It is also interesting to reflect of the phenomena of multiple simultaneous
topics on xmca. Many of us coming from a Western tradition of "one nice
well-defined topic at time" are often confused and want several separate
forums (like x-lit or x-act). But it seems that alive discourse resists
this tradition.=20
What do you think?
Eugene
PS I really recommend people to see Eva's graph at
http://cite.ped.gu.se/Eklanda/Research/xlists.html
At 02:20 PM 10/14/97 +0100, you wrote:
>Hello xmca!
>
>This is a short outline of the becoming, being and revocation of the xlists
>over time. It is probably more enlightening together with its diagram. You
>can see it that way on:
>http://cite.ped.gu.se/Eklanda/Research/xlists.html
>
>Best wishes
>Eva
>
>=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=
=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=
=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7=A7
>
>A SHORT DRY CHRONICLE OF THE XLISTS
>
>There are xlist archives reachable by FTP and dating back to
>November-December 1987. However, according to the welcome document that was
>prepared in 1991 and used as an introduction for xlist newcomers untill
>1995, the computer mediated history of the x-cluster of discussions goes
>back to 1984. The institutional grounding of the lists goes even further
>back: to the early 70s, when the Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition
>was founded as a research unit at the Rockefeller University. In 1978 the
>LCHC moved to the University of California, San Diego, where it still
>exists, and where also the server supporting the xlist communication has
>been located since the start in 1984.
>
>At first there was only a single distribution list, the XLCHC. The origin
>myth provided in the 1991 welcoming document explains the dual significance
>of the "X": it stands as a sign both for the function to keep up a
>communication channel for ex-LCHCers and for the function to allow
>ex-ternal participation by scholars and graduate students from all around
>the world in this "medium for discussion of research on learning and
>development with a general concern for issues of education in modern
>technological societies and a special concern about the ways in which
>educational systems are a source of socially engendered social inequality"
>(Welcome document, xfamily, 91-09-23).
>
>The message flow in the early years was modest in comparison to the xlists
>as I have known them for nearly four years now. For example, the number of
>messages posted in the first set of four quarters was roughly a tenth of
>the number posted in the ninth set of four quarters. Nevertheless, worries
>about owerflowing mailspaces were more frequent back then than they are
>now, which illustrates the technosocial development that has taken place in
>less than ten years.
>
>In 1989 the idea of multiple lists was introduced, addressing concerns
>about how best to stimulate a wider circle of active contributors to the
>electronic discussions. In the following years a number of new xlists were
>instituted. Some of these were active for only a short period, others had a
>fairly stable function as thematic communication channels.
>
>In 1994 the number of lists had proliferated so as to be somewhat
>confusing, and a structural reform was carried out in May 94, merging
>similar lists into one and pruning away inactive ones. The number of lists
>was cut from 10 or 11 down to 5. Then, in the summer of 1995 another
>restructuring merged all the remaining lists (more or less) into one single
>list, the XMCA.
>
>*Lists before May 1994*
>
>XLCHC: general forum. Started in 1984. FTP archives from fall 1987.
>
>XLIT: literacy related topics. Started in fall 1989.
>
>XCLASS: applied educational research. Started in winter 1989.
>
>XACT: activity theory. Archiving starts in spring 1990, but the actual list
>may have started earlier.
>
>XORGAN: organization of the xlists. Started in winter 1990. Intermittently
>active, when needed.
>
>XCOMP: computer related topics. Started in winter 1990 (after some false
>starts the preceding year). Activity fairly low all through.
>
>XHIST: history of psychology. Started in spring 1991. Fairly inactive after
>its first year.
>
>XGRAD: for graduate students. Started in spring 1991. Mostly inactive after
>fall 1993.
>
>XAFTER: after school activities. Started in fall 1991. Mostly inactive
>after fall 1993.
>
>XWORK: work related topics. Archiving starts in winter 1991. The list had a
>predecessor located on a server in Finland and preparing for the Activity
>Theory Conference in Lahti, May 1990, but never got very active.
>
>XWAR: sidechanneling of the aftermath of Gulf War discussions in 1991.
>Temporary.
>
>*Lists May 1994 to May 1995*
>
>XLCHC: general forum. Subsumes XACT and XHISTORY.
>
>XEDU: educational research. Merger of XCLASS, XLIT and XCOMP.
>
>XGRAD: for graduate students. No archives - no activity.
>
>XWORK: work related topics. Never a very active list.
>
>XORGAN: organization of the xlists. Active through the summer of 1995.
>
>XPRACTICE: collaborative production of a chapter in the Handbook of Child
>Development. Started in January 1995, active through the spring and summer
>of 1995.
>
>*From September 1995*
>
>XMCA: general forum. Lots of activity!
>
>
>nununununununununununununununununununununununununununununununununununununun
unu
>Dr Eva Ekeblad
>Goteborg University
>Dept. of Education & Educational Research
>Box 1010 S-431 26 Molndal, SWEDEN
>eva.ekeblad who-is-at ped.gu.se
>http://cite.ped.gu.se/Eklanda/texter/eva.html#English
>-moved my homepage to a safer place...
>Tel: (Int +46 31) 773 22 75 Fax: (Int +46 31) 773 23 91
>nununununununununununununununununununununununununununununununununununununun
unu=11~
>
>
-----------------------------------------------
Eugene Matusov
Willard Hall Educational Bldg., Room 206G=20
Department of Educational Studies
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716-2920
Phone: (302) 831-1266
Fax: (302) 831-4445
e-mail: ematusov who-is-at udel.edu
http://www.ematusov.com
------------------------------------------------