http://andrew-long.name

I need to get to Milwaukee for IR10. Anyone?

The Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) run an annual Academic conference where the eminent (e.g., Barry Wellman, Steve Jones, danah boyd, Nancy Baym, …) and the not-yet eminent meet to discuss the latest in cutting edge social/technical internet-facing research.

The conference this year (2009) is called IR10.0 with the overarching theme “Internet: Critical”. What makes this conference particularly special (other than it being in its 10th year, about the internet, located in Milwaukee and that its all set for lots of Twitter research discussion) is that - I had a paper accepted!

When I say paper, I submitted as part of a panel with Erika Pearson (instigator), danah boyd, and Stephanie Tuszynski with the collective (and obviously worthy) topic: “Friends and Followers: Renegotiating Friendship Online”. You can see this panel nestled amongst the other fascinating internet research topics in the draft programme that’s just been released.

However, there is a catch …

Unfortunately it’s a big one: I can’t get money from my Department to send me to this conference. This is despite the acceptance and the certainly that these researchers are the people I need to talk to, interact with and listen to, in order to develop further as a researcher.

So, I put it to you (with some desperation and little expectation): How can I get to Milwaukee in October to attend IR10 to present with my co-panelists?