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Social informatics' past, present and future were the focus of the 8th annual SIG/SI Research Symposium at the 2012 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, with presenters from Europe, Canada and the United States. Papers on the past of social informatics explored its roots in the early 1980s and its domain organization reflected through bibliometric analysis. Current research topics described the influence of information and communication technologies as a contextual element that shapes experience and social interaction, knowledge sharing across boundaries in online communities and studying subjectivity in Web 2.0 research collaborations through Q methodology. Presenters considered the future of social informatics in terms of the influence of information and communication technologies on the economic order, aspects of information practice that demand attention and topics and frameworks for further research. Best paper awards were given for studies on evolving digital rights and urban immigrants' information tactics. Through the symposium and interaction with other SIGs, researchers were encouraged to take a broad view of social informatics to better understand its lessons, influences and future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about topics discussed during the 4th Social Informatics SIG Research Symposium: People, Information and Technology: The Social Analysis of Computing is presented. Topics include the relevance of information technology in professional and social discourses, as well as professional training, and the implication of values in information and communication technologies. Moreover, the relevance of computerization in a workplace is also included.