Last day and not many people in sight

Day 4 (11/11/09):

I was so tired, even I skipped out on the 8:30.

10:30am: Plenary Session: Diversity in Digital Information Environments: Opportunity or Chaos? A Pecha-Kucha Presentation.

The Plenary session was great. The Pecha-Kucha Presentation was new to the conference and I think all of them should be like it. In fact all presentations in the world should be like this. The idea is that each presenter had 6 minutes and 40 seconds to present (20 slides x 20 seconds).

Marshall presnted the ideat that there is a cloud of information and that information is always being reused and changed.

Toms presented the idea that IS does not have any core principles and we need to start there. I agree that we do need to narrow down those core principles, as well as definitions.

Druin presented the idea about the technology that is used in education and how new technology should be approached. I agree that getting creative and giving the students the means (flexibility) to be creative is the way to go, especially in the IS feild.

Marchionni presented the idea that there is too much text and too many words in the world. I agree that graphs and pictures can sometimes tell the story better.

Schwartz presented on the idea of how to understand context and sort information.

Dillon presented on teh idea that there is no Chaos and that is all deals with privacy.

1:30pm: Children, Technology and Social Values: Enabling Children's Voices in a Pluralistic World

Druin presented her research on her experience using children in the design and usability of technology. It wa very interesting and reminded me that children do need to be a part of the user testing. Also, the interesting questions she braught up (why do we not include children? what are we scared of?) really made me think.

Myers presented his research on children's virtual worlds. It is interesting that virtual worlds are primarily used and for children. He braught up the questions about what these worlds are teaching our children.

Anderson presented her work on how the phone fits in with schools. She raise interesting questions about teh use of phones, the rules and laws about phones in schools, and what should be the way to go on this issue.

Fleischmann presented his work on the idea that children need to take part in the public policy decisions. His research was on the activist way a child can change policy and that we need to make a better effort to get children involved in the process, especially if it effects them directly.

3:30pm: Globalization of Intellectual Property Rights: Implications of the TRIPS Agreement for Access to HIV/AIDS Drugs in Africa

The presentations in this panel were very interesting and all had to deal with the same issue in certain states of Africa.

Gathegi presented on its effect in Kenya. Britz in South Africa, and Agada in Nigeria. All three states were at different places in legislation and help to the people with HIV/AIDS, as well as different degrees of government support. However, the TRIPS agreement has helped these states make and distribute the drugs that are needed. But the statistics from these places are not correct and more needs to be done to help the people in these three state (all of Africa) beside the TRIP agreement, especially if the state governments do something to give preference to the drug companies rather than the people (undermineing what TRIP is trying to do, renegotiating and defining the terms).

I have to say that despit there not being as many people, the presentations at the end were great. The party at the end also had some great food and I got to dance (a plus). I hope next year the conference will have a dance floor for this part of the conference. I would like to do more dancing, especially if there is going to be a great band like tonight.