There are many ways to measure plastic time, or distracted computing. 
Though the computer can be used for performing tasks (and is often done
with this purpose in mind), time spent on the computer is very
flexible.  Certainly, this is due to the interactivity of the computer
(having a keyboard, mouse, various ways of transmitting information
through usb drives, etc.).  Additionally, this is also due to the
networking of computers on the internet.  Having a computer with an
internet connection allows for many tasks to be performed,

Force People to Waste Time with technology and record:

Version 1: Enlist a group for an experiment that ostensibly tests reading comprehension. Make the experiment period two hours and administer the faux reading test that requires one half hour of participant time. Tell the participants that the research parameters requires that they leave the testing area at the same time. Offer the computer break room filled with various applications for the participants to enter when finished to "do as they may." Record their technology use with cameras and microphones.

In order to gauge the different ways "plastic time" occurs (or is experienced?) by people who use technology, I first reflected on my own technology use, particularly in regards to my cell phone, within public spaces. Namely, I tend to use, or refer to, my cell phone when I do not have a direct or purposeful activity in mind. I will often take the cell phone out with the sole purpose of looking through its menus, or send random text messages, or browse through the phone book marveling at all the names in the phone that I have not called in a long time.

In discussing the concept "plastic time" I will measure laptop use within a library setting.  I will look at internet use on laptops to gauge how much attention is being paid to activities on the computer, what those activities are, and to what degree laptop users engage in other activities that are not task-related.  I hope to demonstrate that within a public setting like a library - usually seen as the ideal place to get work done and be away from distractions within the home - people engage in plastic time, and perform tasks on their laptops that are unorganized.  I will also

This concept of plastic time seems to be a promising way to think about what happens in-between our directed computing tasks. But how to measure this? I started this exercise by just paying attention to the things I do when I (inevitably) get on the computer first thing in the morning. There is always a period of time, which changes duration every day, before I actually "start working" on things I need to do.

It is my hypothesis that people who use different "distraction devices", such as ipod, mp3 player, walkman, television, or even books/magazines, in the gym setting would have subjective time experiences that are different from people who do not use them. As defined in the prompt, "plastic time experiences could allow us to e interrupted with no cost to the experience," the use of these distraction devices in the gym does not take away what people go to the gym for, that is, to work out.

Everything that I will be writing on will relate to my prelims/dissertation.  I just need to negotiate with you exactly what it is I can write about because I have a feeling there is potential for a lot of overlap between my third prelim question (the methods one) and writing the paper for this class.  The topic will cover everything I have discussed in my last two blogs: looking for the impact of   adolescents use of social networking websites on their identity formation.

To be perfectly honest, in light of Lee’s reading, I am not sure if I can revise my unobtrusive method too much.  To begin, my research question asks about the impact of social networking use on adolescents’ identity development.  There are many affordances on these websites that allow adolescent users to introspectively examine who they are or who they want to be, and then display them in the public/private venue of a social networking profile.  Previous researchers (Brown & Steele, 1999) have been able to analyze the content of adolescents’ bedrooms and extrapolate informa

Methods for community engagement and empowerment in Social and Environmental justice : How to get the community to care about itself.

I'd start a new research question, and hopefully it could be the seminar paper topic.

Research question—what are the features of Chinese government’s policy for telegraph development in late 19th century?