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2011 Spring. ; Includes bibliographical references. ; Letterboxing is a 150 year old hobby that involves treasure hunting, clues, hiking and orienteering. From its roots in the Dartmoor region of England, this practice migrated to the United States in the 1990s and burst into popularity through the use of online resources to connect, educate, and inspire letterboxers. North American letterboxing is a modern incarnation of this old practice that combines the connective power of digital media with the traditional artistry and creativity of this hobby. By providing opportunities for both production and consumption, letterboxing creates its own system of value that can mediate, resist and reinforce capitalistic structures. Using engaged ethnography, interviews, and a broad-scale survey, this thesis draws on theories from political economy, art, and community-building to discuss the ways in which these hobbyists use virtual and traditional letterboxes to creates value. Examining both the production and consumption of letterboxing practices provides insight into how this hobby is both reflective of and distinct from broader American systems of value creation.

Studies of the sources of innovations have recognized that many innovations are developed by users. However, the fact that firms employ communities of users to strengthen their innovation process has not yet received much attention. In online firm-hosted user communities, users freely reveal innovations to a firm's product platform, which can put the firm in a favorable position (a) because these new product features become available to all users through sharing on a user-to-user basis, or (b) because it allows the firm to pick up the innovations and integrate them in future products and then benefit by selling them to all users. We study the key personal attributes of the individuals responsible for innovations, namely the innovative users, to explain creation of value in this organizational context. The main question is why such users contribute to firm-hosted user communities. Analyzing data derived from multiple sources (interviews, a Web-log, and questionnaires), we find that innovative users are likely to be (i) hobbyists, an attribute that can be assumed to (positively) affect innovators' willingness to share innovations, and (ii) responsive to "firm recognition" as a motivating factor for undertaking innovation, which explains their decision to join the firm's domain. In agreement with earlier studies, we also find that innovative users are likely to be "lead users," an attribute that we assume to affect the quality of user innovation. Whether or not a firm-hosted user community can be turned into an asset for the firm is to a great extent conditional on the issues studied in this paper.

"The Two Revolutions tells the long history of transgender communities online, reconstructing the various digital networks of transgender activists, cross-dressing computer hobbyists, and others interested in gender nonconformity who laid the foundations for contemporary trans life"--

The story of white masculinity in geek culture through a history of hobby gamingGeek culture has never been more mainstream than it is now, with the ever-increasing popularity of events like Comic Con, transmedia franchising of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, market dominance of video and computer games, and the resurgence of board games such as Settlers of Catan and role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Yet even while the comic book and hobby shops where the above are consumed today are seeing an influx of BIPOC gamers, they remain overwhelmingly white, male, and heterosexual. The Privilege of Play contends that in order to understand geek identity's exclusionary tendencies, we need to know the history of the overwhelmingly white communities of tabletop gaming hobbyists that preceded it. It begins by looking at how the privileged networks of model railroad hobbyists in the early twentieth century laid a cultural foundation for the scenes that would grow up around war games, role-playing games, and board games in the decades ahead. These early networks of hobbyists were able to thrive because of how their leisure interests and professional ambitions overlapped. Yet despite the personal and professional strides made by individuals in these networks, the networks themselves remained cloistered and homogeneous—the secret playgrounds of white men. Aaron Trammell catalogs how gaming clubs composed of lonely white men living in segregated suburbia in the sixties, seventies and eighties developed strong networks through hobbyist publications and eventually broke into the mainstream. He shows us how early hobbyists considered themselves outsiders, and how the denial of white male privilege they established continues to define the socio-technical space of geek culture today. By considering the historical role of hobbyists in the development of computer technology, game design, and popular media, The Privilege of Play charts a path toward understanding the deeply rooted structural obstacles that have stymied a more inclusive community. The Privilege of Play concludes by considering how digital technology has created the conditions for a new and more diverse generation of geeks to take center stage

The story of white masculinity in geek culture through a history of hobby gamingGeek culture has never been more mainstream than it is now, with the ever-increasing popularity of events like Comic Con, transmedia franchising of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, market dominance of video and computer games, and the resurgence of board games such as Settlers of Catan and role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Yet even while the comic book and hobby shops where the above are consumed today are seeing an influx of BIPOC gamers, they remain overwhelmingly white, male, and heterosexual. The Privilege of Play contends that in order to understand geek identity's exclusionary tendencies, we need to know the history of the overwhelmingly white communities of tabletop gaming hobbyists that preceded it. It begins by looking at how the privileged networks of model railroad hobbyists in the early twentieth century laid a cultural foundation for the scenes that would grow up around war games, role-playing games, and board games in the decades ahead. These early networks of hobbyists were able to thrive because of how their leisure interests and professional ambitions overlapped. Yet despite the personal and professional strides made by individuals in these networks, the networks themselves remained cloistered and homogeneous—the secret playgrounds of white men. Aaron Trammell catalogs how gaming clubs composed of lonely white men living in segregated suburbia in the sixties, seventies and eighties developed strong networks through hobbyist publications and eventually broke into the mainstream. He shows us how early hobbyists considered themselves outsiders, and how the denial of white male privilege they established continues to define the socio-technical space of geek culture today. By considering the historical role of hobbyists in the development of computer technology, game design, and popular media, The Privilege of Play charts a path toward understanding the deeply rooted structural obstacles that have stymied a more inclusive community. The Privilege of Play concludes by considering how digital technology has created the conditions for a new and more diverse generation of geeks to take center stage

It is widely accepted that if well managed, the marine aquarium trade could provide socio-economic stability to local communities while incentivising the maintenance of coral reefs. However, the trade has also been implicated as having potentially widespread environmental impacts that has in part driven developments in aquaculture to relieve wild collection pressures. This study investigates the biodiversity in hobbyist aquaria (using an online survey) and those species currently available from an aquaculture source (commercial data and hobbyist initiatives) in the context of a traffic light system to highlight gaps in aquaculture effort and identify groups that require fisheries assessments. Two hundred and sixty nine species including clown fish, damsels, dotty backs, angelfish, gobies, sea horses and blennies, have reported breeding successes by hobbyists, a pattern mirrored by the European and US commercial organisations. However, there is a mismatch (high demand and low/non-existent aquaculture) for a number of groups including tangs, starfish, anemones and hermit crabs, which we recommend are priority candidates for local stock assessments. Hobbyist perception towards the concept of a sustainable aquarium trade is also explored with results demonstrating that only 40% of respondents were in agreement with industry and scientists who believe the trade could be an exemplar of a sustainable use of coral reefs. We believe that a more transparent evidence base, including the publication of the species collected and cultured, will go some way to align the concept of a sustainable trade across industry stakeholders and better inform the hobbyist when purchasing their aquaria stock. We conclude by proposing that a certification scheme established with government support is the most effective way to move towards a self-regulating industry. It would prevent industry "greenwashing" from multiple certification schemes, alleviate conservation concerns, and, ultimately, support aquaculture initiatives alongside well managed ornamental fisheries.

Frühe Mikrocomputer der sogenannten 8- und 16-Bit-Ära (1975–1985) sind aus verschiedenen Gründen wichtige Objekte der Hardware- und Softwareehaltung: Die heutige Hard- und Softwareindustrie wurde auf diesen Maschinen aufgebaut (insbesondere Computerspiele und Bürosoftware), populäre Computermagazine, Bücher, Benutzergemeinschaften und die Privatisierung der Computertechnologie sind eng mit dieser Technologie verbunden. Die Be- wahrung findet nicht nur in professionellen Umgebungen (Museen, Archiven) statt, sondern auch im privaten Umfeld von Sammlern, Hobbyisten, Retro- Computer-Clubs und Reparatur-Cafés. Die Methoden und Werkzeuge, die von diesen Hobbyisten verwendet werden, unterscheiden sich erheblich von denen professioneller Praktiken – nicht nur wegen des (meist autodidaktisch erworbenen) Hintergrunds, sondern auch wegen der unterschiedlichen Zielsetzung: Hobbyisten reparieren alte Computer nicht nur, um sie wieder in Betrieb zu nehmen, sondern auch, um einen Einblick in 'Teilbereiche' des technikhistorischen Wissens zu erhalten. Das Ergebnis solcher Reparaturprozesse sind also neue Informationen über (vermeintlich) bekannte Objekte. Dieses Wissen wird an andere Bastler weitergegeben, um es zu nutzen, zu überarbeiten und/oder zu erweitern. Im Jahr 2019 erhielt das Signallabor am Institut für Musik- und Medienwissenschaft (an der Berliner Humboldt-Universität) 15 defekte Mikrocomputersysteme, die für eine bevorstehende operative Ausstellung im Berliner Humboldt-Forum im Jahr 2021 repariert werden sollten. Die Computer (aus der Sammlung des Center for Applied Statistics and Economics) reichten von selbstgebauten Einplatinen- und Heimcomputern aus der DDR über frühe Commodore-Heimcomputer aus den 1970er Jahren, CP/M- und MS-DOS-Systeme aus den 1980er Jahren bis hin zu UNIX-Workstations aus den frühen 1990er Jahren. Die Computer wurden von Studierenden des Studiengangs Medienwissenschaft mit Hilfe der Retro-Computing-Community (Berliner Vereine und Bastler, Internet-Diskussionsforen, Facebook usw.) repariert. Ihnen ist es gelungen, fast alle Computer zu reparieren und Software für die geplante Ausstellung darauf zu installieren. Unser Beitrag wird anhand konkreter Beispiele aus dem Reparaturprozess zeigen, wie die hobbymäßige Konservierung altes und neues Wissen aus Archiven und Communities nutzt, moderne Technologie in alte Hardware implementiert und unkonventionelle Werkzeuge, Materialien und Praktiken zur Reparatur einsetzt. Das aus diesem Prozess gewonnene Wissen wird als 'Epistemologie der Bewahrung' diskutiert, die eine medienwissenschaftliche Theorie (und Kritik) der Computergeschichte unterstützt, in der die 'historischen' Objekte gegenwärtig sein müssen, um vollständig als Medien verstanden zu werden.

Part 2: Regular Submissions ; International audience ; The beginning and later widespread use of the early microcomputers and home computers in the 1980s were strongly related to the emergency of the first computer games. However, this important episode has traditionally focused on accomplishments that identify key moments in the past such as identifying important firsts and successful corporate innovators. According to this, we may neglect the valuable contributions of other very different actors, such as politicians, programmers, designers, distributors, software and hardware stores, hobbyists, and fan communities. Thus, this paper is concerned with some of these myriad other subjects, including also their everyday practices. By giving voice to them, we start revealing a diverse set of activities and roles that collectively contributed to the shaping of computing technology, gaming practices and even the gaming industry in their respective local contexts.

Fifteen years before the commercialization of the internet, millions of amateurs across North America created more than 100,000 small-scale computer networks. The people who built and maintained these dial-up bulletin board systems (BBSs) in the 1980s laid the groundwork for millions of others who would bring their lives online in the 1990s and beyond. From ham radio operators to HIV/AIDS activists, these modem enthusiasts developed novel forms of community moderation, governance, and commercialization. The Modem World tells an alternative origin story for social media, centered not in the office parks of Silicon Valley or the meeting rooms of military contractors, but rather on the online communities of hobbyists, activists, and entrepreneurs. Over time, countless social media platforms have appropriated the social and technical innovations of the BBS community. How can these untold stories from the internet's past inspire more inclusive visions of its future?

Game creation tools like Game Maker or RPG Maker democratize game making and facilitate the development of amateur game design. The best known among these programs have dynamic web-communities with active members making thousands of games. However, as of now, there is little research on amateur game design except for modding or education fields. In this paper I argue that approaching amateur game making in these relations with video game playing allows a better understanding of game creation tools' users. To support my argument, I will lean on the early results of the exploratory step of my ongoing research. ; Peer reviewed

This stand-out book appreciably contributes to growing debates within Science and Technology Studies concerned with cultural politics, the emergence of citizen science and civil society interventions in shaping technology. By drawing on fieldwork data, Savvides examines the bourgeoning 3D printing culture outside the professional lab in Hackerspaces, Makerspaces and Fab Labs. This engaging ethnography not only builds arguments on tracing the historical roots of makers and Hackerspaces, 3D printing technology and political narratives surrounding these new technological environments; it also illustrates how 3D printing has configured parallel grassroots innovation in experimental spaces in the UK, Germany and Cyprus and brought together hobbyist maker communities, activists and entrepreneurs alike. The study also addresses the convergence of activism and the maker culture with prevalent cultural imaginaries - such as the visionary creator within decentralized and distributive manufacturing, the idea of autopoietic social systems, or the imaginative leap to space colonization - and touches upon challenges and motivations in the field of grassroots innovation by examining how it';s organized and conducted in semi-informal contexts.

The untold story about how the internet became social, and why this matters for its future "Whether you're reading this for a nostalgic romp or to understand the dawn of the internet, The Modem World will delight you with tales of BBS culture and shed light on how the decisions of the past shape our current networked world."—danah boyd, author of It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens Fifteen years before the commercialization of the internet, millions of amateurs across North America created more than 100,000 small-scale computer networks. The people who built and maintained these dial-up bulletin board systems (BBSs) in the 1980s laid the groundwork for millions of others who would bring their lives online in the 1990s and beyond. From ham radio operators to HIV/AIDS activists, these modem enthusiasts developed novel forms of community moderation, governance, and commercialization. The Modem World tells an alternative origin story for social media, centered not in the office parks of Silicon Valley or the meeting rooms of military contractors, but rather on the online communities of hobbyists, activists, and entrepreneurs. Over time, countless social media platforms have appropriated the social and technical innovations of the BBS community. How can these untold stories from the internet's past inspire more inclusive visions of its future?

"Early American Children's Clothing and Textiles: Clothing a Child 1600 to 1800 explores the life experiences of Indigenous, Anglo-European, African, and mixed-race children in colonial America, their connections to textile production, the process of textile production, the textiles created, and the clothing they wore. The book examines the communities and social structure of early America, the progression of the colonial textile industry, and the politics surrounding textile production beginning in the 1600's, with particular focus on the tasks children were given in the development of the American textile industry. The publication discusses the concept of childhood in society during this time frame, together with documented stories of individual children. The discussion of early American childhood and textile production is followed by extant clothing samples for both boys and girls, ranging from upper class children's wear to children's wear of more humble means. With over 180 illustrations, the book includes images of textile production tools, inventions, and practices, extant textile samples, period portraits of children, and handmade extant clothing items worn by children during this time period. Early American Children's Clothing and Textiles: Clothing a Child 1600 to 1800 will be of interest to working costume designers and technicians looking for primary historical and visual information for Early American productions, costume design historians, early American historians, students of costume design, and historical re-enactment costume designers, technicians, and hobbyists"--

The analysis of ideology at the vernacular level requires access to peer-to-peer political discussions amongst non-specialists. It is in these discursive exchanges that political views are articulated, refined, and revised. Such exchanges are, however, difficult for the researcher to capture. Here we take c.25,000 learner comments (along with several hundred image uploads) from a Massive Open Online Course, run in conjunction between the University of Nottingham and the British Library, as a source of such peer-to-peer political discussions. Learners discussed five topics, of which we have selected 'Freedom', 'Justice', and 'Community' for close analysis. We find that the idea of 'freedom' generated by far the most learner discourse, and in both the comments and image uploads this concept was both positively appraised and highly personalised. 'Justice' was generally seen as something to be delivered by political institutions, although accounts of injustice were frequently appraised through either personal experience or the experiences of others. Accounts of 'community' often focused on the trappings of nationhood, but some comments, and many images in particular, highlighted moments of ephemeral and more personal, self-chosen communities such as music concerts or hobbyist conventions. Overall, both comments and images show that, in their interpretation of the conceptual vocabulary of politics, people frequently frame their understanding through personal experience in a very direct manner. It is not only true that the 'personal is political', but also, for many, that the 'political is personal'.