Simon Wilson Project Archivist, The Waterways Trust, The Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 4FW Tel: 0151 356 4247 Email: [log in to unmask] ----- Original Message ----- From: Stuart Lee <[log in to unmask]> To: Humanities Lists <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2000 1:37 PM Subject: Beyond Control? Colloquium, Oxford Union 28th April Beyond Control or Through the Looking Glass? Threats and Liberties in the Electronic Age Friday 28 April 2000 The Oxford Union Debating Chamber Organised by: Humanities Computing Unit, University of Oxford http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/beyond/ <META>Access, Culture, Museums, Libraries, Internet, Censorship, Policing, Control, Civil Liberties</META> Overview -------- We are constantly being told that the new technologies, and particularly the Internet will bring unparalleled benefits to society by increasing access to all manner of resources, educational, cultural, and entertainment. Yet at the same time we read of Internet scare stories about the availability of pornography, racist material, and information inciting violence. How can we square this circle? Is the Internet 'Beyond Control', or are we 'Through the Looking Glass' into a wonderland of strange and new adventures. Set in the historical Debating Chamber of the Oxford Union, distinguished speakers will present their views and debate the future shape of our culture's landscape. The format of Beyond Control will be a mixture of presentations, open discussion, and debates. We will aim to stimulate discussion between the speakers and encourage the audience to participate fully. The list of invited speakers is growing all the time, and at the moment we are pleased to announce the following. Morning Session: Accessing Cultural Networks Speakers will *include*: * Prof Bruce Royan, Chief Executive, Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network - 'Surfing the heritage: the internet and wider access to cultural resources' * Dr Suzanne Keene, Head of Collections Management, Science Museum - 'Museums: does the virtual benefit the actual?' * Chris Batt, Chief Network Adviser, Library and Information Commission - title to be announced Afternoon Session: Policing the Internet (co-organised with CR & CL UK) An in-depth debate on Government policies on policing the internet - how essential are these? Can they work? How much of a threat do they pose to civil liberties? The debate will be led by two speakers for, and two speakers against a motion presented to the house, followed by open discussion and a vote. The invited presenters are: * Prof Nadine Strossen, New York Law School, & President of the American Civil Liberties Union * Mr Yaman Akdeniz, Director of Cyber-Rights & Cyber Liberties (UK) ----- vs ----- * Mr John Abbott, Director General of the National Criminal Intelligence Service * Mr David Kerr, CEO, Internet Watch Foundation Who Should Come to 'Beyond Control'? ------------------------------------ Anyone interested in the potential benefits and problems the Internet poses for increasing access to resources, be they cultural, or ephemeral. The colloquium will be of interest to: * museums * libraries * academics * publishers * students * IT and Information specialists * the general public * civil liberty experts * criminologists * Internet providers * and so on ... Venue: The Debating Chamber of the Oxford Union ----------------------------------------------- The Oxford Union is the world's most famous debating society. Established in 1823 and located in glorious Victorian Buildings in the heart of Oxford University, it aims to promote debate and discussion not just in Oxford University, but across the globe (for more information see http://www.oxford-union.org/). Background ---------- For the last five years the Humanities Computing Unit has organised a series of successful events which have discussed the place of technology in the spheres of literature, learning, and our cultural resources. In 1999 we brought together a number of illustrious speakers in the Oxford Union to look 'Beyond Art' which discussed how technology asserts itself on the creative arts (selected papers can be found at: http://info.ox.ac.uk/ctitext/beyond/). More information about the Humanities Computing Unit is available from http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk Price ----- Costs per place are as follows: 40.00 - educational 100.00 - commercial 5.00 - student/unwaged Please note that lunch is not included in the price. Please book early as spaces are limited. Concessions for block bookings of five or more (though not at the student rate) are available; please contact the organisers below for more details. A small number of reduced price places will be available for members of the Oxford Union and Oxford University. Cheques should be made payable to 'Oxford University Computing Services' and sent to the organisers below. To register for this event please complete the tear-off slip below and return it by 14th April 2000 to: Jenny Newman Humanities Computing Unit OUCS, 13 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 6NN. Tel. +44 (0)1865 273221 Fax. +44 (0)1865 273275 Email: [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I WOULD LIKE TO APPLY FOR A PLACE ON THE HUMANITIES COMPUTING UNIT'S 'BEYOND CONTROL' ONE-DAY COLLOQUIUM ON APRIL 28th 2000 TITLE: FIRST NAME: SURNAME: POSITION: DEPARTMENT: INSTITUTION: ADDRESS: POSTCODE: COUNTRY: TELEPHONE: FAX: E-MAIL: I ENCLOSE A CHEQUE FOR 40.00 (pounds sterling) [Educational Rate]/100.00 [Commercial Rate]/5.00 [Student/Unwaged rate] MADE PAYABLE TO 'OXFORD UNIVERSITY COMPUTING SERVICES'. SIGNED: DATE: %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%