UBIQr 2 Workshop: < Tagable > Media
8-9 May 2008
Venue: Alison House, Nicolson Sq, map
We attach tags to objects. As such they are labels or minimal documents. They are also indices, pointers, identifications, captions and terse descriptions that reference information. They also legitmate objects as collected, indexed and archived. A tag has a proximal relationship with its object. Tags are attached. Tags are brands.
What is the role of the ubiquitous tag in contemporary meeting places (augmented and virtual environments)? People who meet together rely increasingly on mobile phones, social network systems and even 3D collaborative environments (MMORPGS) to plan meetings, as meeting venues and to augment their interactions. Think of putatively rich media environments supported or confused by the capabilities offered by phone, Facebook and Second Life. This workshop focuses on tags and their role in such environments: avatar tags, captions in virtual museums, brand logos, command lines, menu items, labels, semacodes, graffiti tags, folksonomies, geotags.
Everything is being tagged: RFID, barcodes, branding. Is the world pre-tagged? What does it mean to make the world its own tag? What happens when tags are lost, exchanged or detached? How do virtual environments constitute a re-tagging of the world? How do tags help us remember, or forget? What are the politics of tagging?
The Workshop will be preceded by and incorporate a research-by-design methodology, involving key designers working with an 'extreme coding' team. The design results will be evaluated, advanced and iterated at the workshop.
This is the second AHRC/EPSRC-funded workshop of the Branded Meeting Places group.
WORKSHOP PROGRAMME
THURSDAY 8 May 2008
10:30-11:00 Coffee and settling in
11:00-11:30 Introduction to Workshop James Stewart
11:30-13:00Session A Exploration of tags and tagging
Questions: What is a tag? How do we tag, why do we tag?
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14-15:00 Session B: Conceptual development of tags and tagging
15:30-17:00 Session C: Scenario Development
17:00-17:30 Selection of a scenario for development
Dinner
FRIDAY 9 May 2008
Venue: Alison House, Nicolson Sq
9:30-10:00 Session D: Presentation of application developed overnight
10:00-12:00 Session E: Short Presentations and discussions of work
12:00-13:00 Session F: Trial of Application
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30 Session G: Redevelopment and re-imagination of applications and scenarios
16:00-17:0Discussion of limits and possibilities of tag concept, and future research directions.
Some Background
You may wish to look at one of our experiments on Facebook - http://apps.facebook.com/brandedapp/ and join in.
You can also watch some of our video blogs on the planning of the workshop and our discussions of tags here: Branded Blog
Those who can only come on the Friday will be able to catch up with the previous day's work at the same site.
Some more inspiration slideshow of tags
And some of the work by students on this topic here: Tagging the World
Participants
Alan Dix
Peter Excell
Sarah Kettly
Ann Light
Ella Chmielewska
Jochen Enhes
Ian Mclaren
Neil Mulholland
Ingi Helgason
Simone O'Callaghan
Kevin Kin-Foo,
Michael Smyth
Chris Speed
Tony Kent
Claire Bure
Richard Coyne,
Penny Travlou
Mark Wright
James Stewart
Henrik Ekeus
John Lee
Mike Greer
Geoff Lee
Robin Williams
Alan Dix
Peter Excell
Sarah Kettly
Ann Light
Ella Chmielewska
Jochen Enhes
Ian Mclaren
Neil Mulholland
Ingi Helgason
Simone O'Callaghan
Kevin Kin-Foo,
Michael Smyth
Chris Speed
Tony Kent
Claire Bure
Richard Coyne,
Penny Travlou
Mark Wright
James Stewart
Henrik Ekeus
John Lee
Mike Greer
Geoff Lee
Robin Williams