Well last night I got word our panel discussion did not get approved. We (GM, KS and I) had all submitted for a panel at the NCA conference. The topic was about facebook and african americans. We would be doing some primary research across 3 areas with 3 separate study groups. i haven’t seen the email, so I don’t understand the rationale for the rejection. Also, since it was primary research with human subjects I had to get approval from IRB, which is pending. What a dilemma! I guess I let the research stay in the approval queue and then write a paper. Which is fine. I assume lots of Comm journals would be interested in such findings as Facebook technology adoption by AA.

But the blow is a bit disappointing. Perhaps it’s preparing me for a rejection at UIC as well. Beth did not get accepted to their English dept. She already got her rejection letter. I haven’t seen anything from them, yet. And then what do I do if I get accepted. I will have a challenge on my hands of decisions.

Well the next conference proposal is due end of March. I will see if I can submit to that one. But it is a visual conference. I am not sure how even to fit into that one. But its in Chi, so easy to attend. I guess its time to brush up on visual theories and semiotics.

Actually, I had done a study not so long ago about the semiotics of yahoo messenger avatars. I could revisit that in facebook. Taking a look at just how many of a certain network, displays photos of themselves, or other things. To some degree I already have the IRB proposal in place. I could add a blurb to widen the base of examination. Right now I am only looking at some facebook users in specific groups. I could broaden that to be a study in comparison to other groups. Or just across networks. Yesterday we were wrapping up the presentation for NSBE convention next Saturday and I made this chart:

Perhaps, this bears some investigation. Be interesting to report on the reality of these suggestions. At least to the broad network.

The proposal might read something like:
Privacy a well known issue in social networking and web2.0 media systems. What is not known is just how many in a given network share broadly their images. One might expect that some constraints might exist in larger networks, but the data is not available to articulate. This study proposes 2 things, to ascertain just how many facebook members of a network display “representative” or other photos of themselves. Subsequently, how many tagged photos are available for the person, even when they have declined to show a representative photo. We’d have to say choose only the IIT network, and maybe broaden it later.

Im sure I have written his before. Welcome. This blog will be my attempt at retaining some of the insight and comments I seem to impress my clients and colleagues with as I strive to be a better researcher and student. So while I start this off with a welcome statement, I will still attempt to fulfill the goal as mentioned above. A few weeks ago, while doing research for an upcoming presentation at a convention, I ran across and article about Facebook. Big shock there, I am always looking around for those. But anyway, this person, who I can not recall at this juncture, made some very interesting points. To which I would like to recap here, as it seems more than appropriate. And yes, Im sure I had read similar thoughts before, but being the hoarding unorganized person that I am, who knows what folder or arcitle that was from. This one though, if someone wants it, I can find. (Aside, I wonder if goodreads can be configured to capture articles..hmmm)This article from this professor talked about SNS and social networking in particular as being a stage. Where we all strut our stuff and perform our routines for the audience. In fact,the article talked a lot about the performance aspects of Facebook. How we are ever performing for the crowd (large or small) that we amass there. That said, here is my debut into a virtual presence that will hopefully bring about all of my other virtual presences. (Well most And at least, for those of you who are my audience, you can see my performance from a single portal. I endeavor at the least to keep it informative, if not interesting, as I strut my virtual self for your viewing pleasure.