[Air-l] Re: expectations at a conference

[Jeremy Hunsinger]

On Sep 5, 2005, at 3:21 PM, Barry Wellman wrote:

> I'm glad that I started such an interesting debate.
>
> But Jeremy,
>
> I don't believe you really think that every utterance at the AOIR  
> should
> be treated as a public utterance, even if 1:1 over coffee or  
> sitting next
> to each other at a session, or 1:dinner table at banquet.

what is a public and reportable utterance?   by an academic at a  
conference?   i think that while there are private discussions at  
conferences, we do have to be aware of our audiences perceptions if  
there is an audience.   if you whisper something to me, that is one  
thing, but if you criticize a paper within earshot of of 10 people or  
more, that... would not be private.    Private areas aren't clear  
though, if you say something to your table at the banquet, then i'd  
think that as a fairly public statement.  However, if it was just you  
and a select set of invitees at a private dinner, then i'd say that  
was a private conversation.   The difference in my mind is how the  
event is constructed.  Conferences and venues are generally public  
events in my mind, whereas smaller groups, 2,3,4 people, close  
friends and colleagues are more likely to be private.

There is also a question about when are you speaking as a private  
individual as compared to speaking as Barry Wellman, Sociologist?    
when is whatever you do or say to be construed as a public act?   I  
think it becomes very hard for someone reporting to distinguish  
between private conversation and public conversation when the topic  
of conversation is in fact the topic of your expertise,  no?  i seem  
to recall some material on the public reception of science on this  
from the 80's, I'll have to go look.  But I think you can see that  
the role we play and the context of that role may be confusing for  
people who are enacting a different practice.    In regard to that,  
if you are well known, perhaps it is less likely that your opinion  
will be treated as private if it is stated at a public event?

>
> I know you and I have had chats that should remain just that: chats.

yes, we have, and we've taken those in what were to me, and i think  
to you fairly closed private groups or spaces.


>
> Moreover, I don't believe that we should warn everyone when we speak
> informally that netiquette means that you can't publish what I said. I
> will not go around and get waivers at every coffee break, nor will I
> expect bloggers to wear cautionary yellow armbands.

i don't know.  I hear people say "don't quote that" sometimes and i  
think that if there is any possible lack of clarity that sometimes it  
is better in those cases to make sure things are clear.

>
> archiving holds back some frank discussion.
>
yes it does, and that serves a purpose.  i think that  awareness of  
archives normalizes discourse to the imagined audience of archive  
readers.

Jeremy Hunsinger
Center for Digital Discourse and Culture
() ascii ribbon campaign - against html mail
/\ - against microsoft attachments

http://www.aoir.org The Association of Internet Researchers