Fall 2008

August

T 8/26 Beginnings
Preparation
• Please explore the course web site concentrating on the syllabus and the course calendar.
For Reference
• If curiosity and time permit, consult "As We May Think" (Vannevar Bush, 1945) and Wikipedia's article "The History of the Internet."
In-Class Activities
• Introductions.
• We will examine course requirements and procedures with an emphasis on course goals. We will review the historical and conceptual origins of the Internet.

H 8/28 Theme: Wired Brains
Preparation
• Please read "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part 1" (PDF) by Marc Prensky from On the Horizon (MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001).
• Please review "Modern technology is changing the way our brains work, says neuroscientist" by Susan Greenfield from the Daily Mail.
• Please review "The Dumbest Generation" by Lee Drutman (a book review of How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future, or Don't Trust Anyone Under 30 by Mark Bauerlein). Bauerlein talks about The Dumbest Generation on YouTube.
• Please consult "On Stupidity" and "On Stupidity, Part 2" by Thomas H. Benton.
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

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September

T 9/2 Theme: What the Web May Be Doing to Us
Preparation
• Please join our class wiki (refer to the top right corner of the wiki home page).
• Please read the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment.
• Please read the Digital Ethnography Assignment.
• Please read "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" by Nicholas Carr, The Atlantic (July/August 2008).
• Please consult this diavlog between Will Wilkinson and Siva Vaidhyanathan specifically, "How Google structures our perception of the web." Also, you can follow Siva's work at Sivacracy.net.
• Please review "Ethnography" from Wikipedia and consult the External links as necessary.
In-Class Activities
• We will review assignments. Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

H 9/4 Theme: Lending an Historical Framework
Preparation
• Please read the Prologue and Chapter 1 (pgs. 1-24) in Carr's The Big Switch.
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

T 9/9 Theme: The Economics of Computing
Preparation
• Please read Chapters 2-3 (pgs. 25-61) in in Carr's The Big Switch.
• Team Orange please bring a copy of your questions and references to class and post your questions to Question Formation and Analysis 1 on our wiki by the beginning of class. (Q1) For reference, please consult the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment.
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the questions posed in response to the assigned reading.

H 9/11 Theme: Exit, Gates
Preparation
• Please read Chapters 4-5 (pgs. 63-103) in Carr's The Big Switch.
• Team Maroon please bring a copy of your question evaluations and to class and post your evaluations to Question Formation and Analysis 1 on our wiki by the beginning of class. (E1) For reference, please consult the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment.

In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading and evaluations of Tuesday's questions.

T 9/16 Theme: E pluribus unum
Preparation
• Please read Chapters 6-8 (pgs. 107-167) in Carr's The Big Switch.
• All class members will post the central question of their digital ethnographies to our wiki by the beginning of class. (Q2)
• From now until Tuesday, 9/23, please analyze two central questions guiding digital ethnographies. If a question already has two analyses, please select a question that has only one or no analysis. For reference, please consult the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment. (E2)
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

H 9/18 Theme: The Web as Universal Mind
Preparation
• Please read Chapters 9-11 (pgs. 169-229) in Carr's The Big Switch.
• From now until Tuesday, 9/23, please analyze two central questions guiding digital ethnographies. If a question already has two analyses, please select a question that has only one or no analysis. For reference, please consult the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment. (E2).
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

T 9/23 Theme: Free To Be Monitored
Preparation
• Please read Chapters 1-2 (pgs. 1-49) in Solove's The Future of Reputation.
• Please have completed your analyses on two central questions guiding digital ethnographies. (E2)
• Team Maroon please bring a copy of your questions and references to class and post your questions to Question Formation and Analysis 3 on our wiki by the beginning of class. (Q3) For reference, please consult the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment.
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the questions posed in response to the assigned reading.

H 9/25 Theme: Gossip and Shame
Preparation
• Please read Chapters 3-4 (pgs. 50-102) in Solove's The Future of Reputation.
• Team Orange please bring a copy of your question evaluations and to class and post your questions to Question Formation and Analysis 3 on our wiki by the beginning of class. (E3) For reference, please consult the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment.
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading and evaluations of Tuesday's questions.

T 9/30 Theme: The Law and Free Speech
Preparation
• Please read the Presentations Assignment;
• Please read Chapters 5-6 (pgs. 105-160) in Solove's The Future of Reputation.
• Team Orange please bring a copy of your questions and references to class and post your questions to Question Formation and Analysis 4 on our wiki by the beginning of class. (Q4) For reference, please consult the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment.
In-Class Activities
• We will review the Presentations Assignment. Class discussion will be based on your questions on the assigned reading.

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October

H 10/2 Theme: The Future of Privacy in the Digital Age
Preparation
• Please read Chapters 7-8 (pgs. 161-205) in Solove's The Future of Reputation.
Team Maroon please bring a copy of your question evaluations and to class and post your questions to Question Formation and Analysis 4 on our wiki by the beginning of class. (E4) For reference, please consult the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment.
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading and evaluations of Tuesday's questions.

T 10/7 Game On!: Oral Presentations
Preparation
• The members of Team Orange will present the current findings of their digital ethnographies. Current findings will be made available on each person' wiki page by the time of the presentation.
• Team Maroon please provide your feedback on each of the presentations within 48 hours.
In-Class Activities
• Please be prepared to present or to ask questions of the presenters.

H 10/9 Game On!: Oral Presentations
Preparation
• The members of Team Maroon will present the current findings of their digital ethnographies. Current findings will be made available on each person' wiki page by the time of the presentation.
• Team Orange please provide your feedback on each of the presentations within 48 hours.
In-Class Activities
• Please be prepared to present or to ask questions of the presenters.

T 10/14 Theme: Freedom as Preference
Preparation
• Please read the Futurist Essay Assignment
• Please read Chapters 1-2 (pgs. 1-45) in Sunstein's Republic.com 2.0
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

H 10/16 Theme: Just Me and My Web
• Please read Chapter 3 (pgs. 46-96) in Sunstein's Republic.com 2.0
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

T 10/21 Theme: The Social Role of Information
• Please post the final version of the ethnography on the wiki.
• Please read Chapter 4-5 (pgs. 46-96) in Sunstein's Republic.com 2.0
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

H 10/23 Theme: In Blog We Trust
• Please read Chapter 6 (pgs. 138-150) in Sunstein's Republic.com 2.0
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

T 10/28 Theme: Internet Regulation, Perhaps
• Please read Chapter 7-8 (pgs. 151-189) in Sunstein's Republic.com 2.0
• Team Maroon please bring a copy of your questions and references to class and post your questions to Question Formation and Analysis 5 on our wiki by the beginning of class. (Q5) For reference, please consult the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment.
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading and selected questions.

H 10/30 Theme: The Republic Online
• Please read Chapter 9-10 (pgs. 190-223) in Sunstein's Republic.com 2.0
• Team Orange please bring a copy of your question evaluations and to class and post your questions to Question Formation and Analysis 5 on our wiki by the beginning of class. (E5) For reference, please consult the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment.
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading and evaluations of Tuesday's questions.

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November

T 11/4 Theme: Information Appliances
• Please post the final version of the Futurist Essay Assignment to the wiki.
• Please read both the Internet Congress Assignment and the Statement of Principles Assignment.
• Please read the Introduction and Chapters 1-3 (pgs. 1-61) in Zittrain's The Future of the Internet.
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

H 11/6 Theme: The Long Tether
Preparation
• Please read the Opening and Chapters 4-6 (pgs. 63-148) in Zittrain's The Future of the Internet.
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

T 11/11 Theme: Stopping the Future of the Net
Preparation
• Please read Chapters 7-8 (pgs. 149-199) in Zittrain's The Future of the Internet.
In-Class Activities
• Team Orange please bring a copy of your questions and references to class and post your questions to Question Formation and Analysis 6 on our wiki by the beginning of class. (Q6) For reference, please consult the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment.
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

H 11/13 Theme: Imagining the Future
Preparation
• Please read Chapters 9-the Conclusion (pgs. 200-246) in Zittrain's The Future of the Internet.
• Team Maroon please bring a copy of your question evaluations and to class and post your questions to Question Formation and Analysis 6 on our wiki by the beginning of class. (E6) For reference, please consult the Question Formation and Analysis Assignment.
In-Class Activities
• Class discussion will be based on the assigned reading.

T 11/17 Internet Congress
Preparation
• Please bring your draft principles to class and/or make them available on the wiki.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss and debate the preliminary principles you have developed on the uses and purposes of the Internet.

H 11/19 Internet Congress
Preparation
• Please bring your draft principles to class and/or make them available on the wiki.
In-Class Activities
• We will discuss and debate the preliminary principles you have developed on the uses and purposes of the Internet.

Holiday Break

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December

T 12/2 Final Declaration
Preparation
• Please be prepared to discuss and debate the principles forwarded in the Internet Congress.
In-Class Activities
• Based on Internet Congress, I will develop and present a list of 12 principles. We will debate the merit of these principles as representing the thoughts and interest of the entire class.

H 12/4 Final Declaration
Preparation
• Please be prepared to discuss and debate the principles forwarded in the Internet Congress.
In-Class Activities
• Based on Internet Congress, I will develop and present a list of 12 principles. We will debate the merit of these principles as representing the thoughts and interest of the entire class.

T 12/9 At the End of the Day
Preparation
• Please bring any questions you have regarding the Statement of Principles Assignment to class.
In-Class Activities
• We will review the class with a eye toward the course goals and toward providing a coherent course narrative.

T 12/16 Final Project
Preparation
• Please post your Statement of Principles to the wiki no later than 9:45.

Well Done!