Social Informatics

Linden Lab was founded in 1999 by Philip Rosedale to create a revolutionary new form of shared experience, where individuals jointly inhabit a 3D landscape and build the world around them. Today this experience, known as the Second Life® world, has a rapidly growing population of Residents from around the globe, who are creating and inhabiting a virtual world of their own design.

This site is the best I've found so far in my search process. It provides tons of links to Social Informatics Highlights, Blogs, Associations, Sources, and Related Fields.

There is a lot of information on this site and it is very helpful.

i've come across this site before in an earlier iteration. I still am up in the air about the perspective and resources. I'll have to give it a more careful read.

Another ICT article

The chapters in this volume explore the theoretical, design, learning, and methodological questions with respect to designing for and researching web-based communities to support learning. The authors, coming from diverse academic backgrounds (computer science, information science, instructional systems technology, educational psychology, sociology, and anthropology), are frank in examining what we do and do not know about the processes and practices of designing communities to support learning.

Blogs, associations, technical websites and basically Steve Sawyer's list of most helpful websites on this topic. What I find most useful is that having been sort of a pioneer in SI having his recommendations makes me feel that these sites are more useful than ones I might find on my own or at least a good place to start.

OK my favorite thing on this blog is the Norwegian translated term for Social Informatics- "Samfunnsinformatikk". It really made me aware of just how international and not so narrow this field is. I can get caught up in a real American world view and this little tidbit kind of opened my eyes a bit and made me realize that there will be great international sources too!

I was interested in the concept of Bildung, which incorporates many different aspects of knowledge gathering and personal growth such as moral development, generosity, scientific thinking etc. It is relevant to me, as an educator.

Using social media to drive social change

Technology aids social people to maintain and sustain more relationships.

I am getting interested in online mediated learning and apparently a lot of tutoring is being conducted via online video/chat programs, such as Skype.

A already shared some information about this project, but I think that this web site is worth including here too.

This (long) report discusses the use of ICTs in the medical field, primarily IN the human body

I'm not sure if I would characterize this topic as being part of social informatics. Cochlear implants, insulin pumps, and spinal chord devices, just to name a few of the devises, do have interactive measures with the human body. However, social informatics is the study of how ICTs affect people's relationships and aspects of their social contexts. Although these devises influence the lives of their users, this article mainly discusses the ethical implications of using these technologies and the regulations that need to be developed to standardize use.

Well, interestingly enough, some of my undergrads over the years have been fascinated by RFID implants and the ethical implications of those actions. It is possible that a simple little think like an insulin pump, or any kind of pump would have an impact on one's actions and lifestyle. See this amazing talk by Charity Tillman-Dick: http://www.ted.com/talks/charity_tilleman_dick_singing_after_a_double_lung_transplant.html

This is the About Page for the ARDA, a resource whose mission is to "democratize access" to data. It contains links to national surveys, denominational histories, etc. and emphasizes accountability. Scholars and amateur researchers may submit source to ARDA, and the staff validates the findings.

Journal of Digital Information Article Roberta Lamb and Susan Johnson, University of Hawaii, Manoa

This is interesting, I hadn't noticed it earlier

This link is specifically related to ICTs and people with Disabilities, but in other places on the UNESCO site you can pull statistics on various countries, which might be helpful if someone is exploring a specific topic in a specific place.

A department of the World Bank with expertise in policy and regulatory matters, in eGovernment, information technology, innovation and the enabling environment. Promotes access to information and communication technologies in developing countries.

various concerns that affect its use

A repository for activities, people, and opportunities related to the field of Social Informatics. It includes foundational documents of the field and a complete bibliography of Kling's work

University of Oxford Social Informatics Researcher

This is an organization that publishes credible statistics and research reports on internet usage

Great place to find stats of internet use and demographics

I've seen their director Lee Rainie speak a few times as the lead keynote at Computers in Libraries. He is such an amazing speaker, I keep going even though each year he pretty much gives an update on their research into internet usage.