It’s my pleasure to announce that DANG, the Digital Anthropology Group is officially organized as an “interest group” within the American Anthropological Association. I am really optimistic that this lose network of AAA members will be able to accomplish something great within the Association.
There will be an official DANG business meeting on the program for the 2012 annual meeting in San Francisco. My title as organizer of DANG will be “convener” and I will fill this role for two years. After that Daniel Lende will convene the group for two years.
As the conference approaches more will be said about the agenda, but I can tell you generally that it will focus on composing a mission statement and setting priorities for our long term goals. Also it would be nice if sub-chapters of like minded individuals interested in one thing or another self-organized around whatever themes people were interested in pursuing.
What is the best way for incorporating persons not present at the conference into our discussions and decision making process during the business meeting? Google+ video hang-outs and Twitter seem like logical first steps.
Planning for 2013
Also on the subject of the 2012 AAA is planning a big showing at the 2013 annual meeting (Chicago, I think). In the past people have suggested putting together a panel on OA issues that could explain to the AAA rank and file what’s at stake with Open Access and why we’re advocating for it. If we could make this a Presidential session that would be fantastic.
Another good idea for a paper panel is putting together a smorgasbord of different digital topics, a little like digital anthropology’s greatest hits, that would serve to introduce DANG to the general membership. We could have someone talk about blogging and professionalism. We get someone to talk about using Kickstarted as a funding source. Using the internet in the classroom. Conducting fieldwork over the Internet. Working with research participants to design webpages. And so on…
01anthropology.wordpress.com 
And we should not pass up the chance to organize something really strange and fun for an Innovent. I want to bring the public into the AAA somehow.
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I really like the idea of planning a smorgasbord of digital topics for 2013. I am helping plan and present a MOOC at my uni during Spring semester, using a variety of digital tools (some I already use, some I’m learning to use) and would love to “report” on the success (or not) of that endeavor.
Still trying to gather funding to head to SanFran for the 2012, but if I do I certainly will be at the first annual DANG meeting.
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we basically did this (the smorgasboard) last year in Montreal — Kim and Mike Fortun’s double panel and AAA organizers stuck us on sat morning at 8 am…which is likely a statement about how they value digital anthropology
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