Mailing Lists

The association of Internet researches:www.aoir.org/ "The Association of Internet Researchers is an academic association dedicated to the advancement of the cross-disciplinary field of Internet studies. It is a member-based support network promoting critical and scholarly Internet research independent from traditional disciplines and existing across academic borders. The association is international in scope."(The association of Internet researcheswww.aoir.org/ accessed 16/3/2006) With over 1000 subscribers AOIR organsie an annual Internet Research conference, and also publish the Internet Research Annual. Their submissions from users are sometimes very general and of topics that aren't as relevant to my essay.

Institute for new media studies: www.inms.umn.edu/ "The University of Minnesota Institute for New Media Studies is a center for creation, innovation, and examination of content and messages and the affects of new media technologies and techniques on their forms and functions.
The goal is the imagining and testing of innovative forms, development of new knowledge about functions, and generation of greater understanding of the impacts of these changes in the media landscape."('Institute for new media studies' www.inms.umn.edu/ accessed 16/3/2006) Subscribers to this mailing list are offered a variety of research and information. Just one example is the GRAVEL (Game Research And Virtual Environment Plan) project. GRAVEL looks at exploring the structure of game and virtual reality environments. They do this to advance research and better understand the cultural, communicative, aesthetic, technical, and social implications and opportunities these structures provide. This particular mailing list is great for me because the focus of my essay will be Internet video games and their effect on society.