by October 15, 2004. Upon acceptance of your proposal, you will have two months to prepare your article and 7-10 related terms and their appropriate definitions. Guidelines for preparing your short piece and terms and definitions as well as a sample article and terms and definitions can be found on the main menu of this project.

:: Netwoman 9:28 AM [+] ::
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A High-Tech Ghost Story

Interesting article from a student in one of my classes - located here.

LIANNE GEORGE

ONE NOVEMBER DAY in 2002, Jim Sulkers, a 53-year-old retired municipal worker from Winnipeg, climbed into bed, pulled the covers up, and died. Over the next 20-odd months, the U.S. invaded Iraq, Janet Jackson exposed herself at the Super Bowl, and Canadians -- with some reluctance -- elected Paul Martin. But, tragically, it wasn't until Aug. 25, 2004, toward the end of the Athens Summer Olympics, that somebody finally thought to look in on Jim Sulkers.

By the time police -- alerted, finally, by concerned relatives -- climbed through the window of his second-storey condo in the posh River Heights neighbourhood, Sulkers' body was in a mummified state. Everything else in his tidy one-bedroom apartment was intact, although the food in his fridge was spoiled and his wall calendar was two years out of date.

After a brief investigation in which Manitoba's chief medical examiner determined he'd died of natural causes, the bizarre confluence of coincidences that led to his delayed discovery began to emerge (and landed Sulkers' story on "wacky news of the world" websites from Houston to Cape Town). For one thing, he was a reclusive man. He was estranged from his family and had minimal contact with neighbours, most of whom assumed he'd taken an extended vacation. Also, he suffered from a medical condition that prevented his body from decomposing -- and therefore expelling any telltale odours.

But the primary factor in the delay, it turns out, was technology -- or more specifically, automated banking. Sulkers suffered from multiple sclerosis and received a monthly disability pension, which was deposited directly into his bank account. His condo fees, utilities and other expenses were then deducted automatically. As such, his bills were routinely being paid up well beyond his death. Why wouldn't his creditors assume he was alive?

Sad as it is, Sulkers' tale illuminates a chilling fact: that new technologies like electronic banking have created a system in which it's possible to become so physically disengaged from the day-to-day administration of your own affairs that your life can effectively go on without you, perhaps indefinitely. "For many practical purposes, this man was virtually alive throughout that time," says Terence Moran, professor of Media Ecology at New York University, a program he co-founded with Neil Postman, the celebrated media critic, in 1971. Marshall McLuhan famously said that media are extensions of ourselves, Moran points out. "This man's life was extended for two years by the technology he used. Postman would've said that what you have here is a lack of community."

go read the rest of the article here.

:: Netwoman 8:56 PM [+] ::
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IT women smash glass ceiling

James Mortleman

Pay and prospects for women in IT are the best they have ever been, according to the 30th annual national management salary survey from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

Today's female IT managers earn an average of £47,315 a year, second only to their counterparts in the chemical industry who command almost £50,000.

The report shows that women achieved higher pay rises than men across all sectors for the eighth year running. The average increase for women this year was five per cent, while for men it was 4.7 per cent.

Petra Cook, head of policy at the CMI, described the figures as encouraging.

"For the past few years we've been playing a game of catch-up," she said.

"Today's talented females have the same opportunities for professional development as their male counterparts, and with the right skill sets women can achieve pay parity with men."

The proportion of female board directors is also on the up across all sectors. One in seven directors is now a woman, compared to just one in 10 five years ago.

Cook expects the figure to carry on increasing, describing it as the "boardroom greenhouse effect".

"The fact that there are more highly skilled women coming into the workforce today is beginning to show up in the composition of senior management teams," she explained.

"Cultural changes do not happen overnight, but in 10 years' time I believe there will be far greater parity across the board, including in FTSE 100 companies where women are still woefully under-represented in the most senior roles."

Cook added that employers also need to do more to create flexible working opportunities for employees of both sexes. "Both men and women are looking for a better work-life balance," she said.

Separately, Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt last week opened a new facility to encourage more women to take up or return to work in science, engineering and technology (SET).

The Bradford-based UK Resource Centre for Women in SET will work closely with industry and academia, and receive government funding of more than £4m over three years.

:: Netwoman 8:35 PM [+] ::
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Women, and the future of IT

By Lucy Sherriff

There is a revolution coming in computing, and women will lead it. So says Professor Wendy Hall, computer scientist, advisor to the government, and president of the British Computer Society.

She's talking to us today about why there are so few women in IT, why it matters, and what can be done to change things.

Computer science grew out of mathematics, and there were similar proportion of women in both the departments. In the early days of the subject, there were plenty of women working in industry and in academia, Hall says. But in the mid-eighties, the personal computer arrived, and with that, the culture changed beyond recognition.

"It became about playing and coding war games," she explains. "This really turned women off the subject, and we've never really recovered."

IT departments became very male places, and the techies traded acronyms and buzzwords to determine their position in the hierarchy. "I believe that this is now so culturally ingrained that throwing money at it won't change anything in the short term. You could discriminate: say everyone woman who applied for a computing related course could study for free, for example, but I don't know how successful that would be."

Instead, Hall suggests, the place to attack the problem is at the start of adolescence. "This is when the gender divide really sets in," she says. "But there is no point painting these girls a picture of life as a sysadmin. Quite apart from it not being very exciting, that is the industry as it is now, not as it will be in ten years when they join the workforce."

She reminds us that ten years ago, the internet hadn't really happened. Anyone transported from 1994 to the present day would probably be surprised by what they would find here. There is no reason to think that the transformation of the industry over the next ten years will be any less dramatic.

"We are moving towards a situation where we'll have zillions of processors all interconnected," she says. "It'll be a very large, very complex system, and we need to learn how to make something that complex adaptive, robust and flexible. Nature is very good at complex systems, and that is where we have to take our cue."

There is a lot of this about in the industry. BT has researchers looking at how fruit flies can help us to develop smarter wireless networks; others are trying to make the way we interact with technology more human, and Microsoft has multidisciplinary teams at its Cambridge research facility looking at similar areas.

Other research is even more intriguing - some researchers are letting circuitry design itself, using evolutionary principles, for instance.

Hall paints a picture of a world where everything is smaller and cleverer, or at least less stupid. Systems will be more tailored than they are now, technology will be hidden behind a smarter interface, and we'll have software agents that will negotiate services for us.

The sorts of skills required to deal with this brave new world with be the ones women have in abundance, and the subjects that attract more women will be the ones that become more important. Hall predicts that in the next five years, there will be computer science courses that require applicants to have a biology A-Level.

Traditionally women-dominated subjects, such as psychology and sociology, will grow in importance too, as the industry becomes more about personal support than systems support.

"The nature of the industry is going to change. So we need to look at that and say to these young women, 'Here is an intellectual challenge that you'll really enjoy'."

:: Netwoman 8:31 PM [+] ::
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Internet Ubiquity - Everywhere but here

There is no wifi available to us here at the University of Sussex. They have a computer lab that we can use to check our email - with these crazy usernames and passwords that often don't work (because everyone is using the same one).

Really, I'm not bitter. ahem.

The conference is drawing to a close - the last session starts in a few minutes. Next year's conference will be in Chicago, and I have a feeling it will be much better than this location (which is not user friendly in numerous ways).

In other news....

Dr. Kaye Trammell has a message:

'Calling all blog researchers, take a look at this list of articles & check it twice. Did I miss an article you presented or published? Do you know of other articles? Let me know & I'll update the list ASAP.'

:: Netwoman 5:28 AM [+] ::
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Internet is helping moms at home build careers

Found a nice email in my gmail account today from Freelancemom.com. Here is the Blog description:

"FreelanceMom.com is a community of women, striving for and achieving successful home businesses. We're here to support, educate, learn from and inspire one another. You'll find resources, articles, plenty of ideas and most importantly a warm community of Professional Mom's. "

So I went to check out the blog. There is a really interesting article featured "Internet is helping moms at home build careers" found here.

"Like countless mothers around the country, Cole juggles the responsibilities of full-time homemaker and mother with work. But in her case, her job is based in her home - a job she says she couldn't do without the Internet. A new generation of moms who want to work but want more flexibility are using technology to set up home-based businesses.
"I don't have to choose between being home with my kids and what energizes me professionally," says Cole, a self-published author. "I can work on the time frame of parenting - in between pouring cereal, playing Barbies, learning to read - and the interruptions never disrupt the final project. Thanks to the Internet, my office is open all day and I'm present, even when I'm with my kids."

Some important issues are noted in the article, so go have a look.

:: Netwoman 10:00 PM [+] ::
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London Calling

Well, actually Brighton UK is calling. I am heading to the AoIR conference tomorrow.
Things have been hectic and terribly busy - I have been a bad blogger. Well, actually only a bad Netwoman blogger. I realized the other day that I have NINE (9) blogs in total now. Several for courses that I teach, a couple of private blogs, this one and others that I have posting rights to (but haven't lately).

Using blogs in courses takes time, and it will be interesting to see if blogs are a good tool for communication and learning in the class room. My class sizes vary: 120 - 125 - 18 - 70 - one second year, two third year and a fourth year (yes, I am busy - and really, I am working on my dissertation). I can do a neat little socio-analysis to see how small classes compare with larger classes.

The AoIR conference looks like it will be quite good - though we will have limited internet access, which means that I can't blog the sessions this year (also means I am transfering files to the laptop like crazy). Too bad. As my cell phone doesn't work over there either - I will be quite cut off.

More when I return from the UK. It will be great to see everyone again.

:: Netwoman 9:48 PM [+] ::
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Technology keeps UK kids away from family life

From The Age
London - August 13, 2004 - 12:00AM

British children are interacting less and less with their families and spending more time in their bedrooms watching television or playing computer games, according to a study published today.

Three-quarters of Britain's 11-14 year-olds have a television in their bedroom, almost two-thirds a DVD player or video recorder, and a quarter have a computer in their room, market research firm MINTEL said.

Two-thirds of those surveyed said they played computer games in their rooms, and one in three said they only ever played the games alone.

"Many of today's children now seem to be experiencing greater isolation from family life," MINTEL consumer analyst Jenny Catlin said.

"Sadly, it does seem that in many cases modern technology has now replaced the family unit, so that everyone does whatever they want, when they want, even if it means doing it on their own."

More than half of the children surveyed said they liked spending time on their own and could do what they liked as long as they did well at school.

The survey also revealed that some 80 percent of 11-14 year olds have their own mobile phone - a sharp increase from the 58 percent recorded in 2001 - and that parents usually foot the bill. More than half of the 11-14 year olds said their parents paid for all their calls.

The researchers said texting was the main use of mobile phones, with almost two in five of those surveyed having sent more than 10 texts in the previous week.
magnifying glass Search all Fairfax archives (*Fee for full article)

:: Netwoman 9:01 PM [+] ::
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Sad Farewell

Bonka Stefanova Boneva
(1950 - 2004)

Bonka Boneva, who was a post-doctoral fellow and systems scientist in the HCII until recently, died September 2 in an auto accident in North Central Pennsylvania. She was driving back from a hiking trip by herself and hit a truck. There will be a memorial service for her on Sunday, September 19, at 2pm in the Martin Room [4127 Sennott Square] at the University of Pittsburgh

Martin Room. 4127 Sennott Square, University of Pittsburgh Sunday, September 19, 2004. 2 pm

Bonka was also involved in the HomeNet Project

Selected articles:
Internet Paradox Revisited - Robert Kraut, Sara Kiesler, Bonka Boneva PDF here

Boneva Bonka and Robert Kraut (2002)."Email, Gender, and Personal Relationships," pp.372-403 in B. Wellman & C. Haythornthwaite eds. The Internet in Everyday Life. Blackwell.

:: Netwoman 8:44 PM [+] ::
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Parenting & The Internet

From Ipsos Reid
The Internet is a remarkable resource for today's youth. It allows them to learn about any and all topics they are interested in, and allows them to make new friends all over the world who share similar interests. Unfortunately, too often there's news of a child who has gone missing and the prime suspect is a stranger who was first met online. Other parents fear that too much use of the Internet results inhibits normal social interaction with other children. And of course there is the questionable content that is easily accessible with a few clicks of the mouse.

In the Q2-2004 issue of the Canadian Inter@ctive Reid Report, we took a look at how parents are staying on top of their children's Internet activities. This is to be followed by an in-depth look next quarter at how kids are actually using the Internet. To participate in the study, parents had to have at least one child aged 12 to 17 living at home. Parents who have multiple kids at home were asked specifically about their youngest child in the target age bracket.

The Findings
While the vast majority of parents allow their kids to use the Internet (93%), 58% say they are concerned about their kids' online activities, with 31% saying they are very concerned.

Virtually all parents (95%) feel that they are aware of their kids' online activities with two-in-three saying they are "very aware". But realistically, in the age of dual income households and the accessibility of the Internet at multiple locations, it is very difficult for parents to be aware of all that their kids are doing online. The proportion of parents saying they are aware of their kids' online activities may be a function of wishful thinking more so than actually being aware.

So what steps are parents taking?

* Two-in-three parents are putting their computer in an area where they can easily monitor their kids' online activities, and an equal proportion have guidelines about how and when the Internet is to be used

* Slightly more than half of parents (56%) place time limits or curfews on their kids' Internet usage, while 47% check the browser’s history to determine what sites their kids have been to.

* Only 18% of parents report that they have installed some sort of screening software or service that blocks out questionable content. Seven percent say that they have read their kids' email without their kids knowing.

The vast majority of parents clearly feel that they have a handle on their kids' Internet usage. However, the reality is likely very different. Realistically, the home is not the only place that kids use the Internet. Most have access at school, many have access at a friend’s house, and some might even venture into Internet cafes for unencumbered Internet usage. And even if the majority of one's Internet usage is at home, parents' belief that they have a good handle on how their kids are using the Internet may be a case of wishful thinking. This came to light in September 2003 when the RIAA's initial series of lawsuits against those sharing music files included a 12-year-old girl living in public housing. The mother of the girl in question had no idea that her daughter was sharing music files and the girl in question had no idea that sharing music files is illegal.

:: Netwoman 8:16 PM [+] ::
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American's and Instant Messaging

New results from PEW

53 Million American Adult Internet Users use Instant Messaging 24% of Them Use IM more Frequently Than Email, IM Also Gains a Following in U.S. Workplaces

Some 42% of online Americans use instant messaging, and 24% of instant messagers say they use IM more frequently than email. This translates to 53 million American adults who instant message and over 12 million who IM more than emailing. On a typical day, 29% of instant messengers-or roughly 15 million American adults-use IM.

The new survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project also finds that instant messaging is especially popular among younger adults and technology enthusiasts. 62% of Gen Y Americans (those ages 18-27) report using IM. Within the instant messaging Gen Y age group, 46% report using IM more frequently than email.

"It comes as no surprise that instant messaging is especially popular among yonger Americans because many more of their peers subscribe to IM programs," said Eulynn Shiu, a research associate at the Pew Internet Project who co-authored a report on the new findings. "Once one friend becomes available via instant messenger, usage among peers grows dramatically."

IM is more than a tool for chatting. It is also a popular tool for self-expression. Instant messengers take advantage of customizable features such as profiles and icons to enhance their online presence. A third of IM users (34%) have posted a profile for their IM screen name that others can see, and nearly half (45%) post away messages when they are not available to chat.

Twenty-one percent of IM-ing Americans instant message at the office; they find it encourages interoffice cooperation and increases work productivity. When asked who they contact most often during IM sessions at work, 40% of at-work IM users reported instant messaging coworkers, 33% reported friends and family, and 21% interact with both groups equally.

"There is no doubt that IM use will intensify," said Amanda Lenhart, research specialist at the Pew Internet Project and co-author of the report. "Younger Americans, in particular, have incorporated IM into their lives in multiple ways, using it to keep track of their friends, coordinate work meetings, and share files. IM use at home and in the workplace will grow as these creative and time-saving uses of the technology percolate through the generations."

July figures on Americans Internet use by the tracking firm comScore Media Metrix show that:

# AOL Instant Message (the proprietary service to AOL subscribers) was used by 37% of those who traded IMs during the month. On a typical day during the month more than 5.7 million IM-ers were using this application.

# Yahoo! Messenger was used by 33% of those who traded IMs during the month.
This was the single most popular service used at work and the average user of the application spent 423 minutes using the application during the month - the highest total among the applications.

# AOL Instant Messenger (AIM Service) was used by 31% of those who traded IMs during the month. This application had the greatest reach among college students and on any given day there were nearly 6 million people using the application, making it the most popular application on a typical day.

# MSN Messenger Applications were used by 25% of those who traded IMs during the month.

Some other data highlights from the report:

# IM users often send instant messages to people in the same location as they are: 24% of IM users say they have IM-ed a person who was in the same location as they were - such as their home, an office, or a classroom.

# IM users are multi-taskers: 32% of IM users say they do something else on their computer such as browsing the web or playing games virtually every time they are instant messaging and another 29% are doing something else some of the time they are IM-ing. In addition, 20% of IM users say they do something else off their computer such as talk on the phone or watch television virtually every time they are instant messaging and another 30% say they do other things offline at least some of the time they are IM-ing.

# The IM universe of most users is very modest: 66% of IM users say they regularly IM between one and five people. Only 9% of IM users say they regularly IM more than 10 people.

# 15% of IM users say they use a wireless device such as a phone or wireless laptop to send and receive IM messages.

# 17% of IM users use different screen names to contact different groups of friends or colleagues.

# 51% of IM users say they have received an unsolicited IM from someone they didn't know.

:: Netwoman 10:36 PM [+] ::
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Why do we Blog?

Danah makes an interesting comment on her blog today.

"For me (and many of my friends), blogging is an exercise of love, not an effort to meet an audience's needs. Having to face expectations every time i go to my blog makes me feel absolutely disgusting, like i've become some sort of blogging whore."

What does blogging mean to people? Do you consider what your audience may want or expect when you post to your blog, or do you just write whatever compels you, and people come to read it? I think for me, it is a bit of both. I blog because I like to blog, but also because I think that my readers expect to read about 'isms' and technology. I don't generally post too many personal details because of how I have framed the topic of my blog. While my content has changed somewhat - with more personal notes here and there, I do expect it to change more. I am not sure what my readers will think or not, and I am curious. They can continue to read it, or not.
Admittedly, I do feel guilty if I haven't blogged for a few days, and I offer a comment on what I am doing. This does imply that I think about my blog's audience. Though Danah makes some good points about blogging taking over your life.

:: Netwoman 10:09 PM [+] ::
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