[Air-L] thoughts on CHI

[Barry Wellman]

I haven't been to CHI for 11 years (so grain of salt)....

It's an excellent conference for seeing how computer scientists interested
in social software work. I learned a lot.

However, when I went, it was a closed group very interested in small-group
apps, even as the internet was flourishing. This, I hope, has changed.

You get a lot of schwag for what you pay. The fees are aimed at
corporately funded and computer scientists with bigger grants.
Nevertheless I felt welcome.

Indeed, I gave a plenary talk once.

But... I could never get an article accepted in a refereed session. I grew
frustrated, and I quit going.
I was told is that because my articles didn't provide practical design
principles.
OTOH, like many rejectees, I felt the refereeing was obtuse and unfair.

YMMV

If you do send in a paper, please note that the deadline for papers is for
receipt by the powers that be -- not (as in the social sciences) for the
date of submission. I once got burned by this, howled, but to no avail.

You play by Their Rules.

 Barry Wellman
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