Here is the call for papers that just came out for this conference …

To be held in Dunedin, New Zealand 11-13 June 2008 The International Conference on Computer-Mediated Social Networking (ICCMSN2008) will explore social networking issues such as formation of online communities and how collaboration and cooperation can be achieved. The topics covered encompass multiple disciplines, including Computer Science, Sociology, Epidemiology, Economics, Marketing, Education, etc. Some of the applications that can benefit from social network structural models include social norm spreading, disease propagation, opinion dynamics, and collective knowledge construction. Network topologies can play an important role in these applications.

The conference will examine the links between these topics. Topics of interest include:

* How can we facilitate effective structure in a SNS?
* How can we enable collaboration/cooperation in social networking application areas such as education, e-commerce, world-wide research etc?
* How can collective knowledge be constructed and shared?
* What is the role of network topologies (scale free, small world, random) in the areas such as disease spreading, opinion dynamics, and norm spreading?
* How can we model the dynamic growth and shrinkage of online communities?
* How can software agents be used in the development and simulation of on-line societies?
* How can various Web 2.0 tools be integrated to satisfy the needs of electronic communities in a holistic manner?
* How can realistic virtual environments be modelled, designed and developed? What are the issues and solutions?
* How can high speed networks such as KAREN (Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network) facilitate the real world experience of virtual environments?
* How can privacy, security, and trust issues be addressed in on-line communities?

Important dates:
Submission date: 15 February 2008
Acceptance notification: 8 March 2008
Camera-ready submission date: 30 March 2008
Conference: 11-13 June 2008

We invite your participation by submitting research papers in the relevant areas of your interest. Inter-disciplinary research papers are also encouraged.

Kind regards, Maryam Purvis and Tony Savarimuthu Department of Information Science University of Otago Dunedin

via Aide-mémoire