Wikipedia Conflict Representation in Articles of War: A critical discourse analysis of current, on-going, socio-political Wikipedia articles about war

With the help of a discourse-historical approach, a textual corpus composed of the talk pages of three controversial, socio-political Wikipedia articles about ongoing wars was analyzed in order to shed light on the way in which conflict is represented through the editing and discussion process. Additionally, a rational discourse was employed in order to unravel communication distortions within the editing process in an attempt to improve communication and consensus-seeking. Finally, semi-structured interviews of participating contributors within studied articles were used in order to better understand Wikipedian experience in a controversial collaboration scenario. Results unveiled a set of discursive practices in which Wikipedians participate, as well as the creation of a Wikipedian argumentation topoi framework useful for further Wikipedia-specific discourse analysis involving the content change-retain negotiation process

The Trouble with Knowing: Wikipedian consensus and the political design of encyclopedic media

Encyclopedias are interfaces between knowing and the unknown. They are devices that negotiate the middle ground between incompatible knowledge systems while also performing as dream machines that explore the political outlines of an enlightened society. Building upon the insights from critical feminist theory, media archaeology, and science and technology studies, the dissertation investigates how utopian and impossible desires of encyclopedic media have left a wake of unresolvable epistemological crises. In a 2011 survey of editors of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, it was reported that 87 per cent of Wikipedians identified as men. This statistic flew in the face of Wikipedias utopian promise that it was an encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Despite the early optimism and efforts to reduce this disparity, Wikipedias parent organization acknowledged its inability to significantly make Wikipedia more equitable. This matter of concern raised two questions: What kinds of knowing subjects is Wikipedia designed to cultivate and what does this conflict over who is included and excluded within Wikipedia tell us about the utopian dreams that are woven into encyclopedic media? This dissertation argues that answering these troubling questions requires an examination of the details of the present, but also the impossible desires that Wikipedia inherited from its predecessors. The analysis of these issues begins with a genealogy of encyclopedias, encyclopedists, encyclopedic aesthetics, and encyclopedisms. It is followed by an archeology of the twentieth century deployment of consensus as an encyclopedic and political program. The third part examines how Wikipedia translated the imaginary ideal of consensus into a cultural technique. Finally, the dissertation mobilizes these analyses to contextualize how consensus was used to limit the dissenting activities of Wikipedia's Gender Gap Task Force. The dissertation demonstrates that the desire and design of encircling knowledge through consensus cultivated Wikipedias gender gap. In this context, if encyclopedic knowledge is to remain politically and culturally significant in the twenty-first century, it is necessary to tell a new story about encyclopedic media. It must be one where an attention to utopian imaginaries, practices, and techniques not only addresses how knowledge is communicated but also enables a sensitivity to the question of who can know

Communication Balance in the Telematic Society and Users’ Technical Imagination

Diese Studie ist eine explorative Forschungsarbeit die darauf abzielt, Stimmen und Ansichten von NutzerInnen sozialer Medien, im Zusammenspiel mit dem theoretischen Gerüst von Flussers Kommunikationstheorie, zu beleuchten. Konkreter gesprochen wird diese Studie empirisch untersuchen, wie Menschen soziale Medien als dialogische Kommunikationsmedien im Vergleich zu Massenmedien als diskursives Kommunikationsmedium wahrnehmen und nutzen. Auf Ergebnissen empirischer Untersuchung beruhend, wird diese Studie die Folge davon für das Kommunikationsgleichgewicht erschließen. Diese Studie führte ein Fokusgruppeninterview mit koreanischen NutzerInnen sozialer Medien durch. Insgesamt wurden für das Interview 24 koreanische NutzerInnen von sozialen Medien durch das Stichprobenverfahren befragt. Die Befragten waren KoreanerInnen in den 20igern bis 30igern, die in der Provinz Seoul und Gyeonggi, Südkorea, leben. Die Analyse des Inhaltes wurde gemäß der Methode der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse (Mayring, 2000) durchgeführt. Diese Studie erweist, dass die Entwicklung von sozialen Medien uns die Möglichkeit für das Wachsen von dialogischer Kommunikation gibt, um ein Gegengewicht zur Dominanz des diskursiven Medienkomplexes zu sein. Nicht desto trotz ist um dieses Ideal zu erzielen noch viel zu beheben. Es scheint dringend und wichtig für die Entwicklung von sozialen Medien zu sein, die Techno-Imagination des Nutzers herauszubilden, wenn man die Ergebnisse dieser Studie betrachtet. Die Forschung über die Nutzerwahrnehmung und -Aktivität von sozialen Medien hat verdeutlicht, das dass Potential von sozialen Medien durch die Techno-Imagination des Nutzers voll ausgeschöpft werden kann. Die Wege öffnen sich für uns entweder zu einer telematischen Gesellschaft, wo die diskursive und dialogische Kommunikation ausgeglichen ist oder zum Totalitarismus, der von einem diskursiven Medienkomplex, wie Flusser darlegt, dominiert wird. In welche Richtung wir gehen hängt von den Bemühungen ab den aktiven Nutzer mit Techno-Imagination zu entwickeln.:1. Introduction to the Study 1.1 The Problem Statement and Purpose of Study 1.2 Research Questions 1.3 Structure of the Thesis 2. Flusser’s Theory of the Telematic Society 2.1 Major Themes of Flusser’s Communication Theory 2.1.1 Proposition of Communication 2.1.2 Historical Typology of Communication 2.1.3 Balance of Communication 2.2 Imbalance in Communication in the Age of Technical Images 2.2.1 A Mechanism and a Function of Technical Images 2.2.2 The Media System in the Age of Technical Images 2.2.3 Domination of Technical Images and Mass Deception 2.3 Prospects for Communication Balance in the Telematic Society 2.3.1 A Communication Structure of the Telematic Society 2.3.2 Users of the Telematic Society 2.3.3 Socio-Cultural Characteristics of the Telematic Society 3. Development of the Telematic Society 3.1 Current State of the Telematic Technology 3.1.1 The Emergence of Social Media 3.1.2 A Growth in Social Media Users 3.2 The Development of Dialogical Media Culture 3.2.1 Diversification of Information Media Use 3.2.2 A Growth of Dialogical Information Activity 3.2.3 The Development of Networked Political Activism 3.3 Current Obstacles to the Telematic Society 3.3.1 Users’ Passivity in Social Media 3.3.2 New Power Concentration of the Web 3.3.3 The Rise of National Webs and Danger of State’s Control on the Web 4. Users’ Perception and Practice in the Telematic Society 4.1 Research Method and Analysis 4.2 Analysis of Focus Group Interviews 4.2.1 Use of Social Media 4.2.2 Users’ Perception and Evaluation of Social Media 5. Implication of Users’ Technical Imagination and Communication Balance 5.1 A Typology of Social Media Users and Technical Imagination 5.1.1 Critical Active Users 5.1.2 Pragmatic Users 5.1.3 Critical Information Seekers 5.1.4 Skeptical Users 5.1.5 Conservative Users 5.2 Implication for Communication Balance 5.2.1 Possibility of the Growth of Telematic Users 5.2.2 Promotion of Users’ Competences for Communication Balance 6. Conclusion and Recommendations for Further Study 6.1 Conclusion 6.2 Recommendations Bibliography Appendix Abstrac

The web 2.0 Internet: Democratized Internet collaborations in the healthcare sector

Les col•laboracions democratitzades a Internet, entenent-les com les eines participatives de la xarxa, o la Web 2.0, afecten en l'actualitat a nombrosos aspectes la nostra vida. Els acadèmics destaquen el potencial de la Web 2.0 per millorar l’aprenentatge o la salut, així com el seu continu impacte en sectors com el de la tecnologia de mitjans de comunicació. També plantegen un gran nombre de qüestions importants als professionals i estudiosos. Per exemple, la consideració crítica de la Web 2.0 com una bombolla o bé com un element més del màrqueting, que necessita d'una determinació del seu abast i naturalesa. Aquest mateix punt és aplicable a l'ús de la Web 2.0 en el sector sanitari, també anomenat com Medicina 2.0 o Sanitat 2.0. Referent a això, considerant el risc que el contingut generat per altres usuaris sigui utilitzat per prendre decisions relatives a la salut, i tenint en compte l'eficàcia no provada de la Web 2.0 com a instrument de la política sanitària, els acadèmics del tema conviden a la definició de millors models que es puguin aplicar a l'ús pràctic d'aquesta eina. Aquesta tesi es centra en l'estudi d'aquestes qüestions fonamentals, en un camp que es mou a gran velocitat, per darrera de la pràctica real, i que requereix la concertació d'una investigació interdisciplinària. Per tant, aquesta tesi incorpora set obres diferents que ofereixen àmplies perspectives sobre l'ús d'eines de col•laboració en la xarxa en el camp de l'atenció sanitària, cadascuna analitzant el tema amb una profunditat suficient com per seguir sent rellevant en un camp en ràpida evolució. Aquestes obres inclouen un examen d'(1) la Web 2.0 i (2) la Medicina 2.0, utilitzant l'anàlisi del contingut de milions de converses de la xarxa per identificar les principals qüestions pràctiques o teòriques i les tensions subjacents a cada concepte. Dos estudis addicionals analitzen (3) com i per què els metges fan servir les eines de la Web 2.0, i (4) com els metges busquen la informació en aquest context en constant moviment com és el d'Internet. Aquests dos estudis es basen en enquestes, diaris i entrevistes amb els metges que treballen en el Servei Nacional de Salut del Regne Unit. Tots dos destaquen resultats importants com ara models per a l'ús de la Medicina 2.0, o contribucions importants a la literatura com la connexió de la recerca cognitiva en la xarxa i la valoració de la informació en xarxa, tots dos camps sense connexió amb anterioritat a aquest treball. Tres estudis addicionals analitzen la web 2.0 des d'una perspectiva organitzacional, incloent (5) un estudi dels models de disseny de l'ús de la Web 2.0 en el sector farmacèutic, el qual detalla els millors models de pràctiques d'ús, i la seva clara relació amb els models de disseny de codi obert, i (6) també les estratègies d'innovació oberta al sector farmacèutic, on les eines de col•laboració en la xarxa permeten aquest tipus d'estratègies. Els dos últims estudis fan servir entrevistes amb 120 executius del sector farmacèutic analitzats a través d'anàlisi temàtic. Tots dos fan contribucions importants a la literatura mitjançant la caracterització de les estratègies d'innovació oberta i les implicacions per generar la capacitat d'absorció en el context d'innovació oberta. L'últim estudi (7) examina la Medicina 2.0 des de la perspectiva dels proveïdors de serveis de salut, per ajudar a la gestió d'ús de la Web 2.0 com un instrument per a millorar l’atenció sanitària. En general, hi ha moltes contribucions importants a la literatura, que en conjunt aconsegueixen ampliar el panorama de la Web 2.0 en l'assistència sanitària, i aporten consideracions especifiques a la literatura que abasta els sistemes d'informació, les ciències de la informació i la informàtica mèdica , així com la innovació oberta i l'estratègia. Las colaboraciones democratizadas en Internet, entendiéndolas como las herramientas participativas de la red o la Web 2.0, afectan en la actualidad a numerosos aspectos nuestra vida. Los académicos destacan el potencial de la Web 2.0 para mejorar el eAprendizaje o la salud, así como su continuo impacto en sectores como el de la tecnología de medios de comunicación. También plantean un gran número de cuestiones importantes a los profesionales y estudiosos. Por ejemplo, la consideración crítica de la Web 2.0 como una burbuja o bien como un elemento más del marketing, que necesita de una determinación de su alcance y naturaleza. Este mismo punto es aplicable al uso de la Web 2.0 en el sector sanitario, también denominado como Medicina 2.0 o Sanitad 2.0. A este respecto y considerando el riesgo de que el contenido generado por otros usuarios sea utilizado para tomar decisiones relativas a la salud, y la eficacia no probada de la Web 2.0 como instrumento de la política sanitaria; los académicos del tema invitan a la definición de mejores modelos que se puedan aplicar al uso práctico de esta herramienta. Esta tesis se centra en el estudio de estas cuestiones fundamentales, en un campo que se mueve a gran velocidad, por detrás de la práctica real, y que requiere la concertación de una investigación interdisciplinaria. Por lo tanto, esta tesis incorpora siete obras distintas que ofrecen amplias perspectivas sobre el uso de herramientas de colaboración en la red en el campo de la atención sanitaria, cada una analizando el tema con una profundidad suficiente como para seguir siendo relevante en un campo en rápida evolución. Estas obras incluyen un examen de (1) la Web 2.0 y (2) la Medicina 2.0, utilizando el análisis del contenido de millones de conversaciones de la red, para identificar las principales cuestiones prácticas o teóricas y las tensiones que subyacen a cada concepto. Dos estudios adicionales analizan (3) cómo y por qué los médicos usan las herramientas de la Web 2.0, y (4) cómo los médicos buscan la información en este contexto en constante movimiento como es el de Internet. Estos dos estudios se basan en encuestas, diarios y entrevistas con los médicos que trabajan en el Servicio Nacional de Salud del Reino Unido. Ambos destacan resultados importantes tales como modelos para el uso de la Medicina 2.0, o contribuciones importantes a la literatura como la conexión de la búsqueda cognitiva en la red y la valoración de la información en red, ambos campos sin conexión con anterioridad al presente trabajo.Tres estudios adicionales analizan la Web 2.0 desde una perspectiva organizacional, incluyendo (5) un estudio de los modelos de diseño del uso de la Web 2.0 en el sector farmacéutico, el cual detalla los mejores modelos de prácticas de uso, y su clara relación con los modelos de diseño de la open source, y (6) y también las estrategias de innovación abierta en el sector farmacéutico donde las herramientas de colaboración en la red permiten este tipo de estrategias. Los dos últimos estudios emplean entrevistas con 120 ejecutivos del sector farmacéutico analizados a través de análisis temático. Ambos hacen contribuciones importantes a la literatura mediante la caracterización de las estrategias de innovación abierta y las implicaciones para generar la capacidad de absorción en el contexto de innovación abierta. El último estudio (7) examina la Medicina 2.0 desde la perspectiva de los proveedores de servicios de salud, para ayudar a la gestión de uso de la Web 2.0 como un instrumento para la gestión de una mejor atención sanitaria. En general, hay muchas contribuciones importantes a la literatura, que en conjunto logran ampliar el panorama de la Web 2.0 en la asistencia sanitaria, y aportan consideraciones específicas a la literatura que abarca los sistemas de información, las ciencias de la información, la informática médica, así como la innovación abierta y la estrategia.Democratized internet collaborations, referring to participatory online tools or Web 2.0, now impact many aspects of people’s lives. Scholars note Web 2.0’s potential to improve eLearning or healthcare, and its ongoing impact in sectors such as tech-media. They also raise a plethora of important questions for practitioners and scholars, such as the criticism of Web 2.0 as hype or marketing term, which necessitates some determination of the scope and nature of Web 2.0. This holds equally for Web 2.0’s use in health care, denoted as Medicine 2.0 or Health 2.0. Moreover, given the risks of people using user-generated content for health decisions, and its unproven effectiveness as a health policy tool, scholars have called for best practice models of use. This thesis addresses these fundamental issues, in a field that is fast moving, behind actual practice, and that requires concerted inter-disciplinary research. Therefore, this thesis incorporates seven distinct works that provide broad perspectives on the use of online collaboration tools in healthcare, each analyzing a specific topic in enough depth to remain relevant in a fast moving field. These works include an examination of (1) Web 2.0 and (2) Medicine 2.0, using content analysis of millions of online conversations to surface the major practical or theoretical issues and tensions that underpin each concept. Two further studies examine (3) how and why doctors use Web 2.0 tools, and (4) how doctors search or forage for information in this evolving internet environment. These two studies rely on surveys, diaries and interviews from doctors working in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). Both highlight important results, such as models for Medicine 2.0 use, or make important contributions to literature such as connecting the previously separate cognitive online search and internet information judgment literatures. Three further studies examine Web 2.0 from an organizational perspective, including (5) design patterns of Web 2.0’s use in global Pharma, which details best practice models of use and its clear link to Open Source design patterns, and (6) global Pharma’s Open Innovation strategies, where online collaboration tools enable these strategies. The latter two studies employ interviews with 120 pharmaceutical executives analyzed through thematic analysis. They make major contributions to literature by characterizing open innovation strategies and gleaning implications for Absorptive Capacity in the Open Innovation context. The final study (7) examines Medicine 2.0 form the perspective of health service providers, informing management using eHealth as an instrument for improved healthcare management. Overall, there are many major contributions to literature, which together achieve both a broad overview of Web 2.0 in healthcare, but also make specific additions to literature encompassing information systems, information science, medical informatics, and open innovation and strategy

Revealing individual and collective pasts : visualizations of online social archives

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (p. 118-125).As mediated communication becomes an increasingly central part of everyday life, people have started going online to conduct business, to get emotional support, to find communities of interest, and to look for potential romantic partners. Most of these social activities take place primarily through the exchange of conversational texts that, over time, accrue into vast archives. As valuable as these collections of documents may be for our comprehension of the online social world, they are usually cumbersome, impenetrable records of the past. This thesis posits that history visualization- the visualization of people's past presence and activities in mediated environments- helps users make better sense of the online social spaces they inhabit and the relationships they maintain. Here, a progressive series of experimental visualizations explores different ways in which history may enhance social legibility. The projects visualize the history of people's activities in four different environments: a graphical chat room, a wiki site, Usenet newsgroups, and email. History and the persistent nature of online communication are the common threads connecting these projects. Evaluation of these tools shows that history visualizations can be utilized in a variety of ways, ranging from aids for quicker impression formation and mirrors for self-reflection, to catalysts for storytelling and artifacts for posterity.by Fernanda Bertini Viégas.Ph.D

Ensimmäinen ja toinen käsikirjoitusversio väitöskirjaa varten

This publication contains the first and the second manuscript version for LauriLahti’s doctoral dissertation in 2015 "Computer-assisted learning based on cumulative vocabularies, conceptual networks and Wikipedia linkage".Tämä julkaisu sisältää ensimmäisen ja toisen käsikirjoitusversion Lauri Lahden väitöskirjaan vuonna 2015 "Tietokoneavusteinen oppiminen perustuen karttuviin sanastoihin, käsiteverkostoihin ja Wikipedian linkitykseen".Not reviewe

The Nourishing Revolution: Exploring the Praxis of the Weston A. Price Foundation

As consumers of food, we are faced with many choices every day. We are encouraged to make healthy choices, but ‘healthy’ in today’s supermarket can mean many things: heart healthy, light, lite, cholesterol reducing, gluten or dairy free, organic, locally made or biodynamic. The discourses around food are now expansive, confusing and contradictory. Using a lens of Freirean praxis, this thesis explores the dispraxia of modern food and the praxis of the Weston A. Price foundation (WAPF) and wider Nourishing Food Movement, (NFM), which offers an alternative. The movement calls for a return to more traditional ways of selecting, preparing and eating food. For example, it emphasises soaking grains, preparing meals from scratch, and using less processed saturated fat and non-pasteurised milk. The thesis also challenges and debunks the discourse of modern food by exploring the controversy around the consumption of animal fat and raw milk. The praxis of the WAPF and NFM is explored more deeply through qualitative case studies investigating internet blogs. The blogs serve as a dynamic and interactive example of libratory education, in comparison with messages and recipes provided by the dominant, corporate, food industry. The interplay of multiple discourses and subject positions around gender and class in food blogging are examined in a reflexive blog-based discussion, highlighting the layered complexity which must be navigated and reconciled by individuals when making food choices. Overall, this thesis argues that the praxis of the WAPF acts to help empower consumers to make more genuine choices by providing techniques and information with which they can navigate the modern food context