open lecture today- may interest you?

HCT SEMINAR SERIESThis term is the exception with a fourth seminar scheduled, which will take place today (13th March) at 1:30pm, Interact Lab, Arundel 223. Details below: Presenter: Bernd Ploderer (University of Melbourne)Title: Social Network Sites and the Passion of BodybuildingAbstract: Social network sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or MySpace have attracted millions of people. They use these sites to keep in touch with large networks of friends, to maintain ties with business partners, or to explore interests such as music. In this talk I will discuss the ways in which people appropriate social network sites to pursue interests that have turned into passions. This research is based on a current ethnographic study of bodybuilding, which serves as an example for an extreme passion. I will describe passion as a multi-stage process, starting with the development of an interest to stages where a passion can turn into an obsession. Depending on the stage, social network sites inherit different potentials to support passions. I will discuss the potentials of existing social network sites as well as their limitations and risks. Since this study is work-in-progress I would welcome suggestions on the presentation of the data as well as on opportunities for comparing the findings from bodybuilding with other passions. The HCT seminars normally take place three times per term, on Friday afternoons in the Interact Lab (Arundel 223) at 1:30 and last for an hour. There will be cakes and tea & coffee available afterwards. The seminars are intended for anyone interested in Human Centred Technology; students and researchers in other fields are most welcome.Further information of this and future seminars is available at http://www.informatics.sussex.ac.uk/events/HCTSeminars/.Hope to see you there,Alison Hull & Raphael Commins,HCT Seminar Organisers.