From: asb@media.mit.edu (A.S. Bruckman)
To: m.ramsch@ieee.org (Martin Ramsch)
Subject: Re: hello 
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 13:40:44 -0400
Thanks for your interest in my work!

A number of my papers are available via anonymous ftp from media.mit.edu:pub/asb/papers

Contents

IX.	cwc94.txt
VIII.	democracy-diac94.txt
VII.	serious-diac94.txt
VI.	deviance-chi94.{ps.Z, rtf.Z, txt}
V.	necc94.{ps.Z, rtf.Z, txt}
IV.	gender-swapping.{ps.Z, rxt}
III.	MediaMOO-3cyberconf.{ps.Z, rtf.Z, txt}
II.	identity-workshop.{ps.Z, rtf.Z}
I.	electronic-scrapbook/es{0-12}.ps

Abstracts for papers in this directory

IX. cwc94.txt

"Whole Learing: Three Communities Meet in Cyberspace." Extended abstract of plenary address to be given at The Tenth Computers and Writing Conference in Columbia, Missouri, May 1994. This talk highlights connections between research in computers and writing, constructionism, and whole language.

VIII. democracy-diac94.txt

"Democracy in Cyberspace." Workshop presented at DIAC 94, in Cambridge, MA on April 23-24, 1994. Organizer and panelist: Amy Bruckman. Panelists: Pavel Curtis, Nancy Deuel. Moderator: Mitchel Resnick. VHS video tape available for $20 US; email cpsr@cpsr.org for information.

How is cyberspace to be governed? Bulletin boards systems, text-based virtual reality systems (or "MUDs"), and other services on computer networks are not merely sources of information; they are communities. Those communities are playing an increasing part in the daily lives of a broader and broader segment of the population. Are they to be controlled by the owners of the hardware and software, or by the participants?

Pavel Curtis, the founder of LambdaMOO, will briefly describe the history of direct democracy on LambdaMOO. Amy Bruckman, the founder of MediaMOO, will briefly describe the history of representative democracy on MediaMOO. Nancy Deuel, one of MediaMOO's first elected councilors, will discuss her experiences as an elected official. Members of the LambdaMOO and MediaMOO communities will be invited to talk about how these experiments have affected them.

VII. serious-diac94.txt

"'Serious' uses of MUDs?" Panel presented at DIAC 94, in Cambridge, MA on April 23-24, 1994. Organizer and panelist: Amy Bruckman. Panelists: Pavel Curtis, Jon Callas, Remy Evard, David Van Buren. Moderator: Mitchel Resnick.

Are MUDs useful for "serious" purposes? Or are they "just games"? Are people exploring the "serious" uses of MUDs pioneering the future of cyberspace, or are they having fun and calling it work? Is there a serious side to the future of cyberspace? Does cyberspace challenge us to redefine the boundaries between work and play, fantasy and reality? The panelists--who represent five "serious" MUD research projects: MediaMOO, Jupiter, Worldbenders, Infopark, and AstroVR-- will address these issues.

VI. deviance-chi94.{ps.Z, rtf.Z, txt}

"Approaches to Managing Deviant Behavior in Virtual Communities" Panel Discussion to be presented at CHI 94 in Boston, MA, April 1994. Organizer and panelist: Amy Bruckman. Panelists: Pavel Curtis, Cliff Figallo. Moderator: Brenda Laurel.

Abstract

It is an unfortunate fact of life that where there are multi-user computer systems, there will be antisocial behavior. On bulletin board systems (BBSs), there are those who persist in being obscene, harassing, and libelous. In virtual worlds such as MUDs, there are problems of theft, vandalism, and virtual rape.

Behavior is "deviant" if it is not in accordance with community standards. How are such standards developed? Should standards be established by system administrators and accepted as a condition of participation, or should they be developed by community members? Once a particular person's behavior is deemed unacceptable, what steps should be taken? Should such steps be taken by individuals, such as "filters" or "kill" files on BBSs, and "gagging" or "ignoring" on MUDs? Or should the administrators take action, banning an individual from the system or censoring their postings? What is the appropriate balance between centralized and decentralized solutions?

Gags and filters are computational solutions to deviant behavior. Are there appropriate social solutions? How effective are approaches like feedback from peers, community forums, and heart-to-heart chats with sympathetic system administrators? Are different approaches effective with communities of different sizes? What is the appropriate balance between social and technological solutions?

V. necc94.{ps.Z, rtf.Z, txt}

"Programming for Fun: MUDs as a Context for Collaborative Learning." To be presented at the National Educational Computing Conference in Boston, MA, June 1994.

Abstract

In text-based virtual reality environments on the Internet called "MUDs," participants meet people from all over the world. They can not only explore the virtual world, but extend it, creating new objects and places. MUDs are Constructionist environments in which people build personally meaningful artifacts. But unlike many Constructionist environments, MUDs place special emphasis on collaboration, encouraging construction within a social setting.

This paper presents a case study of the experiences of a 43-year-old building contractor named Jim. It is one of an ongoing series of interviews I have conducted with people who learned to program for the first time in a MUD called MediaMOO. Salient features of their learning experiences include ease of collaboration, availability of technical assistance from peers, playfulness, availability of an audience for completed work, and community spirit. The success of MUDs as a learning environment for adults points to its potential as a learning environment for children.

IV. gender-swapping.{ps.Z, txt}

"Gender Swapping on the Internet" Presented at The Internet Society (INET '93) in San Fransisco, California in August, 1993.

Abstract

In text-based virtual reality environments on the Internet called MUDs, it is possible to pretend to be the opposite gender. In these virtual worlds, the way gender structures basic human interaction is often noticed and reflected upon. This paper introduces MUDs, and then presents a community discussion about gender issues that MUDs inspired. Gender swapping is one example of ways in which network technology can impact not just work practice but also culture and values.

III. MediaMOO-3cyberconf.{ps.Z, rtf.Z, txt}

"Virtual Professional Community, Results from the MediaMOO Project." Presented at The Third International Conference on Cyberspace (3Cybercon) in Austin, Texas in May, 1993.

Abstract

MediaMOO is a text-based, networked, virtual reality environment designed to enhance professional community among media researchers. This paper analyzes experience with the system to date and highlights the value of Constructionist principles to virtual reality design. Written together with Mitchel Resnick. Presented at the Third International Conference on Cyberspace in Austin, Texas, May 1993.

II. identity-workshop.{ps.Z, rtf.Z}

"Identity Workshop: Emergent Social and Psychological Phenomena in Text-Based Virtual Reality"

This survey paper introduces the different kinds of MUDs, and social phenomena typical of each kind. It introduces issues of representations of self and how MUDs form a kind of "identity workshop." Introduces the notion of MUDs as an evocative medium--by being between reality and unreality, MUDs often encourage people to reflect on the nature of reality. Introduces gender issues that arise in MUDs, and explores the topic of MUD addiction. April 1992.

I. electronic-scrapbook/es{0-12}.ps

"The Electronic Scrapbook: Towards an Intelligent Home-Video Editing System"

This directory contains my Master's Thesis "The Electronic Scrapbook: Towards and Intelligent Home-Video Editing System" (MIT Media Lab, September 1991) in thirteen postscript files, "es0.ps" through "es12.ps".

Abstract

How many people's home videos remain unedited and unwatched? Home video is a growing cultural phenomenon; however, few consumers have the time, equipment, and skills needed to edit their work. The Electronic Scrapbook is an environment designed to encourage people to use home video as a creative medium. The system and the user collaborate to create home-video stories.

This work addresses issues of knowledge representation and interface design. Semantic knowledge representation is evaluated as a way to represent information about complex, temporal media. A modified form of case-based reasoning, "knowledge-based templates," is used to explore what a computational model of a home-video story might be. September 1991.

Document formats

Files with a .Z extension are compressed. Use the "uncompress" command to uncompress them.

Files with a .ps extension are postscript, and should be sent to a postscript printer.

Files with a .rtf extension are Microsoft's "rich text format" and should be opened in any product made by Microsoft.

Files with a .txt extension are plain text and immediately readable, but lack illustrations and proper formating. I recommend getting a formated version if you can.

The paper "identity workshop" is too heavily formated to make a plain text version. If you send a self-addressed envelope, then I will send you a paper copy. Send an envelope big enough for a 23-page document (46 pages double-sided).

My master's thesis "The Electronic Scrapbook" is also available only in postscript form. Send an envelope big enough for a 45-page document (90 pages double-sided).

My address is

Amy Bruckman
MIT Media Lab
E15-315a
20 Ames St.
Cambridge, MA 02139

Enjoy! Comments are welcome via electronic mail. My address is asb@media.mit.edu
-- Amy Bruckman

Converted to HTML by Martin Ramsch, 12.07.1994, 24.10.1994