18.129 conferences: robots; computer-mediated communication

               Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 18, No. 129.
       Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
                   www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/
                        www.princeton.edu/humanist/
                     Submit to: humanist_at_princeton.edu

   [1] From: icara2004_at_massey.ac.nz (48)
         Subject: ICARA 2004, extended submission deadline

   [2] From: Charles Ess <cmess_at_drury.edu> (91)
         Subject: Call for Papers - Culture and Computer Mediated
                 Communication

--[1]------------------------------------------------------------------
         Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 11:32:13 +0100
         From: icara2004_at_massey.ac.nz
         Subject: ICARA 2004, extended submission deadline

          CALL FOR PAPERS (Submission deadline extended to 20th August)

The 2nd International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents (ICARA 2004)

Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

            13th-15th December 2004

             http://conferences.massey.ac.nz/ICARA2004

Institute of Information Sciences and Technology, Massey University, is
pleased to announce that the 2nd International Conference on Autonomous
Robots and Agents (ICARA 2004) will be on the 13th ­ 15th December 2004 in
Palmerston North, New Zealand.

ICARA 2004 is intended to provide a common forum for researchers,
scientists, engineers and practitioners throughout the world to present
their latest research findings, ideas, developments and applications in the
area of autonomous robotics and agents. ICARA 2004 will include keynote
addresses by eminent scientists as well as special, regular and poster
sessions. All papers will be peer reviewed on the basis of a full length
manuscript and acceptance will be based on quality, originality and
relevance. The review process will be blind and author details will not be
divulged to the reviewers. Accepted papers will be published in the
conference proceedings. Topics will include, but are not limited to, the
following:

Intelligent Control
DNA Computing for autonomous agents
Biorobotics, Biomechatronics
Implantable sensors for Robotic Applications
Artificial Intelligence in Biosystems
Autonomous Systems
Multi-Agent Collaborative Systems (MACS)
Robotics, Humanoids
Smart Sensors and Sensor Fusion
Cooperative Robotics
Robot Soccer Systems
Entertainment Robotics
Human Robot Interface
Distributed Intelligent Control Systems
Real Time Supervisory Control
Embedded Systems
Educational Technology
Fuzzy Systems, Neuro-Fuzzy Systems
Biped and Humanoid Robots
Rough Sets, Data Mining
Navigation and Path Planning
Genetic Algorithm (GA)
Evolutionary Computation (EC)
Distributed Evolutionary Algorithms
Real Time Evolutionary Computation
Evolutionary Systems and Algorithms
Vision Systems for Robotics
Artificial Neural Networks in Biorobotics

[material deleted]

--[2]------------------------------------------------------------------
         Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 06:46:32 +0100
         From: Charles Ess <cmess_at_drury.edu>
         Subject: Call for Papers - Culture and Computer Mediated Communication

Dear Humanists:

Please pass on the following CFP to colleagues and lists as appropriate
===

Call for Papers, special issue of the Journal of Computer-Mediated
Communication:

CULTURE AND COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION: TOWARD NEW UNDERSTANDINGS

Guest editors:
Charles Ess (cmess_at_drury.edu)
Interdisciplinary Studies Center, Drury University

Fay Sudweeks (sudweeks_at_murdoch.edu.au)
School of Information Technology, Murdoch University.

IMPORTANT DATES

Proposals due: October 1, 2004
Full papers due: April 15, 2004
Anticipated publication: January 2006

Gert Hofstede¹s oft-cited dimensions of culture, along with Edward T. Hall¹s
frameworks for understanding culture and communication (including his
distinctions between ³high content/low context² and ³high context/low
content² cultures, and between polychronic and monochronic perceptions of
time) have emerged as methodological starting points for a considerable
range of empirical research into how far extant CMC technologies succeed or
fail in fostering cross-cultural communication online.

At the same time, these frameworks can be challenged in a variety of ways.
First of all, such frameworks inherit the risks and difficulties surrounding
the notion of ³culture² in general. Too often, our efforts to define
cultural characteristics assume a static and largely hermetically-sealed
notion of culture ­ one that is, in many instances, operationally assumed to
coincide with membership in a given nation-state or group defined by a
specific geographical boundary. Moreover, the efforts of cultural theorists
such as Hofstede and Hall to analyze and define culture lead to
generalizations that run the risk of falling into overly simple stereotypes
and binary oppositions. By contrast, more careful reflection on ³culture²
should reveal that whatever else we mean by the term, cultures are fluid,
not static; members of different cultures constantly intermix, hybridize,
and develop their own distinctive collocations of diverse cultural elements.
Moreover, given the complexity of human beings and their identification with
multiple cultures and subcultures, it is by no means clear how far such
characterizations as ³high content/low context² and ³high context/low
content² are adequate explanations of human behavior.

For this special issue of the Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, we
invite submissions that explore (a) the utility and limits of Hall¹s and
Hofstede¹s and related frameworks for CMC research, and/or (b) alternative
frameworks for researching culture that explicitly seek to move beyond
previously identified weaknesses and limits in Hall and Hofstede, et al.,
and that result in fruitful and insightful findings as regards CMC.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

Potential authors should submit a preliminary proposal of 500 words by
October 1, 2004, to the issue editors Charles Ess (cmess_at_drury.edu) and Fay
Sudweeks (sudweeks_at_murdoch.edu.au).

The proposal should indicate (a) the theoretical bases and/or earlier
research results to be used in analyzing, critiquing, and moving beyond
Hall¹s and related frameworks of cultural analysis, and/or (b) alternative
frameworks of cultural analysis, to be used for specific empirical research
whose goal is to test the fruitfulness and/or limits of these frameworks, as
applied to one or more types of CMC (e.g., the Internet, the Web, and/or
mobile communication). In addition, proposals should clearly indicate the
data to be analyzed, the methods used, the actual or anticipated findings of
the empirical analysis, and the implications of these findings ­ including
how the findings may confirm and/or point to limitations of the cultural
framework(s) used in the analysis.

Proposals should demonstrate awareness of key references in the culture and
communication debates . For potentially useful sources, prospective authors
may want to review one or more publications related to the conferences on
Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication [CATaC], for
example, Macfadyen et al. (2004); see also the CATaC website at
http://www.it.murdoch.edu.au/catac/.

Since JCMC is an interdisciplinary journal, authors should plan for papers
that will be accessible to non-specialists, and should make their papers
relevant to an interdisciplinary audience. In addition, judicious use of the
multimedia possibilities of web publication are encouraged, e.g., screen
shots, photos, etc.

Earlier submissions and questions are welcome.

Authors whose proposals are accepted for inclusion will be invited to submit
a full paper of roughly 7,000-10,000 words by April 15, 2005.

Anticipated publication date for the issue is January 2006.

Proposals and final submissions should be e-mailed to the special issue
editors Charles Ess (cmess_at_drury.edu) and Fay Sudweeks
(sudweeks_at_murdoch.edu.au).

Reference
Macfadyen, L. P., Roche, J., and Doff, S. (2004). Communicating across
Cultures in Cyberspace: A Bibliographical Review of Online Intercultural
Communication. Hamburg: Lit-Verlag.
==

Thanks!

Charles Ess
Distinguished Research Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies
Drury University
900 N. Benton Ave. Voice: 417-873-7230
Springfield, MO 65802 USA FAX: 417-873-7435

Home page: http://www.drury.edu/ess/ess.html
Co-chair, CATaC: http://www.it.murdoch.edu.au/catac/

Exemplary persons seek harmony, not sameness. -- Analects 13.23
Received on Wed Aug 11 2004 - 01:59:34 EDT