[ba-unrev-talk] DIAC-02 Conference on infrastructure and values
I was just pointed at this conference site and though it would be of
interest to people this list. It's in Seattle, WA May 16-19, 2002.
The conference discusses the relationship of human values and
information infrastructure. I raised a related issue here on the UnreII
list (bootstrapping towards what end?) a year ago:
http://www.bootstrap.org/dkr/discussion/2168.html (01)
>From the DIAC-02 Conference page:
http://www.cpsr.org/conferences/diac02/index.html (02)
Tomorrow's information and communication
infrastructure is being shaped today...
But by whom and to what ends? (03)
Researchers, community workers, social activists, educators and
students, journalists, artists, policy-makers, and citizens are all
concerned about the shape that this new infrastructure will take. (04)
Will it meet the needs of all people?
Will it help the citizenry address current and future issues?
Will it promote democracy, social justice, sustainability? (05)
Will the appropriate research be conducted?
Will equitable policies be enacted? (06)
Symposium Aims
A "public sphere" where people learn about, discuss, and deliberate over
important issues such as increasing economic disparity, militarization,
environmental degradation, racism or sexism is critical to our future. (07)
At the same time, giant media conglomerates and computer companies are
rapidly increasing their control of the information and communication
infrastructure upon which this public sphere depends. Governments, too
are often part of this problem: instead of promoting access and two-way
access to this infrastructure they actively or passively discourage
civic sector uses. (08)
Civic society is fighting back in a million ways. The opportunities and
threats offered by a global "network society" are too great to be
ignored. (09)
The "Shaping the Network Society" symposium is designed to aid in these
efforts by providing a forum and a platform for these critical issues.
And through the use of "patterns" we hope that this symposium will help
inject organization, motivation, and inspiration into the evolution of
an information and communication infrastructure that truly meets today's
urgent needs. (010)
Please join us in Seattle (and beyond) in May 2002 for this exciting and
important event! (011)
DIAC-02
This event will be the eighth bi-annual "Directions and Implications of
Advanced Computing" (DIAC) symposium. A variety of events are planned
ranging from invited speakers, panel discussions, and pattern
presentations to numerous opportunities for informal working sessions --
both planned and spontaneous -- on various topics. (012)
Pattern Orientation
The focus of this symposium will be on "patterns" that people can use to
help them develop and use communication and information technology in
ways that affirms human values. (013)
-Paul Fernhout
Kurtz-Fernhout Software
=========================================================
Developers of custom software and educational simulations
Creators of the Garden with Insight(TM) garden simulator
http://www.kurtz-fernhout.com (014)