Last CFPs: FLOSS session at EASST-4S Joint Conference 2004

** APOLOGIES FOR CROSS POSTING **

The Last Call For Papers
Session on Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) Studies
Deadline for abstracts – 14th February 2004
(Please Note That The Deadline is 1 week ahead from now on)

EASST-4S Joint Conference 2004
25-28 August 2004, the Ecole des Mines, Paris
http://www.congres-scientifiques.com/4S-EASST/).

Session on Free/Libre Open Source Software:
Community, Democracy, Expertise and Freedom

The free/libre open source software (FLOSS) has emerged as an important 
phenomenon in the ICT sector as well as in the wider public domain. A 
new research strand has attracted scholars and practitioners to analyse 
the development of FLOSS from many perspectives. While the FLOSS 
community continues to grow, diverse actors (e.g. developers, firms, 
end-users, organisations, governments etc. just to name a few) are 
brought into play. Meanwhile, a variety of apparatuses and inscriptions 
(e.g. technical ones such as software and hardware tools, 
socio-economical ones such as licences, educational ones such as 
certificates, and socio-cultural ones such as on/off line discussion 
forums) are developed and employed to maintain the practice. The complex 
composition of the FLOSS community entails a heterogeneous field where 
innovation is socio-technically constructed. Practices and norms in the 
FLOSS community are interpreted differently in support of individual 
demands (social, economic, political, technical) of the actors. Such a 
heterogeneous world resembles an ecological system that contains 
diversity while resources (information, knowledge and tools) are 
commonly shared amongst actors. While the open source pattern has been 
said to be a means through which black-boxed software innovation can be 
opened up and users empowered , it would be worth studying how 
communication between actors is undertaken to bridge their differences. 
Indeed, good communications can engage actors with different backgrounds 
in the community, encourage cooperation with each other and enhance 
mutual trust. However, debates and conflicts taking place in the 
development of FLOSS will also shape its future innovation. It would be 
interesting to study these various views in the community, see how they 
are conveyed and negotiated, and then analyse the implications of FLOSS 
innovation in the broader sense.

The aim of this multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary workshop for 
academics at all levels is to investigate the socio-technical 
interactions and relationships between diverse actors and actants in the 
development of FLOSS. In so doing, one is able to understand the dynamic 
FLOSS innovation system. Through a half-day long workshop with a number 
of presentations and discussions, we will be able to explore and ground 
answers in both empirical and theoretical investigations.

Abstracts may include issues relating to (but not subject to):

* Democracy and Leadership
* Open Source Software Economics & innovation models
* Licences and Intellectual Property
* Virtual Communities & Collaborative Learning (Social and 			 
Organisational Aspects)
* Socio-Technical Constructions of Software Technologies

Abstract Guidelines

Abstracts should be about 300 words in length, as an email attachment, 
listing name, organisation, contact address, telephone and email 
address, and should include the title of the proposed paper.

The closing date for abstracts is the 14th February 2004.  Please note 
that paper presenters need to register for the conference and pay the 
registration fee.

Please address all abstracts and enquiries to: -

Yuwei Lin
Science and Technologies Studies Unit
Department of Sociology
University of York
York YO10 5DD, UK
Tel:  +44 (0) 1904 434742
Fax: +44 (0) 1904 433043
Email: [email protected]

Session organisers:
Yuwei Lin, University of York, UK
Ruben van Wendel de Joode, Delft, University of Technology, Netherlands
Shay David, Cornell University, USA

-- 
Yuwei Lin
Science and Technology Studies Unit (SATSU)
Department of Sociology
University of York
UK
Tel. +44-1904-434742
Fax. +44-1904-433043
http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~yl107
http://www.york.ac.uk/org/satsu/