[-empyre-] Isolated new media researchers

[Chris Chesher <c.chesher@unsw.edu.au>]

On Tuesday, January 13, 2004, at 11:51  AM, c.dena@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au 
wrote:

> I had been reading a lot of anti-tech writing (Sven Birkerts and the 
> like) at the time and, being the only student researching new media 
> writing in my department felt quite isolated.

This sense of isolation for those studying new media that Christy 
mentions seems to be a common issue for many postgrads. The problem 
with a transdisciplinary field like new media studies (the contestation 
over the term itself is evidence of this dispersal) is close to its 
strength: there is a great diversity of contexts where new media is 
studied, and little infrastructure to connect these people together. 
I'm lucky enough to work in a Media School at UNSW with a strong new 
media focus, but I'm conscious that this is somewhat unusual.

I often go to conferences like ANZCA (Communications) and Cultural 
Studies, which can be good, but new media usually remains a marginal 
strand within these larger conferences. I've been to OZCHI once 
(Computer Interface designers), and a couple of ISEAs. I go to lots of 
one-off symposiums in critical theory, media studies, and new media 
arts. But there are not many places where new media is the core focus.

This is where empyre and fibreculture have been such valuable resources 
recently (I'll declare my interest here as one of the fibreculture 
facilitators).

There seems to be some chance that the Research Networks initiative 
underway at the moment will come up with a new media focussed network 
with ARC funding.

Does anyone share this perception that there is space for better 
communicational infrastructures for new media researchers and 
practitioners in Australia?



Chris





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