“Insert Catchy Title Here” or “What I have been up to lately”

I didn’t realize that I hadn’t posted anything in the last three weeks! I suppose it is a combination of not having much to say, and laziness (who doesn’t get stuck in the end of winter rut?). Things are starting to look up – with more sunny days and less looming snow days. I am still working on my proposal for my comprehensive exam. A bit off track, but, as I am told by some, a little to be expected. I have been so steadfast in my studies since 2002. Charging through my BA and MA, and my PhD coursework – I have been having some troubles retuning my mindset to focus solely on my work – a luxury I whined for for years, but alas, its the “be careful what you wish for” syndrom. I have always known that I needed a full plate to be productive, and I guess the last few months only proved my point.

I am working on a paper for the Canadian Game Studies Association’s annual conference (to be held May 23-24 in Ottawa, ON) with my colleague (and friend) Shanly Dixon. A look at performance, creativity, and social video game play. It is shaping up nicely. I am also working on my submission for DiGRA – trying to work on something that is directly in line with my ‘topic’. I have been struggling between submitting a full paper for presentation – or submitting to the graduate mentoring session. Either way, I know I want to stay within my realm of current research.

I just finished doing some editing work for an collection of essays (more details to come, as permitted). It was one of the most challenging experiences I have faced in a long time. Besides the time constraints that I worked within, finding the balance between hard and fast grammar rules and stylistic choices; proper sentence stuctures and author’s voice; what I (as an individual person – subjectively of course) finds to be a “good” paper while reading outside of my area of expertise. Flow and clarity; spelling and grammar… punctuation and style guides … OOUF! It was an experience indeed. But one that I think can only help me with my own writing.

Finally, I took on a small (temporary and very part time) job at Electronic Arts here in Montreal. I finally found a use for all my research methods training (outside of my own research). I am working as a play-test moderator. Since most of my academic work is done at home, I enjoy the chance to get out and meet new people every session, and the opportunity to hone my observation skills (something that is always key in ethnographic work). Not to mention the feeling of just being a part of a/the process. I have always enjoyed feeling like a cog in the overall machine. Even when I worked as a chamber maid at the Ritz Carlton so many years ago – I always thought that what I did was important to the guests’ overall experience.. that without my job, there would be a hole that needed filling. I liked that feeling. It is something I don’t often feel in academia.

The nice thing about the EA position, is that it is not overbearing on my time and energy, yet inspires me to get on with the work that I am doing. Another thing on my plate to keep me motivated =)

The Perils of Editing

I am doing some editing work, and so, have been spending many hours learning the rules behind the things I write instinctually, so that changes can (or cannot) be made. What one learns quite quickly in editing, is that there is rarely any hard and fast rules that govern grammar and punctuation with an iron fist. So, I have been spending much of my time trying to find multiple sources to either confirm or contradict what my desktop guides say (I work from an APA guide and a Grammar Desk Reference – checked against various reliable, online sources). In dealing with the conundrum that is the using of the word ‘comprise’, I stumbled upon this candid explanation of the debate at hand. Quite worth the read if you’ve ever had to defend your choice.

Productive 24 Hours

Attended a talk last night given by Katherine Hayles – I was in no mind to be critical, but rather just enjoyed hearing something new that I haven’t really thought about.

Attended TAG’s open house today- it was a nice opportunity to see some old familiar faces and chat with a few new people (and squeeze in a game or two of Rock Band). Afterwards, had a great discussion with a colleague of mine, who really helped me unblock the dam that was my proposal writing process. With pages of notes – I head into the weekend refreshed and eager to get it all hammered out.

Finally, for a short and comical read – check this link out – if you ever wondered what really drives people towards their academic paths.

Technoculture, Art and Games Initiave (TAG) Open House Tomorrow

From the group at TAG (bits and pieces of gameCODE + fresh new members and initiatives):

Come to Hexagram – Concordia this Friday for the AbTeC – TAG – Interstices Labs Open House!

Who: The Technoculture, Art and Games initiative, along with the Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace (AbTeC) and Interstices Research Groups

What: an open house held jointly by three Hexagram labs conducting gaming research at Concordia University

When: 11AM – 2PM, Friday, February 13th

Where: EV-11.425 Hexagram – Concordia 1515 St. Catherine St. West, EV 11-455. Montréal, Québec. H3G 2W1

Why: to play cooperative multiplayer games (Left 4 Dead and Rock Band and more) on the two 42″ TVs, meet other nice people interested in games, and eat free food during your lunch hour!

Everyone is cordially invited to come play games, chat, and eat good food during their lunch hour as we break in the new Technoculture, Art and Games space at Hexagram – Concordia. We will have a number of cooperative multiplayer games available, including Left 4 Dead and Rock Band, as well as independent games such as Facade. In the Hexagram Projection Room the Interstices group will be displaying their most recent work to the public. Finally, we will also be accepting donation of gaming-related swag, so please bring your game-inspired art, posters, toys, retail standees, etc. for future decoration of the space!

Writing Rituals

So, I have been sitting in front of my laptop for the last few days, working on my thesis proposal, typing a word here, a phrase there (I am about 1/4 of a way through being finished …). I have been trying to think of ways to get myself into that super-fiend-work-mode that I find myself in when confronted with a hard deadline and being three steps behind. I am trying to avoid that ulcer inducing work mode (that got me this far, but still, I don’t think I can sustain it for my PhD), so i got to thinkin’ – what work rituals do I usually perform to get it going? I know that good conversations with colleagues always gets me motivated to work (however, the bus ride home usually takes a bit of wind out of my sails); sometimes going over my reading notes that I took to prepare for the particular project helps and I usually have to clean my office so all is neat and tidy (since my ideas are messy and all over the place). But what I would like to know is, what other rituals do people have to get themselves deep into work mode? I cannot imagine (or at least hope) that not everyone is naturally motivated and inspired 24/7 as needed – so please – share any tips or tricks you might have.

Working Through The Process

I am working (read: struggling) through writing my thesis proposal. In theory, it shouldn’t be as difficult as it currently is. I have five sections that I need to write on over the span of 7,500 words; problematic, hypothesis, justification of corpus, state of the question (lit review) and theoretical framework/methodology. Simple enough – as a Sociologist, almost everything I have ever written follows this structure. However, what I am struggling with is trying to write each section as discreet units. When I submitted (what I thought was) my problematic, my advisor came back to me and said that what I had, in fact, was a short (5 page) proposal that included all the above-mentioned sections (albeit very briefly). I found it strange, since in my head (a scary place to be sometimes) it was really just my problematic. As I started to take out each section and paste them into separate word docs, I realized that I couldn’t say something without contextualizing it from the get-go. So, my original problematic was peppered with references, methods and hypothesis’.

Now that I have acknowledged what I was doing ‘wrong’, I am hoping that I can chalk it up to being part of the process. A process that is slightly different than the one I have been working with for the last several years. By acknowledging that I am working with a new process, hopefully it will help unclog the mental block that has been hindering my proposal progress.

Another Month That Just Flew By! (Or: another unfinished to-do list)

I can’t believe it is February already! I feel bad that each month, I write about being astonished – but – it is crazy when the days on the calendar seem to slip by you without you even noticing! I am sad that I didn’t get everything on my to-do list accomplished. I did manage to submit to one conference, with a solid abstract in the works for a second. Managed to get some reviews done for a few scholarly journals. But what I didn’t manage to finish is my thesis proposal – which is vital, since within my program, it is the basis of your primary comprehensive exam.  For all the years I have said that I just wanted to work on “my” work, the time is here and I find myself constantly grappling with what it is I am actually trying (and wanting) to say. I have had many conversations where it all makes sense, but getting it down on paper – articulately – seems to be a challenge (one that I am not that used to facing).

So, goals for the month of February; finish proposal; finish secondary comprehensive exam paper (at least it is shorter than the primary); finish AoIR abstract for submission and begin guest lecture prep (since I am speaking only a few days after my sister and her family visit for spring break) and … hmm.. workwise, I think that is all (besides finishing the reading I started in Dec/Jan – the pile of books on my nightstand could be a health hazard if not).

I, Avatar: Reading Review in Progress

I am reading the book I, Avatar: The Culture and Consequencese of Having a Second Life – yet another book that has been sitting on my shelf waiting to be read, and I was struck by a few things. First of all, I am really enjoying it so far. To be honest, when I first received the book in the mail (thank you internet!) and browsed through the pages, I was a little sad that it reminded me of an avant garde comic book than an academic text. I mean, it looks cool, and innovative indeed, but I think I had misunderstood what the book itself was – or what its intent was. I had flipped through the book a few times, but mostly to look at the pictures and layout then the actual text.

Now that I am over its aesthetic feel (which is quite cool if I allow myself to admit it), my second issue was that I am not necessarily interested (directly) in Second Life both personally and in regards to research. It is not that there isn’t a vast amount to experience and learn about human nature in social digital environments, but I have always been more interested in goal-oriented digital spaces (yes .. games – straightforward, no mistaken it, games… I have been told that there are games IN Second Life, but for me, they are not the focus or purpose of the space/place, but again, my focus has always been on how we construct identity in structured worlds – and what kinds of identity are developed in these worlds in particular – to paint a VERY loose picture of my research interest). All that being said, I am really enjoying the fast pace feeling of the writing. It is punchy, straightforward and to the point – sentences are clear and concise.  What I do find odd (and perhaps admire) is that there are no references! Of course, the book is an auto/ethnography of avatar, but the in the beginning, when Meadows gives definitions of community, of avatars and genres of virtual worlds, my instinct was to flip to the back and see who he ‘used’ (especially hoping to do some lateral reading on the matter – hoping to see things I haven’t read yet). But nope! Nothing! Between the acknowledgements and the index … nothing! No references.

In some ways, it is every writer’s dream to be able to simply write a book out of their head. I mean, I am positive Meadows has done his homework – read a book or ten – the definitions he uses are familiar, I have read variations of them 100 times before in many texts, but his are so clear and well written – but as an academic – I am uneasy … no, perhaps uneasy isn’t the right word here – but I have a hard time reading without seeing a reference to an idea (let alone the fact that there isn’t a quote to be seen – other than discussions between avatars). I remember feeling the same way when I read Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games… how can someone write a history with scarcely a reference!

All that being said, I am still intrigued by this book. He has a fabulous drawing of player perspectives showing the point of view of the player depending on what view they use – first person, third person etc – the drawing is so simple, I sat there for a moment staring at it wondering why I had spent pages of text in most of my papers trying to describe exactly what each perspective gave to the player.

I am still only halfway through the book – and it is a small book, but for an entertaining, yet thought provoking (at least for me and my work) relatively quick read, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in ethnography, digital culture, avatars and players.

CFP: Interacting with Immersive Worlds

Interacting with Immersive Worlds:
Second Brock University Conference on the Interactive Arts & Sciences
BROCK UNIVERSITY, ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO
JUNE 15-16, 2009

The primary focus of the conference is to explore the growing cultural importance of interactive media. All scholarship on, and creation of digital
interactive media (including but not limited to computer games and interactive fiction) will be considered in one of four broad conference
streams:

  • The Challenges at the Boundaries of Immersive Worlds stream features creative exploration and innovation in immersive media including ubiquitous computing, telepresence, interactive art and fiction, and alternative reality.
  • The Critical Approaches to Immersion stream looks at analyses of the cultural and/or psychological impact of immersive worlds, as well as theories of interactivity.
  • The Immersive Worlds in Education stream examines educational applications of immersive technologies.
  • The Immersive Worlds in Entertainment stream examines entertainment applications of immersive technologies, such as computer games.

We welcome the submission of abstracts for a 20-minute presentation plus a 10-minute discussion. Send a 500-word abstract plus a brief biographical statement. Please include a separate cover page with the following:

• Author’s name and affiliation
• Email
• Mailing address
• Title of presentation
Since all abstracts will be anonymously reviewed, include the title of the paper on the abstract but not the author’s name, affiliation, email or mailing address.

Deadline extended – deadline for receipt of abstracts is February 2, 2009

Getting On Pace

I can’t believe that we are already nearing the end of the month! How fast time flies. It seems that I am still recovering from the holidays – the holiday pace that is. The plan for this semester looks fantastic on paper – gym every morning (now that I am not attending classes), home, shower, coffee and work for a good solid 6 or 7 hours until the girls get home, freeing up evenings and most weekends… Yup … looks great on paper!  Unfortunately, that isn’t quite how it has been working. My work hours have been disjointed and I haven’t actually stepped inside the gym this year yet. It is not like there is not enough time nor ample work on my plate.

It is all about transitions I suppose. I have been talking to a colleague about trying to find my ‘academic’ rhythm. I have been in university since 2002 – working straight through summers to try and get through as fast as possible. For the last few years, I had found a pretty good flow – reading my required course materials and managing some ‘lateral’ reading and extra-curricular activities (research groups, conferences). But now that I have arrived at the point that I was rushing towards – my PhD – and more specifically – life after required coursework – I am not sure how to manage things. For seven years, my life has been determined by ‘homework’ and paper deadlines.

So – for this week I have to finish at least one of two abstracts I am working on for CGSA and AoIR; two article reviews for an upstart online journal; work diligently on my thesis proposal (as my first full draft is due very soon) and I have a paper I wrote in December that I have been editing that I have put on pause until I could wrap my brain around the ideas I was trying to work through (rather unsuccessfully the first time ’round).

In all of that, I have alot of reading I want to do. Working on my proposal, I have realized that I haven’t been keeping up on the literature that surrounds my research topic as much as I would like to – and it is showing in my proposal. Last night I dusted of my copy of ‘Digital Culture, Play and Identity: A World of Warcraft”  and checked out a few relevant chapters. I am glad I did – as it sparked some ideas in my head to continue the toil that is my proposal! On that note – coffee is ready – back to work for me!