[Air-l] AOIR on AUT?

[Jeremy Hunsinger]

On May 25, 2005, at 1:39 PM, Ellis Godard wrote:

> Perhaps you misunderstand the AUT's blacklist, which itself is
> political, whereas opposition to it is not. The blacklist interferes
> with academic freedom, impeding the very plurality which, as you note,
> the AOIR tries to advance, and inhibits international groups from
> speaking equally.

i'm actually not involved in the AUT debate at all.

>
> The opposition to it is a-political, and includes a wide range of
> organizations such as the National Academy of Sciences, the New York
> Academy of Sciences, the American Association of University  
> Professors,
> the Middle East Studies Association, the American Political Science
> Association, the American Mathematical Society, and even a local  
> chapter
> of the AUT.

yes, those are the appropriate venues for your interest.
>
> What part of the AOIR population would be alienated by defending
> academic interaction against the encroachment of politics?

it is not this topic that alienates, it is the tendency to begin to  
make political statements, which will eventually alienate.  We don't  
do any political statements, against anyone, or for anyone, at least  
under our current bylaws and incorporation .

AoIR's purpose is pretty clear:

(a) to provide an international, interdisciplinary and  
interprofessional organization for promotion of scholarly and  
critical research into the social, cultural, political, economic and  
aesthetic aspects of the Internet.

(b) to organize and sponsor regular conferences to provide a forum so  
those engaged in Internet research can meet and exchange information  
about their work.

(c) to sponsor and disseminate information about Internet research  
through publication of a site on the WorldWideWeb and through other  
publications.

(d) to encourage recognition of Internet studies as an area for  
scholarly research, curriculum development and teaching.

(e) to establish connections between the scholarly community, those  
in Internet and Internet-related industries, and Internet users.

(f) to encourage the development of research and systematic study in  
topics and areas of Internet and Internet-related phenomena where  
such study is not well developed, both in terms of pioneering,  
substantive intellectual areas and in terms of regions, localities  
and institutions interested in Internet studies.

(g) to be a clearinghouse for information about Internet research  
resources and encourage their development.

(h) to encourage socially responsible Internet research that serves  
the common good.

(i) to engender a networked approach to the establishment, growth,  
and organization of this association.


Other organizations may have more socially active or policy-oriented  
bylaws.  but the above is what we do, and it does not involve in my  
ability to discern developing statements as you request.  You can ask  
the President to bring this to the Exec's attention, but I would  
expect that we would read the bylaws and say 'it is outside of our  
mission'.

>
> -eg

Jeremy Hunsinger
Center for Digital Discourse and Culture
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