Matthew Allen will be in Canberra 4-5 December on his way to address ::fibreculture:: in Melbourne on 6 December:

The inaugural ::fibreculture:: meeting considers four key areas of net culture and research: theory, policy, education and the arts... bring together a community of critical thinkers engaged with new media/Internet theory and practice, with a view to constructing a strategic program of how Australia might better support innovation, R+D and the applications and culture of new technology.

Matthew Allen joined Curtin University in 1994 as a lecturer. Promoted twice since then, he has been instrumental in establishing Internet Studies at both undergraduate and graduate level and played a central role in establishing the new School of Media and Information within which Internet Studies is located. Matthew has published 2 books and a dozen conference papers, and has a background in history and cultural theory before turning to the Internet. In 2000, he was recognised as one of the nation's outstanding university teachers, being awarded the prestigious Australian Award for University Teaching, in the category social sciences.

What is the role of the Internet and the Internet in world affairs? How have the recent US terrorists attacks highlighted or changed those roles? Join Matthew Allen and Canberra's leading Internet tinkers to discuss: Internet, Media and Information

IRCs are free (but you have to buy your own drinks and one for the special guest) and open to anyone interested: just turn up. Internet Reality Check (not to be confused with Internet Relay Chat) is designed so that members of the 'net community can meet and exchange the small amount of very important information which is not suitable for digital transmission. ;-)

• Associate Professor Matthew Allen
• inaugural ::fibreculture:: meeting
• Policy, Intellectual Property Rights, Commercial Practices at the Digital publics: a debate, Thursday 6 December, East Melbourne
• Internet Reality Check