Netspeak in an IRC Chatroom

This study examines the role of a variety of keyboard communication techniques utilized by participants in an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) room. Samples of interactions taken from a segment of the chat room’s log files highlight these techniques, collectively referred to as Netspeak, and shed light on a unique language which serves a variety of purposes aimed at more practical and effective interactions between participants communicating through this type of computer mediated communication (CMC). To explore the role of Netspeak in IRC, the study analyses the roles of abbreviations, paralanguage, emoticons and emoting use, and explains the intentions behind their use. The techniques suggest a facilitating role in real time, online communication between participants

OpenPolarServer (OPS) - An Open Source Spatial Data Infrastructure for the Cryosphere Community

The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at The University of Kansas has collected approximately 700 TB of radar depth sounding data over the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets since 1993 in an effort to map the thickness of the ice sheets and ultimately understand the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. In addition to data collection, the storage, management, and public distribution of the dataset are also one of the primary roles of CReSIS. The OpenPolarServer (OPS) project developed a free and open source spatial data infrastructure (SDI) to store, manage, analyze, and distribute the data collected by CReSIS in an effort to replace its current data storage and distribution approach. The OPS SDI includes a spatial database management system (DBMS), map and web server, JavaScript geoportal, and application programming interface (API) for the inclusion of data created by the cryosphere community. Open source software including GeoServer, PostgreSQL, PostGIS, OpenLayers, ExtJS, GeoEXT and others are used to build a system that modernizes the CReSIS SDI for the entire cryosphere community and creates a flexible platform for future development

Evaluation of the Child Maintenance Options Service

Aim We wanted to establish whether the Child Maintenance Options Service telephone helpline increased the likelihood of separated parents making arrangements for child maintenance. What is the Child Maintenance Options Service? Definitions of child maintenance vary, for this study it was defined as financial support that helps towards a child’s everyday living costs when the parents have separated. The Child Maintenance Options Service offers information and support to help parents make decisions about their child maintenance arrangements. Findings Overall, parents were positive about the helpfulness of the service. While positive results were achieved after just one or two short telephone calls, the service was most effective for those who had more in-depth and personalised contact with the service. Maintenance arrangements Around 7% of parents, referred by the Jobcentre Plus, who had more in-depth interaction with the service later made maintenance arrangements that they would not otherwise have had. Parents who were more recently separated and where there was regular contact between the non-resident parent and the child and between parents, were more likely to have a maintenance arrangement in place eight to nine months after contact with the service. There was some evidence that the service helps to ensure that maintenance is working. Over two-fifths of parents who had some contact with the service did not have a maintenance arrangement eight to nine months later. Methodology We conducted a telephone survey of a random sample of helpline users, between February and September 2009. A total of 2,767 parents participated in two research interviews: an initial ‘baseline’ and an ‘outcomes’ interview around six to nine months later. We worked with freelancer Eleanor Ireland on this project

Content Analysis of Pre- and Post-Jones Federal Appellate Cases: Implications of Jones for Fourth Amendment Search Law

This study examines the state of Fourth Amendment search law in relationship to the decision in the recent, landmark case of United States v. Jones. This study focused on the effects of the Jones decision, trespass doctrine, relative to the former precedent of Katz v. United States, reasonable expectation of privacy doctrine, and the rates of searches being found under these two tests (or a combination of both). This study used a qualitative content analysis of federal appellate cases which cited Jones and/or Katz to answer the following questions: Which tests were being used in federal appellate cases where a search was in question? And; Depending on the test being used, was a search more or less likely to be found? This study concluded, through the analysis of 34 cases pre-Jones decision and 38 cases post-Jones decision, that both tests are still being used, depending upon the parameters within the case itself (as Jones has very specific criteria for determining a search). This study also concluded that since the Jones decision, cases citing solely Jones found more searches to have occurred (100%, 11 cases) than did cases citing solely Katz (27.2%, 3 out of 11 cases) or cases which cited both (37.5%, 6 out of 16 cases)

Public relations and trade book publishing

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit