News

...and welcome to new i3net members

Nielse Ole Bernsen
Southern University of Denmark
nob@nis.sdu.dk

It is no surprise that opinions are divided on whether or not to expand the i3 community to include individuals and organisations that do not participate in i3 projects. On the one hand, a free-for-all association was never the intention. Most of us are members of several professional associations already, and it is not evident that there is a strong need for one more. And what would the association be about — schools? communities? novel interfaces? what used to be called HCI? The i3 community is a new creature which brings together design, technology and people in a way which heralds post-disciplinarity: the state in which most participants have outgrown their original disciplines and contribute to the creative process of developing useful, usable and well-designed systems for the future Information Society.

On the other hand, there are obvious benefits to be gained from welcoming new colleagues who share the i3 vision: dynamic development, increased strength and impact, exposure, new opportunities for all. It was for reasons such as these that i3net reviewers at Nyborg felt that we should expand. The how of expansion was generated later by the CG.

The new members scheme which has now been put in place has two membership categories. One, which is free, is for named individuals in universities, research institutes, design organisations and end-user organisations who can demonstrate i3 excellence both for their organisation and as individuals, are in projects of high i3 relevance, and volunteer to do services for the i3 community. Tell any such people you know about the opportunity!

The second type of membership is for commercial organisations that want to become i3 business partners. In return for their sponsorship fee, such organisations will receive a package of membership and sponsorship benefits which offers a full-value return of their investment. In addition, they are invited to become ‘early bird’ partners in finalising the i3 business partner scheme, which will lead to funds for creating new i3 research. i3net is committed to actively promoting this business partner scheme through contacting the many commercial organisations out there which have already expressed an interest in i3 research, or want to have the scheme presented to them. The first commercial organisations to receive the offer, of course, will be those already involved in i3 research. Tell businesses you think may qualify about the opportunity, or suggest that they contact i3net!

As we are a community, all new applications will be put on the i3net web pages for member comments before the CG makes the final decision on mem-bership. www.i3net.org/ser_pub/join-i3/