Twenty-one years since the first DIAC Symposium!

                Tools for Participation:
                Collaboration, Deliberation, and Decision Support

Directions and Implications of Advanced Computing Symposium
Conference on Online Deliberation
(DIAC-2008/OD2008)

Sponsored by Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
and UC Berkeley School of Information

University of California, Berkeley
June 26 - 29, 2008
http://www.publicsphereproject.org/events/diac08/

At the dawn of the 21st century humankind faces challenges of profound proportions. The ability of people around the world to discuss, work, make decisions, and take action collaboratively is one of the most important capabilities for addressing these challenges.

Researchers, scholars, activists, advocates, artists, educators, technologists, designers, students, policy-makers, entrepreneurs, journalists and citizens are rising to these challenges in many ways, including, devising new communication technologies that build on the opportunities afforded by the Internet and other new (as well as old) media. The interactions between technological and social systems are of special and central importance in this area.

DIAC-08 combines CPSR's 11th DIAC symposium with the third Conference on Online Deliberation. The joint conference is intended to provide a platform and a forum for highlighting socio-technological opportunities, challenges, and pitfalls in the area of community and civic action. Technology enhanced community action ranges from informal communities of practice to democratic governance of formal organizations to large social movements.

We are especially interested in technology development that is already being tested or fielded. We are also interested in theoretical and other intellectual work that helps build understanding and support for future efforts. In addition to exploring social technology, we must at the same time understand and advance the social context of technology, including its design, access, use, policy and evaluation, as well as intellectual frameworks and perspectives that inform technological as well as social innovation including requirements, case studies, critique and self-reflection, and infrastructures for future work.

Our areas of focus include but are not limited to: deliberative and collaborative systems, e-democracy and e-participation, mobilization and organization, negotiation, consultation, sustainability, community support systems, open source models, human rights, ecological awareness, conflict resolution, justice, transparency systems, media and civic journalism, media literacy, power research, citizen science, economic development and opportunity, peace and reconciliation, infrastructure development, policy, education, community networks, research and development for civil society, social software, virtual communities and civic intelligence.

We are currently interested in the following types of submissions: research paper and exploratory paper presentations (both of which will be peer reviewed), technology demonstrations, workshops and poster sessions. We are currently seeking co-sponsors who can help provide various types of assistance. We are also seeking donations and other support (including volunteer labor) to help make this event successful.

The DIAC symposia have resulted in six book publications (in addition to the proceedings). Although we don't have specific plans at this time, we are hoping to publish our seventh book based on this event.

Guidelines for papers and other submissions

All submissions must be made via the conference submission system on the DIAC-08 web site. Submissions should be written in English and foreign speakers are encouraged to have their submissions reviewed for language prior to submission. Submissions should be formatted for "US Letter" size using 11 point Times-Roman font. Research papers should be a maximum of 10 pages. Accepted research papers should be revised according to reviewer comments and resubmitted by the deadline. Workshop proposals (two pages) should include motivation, objectives, expected outcomes, intended audience, process (including specific description of how people will be engaged during the workshop). Taking a cue from PDC 2008, we are also interested in exploratory papers (4 pages), that reflect novel concepts, works-in-progress, reflections, manifestos or other ideas and issues that aren't currently suitable for a research paper.

Important Dates (new dates as of February 18, 2008)

December 15, 2007 Submission system available
January 1, 2007 Early registration begins
March 1, 2008 Research paper submissions due
March 15, 2008 Demonstration, workshop proposals due
March 20, 2008 Exploratory papers due
April 1, 2008 Notices of research paper acceptances
April 15, 2008 Poster proposals due
May 1, 2008 Late registration begins
May 15, 2008 Completed research papers due
June 26-June 29, 2008 DIAC-2008/OD2008

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility

CPSR is a public-interest alliance of people concerned about the impact of information and communications technology on society. By
sponsoring international, national, and local projects and events, CPSR serves as a catalyst for in-depth discussion and effective action in key areas.

UC Berkeley School of Information

Providing the world with innovative information solutions and leadership, the UC Berkeley School of Information conducts research,
provides policy counsel, and trains information professionals in five areas of concentration including information design and architecture, information assurance, social studies of information, human-computer interaction, and information economics and policy.

Conference Chair
Douglas Schuler

Program Chairs
Todd Davies, Jerome Feldman, and Douglas Schuler

Related Conferences

We also recommend the Participatory Design Conference which will be held in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. September 30, 2008 - October 4, 2008. See http://www.pdc2008.org/. The theme of this 10th PDC is "Experiences and Challenges" and it is an excellent opportunity to reassess the achievements of the PD movement and to consider its future.