Special Interest Group
historyA Special Interest Group (SIG) is a community with a interest in advancing a specific area of knowledge, learning or technology where members cooperate to effect or to produce solutions within their particular field, and may meet communicate, meet and organise conferences. They may at times also advocate or lobby on a particular issue or on a range is issues but are generally distinct from Advocacy groups and pressure groups which are normally set up for the specific political aim; the distinction is not firm however and some organizations can adapt and change their focus over time.
Computing SIGs
SIGs exist for the fields of computing architecture, graphics, security, etc.
- Bluetooth Special Interest Group
- PCI Special Interest Group
- SFF-SIG
- 35 SIGs in the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) include SIGGRAPH, SIGPLAN, SIGCOMM, SIGIR and SIGSAM
- Australian Computer Society
- British Computer Society, where the SIGs are called specialist groups.
Mathematics SIGs
The Mathematical Association of America includes several SIGs (known collectively as SIGMAAs) on mathematical areas.
Non-technical SIGs
Organizations which are not technical may also have Special Interest Groups which are normally focused on a mutual interest »The Community Discovered Special Interest Groups, groups for specific interests within an educational organization. or shared characteristic of a subset of members of the organization.»Friends General Conference Summer Gathering Adult Young Friends Program, a young adult-focused SIG in a Quaker organization. For identity-based advocacy groups, see identity politics.
- Mensa International#Organizational structure
- Linux User Group
- »ACM: Special Interest Groups
- »CHI Bangalore Group of HCI professionals, practitioners and students in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India