[artinfo] CALL: Shared encounters: Content Sharing as Social Glue in Public Space

[Interactionfield]

CALL FOR WORKSHOP PARTICIPATION
Deadline: Jan. 12th 2007

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Shared Encounters: Content Sharing as Social Glue in Public Space

Workshop at ACM SIGCHI 2007, San Jose, California
Sunday April 29th 2007
http://www.mediacity-project.org/shared-encounters

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Our everyday lives are characterized by encounters, some are fleeting and
ephemeral and others are more enduring and meaningful exchanges. Shared
encounters are the glue of social networks, although our everyday encounters
are increasingly mediated by communications technologies that free up our
social interaction from fixed spatial settings. We propose that content
sharing through mobile and ubiquitous technologies, consciously situated in
public space is a valuable new social practice.It can contribute towards
redefining boundaries of access between communities, and create more
fulfilling sustained encounters in Spatial settings.

In this context we aim to:

* identify the types of encounters, and the characteristics which make an
encounter a rich experience

* understand the qualities of situations which sustain shared encounters

* investigate how sharing through mass media and personal media provide ways
for people to communicate and engage with others

* differentiate the relationship between the types of social groups in
networked communities

* determine the components of situated computing which enable them to act as
key enabling platforms

We welcome contributions from researchers from a diverse range of fields,
such as HCI, architecture, media, psychology and urban studies. Authors are
invited to submit a four-page position statement in the ACM SIGCHI workshop
publication format. Position statements are particularly invited which
identify and discuss qualitative and quantitative methodologies, present
specific case studies or that take a structured perspective reflecting on
the workshop themes.

Selection of workshop participants will be based on refereed submissions and
selected participants will be invited to participate actively in the
workshop sessions. It is our aim to publish and document the outcomes of the
workshop. At least one author of accepted papers needs to register for the
workshop and for one day of the conference itself.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Jan. 12th 2007: Position papers due.
Feb. 1st, 2007: Notification of acceptance.
Apr. 29th 2007: Workshop.

SUBMISSIONS AND QUESTIONS: shared-encounters at mediacityproject.com

WEB: http://www.mediacity-project.org/shared-encounters

ORGANIZERS
Katharine S. Willis, Bauhaus University of Weimar
Konstantinos Chorianopoulos, Bauhaus University of Weimar
Mirjam Struppek, Interactionfield - Urban Media Research, Berlin
George Roussos, Birkbeck College, University of London