SESSION 1

SESSION 2

SESSION 3

SESSION 4

SESSION 9

SESSION 10

1.

Online Americans: Who They Are, What They Do, and What Internet Means to Them

Speaker: Harrison (Lee) Rainie, Director, Pew Internet & American Life Project

Abstract: This talk will cover the findings of the Pew Internet & American Life Project during three years' of survey work and other research into the social impact of people's Internet use. Among other things, I will talk about our latest findings related to the digital divide, how Americans use the Internet to get health care information, and the ways in which voters used the Internet during the 2002 election campaign.

2.

The Internet and Social Life: Details Make a Difference

Speaker: Robert Kraut, HCI Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

Abstract: The Internet is used for a wide variety of purposes -communicating with friends and family, meeting new people, acquiring information about news, health, and other topics, entertaining oneself, and purchasing products. Most research examining the impact of the Internet on social life (including my own) has ignored this diversity of use, treating Internet usage per se, years online, or hours using the Internet as the predictor. Most research has also used cross sectional data, thereby confusing characteristics of Internet users with the consequences of using the Internet. This talk reports on new data from a national longitudinal survey. Our research suggests, surprisingly, that social uses of the Internet are less beneficial for social involvement and psychological wellbeing than are entertainment and informational uses.

3.

Title The HP Media Center PC - A Case Study

Authors: Catherine Sheldon, Market Research Program Manager, Home Products Division, Hewlett-Packard Company

Abstract: This case history of the development and recent introduction of the HP Media Center PC starts in the theoretical phase of brainstorming what consumers would want, follows product development incorporating market research findings and technological innovations, and culminates in product introduction and follow-up of who actually bought the product and how it is being used. This story of the meeting between cool technology based on new usage models and business realities has a happy ending, as well as a "to be continued…".

4.

Toward Networked Individualism: The Internet in Everyday Life

Speaker: Barry Wellman, NetLab Director, University of Toronto

Abstract: In olden days we thought of the Internet as a dazzling transcdendent light in the firmament. It has now descended to earth, becoming immanent in everyday life. Online and offline are becoming one. The flow of communciation and information through the Internet is amplifying a turn away from living and working in groups towards living, working and finding community in multiple, shifting social networks. I shall use data from our NetLab's research and other sources to describe and analyze this turn towards networked individualism.

5.

ICT Mediated Place-Based Community

Speaker: Keith Hampton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Abstract: Neighborhoods and whole cities are increasingly being designed with a broadband telecommunications infrastructure that provides access to the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs). These ICTs have made it increasingly possible to socialize, shop, work, learn and participate in leisure activities, all from within the refuge of the private residence. The movement of activities, once almost exclusively ascribed to the public realm, into the private home has reignited a century old debate into how technological innovation affects community. However, research into the impact of ICTs on community has generally ignored the crosscutting, multistranded nature of social relationships. For the most part, "community" still refers to neighborhood. Yet most of the social support, and much of the information and resources that people require to function in their day-to-day lives, comes from sources outside of the local setting. An understanding of the changing nature of community in the network society requires a closer look at the complex relationship between ICTs and social ties. Results from two recent studies on the impact of ICT on community, the Netville and E-Neighbors Projects, highlight the importance of considering the multiple means of communication, multiple foci of activity, and varying tie strengths in social networks.

6.

The Internet, Time and the Rest of Life

Speaker: John Robinson, University of Maryland

Abstract: The Internet has been described as ushering in an era as important as the Industrial revolution. Data from several recent time-diary and other national surveys are examined to see whether Internet time seems to affect social life, into use of mass media and into other home activities. The implications of time displacements and other apparent impacts of the Internet for the "digital divide" are discussed as well

7.

Bridges as Community Glue

Speaker: John M. Carroll, Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Abstract: Members of a community can create social capital by bonding (creating strong ties within groups) and by bridging (creating weak ties across groups). As part of a larger study of the Blacksburg Electronic Village, and its community in Blacksburg and Montgomery County, Virginia, we studied "bridges": persons who are members or leaders in more than one community group.

Bridges tend to be higher in socio-economic status and extroversion. They tend to be more informed, civic-minded, socially engaged, and interested in politics. They tend to feel more trust, belonging, community attachment, and community collective efficacy. They participate more and are more activist. They are more interested in computers and engage in more online political activity. Their use of the Internet has helped to increase their involvement with the local community and with local issues, increased their feelings of connectedness with local people, and their attendance at local meetings and events.

8.

The Changing World of Home Technology: A Microsoft Perspective

Speaker: Nancy Bell, Pam Heath, Wallace Henry, Aaron Woodman, Microsoft Corporation

Abstract: We have entered the "digital decade" when advances in technology will become deeply woven into home life. But how will home technology evolve from an experience that's technically challenging to an experience that's intuitive and fun? This presentation will review new technologies and products being introduced into the home and discuss some of the challenges that Microsoft faces in consumer market. As a specific example of the impact of home technology, we'll review lessons learned from the adoption and integration of a home internet product from a user experience perspective. Looking ahead to the next decade, we'll then take a look at Microsoft's vision for the home of the future, examining new directions and strategies.

9.

Embodied Interactions and Digital Cultural Practices

Author: Simon Penny

Abstract: TBA