[rohrpost] cfp.: Images of Virtuality

[Claus Pias]

DEADLINE EXTENDED
(apologies for multiple postings)
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"Images of Virtuality: Conceptualizations and Applications in Everyday  
Life"
An IFIP WG9.5 "Virtuality and Society" International Workshop
April 23-24, 2009
Athens, Greece
_____________________________________________________________________________

Following on last year's International Working Conference of IFIP 9.5  
Working Group on Virtuality and Society: "Massive Virtual Communities"  
at Leuphana University, Luneburg, this workshop will focus on  
conceptualizations and applications of virtuality in everyday life,  
including socialization, governance, education, entrepreneurship and  
entertainment.

The main objective of this workshop is to encourage the continuation  
and enrichment of the discussion on virtuality and society, by  
focusing more on the technologies, arts, and practices of virtuality  
as they emerge in spaces and contexts of everyday life. The workshop  
constitutes an opportunity to bring together theoretical  
conceptualizations and practical applications of Images of Virtuality  
manifest in human interaction with information, social, professional  
and technological systems, art, culture, and nature.


CALL FOR PAPERS

Issues to explore, include among others the following: Where and how  
can we experience Images of Virtuality in our everyday life? Who do  
such such Images implicate social interaction, information  
technologies, architectural artifacts, artworks, imagination, or  
combinations of such elements? What is the meaning of such Images for  
our everyday life? How does the experience of such Images transform  
our everyday practices and shape our own individual of collective Image?

Current applications of virtuality make use of various technologies  
such as WEB2.0 & 3.0, ubiquitous computing with RFID, GIS and GPS,  
mobile networks, intelligent agents and context-aware systems, to  
construct a Cyberspace of Virtual Worlds and social networks. Trends  
in virtuality point towards an integration of such elements at the  
point where the virtual and non-virtual unite into a new digital space  
augmenting everyday life interactions. The goal of this workshop is to  
bring together researchers and practitioners interested in presenting  
and discussing conceptualizations of virtuality and current  
applications of Information Systems that underly virtual spaces of  
interaction.

Relevant topics and themes include, but are not limited to:

* Discussing problems of design, construction, adoption, and use of  
Information Systems in the context of virtuality
* Exploring new (e-,or v-) research methodologies and techniques on  
inquiring into social action in the context of virtuality
* Identifying challenging social, ethical, and political issues of  
socialization in virtuality
* Discussing the role of digital representation in multi-actor remote  
collaboration contexts, both professional and social
* Identifying opportunities and challenges for education, governance,  
and entrepreneurship in Virtual Worlds
* Discussing emerging issues of e-policy and e-quality of life  
specifically implicated by the Virtual


REVIEWING PROCESS AND WORKSHOP TIMEFRAME

Full and short (in-progress) research papers are solicited for this  
event. Both types of contributions will be submitted to a double blind- 
folded peer review process. Details on review schedule are provided  
later in this call. Instructions to authors can be found here: http://www.imagesofvirtuality.org/submit.html

The workshop will be a full day event and will be open to a maximum of  
50-60 participants. It will comprise presentations of full research  
papers (15-20 mins) followed by a 10 min discussion coordinated by a  
discussant allocated to each paper presentation. A special session  
will also be available for virtual presentations (via Skype, Second  
Life etc).

On April 23rd, a pre-workshop day is scheduled with two special  
sessions: First, a morning session with presentations of in-progress  
research work in a looser format compared to typical conference-like  
paper presentations. Second, an afternoon doctoral research meeting,  
offering PhD students the opportunity to present and discuss their  
work in an informal, ‘loose’ format (posters, case studies and demos  
are strongly encouraged). Both of these two sessions are subject to an  
adequate participation. In case of limited offers to contribute to  
these pre-workshop events, the two sessions will merge in one half-day  
session.


PROCEEDINGS

Both full and in-progress research contributions will be included in a  
CD-ROM published with an ISBN. Proceedings will be listed in major  
citation databases such as EBSCO, ABSInform, etc. Workshop  
contributions will also be considered for publication in a Special  
Issue of a related International Journal.


IMPORTANT DATES

*Paper submissions due: February 15, 2009
* otification to authors: March 8, 2009
* inal papers submissions due: April 5, 2009
* Workshop: April 23-24, 2009


PROGRAM COMMITTEE

* Chrisanthi Avgerou, Management Information Systems and Innovation,  
London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
* Nikolaos Avouris, HCI Group, University of Patras, GR.
* Kevin Crowston, Information Studies, Syracuse University, USA.
* Paul C. van Fenema, Netherlands Defense Academy, and Tilburg  
University, NL.
* Dimitris Gouscos, New Technologies Laboratory in Communication,  
Education and the Mass Media, University of Athens, GR.
* David Kreps, Business Management, Salford University, UK.
* Alexandros-Andreas Kyrtsis, Political Science & Public  
Administration, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, GR.
* Niki Panteli, School of Management, University of Bath, UK.
* Dimitris Papalexopoulos, School of Architecture, National Technical  
University of Athens, GR.
* Anthony Papargyris, Management Science & Technology, Athens  
University of Economics and Business, GR.
* Angeliki Poulymenakou, Management Science & Technology, Athens  
University of Economics and Business, GR.
* Francois de Vaujany, Institute of Business Administration, Grenoble  
University, FR.
* Martin Warnke, Computer Science & Culture, Leuphana University  
Lueneburg, D.



ORGANIZAERS

* Angeliki Poulymenakou (IFIP WG 9.5 founding member, Associate  
Professor in Information Systems, and leader of ISTLab/OIS research  
group, Department of Management Science and Technology, Athens  
University of Economics and Business, akp at aueb.gr)
* Anthony Papargyris (IFIP WG 9.5 founding member, Doctoral researcher  
in Information Systems, and ISTLab/OIS research associate, Department  
of Management Science and Technology, Athens University of Economics  
and Business, apaparg at aueb.gr)


For more information check the owrkshop's web site: http://www.ImagesOfVirtuality.org