A formal description of zz-structures

The focus of this paper is on particular and innovative structures for storing, linking and manipulating information: The zz-structures. In the last years, we worked at the formalization of these structures, retaining that the description of the formal aspects can provide a better understanding of them, and can also stimulate new ideas, projects and research. This work presents our contribution for a deeper discussion on zz-structures

A state of art survey on zz-structures

Zz-structures are particular data structures capable of representing both hypertextual information and contextual interconnections among different information. The focus of this paper is to stimulate new research on this topic, by providing, in a state of the art survey, a short description and comparison of all the material that, to the best of our knowledge, is related to zz-structures: informal and formal descriptions, implementations, languages, demonstrations, projects and applitudes of zz-structures; in fact, despite their large use in different fields, the literature lacks of an exhaustive and up-to-date description of them

Historical aspects of meetings, publication series, and digital resources dedicated to echinoderms

Half a century after the first scientific meeting dedicated to marine spiny-skinned animals (Deuterostomia: Echinodermata) was held in Washington, DC, we take this opportunity to provide information on a number of historical aspects related to the echinoderm scientific community. Apart from shedding light on the historical origins of modern echinoderm conferences, the present contribution presents photographs taken during the first meeting of echinoderm researchers in 1963 as well as during the first installments of the International Echinoderm Conference and the European Conference on Echinoderms. Furthermore, we provide background information on publication series dedicated solely to the Echinodermata as well as descriptions of selected digital resources that focus on echinoderms. Finally, we present a number of echinoderm conference logos and flyers in addition to selected information about specific echinoderm meetings

Intertwingled: The Work and Influence of Ted Nelson

History of Computing; Computer Appl. in Arts and Humanities; Data Structures; User Interfaces and Human Computer Interactio

mSpace: What do Numbers and Totals Mean in a Flexible Semantic Browser

With the Semantic Web community’s growing interest in Human Computer Interaction, this paper addresses a challenge for user interface design and future shifts in search paradigms. Where browsers using current search paradigms often use numeric values to indicate volumes of sub-hierarchies, future semantic browsers will not be limited to fixed hierarchical datasets, but allow flexible exploration through multiple intersecting domains. With the future use of similar numeric indicators uncertain, research here suggests that the inclusion of such indicators should be based around focal data objects within each information domain. Further research is required, as a significant number of contradicting participant expectations were present. It is the concern of the Semantic Web community to make sure that future btic search paradigms can best support their users

Political Advocacy on the Web: Issue Networks in Online Debate Over the USA Patriot Act

This dissertation examines how people and organizations used the World Wide Web to discuss and debate a public policy in 2005, at a point of time when the Internet was viewed as a maturing medium for communication. Combining descriptive and quantitative frame analyses with an issue network analysis, the study evaluated the frames apparent in discourse concerning two key sections of the USA Patriot Act, while the issue network analysis probed hypertext linkages among Web pages where discussion was occurring. Sections 214 and 215 of the USA Patriot Act provided a contentious national issue with multiple stakeholders presumed to be attempting to frame issues connected to the two sections. The focus on two sections allowed frame and issue network contrasts to be made. The study sought evidence of an Internet effect to determine whether the Web, through the way people were using it, was having a polarizing, synthesizing, or fragmentizing effect on discussion and debate. Frame overlap and hypertext linkage patterns among actors in the issue networks indicated an overall tendency toward synthesis. The study also probed the degree to which there is a joining, or symbiosis, of Web content and structure, in part evidenced by whether patterns exist that like-minded groups are coming together to form online community through hypertext linkages. Evidence was found to support this conclusion among Web pages in several Internet domains, although questions remain about linking patterns among blogs due to limitations of the software used in the study. Organizational Web sites on average used a similar number of frames compared to other Web page types, including blogs. The organizational Web pages were found to be briefer in how they discussed issues, however. The study contributes to theory by offering the first known empirical study of online community formation and issue advocacy on a matter of public policy and through its finding of a linkage between Web content and Web structure. Methodologically, the study presents a flexible mixed-methods model of descriptive and quantitative approaches that appears excellently suited for Internet studies. The dissertation’s use of fuzzy clustering and discriminant analysis offer important improvements over existing approaches in factor-based frame analysis and frame mapping techniques

Acessibilidade cognitiva para o letramento de jovens com deficiência intelectual

This paper provides a description of the cognitive accessibility procedures used in the design and development of a virtual learning environment - AVALER - during a constructivisttheory supported research on literacy-enabling practices for young students with intellectual disabilities. Action-research was the chosen methodology. The subjects of the study are two teachers and nine students of a specialized school who carried out activitries characterized as "literacy-enabling practices", with the assistance of communication and information technologies, over a period of ten months. The interest of the students about the proposed activities and the spontaneous attempts to read and write were observed. Students also made associations of ideas and understood texts on "AVALER", conceived from Cognitive Flexibility Theory.Este artículo tiene como objetivo describir los procedimientos destinados a la accesibilidad cognitiva empleados en el diseño y desarrollo de un ambiente virtual de aprendizaje –AVALER- tras una investigación sobre prácticas de alfabetización para estudiantes jóvenes con discapacidad intelectual, basada en la teoría constructivista. Se empleó la metodología de investigación-acción. Durante diez meses se trabajó con dos profesores y nueve estudiantes de una escuela especializada que desarrolló, con la ayuda de técnicas de la comunicación y de la información, actividades caracterizadas como ‘prácticas útiles para alfabetizar’. Como resultado de la investigación se observó el interés de los alumnos por las actividades propuestas y la realización espontánea de intentos de leer y escribir. Los estudiantes también establecieron asociaciones de ideas y comprendieron un texto presentado en AVALER preparado a partir de la Teoría de la Flexibilidad Cognitiva.O presente artigo tem por objetivo descrever os procedimentos voltados para a acessibilidade cognitiva utilizados na concepção e desenvolvimento de um ambiente virtual de aprendizagem - AVALER, em uma pesquisa sobre práticas de letramento para jovens com deficiência intelectual fundamentada em teorias construtivistas. A metodologia utilizada no estudo é a pesquisa-ação. Os sujeitos são dois professores e nove alunos de uma escola especializada que realizaram atividades com tecnologias da comunicação e da informação, caracterizadas como “práticas de letramento”, durante dez meses. Como resultados da pesquisa, observou-se o interesse dos alunos pelas atividades propostas e a realização espontânea de tentativas de leitura e escrita. Os estudantes também fizeram associações de ideias e compreenderam os textos apresentados no AVALER, concebido a partir da Teoria da Flexibilidade Cognitiva. 

The challenge of visuality for electronic literature: Conference panel: The medium

Whilst there may be aesthetic tropes within digital media, there is no universally accepted authority within contemporary culture nor is there an easy mutual acceptance of what is “right and proper” or indeed legitimate outside the now virtue of being popular and well followed. Indeed the now bodily distanced and disinhibited digital citizen frequently demonstrates a palpable distain for the elite and pretentious. Considering this, any community with Literature in its name may have an identity problem; literariness still pertains to an elevated quality of artistic or intellectual merit and is thus counter to popular cultural production. In addition, mainstream culture has successfully commoditized many counter-cultural communities. Electronic Literature has arguably not been through such commodification processes, and the question of interest is why not? To that extent this paper seeks to explore possible answers. Investigating the broader shifts towards increased visuality within modern culture the paper will discuss and revisit the discourses on the power structures of the gaze, consider spectatorship’s dominance over readership and interaction and co-creation and the function of the image within contemporary narrative forms inside and outwith Electronic Literature. The paper will also consider the politics implied in the move to open access, the fluid distribution of often context-less “images”, how this relates to prior notions of literary publishing, and whether this manifests as an opportunity or a challenge to Electronic Literature’s dissemination. Lastly and toward a conclusion, the paper will propose that if we consider the tradition of literature as one that is driven by the expression of human experience, where in today’s context literary “traditions” are not longer built around specific commonalities of form (i.e. predominately verbal language) but rather subject matter, themes and worldviews then the questions of identity and of “literariness” can evaporate to make space for fuller participation in the ocular freedoms in contemporary culture

Introduction: Electronic Literature as a Framework for the Digital Humanities

publishedVersio

Towards a killer app for the Semantic Web

Killer apps are highly transformative technologies that create new markets and widespread patterns of behaviour. IT generally, and the Web in particular, has benefited from killer apps to create new networks of users and increase its value. The Semantic Web community on the other hand is still awaiting a killer app that proves the superiority of its technologies. There are certain features that distinguish killer apps from other ordinary applications. This paper examines those features in the context of the Semantic Web, in the hope that a better understanding of the characteristics of killer apps might encourage their consideration when developing Semantic Web applications