Jim Brown's blog

CFP: "Open Source Culture and Aesthetics"

Submitted by Jim Brown on November 8, 2009 - 8:55pm

A new CFP from Criticism via Jeff Pruchnic:

SPECIAL ISSUE: "Open Source Culture and Aesthetics"

Submitted by Jim Brown on October 29, 2009 - 10:13am

A recent Facebook exchange got me thinking about a cynicism feedback loop and political rhetoric.

Last week, I posted a Washington Post story to Facebook about support for the public option. The story quoted some poll numbers that indicated that a majority of Americans support the public option. A friend of mine from college commented on this post, and the following change ensued:

CFP: Futures of Digital Studies 2010

Submitted by Jim Brown on October 19, 2009 - 12:14pm

The University of Florida Digital Ensemble is hosting a conference, Futures of Digital Studies, this February that looks to be a great place to showcase a variety of work in new media and digital studies:

The CWRL (er, DWRL) gets a facelift

Submitted by Jim Brown on October 14, 2009 - 11:29am

The Digital Writing and Research Lab at the University of Texas (formerly known as the CWRL and also the entity that so graciously provides server space for The Blogora) has gotten a wonderful facelift. Check out the new website and also check out the new version of Blogging Pedagogy.

2 comments

Full Disclosure to be Required for Bloggers

Submitted by Jim Brown on October 6, 2009 - 8:15am

More evidence that the Internet is not a regulation free zone:

For nearly three decades, the Federal Trade Commission’s rules regarding the relationships between advertisers and product reviewers and endorsers were deemed adequate. Then came the age of blogging and social media.

The Dumb Network

Submitted by Jim Brown on September 20, 2009 - 5:25pm

Good news. The FCC is expected to announce the beginning of its formal rulemaking process for net neutrality regulation.

The FCC's process is a great model of "open source" government. And it's going to be an interesting conversation when the FCC issues its Notice of Inquiry. Network providers don't like net neutrality, as it prevents them from determining how fast various packets of information travel across their networks. But advocates of net neutrality insist that a healthy Internet requires a "neutral" network.

A True Search for Common Ground

Submitted by Jim Brown on September 9, 2009 - 10:22pm

To bridge the two blog posts of the evening...

The Speech and "Common Ground"

Submitted by Jim Brown on September 9, 2009 - 9:18pm

Tonight's speech attempted to frame health care as a moral question. This seems to be the fundamental sticking point in the debate, does it not? Is health care a right or a privilege?

There seemed to be true common ground when the president spoke of making it illegal for insurance companies to discontinue care for "pre-existing conditions." But what was most disconcerting was something that Nate Silver pointed out in his live blog of the speech:

Brooke's Lingua Fracta: New Media is not just for the techies

Submitted by Jim Brown on August 28, 2009 - 10:55am

I have been away from the Blogora for too long, and it's time to get back into the swing of things. How about a post that begs you to see new media scholarship as something relevant to your life? Sound good? Good.

Single Payer vs. National Health Care

Submitted by Jim Brown on August 11, 2009 - 8:11pm

Nate Silver does it again:

"When someone confuses these two things, you can be pretty sure they're just...well, confused. Just like this woman or these people. Nobody would ever, not in a million bajillion infinity years, ever mix these things up on purpose! Just send 'em over here and we'll get 'em straighted out!"