Online Dispute Resolution: Theory and Practice | A Treatise on Technology and Dispute Resolution

Till I received a PDF of the chapter I wrote for Online Dispute Resolution: Theory and Practice: A Treatise on Technology and Dispute Resolution as it appears in the tome, I had entirely forgotten about it. Ethan, Daniel and Mohamed are three of the finest minds in ODR today, and writing this chapter for them was …

Peace Building in the Digital Era: 9th Forum on New Technologies of Information & Communication applied to Conflict

Since 2004, I have worked on and been involved in the interesting evolution of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), in large part as a Fellow at The National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution, based at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. From once a strictly legal/commercial dispute resolution domain, ODR has now more fully embraced peacebuilding …

The internet through mobiles: ODR solutions must follow?

Four years when Melissa and I published our paper on An Asian Perspective on Online Mediation, we were sort of mavericks in the Online Dispute Resolution community for even harbouring the thought that mobiles would dominate the field in less than a decade. The resistance from the ancien régime was expected - hundreds of thousands …

Online identity: Real or fake for a reason?

The Economist has a short but effective write up about online identity based on a recent survey on 'real names' vs. pseudonyms in pen names. We have wanted to encourage (not require) readers to use their real names when commenting on The Economist web site. Our hope is that increased use of real names will …

Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), the financial downturn and innovation

Tucked away recently in the Real Estate section of the New York Times was an article that resonated a great deal with the evolution of Online Dispute Resolution since 2004. The E-Mail Handshake is a fascinating take on how the current economic downturn is influencing modes of communication in real estate deals. In the current …

In the company of giants: International Mediation Institute (IMI) and ICT4Peace

Diane Levin's blog gives a pointer to the International Mediation Institute (IMI) and a special section on its web site to recognize the work of bloggers writing on ADR and ODR. Diane Levin aside, there are giants in the field of ADR / ODR featured here. It's humbling to be in the company of these blogs and bloggers, though …

Net Neutrality: Economics and implications for ICT4Peace and ODR

A post on Lirneasia prompted some thought on the linkages between Net Neutrality and peacebuilding, especially the use of the web and Internet for conflict transformation. Lirneasia's post deals with Obama's and McCain's stance on the issue of Net Neutrality, with Chanuka making the point that while theoretically desirable, Net Neutrality has its own significant …

1.4 billion people access the Internet today – ODR providers need to wake up to mobiles

A new report finds a quarter of the world's population accessing the Internet in 2008.  IDC's Digital Marketplace Model and Forecast estimates that 1.4 billion users of the Internet is set to jump to 1.9 billion over the next four years, bringing internet access to roughly 30 per cent of the world's population. "The internet will have …

iPod Touch 2.0 and the cult of Apple

The cult of Apple - customers camping outside the Manhattan Apple store to buy the iPhone 2.0. Photo taken by author on 9th July 2008.   I bought my iPod Touch around a month ago and was keen to play around with the new version of the phone software. The main challenge I faced was …

The future of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) – Technologies to keep an eye on

I was asked to run the Crystal Ball session at the 2008 Online Dispute Resolution Forum and with Vint Cerf right in front of me, it was an interesting opportunity to go through some of the technologies I felt would change the manner in which ODR systems would be developed and used as well as, …