[iDC] Situated Advocacy

[Trebor Scholz]

It is fairly clear that ubiquitous computing facilitates formative
experiences for the Me-Generation and beyond. This was one of the
starting points of a three-month long discussion about situated
technologies on this list in 2006. Remember?

https://lists.thing.net/pipermail/idc/2006-July/thread.html

https://lists.thing.net/pipermail/idc/2006-August/thread.html

https://lists.thing.net/pipermail/idc/2006-September/thread.html

Out of these vivid and sometimes controversial exchanges emerged a
three-day symposium presented last October by the Architectural League
of New York, the Center for Virtual Architecture, and the Institute  
for Distributed Creativity (iDC) at the Urban Center and Eyebeam in
New York City.

http://www.situatedtechnologies.net/

This fall -- together with the League -- Omar Khan, Trebor Scholz and
Mark Shepard will launch a nine-part pamphlet series to be published
over the next three years, exploring the implications of ubiquitous
computing for art and architecture.

We ask: How will our spatial experience and choices when navigating
the city be affected by existing and near-future mobile, embedded or
otherwise "situated" technologies. Computing moves into the material
fabric of our built environment, and networked technologies become  
more responsive.

This series of publications will consist of a succession of
"conversations" between researchers, writers and other practitioners
from fields as diverse as architecture, art, philosophy of technology,
comparative media study, performance studies, and engineering.

Some of the authors for these publications will be determined by  
us, the editors, and others will be selected through open calls. With
this post to the iDC, we are soliciting YOUR input on the issue of
"situated advocacy."

We are really, really curious about your take on the various
intersections of what we call "situated technologies" and advocacy.

Advocacy is the act of arguing on behalf of a particular issue,  
idea or person, and addresses issues like self-advocacy, abortion
rights, the re-structured digital divide, environmental protection,
social justice and the rights of youth.

If you have written on the subject, please free to post your thoughts on
this list. Don't be afraid of posting longer texts (no links to blog
essays please, idc at mailman.thing.net). We may well select your  
essay for inclusion in this publication on "situated advocacy."

best,
Omar Khan, Trebor Scholz, Mark Shepard