Crowdsourcing – THATCamp Upstate 2014 http://upstate2014.thatcamp.org Clemson Technology and Humanities unconference Fri, 18 Apr 2014 11:48:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.12 Exploring the Connection between Social Media and Genre Construction http://upstate2014.thatcamp.org/2014/04/17/exploring-the-connection-between-social-media-and-genre-construction/ Thu, 17 Apr 2014 16:35:39 +0000 http://upstate2014.thatcamp.org/?p=194

I propose a session wherein we explore ways genre can be constructed in a social situation. Normative definitions of genre (stemming from, but not exclusively, Aristotle) have had their own share of noted and notable problems; as a result, genre theorists have turned to descriptive accounts of genre makeup. I would turn away from a descriptive model framed only by critics, but instead from a broader look at reader response to particular works. In particular, I want to look at ways that Goodreads, as a social media expression of the kinds of books being read in the real-time now, can change the way we look at genre construction. What kinds of data can be useful in talking about genre? How might the tagging of particular works within genres change the way those books are read and received? What are the limits regarded the use of crowd-sourced data regarding the tagging of books?

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A Template for Mobile App-Guided Tours http://upstate2014.thatcamp.org/2014/04/16/175/ Wed, 16 Apr 2014 15:28:54 +0000 http://upstate2014.thatcamp.org/?p=175
A Template for Mobile App-Guided Tours
Roy Pargas, School of Computing

We propose developing a template for a mobile app promoting tours of an area, such as a campus.  The tours may focus on the history of the area, the architecture of the buildings, the flora and fauna, the academic layout, a sports complex, a nature preserve, tourist information, or any other theme.

The app will feature text descriptions, images, video clips, audio podcasts, links to websites,  interactive maps, and navigational aides. Geofencing (using GPS to determine where the client is at the moment) will provide alerts when the client enters a special area.  GPS tracking will enable the client to remember where he or she has been.
An authoring tool will enable administrators to provide new or additional content regarding points of interest (waypoints) in the area.  Administrators can add text, images, video, audio podcasts, links to websites to a database in the cloud.  As soon as new content is added, the client’s app will download the information and make it available for viewing.
A feedback feature will allow a client to enter text and take pictures, video, or audio of items of interest.  This information can be uploaded to the database and administrators can make the artifacts available to other clients or use the information for internal administrative purposes.
The app will be able to recognize markers on special sites and will automatically provide the client with information pertinent to the site.
The template will be generic and can be used to develop apps for a wide variety of areas.
Those interested in contributing to specific versions of this project, in particular regarding the Clemson campus, are invited to discuss and contribute; other proposals for mobile apps are also always welcome.

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Dr. Roy P. Pargas
Division of Human Centered Computing
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