Wrapping-up #AoIR2016

Anfang Oktober erlebte Berlin die geballte Wucht der internationalen Internetforschung. Hier haben wir die Highlights zusammengetragen. Zusammen mit dem Hans-Bredow-Institut für Medienforschung richteten wir die #AOIR2016 Konferenz an der Humboldt Universität zu Berlin aus – eine renommierte jährliche Konferenz der Association for Internet Researchers (AoIR). 2016 war das erste Mal das dieses Treffen bekannter Internetforscher in Deutschland stattfand. Sie wurde gleich die größte Konferenz ihrer Art: Fast 600 TeilnehmerInnen aus 30 Ländern. Mehr als 100 Sessions. 
Early October 2016 was a blast for internet research in Berlin. We present you the highlights! Together with our partners at Hans-Bredow-Institute for Media Research we hosted #AoIR2016 – the prestigious annual conference of the Association for Internet Researchers (AoIR). 2016 was the first time this gathering of the best in internet research was taking place in Germany – and immediately it became the biggest conference of its sort: Almost 600 participants from 30 countries, more than 100 sessions. Berlin was buzzing.

and now: #aoir2016 🎈🎉🍾✨ pic.twitter.com/fTNe5eirGJ

— Frederike (@F_Kaltheuner) October 5, 2016

Pre-Conferences

Already on Wednesday, the pre-conference workshops brought together more than 250 people in 7 workshops and colloquiums – and a squeaking chair.

“The internet is no more a communication network, it is a control network,” @LauraDeNardis #AoIR2016

— InternetPolicyReview (@PolicyR) 5. Oktober 2016

Re @snurb_dot_info's dead fairies reference: Each time you say "quant" vs"qual" in digital methods, a fairy dies #aoir2016 #savethefairies

— Jean Burgess (@jeanburgess) October 5, 2016

Thanks @hiig_berlin for an amazing #legalhackathon AT #AoIR2016 ! #privacybydesign rules! pic.twitter.com/KNUMK5kclk

— Claus Schaale (@cschaale) October 5, 2016

Layers of mediation in Twitter research. Researchers need to work with cascades of inscription #AoIR2016 pic.twitter.com/cEryRPnBcp

— Carolin Gerlitz (@cgrltz) October 5, 2016

Squeak! #AoIR2016

— AoIR Chair (@AoIRChair) October 8, 2016

Keynote

On Wednesday night, more than 500 internet researchers gathered at Humboldt University’s Audimax for the kick-off of the conference, featuring a keynote by Jose van Dijck on ‘platform society’.

Just a few minutes in and – cats! well done! #aoir2016 pic.twitter.com/u66TK4yJvT

— Steve Jones | @stevejones@aoir.social (@s_t_e_v_e_jones) October 5, 2016

This is why I love #aoir2016 #ir17 and #rebelhashtags pic.twitter.com/asxkyJmKxy — Jenny Stromer-Galley (@profjsg) 5. Oktober 2016

Great #AoIR2016 keynote by @jvdijck. Liveblog here: https://t.co/P0VGHCPSb0

— Axel Bruns (@snurb_dot_info) 5. Oktober 2016

https://twitter.com/theoryofnora/status/783727000833888260

Panel

On Thursday night it was time for the public panel. Playing along the conference theme, Kate Crawford, Fieke Jansen, Carolin Gerlitz discussed ‘Who rules the internet?”. The Big 5, algorithms and artificial intelligence, agency and politics were key ingredients of a lively debate. And some of us even met robots on our way back home.

Missed out on the great "Who rules the Internet?" panel at #AoIR2016 ? Here's your chance to rewatch: https://t.co/J2iib82voZ

— Julia Kloiber @j_kloiber@social.tchncs.de (@j_kloiber) October 8, 2016

(Video starts at 1:06:00)

*Provocative* plenary panel discussion: Who rules the Internet? #AoIR2016 with amazing ladies @katecrawford @cgrltz @FiekeJ #conference pic.twitter.com/IlhNrSahMM

— Fiona Suwana (@fionasuwana) October 6, 2016

An online company saying 'we respect your privacy' is like an oil company saying 'we respect the environment' #AoIR2016 is epic

— David Garcia (@dgarcia_eu) October 6, 2016

https://twitter.com/TeachGuz/status/784085238192467968

This. Just happened by #AoIR2016 – and there’s robots! pic.twitter.com/YqcpIDOrhy — Zizi Papacharissi (@zizip) 6. Oktober 2016

Sessions

From Thursday through Saturday the conference featured not less than 100 sessions on all things of internet research.

To sum up the two #aoir2016 sessions on Internet Research Ethics this morning: pic.twitter.com/XtWjuLcl6x

— Nele Heise (@neleheise) October 6, 2016

https://twitter.com/kkatot/status/783931029581078528

Right!Platforms also places of liminality; where we wait, transit..as this visual by @jeanburgess +@nancybaym cleverly reminds us #AoIR2016 pic.twitter.com/7jO8BQXNAc

— Zizi Papacharissi @zizip@mastodon.social #resist (@zizip) October 6, 2016

Of you wanna see a packed room, come to ALGORITHMS in R1.405. (Actually, NO, DON'T COME!) #AoIR2016 pic.twitter.com/A0vWD1kJzm

— Christian Katzenbach @cka@aoir.social (@ckatzenbach) October 6, 2016

https://twitter.com/aram/status/783937092418150400

Foot wAoIR #AoIR2016 #IR17 #aoir16 @nancybaym @katy_jordan @natpoor @CUNYFashion @jvelkova @brookeerinduffy @frauricker/ yay! My first AoIR! pic.twitter.com/LwSI2Xjyeh

— Elizabeth Wissinger (@betsywiss) October 8, 2016

"If Instagram goes away, what will your studies mean?" That is why we need to tie our work to social theory. #AoIR2016

— Jeff Hemsley (@JeffHemsley) October 7, 2016

#AoIR2016 academic labour visibilities: @wishcrys snapping @jilltxt snapping @Dr_Ku pic.twitter.com/HhOwWPGKtX

— wishcrys (@wishcrys) October 8, 2016

When you realize one of the authors of the paper you are challenging is sitting in the audience. #gulp #AoIR2016

— katie warfield (@katie_warfield) October 8, 2016

https://twitter.com/tshepski/status/784701340601769984

#AoIR2016 what a great panel! Final paper by @sonjaviv and workshops on #beyondgender feat. the genderbread person! pic.twitter.com/qgDMjzcKZC

— Maria Schreiber (@perceptionalize) October 8, 2016

Reception

And there’s a party. As the AoIR prez emphasised in three of the 99 conference planning sessions: “AoIR people want to dance!” Berlin knows for sure now: They do!

#AoIR2016 OMG pic.twitter.com/PxSc64yrBQ

— wishcrys (@wishcrys) October 7, 2016

https://twitter.com/TeachGuz/status/784475267007995909

I believe that a decent time was had by many at this year's banquet. See y'all tomorrow, bright & early 😀 #AoIR2016 #wineisthevegoption pic.twitter.com/KCM5h1WSC2

— Cornelius Puschmann (@cbpuschmann) October 7, 2016

Impressions (Our Top 25 Pictures)

Aftermath

#AoIR2016 aftermath (3): You weren't as hungry as we thought. If you're still in Berlin: Come over, have a coffee, a cookie and 5 apples pic.twitter.com/Bm1YmDpdoc

— Christian Katzenbach @cka@aoir.social (@ckatzenbach) October 11, 2016

Wow. #AoIR2016 is _literally_ front-page news. In Berlin ! #wow #buythepaper pic.twitter.com/8Wr3fbFFWv

— Axel Bruns (@snurb_dot_info) October 5, 2016

https://twitter.com/profjsg/status/784714155806879744

Interview by @cbpuschmann on Internet rules in the Berliner Zeitung #AoIR2016 https://t.co/N7Ib1qBSWO

— Carolin Gerlitz (@cgrltz) October 7, 2016

Berlin newspaper @tagesspiegel is reporting on #AoIR2016 @hiig_berlin & public debate #whoRulesInternet big time! #5YearsHIIG pic.twitter.com/X6aUWkOA08

— HIIG Berlin (@hiig_berlin) October 8, 2016

Nachlese zur #AoIR2016 Unsere Jeanette Hofmann (@achdujeh) bei @breitband zu Big Nudging. https://t.co/VwrNCSfszV

— POLDI (@internet_policy) October 11, 2016

The main career advice I give emerging scholars is "find your people". #aoir2016 is pretty much what I mean by that. Safe travels everyone.

— Jean Burgess (@jeanburgess) October 9, 2016

Hey can we go on to Estonia right away ? I don’t want #AoIR2016 to end.

— Axel Bruns (@snurb_dot_info) October 8, 2016

Bye #AoIR2016 it has been fun! pic.twitter.com/6W3HZ3vScI

— Ericka Menchen-Trevino (@erickaakcire) October 8, 2016

Last image from the #AoIR2016 conference location from this afternoon pic.twitter.com/nsnFUnssvQ

— Anne Helmond (@silvertje) October 8, 2016

https://twitter.com/ckatzenbach/status/785394003881656320

https://twitter.com/aram/status/785034566327267328

☁️ ❤👋❤ #AoIR2016 ❤👋❤ 🌥

🚋❤🚋❤🚋❤🚋❤🚋

— AoIR trains (@AoIR_trains) October 9, 2016

Press Coverage

Süddeutsche Zeitung
Tagesspiegel
Guardian
Deutschlandradio Kultur
Berliner Zeitung