Information Futures Forum 9 October 2008
To stimulate a broad-ranging conversation about our scholarly information environment, the Information Management program invites distinguished experts to deliver guest lectures during the academic year.
The Information Futures Forums are open to staff and interested students of the University.
Session 1 - Information Futures Forum - The future of online media and publishing
12.00 noon to 1.30 pm
Thursday 9 October 2008
Rand Theatre, Medical Building, The University of Melbourne
Join Simon Worthington and Alessandro Ludovico, editors of two of Europe?s most ingenious radical publishers, for an in-depth look at experimental digital publishing, network culture, open source and collaborative approaches and the dissolving boundaries between writing, publishing, networking and socialising. From the Documenta 12 Magazines Project to OpenMute to Amazon Noir, expect insights into some of the world?s most exciting contemporary literary projects.
Session 2 - Web2POD and More=More
3.00 to 4.30 pm
Thursday 9 October 2008
Rand Theatre, Medical Building, The University of Melbourne
Web2Pod is a new print model which lets readers create high-quality, cheap, customised print-on-demand books and mags directly from a website. Combine this with new experimental distribution systems which harness sophisticated technology, social networks and common-sense local knowledge and you have an exciting new model for producing and disseminating work. This workshop demonstrates and explores the technology, and offers a roadmap for implementing a system of your own.
About the presenters
Simon Worthington is co-director and publisher of Mute magazine in London (www.metamute.org). He has pioneered many independent and social media publishing platforms and technologies. He is currently heading OpenMute?s technology design team, leading a variety of cutting edge web projects including web-based Print on Demand books (http://picopress.net) and an online/offline alternative media distribution network http://moreismore.net.
Alessandro Ludovico is a media critic and editor in chief of the highly respected Neural magazine . He is the author of many essays on digital culture, co-edited Mag.Net Reader (1 and 2), is a founding contributor to the Nettime community, one of the founders of the Mag.Net (Electronic Cultural Publishers' organization) and teaches at the Academy of Art in Carrara. He is also the man behind art/hacking projects such as Google Will Eat Itself and Amazon Noir.
Acknowledgements
This event is presented by the National Young Writers' Festival (www.youngwritersfestival.org) and the University of Melbourne. This initiative has been supported by the Australia Council Literature Board through its Story of the Future initiative; and the University of Newcastle Writing Cultures Research Group. Thanks to Sean Cubitt in the Faculty of Arts for his assistance.