Technologies and Politics of Control - User contributions [en]

Internet and Democracy: The Sequel

2010-04-23T02:22:41Z

Cmac: /* Readings */

A decade ago, the Internet was widely seen as a means to diminish the power of countries to regulate the flow of ideas and information. However, we have witnessed the resurgence of national sovereignty in cyberspace, with many countries now resorting to a combination of technology, law and intimidation to reign in the spread of free speech via the Net. Often aided by the technological support of the private sector in the United States, for this class, we will debate the ethics, practicality and implications of Internet censorship.

== Readings ==

* Read John Palfrey and Jonathan Zittrain: [http://opennet.net/sites/opennet.net/files/Deibert_06_Ch05_103-122.pdf Reluctant Gatekeepers: Corporate Ethics on a Filtered Internet]
* Take a look at the [http://opennet.net/blog ONI blog]
* And the [http://opennet.net/map ONI global filtering map]
* Explore the Global Network Initiative website [http://www.globalnetworkinitiative.org/ GNI], with particular attention to the [http://www.globalnetworkinitiative.org/principles/index.php Principles], [http://www.globalnetworkinitiative.org/implementationguidelines/index.php Implementation Guidelines], and [http://www.globalnetworkinitiative.org/governanceframework/index.php Governance Framework]

== Additional Resources ==

== Topical Links ==

== Class Introduction ==

== From Class ==

== Class Discussion ==

== Today's Presentations ==

Internet Infrastructure and Regulation

2010-03-04T21:07:50Z

Cmac:

In this class, we will cover the politics, policy, economics and technology of deploying broadband infrastructure. We will look at the hot-off-the-presses US National Broadband Plan and the recent Berkman Center review of international experiences in broadband policy. Additionally, we will look at the substance and politics of the net neutrality debate.

==Readings==

* [http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-296353A1.pdf National Broadband Plan Commission Meeting:
National Purposes Update, February 18th 2010]

* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/sites/cyber.law.harvard.edu/files/Berkman_Center_Broadband_Final_Report-C1_15Feb2010.pdf Next Generation Connectivity:
A review of broadband Internet transitions and policy from around the world, Berkman Center]

== Additional Resources==

[http://www.fcc.gov The Federal Communications Commission]

[http://www.broadband.gov National Broadband Plan]

[http://www.openinternet.gov OpenInternet.gov]

[http://www.ietf.org The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)]

[http://www.icann.org The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers]

[http://www.fcc.gov/Reports/tcom1996.txt The Telecommunications Act of 1996]

[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/47/230.html § 230. Protection for private blocking and screening of offensive material]

[http://www.cybertelecom.org/cda/cda.htm The Communications Decency Act]

[http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/default.htm?job=auctions_home FCC - Wireless Spectrum Auctions]

== Class Discussion ==

== The Internet Industrial Revolution ==

In writing this class introduction, I stopped to give pause to the question of how many people understand how much today’s internet can be tied to the development of the railroads in the 1800’s and the government's attempt at regulating the wild and chaotic growth of our nations infrastructure.

The internet has become ingrained in our daily lives as much as television, radio, and a myriad of other electronically driven entertainment mediums. However, as much as we enjoy playing our online games, chatting with friends, sending emails, purchasing trinkets to real-estate, trading stocks, finding employment and collaborating with co-workers, we often don’t realize that all of this would not be possible without the infrastructure needed to interconnect the various networks around the world in a consistent and open fashion. Without regulation and standards, the internet would not be possible. But how much do we as consumers of the internet understand how it is regulated?

The internet is very much a wild-frontier resembling the land-grab era of the 1800’s. In this day and age mega corporations including Oracle, Intel, Microsoft and Google rival monopolistic predecessors of the 1800’s like Carnegie Steel and Standard Oil. As was the case in the 1800’s, the railroads held the key to building out the infrastructure of our nation through their ownership of the national right of ways allowing them to become the natural beneficiaries of a nationwide infrastructure build-out. Even today we see vestiges of this in companies such as Sprint - whose name stands for Southern Pacific Railway Intelligent Network of Telecommunications.

Today all communications infrastructure within the United States is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which has been in existence since 1934 when it took over the regulation of communications infrastructure from the now defunct Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC); the governing body which was established to regulate the railroads in order to provide equal access to all Americans who wished to use them. These same goals are present today when we hear the words of Julius Genachowski – the current chairman of the FCC – as he talks about the commission’s mission of maintaining a free and open internet as they prepare to submit their proposal of a National Broadband Plan to Congress; which will have occurred just a few days prior to this class.

So how does an organization such as the FCC, funded by the telecommunications surcharges we see on our phone and cable bills, plan to balance the need to extend broadband accessibility to the millions of US residents who still do not have internet access? And how do they do so while upholding their self stated mission of maintaining a free and open internet? Is this an honest attempt at maintaining a “laissez-faire” approach to central regulation allowing the invisible hand of commerce to guide the growth and expansion of the infrastructure? Or will it turn into a “de jure monopoly” ; the government granting exclusive access to those who pay the most, just as they do now awarding spectrum to the wireless carriers at auctions? After all, wasn’t it this same organization that – after the breakup of AT&T – instituted the regulations allowing Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) access to the infrastructure then owned by the Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs) which to this day many consider to have been one of their worst mistakes granting favoritism to few and placing an inordinate burden on others?

Can a Federal Regulatory body enforce "free and open", when they themselves rely on the surcharges and sale of bandwidth to fund their organization while also having a history of censoring the content American's are able to consume on television and radio? Are they merely a wolf in sheep’s clothing lulling the consumers of the internet into a false sense of security? These questions are at the center of a tumultuous debate within the industry today. Many grass roots and politically funded organizations have emerged to argue these issues; fighting for our rights as internet users to have access to a truly free and neutral internet.

Does current and proposed regulations governing the internet truly allow for free markets, open dialog and the unfettered growth of an online society, or are they the groundwork toward building a net that dips into our pockets, restricts our voices through censorship, and controls the content we both share and consume? Do organizations such as ICANN and the IETF promote fair and unobstructed participation or are they merely elitist groups that favor a select and desirable crowd that they themselves deem worthy. --[[User:Lunatixcoder|Lunatixcoder]] - David Jodoin 15:47, 27 February 2010 (UTC)

== The Last Mile ==

The Last Mile is the term that is commonly used to refer to the cabling/wiring necessary to connect a household or subscriber to the physical infrastructure of the network. Whether it be the last mile of copper for your phones and modems, or the last mile of COAX cable connecting you to your broadband provider each person needs a digital "on-ramp" for connectivity. Many times we associate that last mile to be the same infrastructure that delivers our television signals into our home. Often we think of Cable TV as having its birth in the 1980s and 90s, but in fact the first community access cable television networks were developed in 1948 in Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Oregon in order to provide broadcast television to remote viewers that were unable to receive adequate signals from broadcast radio towers. [http://www.ncta.com/About/About/HistoryofCableTelevision.aspx The History of Cable Television] The interesting note about this was that cable television networks continued to grow at a rapid pace until 1972 when the FCC expanded its regulations limiting Cable television companies to transmit local signals only in an attempt to protect local broadcasters from having to compete against the wider variety of programming cable companies could deliver.

This was not however the FCC's only attempt at control. When the ban on broadcasting distant signals was not enough, the FCC attempted further regulation by limiting the content which Cable companies could offer to that of Sports, Movies and Syndicated Content. Yet the regulation limiting the Cable companies programming was not in fact a deterrent. Consumers wanted this premium programming and were willing to pay for it. As such, the proliferation of Cable networks continued as companies sprang up to offer this premium content.

The FCC eventually realized that what they had created was a pseudo monopoly in that in order for a Cable operator to build out infrastructure in what they refer to as "local markets" they had to enter into a contract with the local community which in effect allowed them to be the only provider within that market making the Cable operator the exclusive distributor of premium content to the communities they served. This is why, even in today's market, if your town is a Comcast town, you can only get Comcast. The reason this occurred was that towns had to provide rights of way across the infrastructure (telephone poles and underground conduits) for the cable operators to run their cables. As such, a community wanted to ensure that if they allowed a Cable operator to build infrastructure that they had to do so to enough of the community to satisfy the public demand. Due to population density concerns, this led to heated negotiations as Cable companies did not want to have to run infrastructure to support remote neighborhoods where they felt the business they would get would not be enough to support the infrastructure build-out. This was further aggravated by the FCC's regulation on Cable pricing in an attempt to make the content more accessible to the public at large.

In response to this growing concern for monopolistic broadcasting, the FCC removed the restrictions that were present on who could broadcast particular content in order to introduce competition into the market by companies offering alternative broadcast mechanisms such as satellite and wireless technologies. --[[User:Lunatixcoder|Lunatixcoder]] - David Jodoin - 13:17, 28 February 2010 (UTC)

== Fighting for the Grid ==

The landmark legislation represented by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened the field to new competition by many players (see link below for full text of the act). While up until that time, what types of services could be offered were limited based on the transmission medium, the Act in effect allowed any transmission network to broadcast any content. The effects of this were that telecommunication companies now had the option of offering programming and that Cable Broadcasting companies could also offer phone services. As such the industries of broadcast video content, internet communications and telephone services now became a converged network of services allowing consumers a myriad of choices.

Over the last decade and a half, we have seen advancements in core cellular technologies with the introduction of 2g, 3g and now 4g networks. WiMAX and Femtocell technology offers bandwidth expansion in local loop networking that can allow wireless to effectively compete with physical infrastructure. Yet growth and adoption of WiMAX is still restricted based on the fact that it requires a provider to purchase wireless spectrum at auction.

Compared to developing countries from around the world, the US by far lags in the introduction of new technologies. For instance, in South Africa - due to the deregulation of the industry in 2005 - Africa has seen a huge explosion in unlicensed wireless broadband providers. Is this a sign that the FCC who regulates and legislates the wireless spectrum in the United States is in fact holding us back technologically? --[[User:Lunatixcoder|Lunatixcoder]] - David Jodoin - 13:17, 28 February 2010 (UTC)

== The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing ==

The FCC throughout its history has attempted to regulate and control markets based on the political pressures of various lobbying agencies fighting to protect their individual markets. This legacy of government control over the infrastructure of the United States stretches back to 1934 when the organization was first established. The organizations fighting for bandwidth, spectrum and control extends beyond just the providers of infrastructure themselves. ICANN itself spent $480,000 to lobbyists in an attempt to influence government legislation and regulatory bodies. Neustar, a DNS registry service spent $140,000. According to the Huffington Post, John McCain received $765,000 in campaign funding from telecommunications lobbyists alone during his 2008 presidential bid [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/24/mccains-ties-to-lobbyists_n_93037.html McCains Ties to Lobbyists]. And if you visit the site OpenSecrets.org lobbyist spending was in excess of $118mm in 2009 in the Computer/Internet category alone. [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/indusclient.php?lname=B12&year=2009 OpenSecrets.org - Computers/Internet Spending 2009]

So we as a community speak of Net Neutrality; fighting to keep our internet free and open. Yet the underlying infrastructure is controlled and regulated by a governing few. Even the organizations we have entrusted to manage the chaos of the internet in the form of registry services, name-space controls, and uniform standards all fight to prevent competing influences from diminishing the power they hold over how things are built and operated. With the excessive amounts of money being spent by these large entities are we in fact being represented properly? Or are those funds being used to preserve their self proclaimed ombudsman-ship? Will the FCC keep the internet free and open? Or are they merely lulling us into a sense of security such that they can then let the other shoe drop a few years from now when they decide what we do and say on the medium that today they are unable to control just as they do in managing what we see and hear on television and radio? [http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/obscene.html FCC Rules and Rights on the Enforcement of Censorship Laws on TV and Radio] Can the internet within our country truly prosper when you try to centrally regulate a decentralized commodity? After all... if they are successful in their Broadband plan and achieve 100% access to the internet by every American it would then mean we must then protect those same Americans from the raw and unfiltered content that is there today... Or does it? According to the FCC they not only have the authority to do so, they stand ready and waiting. [http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/obscene.html Written Statement Of Diego Ruiz Deputy Chief, Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis]

Maybe this video on the Net Neutrality debate will shed some light...

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juw5Ew_fKgs Net Neutrality for Dummies: Will the FCC Control the Internet?]

So as you can see... Net Neutrality is ''not'' about whether or not content ''should'' be restricted, it is about ''who'' is allowed to restrict it. An interesting twist in the debate isn't it? --[[User:Lunatixcoder|Lunatixcoder]] - David Jodoin - 13:11, 28 February 2010 (UTC)

== Links from Class ==

New Opportunities for Education

2010-03-03T00:37:44Z

Cmac:

ICTs hold great promise for improving the efficiency, reach and character of learning opportunities in developed and developing countries. Yet many (most?) of these potential gains are undocumented. Among the obstacles that we will explore are the familiar structural and cultural issues embedded in educational programs around the world and a newer variety of Internet-mediated challenges.

E- learning is just one aspect of ICT, which allows one to learn in unconventional yet stimulating ways. E-Learning can result in a more productive work force as discussed in Hawkins article Ten Lessons for ICT, if not be the catalyst for new educational opportunities. Can E-Learning be used as a tool that fosters new skills for today's society? Reasoning, communication, judgment, engagement, and preparation for society, to name a few, will be credited to E-learning because it's that effective. Would you define this as result driven? Integration of computers and learning leads to enthusiasm, not only on behalf of the teachers but for the students as well. Now it's time to take this enthusiasm and merge it with the value that has evolved from the classroom environment.
How should this be done? This merging of the classroom and innovative and interactive learning via ICT is like bridging the gap in the digital divide as Hawkins speaks of in his article. As Benjamin Franklin professed, Power is knowledge put into action. Here we must question, what is knowledge without action? Is it perhaps education without E-Learning?

== Readings ==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OLPC Wikipedia Article on OLPC]
*Browse [http://www.laptop.org the OLPC site]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/itg/libpubs/gitrr2002_ch04.pdf Bob Hawkins, Global Information Technology Report, Ten Lessons for ICT and Education in the Developing World]
*'''''Read the Executive Summary (2 pages)''''' [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitallearning.macfound.org%2Fatf%2Fcf%2F%257B7E45C7E0-A3E0-4B89-AC9C-E807E1B0AE4E%257D%2FJENKINS_WHITE_PAPER.PDF&ei=tRa8RdbmE524ggTHs6idCA&usg=__dV3iI7A-nqyEGzuFtiZ1dqNG7jw=&sig2=_96CTy25uNDPti38L-G4Kg Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century] - Henry Jenkins

'''Readings added 4/21 worth reading if you have time!'''
Mark Prensky, "Engage Me or Enrage Me" http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf

== Additional Resources ==
*[http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/archive/00000418/ Taking up online opportunities? Children's uses of the internet for education, communication and participation (2004)]

*[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/itg/libpubs/gitrr2002_ch03.pdf Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age, Mitchel Resnick]

*'''''Read the Executive Summary (1 page)''''' [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/2006-09 Terry Fisher & Bill McGeveran, The Digital Learning Challenge: Obstacles to Educational Uses of Copyrighted Material in the Digital Age]

== Sites Visited/Referenced in Class ==

== Class Discussion ==

New and Old Media, Participation, and Information

2010-03-03T00:28:59Z

Cmac: /* Links from Class */

The profusion of low-cost media production and distribution has led to the rise of an alternative citizen-led media sector. Is this a passing fad of enthusiastic amateurs or the beginning of a fundamental restructuring of the way media and news are produced and consumed? Will the current trends lead to more information, better information, and better informed people or to an infinite stream of unreliable chatter? Will it lead to a more politically engaged populace or to an increasingly polarized society that picks its sources of information to match its biases and ignorance?

ASSIGNMENT: Please read the executive summary of the Media Re:public Overview and one additional Media Re:public paper, and the executive summary, conclusions and recommendations of the Knight report. Use those as a jumping off point to explore either of those sets of resources in greater depth. You should delve more deeply into at least a few of the major challenges and possible solutions related to business models, the participation gap, and the changing media ecosystem (which are all broad topics, and can be considered from many perspectives).

==Readings==
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/sites/cyber.law.harvard.edu/files/Overview_MR.pdf Media Re:public Overview] - Read at least the executive summary
* [https://secure.nmmstream.net/anon.newmediamill/aspen/kcfinalenglishbookweb.pdf Knight Commission Report on Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy] - Read at least the executive summary, recommendations and conclusions
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/pubrelease/mediarepublic/downloads.html Media Re:Public website]
* [http://report.knightcomm.org/communal-and-personal-needs-intersect Knight Commission report website]

== Additional Resources==

* [http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/mediaberkman/2006/11/14/jay-rosen-on-open-source-journalism-2/ Jay Rosen, Open Source Journalism (video)]
* [http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/wemedia/book/index.csp We The Media, Dan Gillmor] (the [http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/wemedia/book/ch00.pdf Introduction] is a good start, so to speak)
* [http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink/2005/01/21/berk_essy.html Jay Rosen, Bloggers vs. Journalists Is Over]
* [http://www.buzzmachine.com/ Jeff Jarvis]
* [http://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_how_cellphones_twitter_facebook_can_make_history.html Shirky on Social Media]
* [http://www.penenberg.com/ Pennenberg on electronic media and citizen journalism]
* [http://publishingperspectives.com/ Publishing issues discussed by many]
* Sourcewatch [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch]
* [http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jacek_utko_asks_can_design_save_the_newspaper.html/ Jacek Utko designs to save newspapers]
--[[User:Rchopra|Rchopra]] 23:42, 2 March 2010 (UTC)

== Class Discussion ==

To read about "Disruptive Innovation", check out one of the best explanations (not in the video, but on the page) about it: http://www.claytonchristensen.com/disruptive_innovation.html

Comments on reading by D. Jodoin:

I have to say that this week has been some interesting reading. However, many of the conclusions and recommendations are built on a foundation of sand. In the Media RE: Public "Overview 2008" paper, the telling component for me was the statement made that...

"Rather than seeking to recreate some mythical point in the
past at which news media functioned perfectly, we instead
aim to identify areas where core journalism functions in a
democracy are at stake and where there is potential for the
networked digital media environment to offer something richer
and more representative than anything previously available."

This statement - eloquently stated and true to its very essence - buries the fundamental value of what New Media truly represents in shaping our democracy; imperfect views of imperfect humans interacting in a social contract where the voices of the many outweigh the voices of the few. Winston Churchill once said, "History is written by the victors ... There are a terrible lot of lies going about the world, and the worst of it is that half of them are true.” Is this the "mythical point in the past" where news media functioned in perfection as the quote above states? In our readings for this week there were significant comments made regarding how equal access to the internet combined with educating the masses on how to understand and use it would create an environment where there would be no second class citizens in a new democracy. In reading that, I felt that it smacked of the sophic voice of Plato - describing a Utopian society where every voice is heard with equal weight. The internet - and new media - is not a classless society, it is not meant to be perfect; the ideas being shared enforced to some theoretical mandate of high quality and rigorous standards. The ideas expressed by the individual should be as reflective of their individual values as possible with it's influence on others being dependent on the strength through presence or weakness through absence of supporting voices by the audience at large.

I also had a thought in regards to solving the issue of accessibility. We sometimes think that proliferation of technology is restricted by the economic costs of building out that infrastructure. Yet many nontraditional means of doing so exist that the private sector is already looking at - providing the FCC and our government clear the path to allow it to occur. I will try to explain with a real example.

First watch this video of Walmart's time series of store locations... [http://projects.flowingdata.com/walmart/ Watching the Growth of Walmart Across America]

Interesting isn't it... However, you may ask... so what? What does this have to do with the internet and build-out of infrastructure?

Read this next...

http://www.androidguys.com/2010/01/12/rumor-sprint-working-with-walmart-on-wimax-build-out/

Interesting isn't it? Perhaps with some government support and funding, a joint collaboration between the FCC, Sprint/Nextel and Walmart, three very diverse groups could easily solve the issue of accessibility by the masses. Sprint with the technology of WiMAX, the FCC with the keys to the spectrum, and Walmart with the existing proliferation and ability to sell cheaply to the masses. Non-traditional partnerships are the key to our future.

--[[User:Lunatixcoder|Lunatixcoder]] 13:15, 2 March 2010 (UTC)

I would like to respond to the following excerpt of the above comment:

Winston Churchill once said, "History is written by the victors ... There are a terrible lot of lies going about the world, and the worst of it is that half of them are true.” Is this the "mythical point in the past" where news media functioned in perfection as the quote above states?

I don't think the authors were suggesting that there was a point in the past where the news media functioned in perfection. The description of this point as "mythical" indicates that this idea is, in fact, a myth.

Furthermore, I think that the authors' quote you cited does not bury "the fundamental value of what New Media truly represents". The idea that new media may include more voices than previously is clearly evidenced when they write, "there is potential for the networked digital media environment to offer something richer and '''more representative''' than anything previously available." [emphasis added]

([[User:Kaurigem|Kaurigem]] 14:52, 2 March 2010 (UTC))

Wow! Hey... Thanks for the response... I think its great you responded! To clarify - as my words may have confused the point I was attempting to make - My reference to the "mythical point in the past" was to emphasize that indeed it WAS mythical and that as always has been the case, news media has always been tainted and biased. But it is those biases that sit at their core values. Its the difference between the term News and Journalism as defined in the use of terms section of the Media RE: Public Overview.

In response to your second comment, I would stand on the position that more does not automatically translate into better or richer in a causal relationship. Giving everyone a forum to speak is admirable and should be the goal. But it doesn't become a better medium unless the end results are synthesized into some societal aggregation. Massive individuality is not what forms a community. Also to point out one more thing on this is that my second point was to emphasize that a classless society on the internet is not a society at all and does not add value unless it somehow translates into the formation of those groups and communities... i.e. the coffee house we spoke about in class and as such class formation is inevitable in that respect.

--[[User:Lunatixcoder|Lunatixcoder]] 15:12, 2 March 2010 (UTC)

All of the recommendations, objectives, and strategies, outlined and detailed in the Media Re:Public Overview and the Knight Commission report are viewed through the lens of a free and open society. Democracy is a given. Control over ‘who says what’ is not an issue. What appears to be at issue, is how are we going to "maximize the availability of relevant and credible information", give “people the tools, skills and understanding to use information effectively" and promote public engagement.

From the Knight Commission Web site [http://www.knightcomm.org]: there appears to be one organization that is proactively addressing the ‘how can we get something done' question. "The Federal Communications Commission has launched an examination into the Future of Media and Information Needs of Communities in a Digital Age. In its announcement, the FCC cited the report of the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy, which has been influential in helping to structure the FCC’s inquiry."

Is the government actually trying to be part of the solution, and not controlling and obstructive?
----[[User:Charlesscott|Charlesscott]] 20:54, 2 March 2010 (UTC)

Government control is always the question, but by addressing it from a legal point of view it will be restrictive. Freedom of speach advocates will always find issues with the limitations any law imposes. The government might be onto something, not just with the FCC citation, but also with the qualification on who can be an accredited journalist. The organizing bloggers into a quasi union [http://www.mediabloggers.org/] will include more questions then just journalism.

The internet however can be used for not just the uncontrolled dissemination of news but for the quality control of it as well: see http://factcheck.org/. The relentless flood of information needs to be somewhat narrowed down for us to be able to consume it in the first place. Efforts are required from both sides, from the publisher that it is credible and from the reader/consumer that they can continue to rely on the publication for accurate information.

[[User:Gkorodi|Gkorodi]] 22:19, 2 March 2010 (UTC)

== Links from Class ==
[[User:Amarquis|Amarquis]] 16:45, 28 February 2010 (UTC) I found this an interesting meta editorial on the topic of New and Old Media, Participation, and Information. In this case it's how media obsession with new technology alone is making customers more powerful. [http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/28/cherchez-la-fame "NSFW: Cherchez la fame – or why the media’s obsession with Twitter campaigns will make customer service smell French"]. As the title indicates, it has a touch of salty language so it may be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_safe_for_work NSFW] -- Not Safe For Work.

* [http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Online-News.aspx Pew report: Understanding the Participatory News Consumer]
* [http://www.globalvoicesonline.org Global Voices]
* [http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/2008/11/04/carolyn-mccall-s-speech-in-full-91466-22178326/ Guardian UK's unique business model]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OhmyNews OhmyNews]
* [http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink/2004/03/15/lott_case.html Trent Lott remarks]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r90z0PMnKwI Macaca Moment]
* [http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2009/06/18/iran-citizen-media-and-media-attention/ Ethan Zuckerman on Iran]
* [http://neteffect.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/06/16/more_on_twitter_and_protests_in_tehran Evgeny Morozov on Twitter]
* [http://memetracker.org memetracker]

New and Old Media, Participation, and Information

2010-03-03T00:06:59Z

Cmac: /* Links from Class */

New and Old Media, Participation, and Information

2010-03-02T23:58:40Z

Cmac: /* Links from Class */

New and Old Media, Participation, and Information

2010-03-02T23:53:25Z

Cmac: /* Links from Class */

New and Old Media, Participation, and Information

2010-02-24T16:36:26Z

Cmac: /* Additional Resources */

New and Old Media, Participation, and Information

2010-02-24T16:35:33Z

Cmac:

Collective Action and Decision-making

2010-02-23T23:12:00Z

Cmac: /* Links from class */

Mass collaboration and the aggregation of information enable potentially profound changes in business and politics. In this class, we will compare and contrast the transformations in economic life and collective decision-making processes brought on the information revolution. The discussions will also explore the role of open information systems on business and the scope for greater transparency and participation in government, politics and public life.

== Readings ==
* James Surowiecki, [http://www.randomhouse.com/features/wisdomofcrowds/excerpt.html Wisdom of Crowds (excerpt)]
**[http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/22/books/review/0523books-mclemee.html?ex=1400644800&en=43bc95eb638bfed2&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND NYT Review]

* [http://ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=1125 Ethan Zuckerman's blog review of Infotopia] Great summary of the issues in the book.

== Additional Thoughts ==

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalist_Papers Federalist Papers] published under the pseudonym Publius.
* [http://www.blogpulse.com/papers/2005/AdamicGlanceBlogWWW.pdf Divided They Blog] - a paper showing trackbacks between political blogs, mentioned by Ethan Zuckerman in his review of Cass Sunstein's Infotopia

== Topical Links ==

== Links from class ==
* [http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/feb2007/id20070201_774736.htm goldcorp story] (worth reading)

== Class Discussion ==

Class Introduction by [[User:Amarquis|Amarquis]] 08:09, 21 February 2010 (UTC)
Internet technologies allow for new kinds of information dissemination, collective action and decision making. Simply, is this a good thing or a bad thing? Does online communication lead to increased isolation, polarization of discussion and impoverished decision-making or does it harness a "wisdom of crowds," create improved ways of collecting information and allows groups to act on and make decisions about what they learn more effectively?

There is an old Freudian notion that crowds are irrationally exuberant, but for many factual tasks such as guessing the number of jelly beans in a jar, a group estimate is much more accurate than any individual estimate. However, in different circumstances, particularly those which require deliberation, different groups can come to very different decisions on the same issue. The research cited in the reading seems very poor in terms of measuring whether or groups converge or diverge and under what circumstances especially because they all have simple experimental problems including small sample sizes, a lack of even basic statistical analysis and they are not comparative. For example, if political blogs may not have many links to blogs with a different points of view (Though it's hard to know since Adamic and Glance don't compute the statistical significance of all but one of the differences they measure), do traditional news sources have a similar divergence? Given that markets do a better job of coordinating many kinds of activities what are the limits of prediction markets? It's clear that groupthink exists and that social forces bias decision-making, but is it possible to measure whether the Internet is making human decision making better? If so, what are some good experiments to run?

*Heather Hagni Class Introduction

Sigmund Freud’s theories explain that when groups of people get together, each person’s individual psyche is still there, only on a much larger scale, causing the power for rational thought to diminish. However, James Surowiecki explains in his book, “The Wisdom of Crowds,” that collaborative thinking might yield better results than Freud had theorized. The ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' example: the phone-a-friend lifeline generated the correct answer 64% of the time, while the ask-the-audience lifeline chose the correct answer 91% of the time (not scientifically valid, however). The Jelly Bean example: when a group of people are asked to estimate the number of jelly beans in a jar, then the average of their estimates is much more accurate than any individual’s.

The Internet can be used to collaborate for any intent. Collective ideas can be used productively. For example, problems that are seemingly impossible to solve can be solved through Internet collaboration. Information can be exchanged, new information can be discovered, and focus can be expanded. Markets can be more accurately analyzed by the collected actions of Internet consumers than by a few men. But what happens when an online community becomes opinionated? Information can influence groups of people; however, on the Internet, groups of people control the information they seek. Sunstein writes in ''Infotopia'' that too much information customization can actually narrow people’s focus instead of expanding it. This can polarize groups of people, not allowing for a functional democracy.

“Ignorance can lower our chances of making an accurate decision, but so can political bias and preconception.” Are there mechanisms by which society can promote collaborative Internet exchange of knowledge and discovery yet limit the effects of polarization caused by the powerful communities of likeminded biases?

-[[User:Hnhagni|Hnhagni]] 21:06, 23 February 2010 (UTC)

File:InternetSocietyFeb16b.pdf

2010-02-17T02:19:27Z

Cmac:

second half of the presentation from feb 16

File:InternetSocietyFeb16b.pdf

2010-02-17T02:17:52Z

Cmac: second half the the presentation from feb 16

second half the the presentation from feb 16

Powerpoint Slides from Class

2010-02-17T01:42:42Z

Cmac:

*[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2011/sites/is2011/images/Lecture_2.pdf Feb 2 slides]

*[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2011/sites/is2011/images/InternetSocietyFeb9.pdf Feb 9 slides]

*[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2011/sites/is2011/images/InternetSocietyFeb16.pdf Feb 16 part I slides]

*[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2011/sites/is2011/images/InternetSocietyFeb16b.pdf Feb 16 part II slides]

Peer Production and Collaboration

2010-02-17T00:31:52Z

Cmac: /* Links from Class */

The free software movement is one example of a trend towards distributed volunteer networks of individuals collaborating on collective projects that were formerly the domain of the for-profit private sector. In this session, we explore how far such peer production can go in redefining the economic and social structures of modern society.

* Yochai Benkler, [http://mitworld.mit.edu/play/394/ News, Information and the Wealth of Networks] (watch from 8:32 to 26:07)
* Zittrain, [http://yupnet.org/zittrain/archives/13 Chapter 4: The Generative Pattern]

The following audio streams from NPR may be interesting:
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4986453 Wikipedia, Open Source and the Future of the Web]
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6051103 Wikipedia Wins Users and Critics by Jenny Lawton]
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4506421 Wikipedia's Growth Comes with Concerns by Laura Sydell]

For more discussion on the class, please go to:

[[Peer Production]]

==Links from Class==

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p5d4e5e-7o Digital Chicken video]

[https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2010/01/19/2009-end-of-year-second-life-economy-wrap-up-including-q4-economy-in-detail Second life economy update]

==Other links==

[http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_romer.html Paul Romer TED talk]

Guillermo: [http://knowledge.emory.edu/article.cfm?articleid=853 Article on innovation as the key to economic growth]

== Class Discussion ==

Frameworks For Studying The Web

2010-02-03T00:26:55Z

Cmac: /* Links */

Before we can even begin exploring the who's, what's, and why's -- we need to answer the critical question of '''how.''' Indeed, the phrase "studying the web" could embrace a staggering world of possible routes to explore, even before beginning to examine its relationship with society and culture. We need something to guide us through this massive field of (very interesting!) foxholes, and link the ideas we encounter into a consistent piece. We need some kind of structure to allow us to ''understand'' what we are looking at, the same way a chemist thinks of things in terms of atoms and molecules, or a philosopher can think about things in terms of schools of thought.

This class will propose and develop one framework for the web, which will structure both the discussion and topic matter covered in the course, as well as the methodology that you should apply to your assignments.

== Readings ==
[http://www.benkler.org/Benkler_Wealth_Of_Networks_Chapter_11.pdf Yochai Benkler, The Wealth of Networks]
Read pages 379-396 (the rest of this chapter expands the discussions of each layer in more detail, if you want to read more about them)

[http://www.cs.mu.oz.au/~zs/decl.html John Perry Barlow, A Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace]

[http://www.cluetrain.com Chris Locke, Doc Searls & David Weinberger, Cluetrain Manifesto] (just the manifesto)

== Optional Readings ==

[http://www.legalaffairs.org/printerfriendly.msp?id=961 Jack Goldsmith & Tim Wu, Digital Borders]

[http://futureoftheinternet.org/ Jonathan Zittrain, The Future of the Internet - Chapters 1 & 2]

== Videos Watched in Class ==

== Class Discussion ==

== Links ==

for people interested in a more technical primer on the architecture of the web, how email works, etc. check out ethan zuckerman and andrew mclaughlin's [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/digitaldemocracy/internetarchitecture.html Introduction to Internet Architecture and Institutions]

some fred turner resources: [http://blip.tv/file/125930 video presentation], [http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/mediaberkman/2006/12/01/from-counterculture-to-cyberculture-the-rise-of-digital-utopianism/ audio presentation], and [http://www.stanford.edu/group/fredturner/cgi-bin/drupal/ homepage]

[http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Welcome_to_Citizendium Citizendium]

select wikipedia dust-ups: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_biography_controversy Seigenthaler controversy] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essjay_controversy Essjay controversy]

Jason Scott on [http://ascii.textfiles.com/archives/808 The Great Failure of Wikipedia]

Frameworks For Studying The Web

2010-02-03T00:21:01Z

Cmac: /* Links */

Frameworks For Studying The Web

2010-02-03T00:16:33Z

Cmac: /* Links */

Frameworks For Studying The Web

2010-02-03T00:15:45Z

Cmac: /* Links */

Before we can even begin exploring the who's, what's, and why's -- we need to answer the critical question of '''how.''' Indeed, the phrase "studying the web" could embrace a staggering world of possible routes to explore, even before beginning to examine its relationship with society and culture. We need something to guide us through this massive field of (very interesting!) foxholes, and link the ideas we encounter into a consistent piece. We need some kind of structure to allow us to ''understand'' what we are looking at, the same way a chemist thinks of things in terms of atoms and molecules, or a philosopher can think about things in terms of schools of thought.

This class will propose and develop one framework for the web, which will structure both the discussion and topic matter covered in the course, as well as the methodology that you should apply to your assignments.

== Readings ==
[http://www.benkler.org/Benkler_Wealth_Of_Networks_Chapter_11.pdf Yochai Benkler, The Wealth of Networks]
Read pages 379-396 (the rest of this chapter expands the discussions of each layer in more detail, if you want to read more about them)

[http://www.cs.mu.oz.au/~zs/decl.html John Perry Barlow, A Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace]

[http://www.cluetrain.com Chris Locke, Doc Searls & David Weinberger, Cluetrain Manifesto] (just the manifesto)

== Optional Readings ==

[http://www.legalaffairs.org/printerfriendly.msp?id=961 Jack Goldsmith & Tim Wu, Digital Borders]

[http://futureoftheinternet.org/ Jonathan Zittrain, The Future of the Internet - Chapters 1 & 2]

== Videos Watched in Class ==

== Class Discussion ==

== Links ==

for people interested in a more technical primer on the architecture of the web, how email works, etc. check out ethan zuckerman and andrew mclaughlin's [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/digitaldemocracy/internetarchitecture.html Introduction to Internet Architecture and Institutions]

some fred turner resources: [http://blip.tv/file/125930 video presentation], [http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/mediaberkman/2006/12/01/from-counterculture-to-cyberculture-the-rise-of-digital-utopianism/ audio presentation], and [http://www.stanford.edu/group/fredturner/cgi-bin/drupal/ homepage]

[citizendium http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Welcome_to_Citizendium]

Main Page

2010-02-02T23:45:46Z

Cmac: /* Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control */

= Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control=
'''LSTU E–120 - Harvard Extension School - Spring 2010 - Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST'''

'''[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/contact Berkman Center for Internet and Society] - 23 Everett Street - Conference room, 2nd floor'''

The Internet has taken on an ever-widening role not only in the production and sharing of information, but also in the political, social, and economic processes of everyday life around the world. The Net has been heralded by many as nothing less than a means of fundamentally transforming our world into one that is more just, more democratic, and more affluent, while redrawing the boundaries of political and economic power. However, the ''frontierism'' of the early Internet provoked ''regulatory'' responses, followed by various attempts to develop collective control via ''emergent'' structure. This course asks: what now is the balance between these forces, and what, if anything, should be done? '''[[course overview|continued...]]'''

{|border="1" cellpadding="5"
|-valign="top"
|
'''Course Information:'''
* [[Overview of Assignments]]
* [[Class Participation]]
* [[Grading]]
* [[Statement on Plagiarism]]
* [[Course FAQ]]
|
'''Assignments & Projects:'''
* [[Assignments]]
* [[Final Project]]
* [[Berkman-Based Project Ideas]]
* [[Class introduction]]
|
'''Resources:'''
* [[Recorded class videos]]
* [[Powerpoint Slides from Class]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page How to edit a wiki]
|
'''External:'''
* [[Upcoming Events]]
* [[In the news]]
|
'''People:'''
* [[Staff Contact Info]]
* [[List of User Profiles]]
|-
|}

=='''During Class (Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST)'''==
* Live Quicktime stream during class (open this URL in Quicktime Player): 
** '''rtsp://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp''' 
** The best option is generally to copy this URL into QuickTime Player
** You can also watch via http (http://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp). This is typically not as clear.

* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/ Question Tool] (pick "InternetSociety2010") [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]

=='''Participating Asynchronously'''==
* You can add your thoughts to the Question Tool even after class is over; we will leave up the discussions from class for the entire week following. [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]
* Online Office Hours with the TAs TBD

=='''Feedback:'''==

=='''Syllabus at a glance:'''==
{| style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"

|-
| Jan 26
| [[Politics and Technology of Control: Introduction]]
|-
| Feb 2
| [[Frameworks For Studying The Web]]
|-
| Feb 9
| [[New Economic Models]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_1:_Wikipedia|Assignment 1]] due)''
|-
| Feb 16
| [[Peer Production and Collaboration]]
|-
| Feb 23
| [[Collective Action and Decision-making]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_2:_Blog_Post|Assignment 2]] due)''
|-
| Mar 2
| [[New and Old Media, Participation, and Information ]]
|-
| Mar 9
| [[Regulating Speech Online]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_3:_Audio_or_Video_Production|Assignment 3]] due)''
|-
| Mar 23
| [[Internet Infrastructure and Regulation]]
|-
| Mar 30
| [[Copyright in Cyberspace]]
|-
| Apr 6
|[[Control and Code: Privacy Online]]
|-
| Apr 13
| [[Internet and Democracy]]
|-
| Apr 20
| [[Internet and Democracy: The Sequel]]
|-
| Apr 27
| [[Digital Natives and Internet Culture]]
|-
| May 4
| [[New Opportunities for Education]]
|-
| May 11
|'''[[Final Project]] due''' (no class)
|
|}

Main Page

2010-02-02T23:43:51Z

Cmac: /* Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control */

= Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control=
'''LSTU E–120 - Harvard Extension School - Spring 2010 - Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST'''

'''[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/contact Berkman Center for Internet and Society] - 23 Everett Street - Conference room, 2nd floor'''

The Internet has taken on an ever-widening role not only in the production and sharing of information, but also in the political, social, and economic processes of everyday life around the world. The Net has been heralded by many as nothing less than a means of fundamentally transforming our world into one that is more just, more democratic, and more affluent, while redrawing the boundaries of political and economic power. However, the ''frontierism'' of the early Internet provoked ''regulatory'' responses, followed by various attempts to develop collective control via ''emergent'' structure. This course asks: what now is the balance between these forces, and what, if anything, should be done? '''[[course overview|continued...]]'''

{|border="1" cellpadding="5"
|-valign="top"
|
'''Course Information:'''
* [[Overview of Assignments]]
* [[Class Participation]]
* [[Grading]]
* [[Statement on Plagiarism]]
* [[Course FAQ]]
|
'''Assignments & Projects:'''
* [[Assignments]]
* [[Final Project]]
* [[Berkman-Based Project Ideas]]
* [[Class Introduction]]
|
'''Resources:'''
* [[Recorded class videos]]
* [[Powerpoint Slides from Class]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page How to edit a wiki]
|
'''External:'''
* [[Upcoming Events]]
* [[In the news]]
|
'''People:'''
* [[Staff Contact Info]]
* [[List of User Profiles]]
|-
|}

=='''During Class (Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST)'''==
* Live Quicktime stream during class (open this URL in Quicktime Player): 
** '''rtsp://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp''' 
** The best option is generally to copy this URL into QuickTime Player
** You can also watch via http (http://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp). This is typically not as clear.

* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/ Question Tool] (pick "InternetSociety2010") [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]

=='''Participating Asynchronously'''==
* You can add your thoughts to the Question Tool even after class is over; we will leave up the discussions from class for the entire week following. [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]
* Online Office Hours with the TAs TBD

=='''Feedback:'''==

=='''Syllabus at a glance:'''==
{| style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"

|-
| Jan 26
| [[Politics and Technology of Control: Introduction]]
|-
| Feb 2
| [[Frameworks For Studying The Web]]
|-
| Feb 9
| [[New Economic Models]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_1:_Wikipedia|Assignment 1]] due)''
|-
| Feb 16
| [[Peer Production and Collaboration]]
|-
| Feb 23
| [[Collective Action and Decision-making]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_2:_Blog_Post|Assignment 2]] due)''
|-
| Mar 2
| [[New and Old Media, Participation, and Information ]]
|-
| Mar 9
| [[Regulating Speech Online]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_3:_Audio_or_Video_Production|Assignment 3]] due)''
|-
| Mar 23
| [[Internet Infrastructure and Regulation]]
|-
| Mar 30
| [[Copyright in Cyberspace]]
|-
| Apr 6
|[[Control and Code: Privacy Online]]
|-
| Apr 13
| [[Internet and Democracy]]
|-
| Apr 20
| [[Internet and Democracy: The Sequel]]
|-
| Apr 27
| [[Digital Natives and Internet Culture]]
|-
| May 4
| [[New Opportunities for Education]]
|-
| May 11
|'''[[Final Project]] due''' (no class)
|
|}

Frameworks For Studying The Web

2010-02-02T23:31:19Z

Cmac: /* Links */

Frameworks For Studying The Web

2010-02-02T23:10:21Z

Cmac: /* Links */

Main Page

2010-01-29T15:13:30Z

Cmac: /* Syllabus at a glance: */

= Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control=
'''LSTU E–120 - Harvard Extension School - Spring 2010 - Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST'''

'''[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/contact Berkman Center for Internet and Society] - 23 Everett Street - Conference room, 2nd floor'''

The Internet has taken on an ever-widening role not only in the production and sharing of information, but also in the political, social, and economic processes of everyday life around the world. The Net has been heralded by many as nothing less than a means of fundamentally transforming our world into one that is more just, more democratic, and more affluent, while redrawing the boundaries of political and economic power. However, the ''frontierism'' of the early Internet provoked ''regulatory'' responses, followed by various attempts to develop collective control via ''emergent'' structure. This course asks: what now is the balance between these forces, and what, if anything, should be done? '''[[course overview|continued...]]'''

{|border="1" cellpadding="5"
|-valign="top"
|
'''Course Information:'''
* [[Overview of Assignments]]
* [[Class Participation]]
* [[Grading]]
* [[Statement on Plagiarism]]
* [[Course FAQ]]
|
'''Assignments & Projects:'''
* [[Assignments]]
* [[Final Project]]
* [[Berkman-Based Project Ideas]]
|
'''Resources:'''
* [[Recorded class videos]]
* [[Powerpoint Slides from Class]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page How to edit a wiki]
|
'''External:'''
* [[Upcoming Events]]
* [[In the news]]
|
'''People:'''
* [[Staff Contact Info]]
* [[List of User Profiles]]
|-
|}

=='''During Class (Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST)'''==
* Live Quicktime stream during class (open this URL in Quicktime Player): 
** '''rtsp://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp''' 
** The best option is generally to copy this URL into QuickTime Player
** You can also watch via http (http://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp). This is typically not as clear.

* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/ Question Tool] (pick "InternetSociety2010") [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]

=='''Participating Asynchronously'''==
* You can add your thoughts to the Question Tool even after class is over; we will leave up the discussions from class for the entire week following. [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]
* Online Office Hours with the TAs TBD

=='''Feedback:'''==

=='''Syllabus at a glance:'''==
{| style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"

|-
| Jan 26
| [[Politics and Technology of Control: Introduction]]
|-
| Feb 2
| [[Frameworks For Studying The Web]]
|-
| Feb 9
| [[New Economic Models]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_1:_Wikipedia|Assignment 1]] due)''
|-
| Feb 16
| [[Peer Production and Collaboration]]
|-
| Feb 23
| [[Collective Action and Decision-making]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_2:_Blog_Post|Assignment 2]] due)''
|-
| Mar 2
| [[New and Old Media, Participation, and Information ]]
|-
| Mar 9
| [[Regulating Speech Online]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_3:_Audio_or_Video_Production|Assignment 3]] due)''
|-
| Mar 23
| [[Internet Infrastructure and Regulation]]
|-
| Mar 30
| [[Copyright in Cyberspace]]
|-
| Apr 6
|[[Control and Code: Privacy Online]]
|-
| Apr 13
| [[Internet and Democracy]]
|-
| Apr 20
| [[Internet and Democracy: The Sequel]]
|-
| Apr 27
| [[Digital Natives and Internet Culture]]
|-
| May 4
| [[New Opportunities for Education]]
|-
| May 11
|'''[[Final Project]] due''' (no class)
|
|}

International Censorship and Filtering

2010-01-29T15:01:51Z

Cmac: International Censorship and Filtering moved to Internet and Democracy: The Sequel

#REDIRECT [[Internet and Democracy: The Sequel]]

Internet and Democracy: The Sequel

2010-01-29T15:01:51Z

Cmac: International Censorship and Filtering moved to Internet and Democracy: The Sequel

A decade ago, the Internet was widely seen as a means to diminish the power of countries to regulate the flow of ideas and information. However, we have witnessed the resurgence of national sovereignty in cyberspace, with many countries now resorting to a combination of technology, law and intimidation to reign in the spread of free speech via the Net. Often aided by the technological support of the private sector in the United States, for this class, we will debate the ethics, practicality and implications of Internet censorship.

== Readings ==

* Take a look at the [http://opennet.net/blog ONI blog]
* And the [http://opennet.net/map ONI global filtering map]
* Explore the Global Network Initiative website [http://www.globalnetworkinitiative.org/ GNI], with particular attention to the [http://www.globalnetworkinitiative.org/principles/index.php Principles], [http://www.globalnetworkinitiative.org/implementationguidelines/index.php Implementation Guidelines], and [http://www.globalnetworkinitiative.org/governanceframework/index.php Governance Framework]

== Additional Resources ==

== Topical Links ==

== Class Introduction ==

== From Class ==

== Class Discussion ==

== Today's Presentations ==

Main Page

2010-01-29T14:59:58Z

Cmac: /* Syllabus at a glance: */

= Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control=
'''LSTU E–120 - Harvard Extension School - Spring 2010 - Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST'''

'''[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/contact Berkman Center for Internet and Society] - 23 Everett Street - Conference room, 2nd floor'''

The Internet has taken on an ever-widening role not only in the production and sharing of information, but also in the political, social, and economic processes of everyday life around the world. The Net has been heralded by many as nothing less than a means of fundamentally transforming our world into one that is more just, more democratic, and more affluent, while redrawing the boundaries of political and economic power. However, the ''frontierism'' of the early Internet provoked ''regulatory'' responses, followed by various attempts to develop collective control via ''emergent'' structure. This course asks: what now is the balance between these forces, and what, if anything, should be done? '''[[course overview|continued...]]'''

{|border="1" cellpadding="5"
|-valign="top"
|
'''Course Information:'''
* [[Overview of Assignments]]
* [[Class Participation]]
* [[Grading]]
* [[Statement on Plagiarism]]
* [[Course FAQ]]
|
'''Assignments & Projects:'''
* [[Assignments]]
* [[Final Project]]
* [[Berkman-Based Project Ideas]]
|
'''Resources:'''
* [[Recorded class videos]]
* [[Powerpoint Slides from Class]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page How to edit a wiki]
|
'''External:'''
* [[Upcoming Events]]
* [[In the news]]
|
'''People:'''
* [[Staff Contact Info]]
* [[List of User Profiles]]
|-
|}

=='''During Class (Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST)'''==
* Live Quicktime stream during class (open this URL in Quicktime Player): 
** '''rtsp://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp''' 
** The best option is generally to copy this URL into QuickTime Player
** You can also watch via http (http://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp). This is typically not as clear.

* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/ Question Tool] (pick "InternetSociety2010") [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]

=='''Participating Asynchronously'''==
* You can add your thoughts to the Question Tool even after class is over; we will leave up the discussions from class for the entire week following. [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]
* Online Office Hours with the TAs TBD

=='''Feedback:'''==

=='''Syllabus at a glance:'''==
{| style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"

|-
| Jan 26
| [[Politics and Technology of Control: Introduction]]
|-
| Feb 2
| [[Frameworks For Studying The Web]]
|-
| Feb 9
| [[New Economic Models]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_1:_Wikipedia|Assignment 1]] due)''
|-
| Feb 16
| [[Peer Production and Collaboration]]
|-
| Feb 23
| [[Collective Action and Decision-making]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_2:_Blog_Post|Assignment 2]] due)''
|-
| Mar 2
| [[New and Old Media, Participation, and Information ]]
|-
| Mar 9
| [[Regulating Speech Online]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_3:_Audio_or_Video_Production|Assignment 3]] due)''
|-
| Mar 23
| [[Copyright in Cyberspace]]
|-
| Mar 30
| [[Control and Code: Privacy Online]]
|-
| Apr 6
|[[Internet and Democracy]]
|-
| Apr 13
| [[Internet and Democracy: The Sequel]]
|-
| Apr 20
| [[Digital Natives and Internet Culture]]
|-
| Apr 27
| [[New Opportunities for Education]]
|-
| May 4
| [[Politics and Technology of Control II: Summing Up]]
|-
| May 11
|'''[[Final Project]] due''' (no class)
|
|}

Main Page

2010-01-29T14:51:41Z

Cmac: /* Syllabus at a glance: */

= Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control=
'''LSTU E–120 - Harvard Extension School - Spring 2010 - Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST'''

'''[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/contact Berkman Center for Internet and Society] - 23 Everett Street - Conference room, 2nd floor'''

The Internet has taken on an ever-widening role not only in the production and sharing of information, but also in the political, social, and economic processes of everyday life around the world. The Net has been heralded by many as nothing less than a means of fundamentally transforming our world into one that is more just, more democratic, and more affluent, while redrawing the boundaries of political and economic power. However, the ''frontierism'' of the early Internet provoked ''regulatory'' responses, followed by various attempts to develop collective control via ''emergent'' structure. This course asks: what now is the balance between these forces, and what, if anything, should be done? '''[[course overview|continued...]]'''

{|border="1" cellpadding="5"
|-valign="top"
|
'''Course Information:'''
* [[Overview of Assignments]]
* [[Class Participation]]
* [[Grading]]
* [[Statement on Plagiarism]]
* [[Course FAQ]]
|
'''Assignments & Projects:'''
* [[Assignments]]
* [[Final Project]]
* [[Berkman-Based Project Ideas]]
|
'''Resources:'''
* [[Recorded class videos]]
* [[Powerpoint Slides from Class]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page How to edit a wiki]
|
'''External:'''
* [[Upcoming Events]]
* [[In the news]]
|
'''People:'''
* [[Staff Contact Info]]
* [[List of User Profiles]]
|-
|}

=='''During Class (Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST)'''==
* Live Quicktime stream during class (open this URL in Quicktime Player): 
** '''rtsp://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp''' 
** The best option is generally to copy this URL into QuickTime Player
** You can also watch via http (http://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp). This is typically not as clear.

* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/ Question Tool] (pick "InternetSociety2010") [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]

=='''Participating Asynchronously'''==
* You can add your thoughts to the Question Tool even after class is over; we will leave up the discussions from class for the entire week following. [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]
* Online Office Hours with the TAs TBD

=='''Feedback:'''==

=='''Syllabus at a glance:'''==
{| style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"

|-
| Jan 26
| [[Politics and Technology of Control: Introduction]]
|-
| Feb 2
| [[Frameworks For Studying The Web]]
|-
| Feb 9
| [[New Economic Models]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_1:_Wikipedia|Assignment 1]] due)''
|-
| Feb 16
| [[Peer Production and Collaboration]]
|-
| Feb 23
| [[Collective Action and Decision-making]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_2:_Blog_Post|Assignment 2]] due)''
|-
| Mar 2
| [[New and Old Media, Participation, and Information ]]
|-
| Mar 9
| [[Regulating Speech Online]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_3:_Audio_or_Video_Production|Assignment 3]] due)''
|-
| Mar 23
| [[Copyright in Cyberspace]]
|-
| Mar 30
| [[Control and Code: Privacy Online]]
|-
| Apr 6
|[[Internet and Democracy]]
|-
| Apr 13
| [[Digital Natives and Internet Culture]]
|-
| Apr 20
| [[New Opportunities for Education]]
|-
| Apr 27
| [[International Censorship and Filtering]]
|-
| May 4
| [[Politics and Technology of Control II: Summing Up]]
|-
| May 11
|'''[[Final Project]] due''' (no class)
|
|}

Collective Action and Decision-making

2010-01-29T14:40:57Z

Cmac: /* Readings */

Peer Production and Collaboration

2010-01-29T14:40:25Z

Cmac:

Main Page

2010-01-26T19:21:36Z

Cmac: /* Syllabus at a glance: */

= Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control=
'''LSTU E–120 - Harvard Extension School - Spring 2010 - Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST'''

'''[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/contact Berkman Center for Internet and Society] - 23 Everett Street - Conference room, 2nd floor'''

The Internet has taken on an ever-widening role not only in the production and sharing of information, but also in the political, social, and economic processes of everyday life around the world. The Net has been heralded by many as nothing less than a means of fundamentally transforming our world into one that is more just, more democratic, and more affluent, while redrawing the boundaries of political and economic power. However, the ''frontierism'' of the early Internet provoked ''regulatory'' responses, followed by various attempts to develop collective control via ''emergent'' structure. This course asks: what now is the balance between these forces, and what, if anything, should be done? '''[[course overview|continued...]]'''

{|border="1" cellpadding="5"
|-valign="top"
|
'''Course Information:'''
* [[Overview of Assignments]]
* [[Class Participation]]
* [[Grading]]
* [[Statement on Plagiarism]]
* [[Course FAQ]]
|
'''Assignments & Projects:'''
* [[Assignments]]
* [[Final Project]]
* [[Berkman-Based Project Ideas]]
|
'''Resources:'''
* [[Recorded class videos]]
* [[Powerpoint Slides from Class]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page How to edit a wiki]
|
'''External:'''
* [[Upcoming Events]]
* [[In the news]]
|
'''People:'''
* [[Staff Contact Info]]
* [[List of User Profiles]]
|-
|}

=='''During Class (Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST)'''==
* Live Quicktime stream during class (open this URL in Quicktime Player): 
** '''rtsp://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp''' 
** The best option is generally to copy this URL into QuickTime Player
** You can also watch via http (http://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp). This is typically not as clear.

* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/ Question Tool] (pick "InternetSociety2010") [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]

=='''Participating Asynchronously'''==
* You can add your thoughts to the Question Tool even after class is over; we will leave up the discussions from class for the entire week following. [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]
* Online Office Hours with the TAs TBD

=='''Feedback:'''==

=='''Syllabus at a glance:'''==
{| style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"

|-
| Jan 26
| [[Politics and Technology of Control: Introduction]]
|-
| Feb 2
| [[Frameworks For Studying The Web]]
|-
| Feb 9
| [[New Economic Models]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_1:_Wikipedia|Assignment 1]] due)''
|-
| Feb 16
| [[Peer Production and Collaboration]]
|-
| Feb 23
| [[Collective Action and Decision-making]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_2:_Blog_Post|Assignment 2]] due)''
|-
| Mar 2
| [[Technology, Innovation, and Internet]]
|-
| Mar 9
| [[Regulating Speech Online]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_3:_Audio_or_Video_Production|Assignment 3]] due)''
|-
| Mar 23
| [[Copyright in Cyberspace]]
|-
| Mar 30
| [[Control and Code: Privacy Online]]
|-
| Apr 6
|[[Internet and Democracy]]
|-
| Apr 13
| [[Digital Natives and Internet Culture]]
|-
| Apr 20
| [[New Opportunities for Education]]
|-
| Apr 27
| [[International Censorship and Filtering]]
|-
| May 4
| [[Politics and Technology of Control II: Summing Up]]
|-
| May 11
|'''[[Final Project]] due''' (no class)
|
|}

Project Ideas

2010-01-25T17:49:51Z

Cmac:

We will be refining this over the first weeks of class, but from past semesters, projects have included work along the following lines. This semester, we anticipate a more narrow menu of options, focused on gathering data/observing online phenomenon, especially where it intersects with theoretical frameworks we will discuss in class. So, while preliminary, here are some ideas to get you started thinking:

- Explore music payment aggregation schemes

- Compare US broadband policies with that of another country

- Write a case study on a selected online organization

- Study an emerging online media organization (e.g. Spot.us; Transparency Initiative; Reuters-Politico deal)

- Review a nation's Internet regulation policy (e.g. Australia's new Internet filtering policy; website rating systems)

- Track and document an online political campaign

- Monitor the evolution of change.gov after the inauguration

- Evaluate and compare online knowledge aggregators (Mahalo Answers, Yahoo Answers)
--[[User:Cmac|Cmac]] 17:49, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Berkman-Based Project Ideas

2010-01-25T17:47:22Z

Cmac:

'''''There may be projects at Berkman that you may be able to team up with to complete your final project, we are checking into these now and will let you know if there are opportunities - whether to fit with your final project, or generally.'''''

Main Page

2009-11-16T20:48:32Z

Cmac: /* Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control */

= Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control=
'''LSTU E–120 - Harvard Extension School - Spring 2010 - Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST'''

'''[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/contact Berkman Center for Internet and Society] - 23 Everett Street - Conference room, 2nd floor'''

The Internet has taken on an ever-widening role not only in the production and sharing of information, but also in the political, social, and economic processes of everyday life around the world. The Net has been heralded by many as nothing less than a means of fundamentally transforming our world into one that is more just, more democratic, and more affluent, while redrawing the boundaries of political and economic power. However, the ''frontierism'' of the early Internet provoked ''regulatory'' responses, followed by various attempts to develop collective control via ''emergent'' structure. This course asks: what now is the balance between these forces, and what, if anything, should be done? '''[[course overview|continued...]]'''

{|border="1" cellpadding="5"
|-valign="top"
|
'''Course Information:'''
* [[Overview of Assignments]]
* [[Class Participation]]
* [[Grading]]
* [[Statement on Plagiarism]]
* [[Course FAQ]]
|
'''Assignments & Projects:'''
* [[Individual Assignments]]
* [[Class Presentation]]
* [[Final Project]]
* [[Berkman-Based Project Ideas]]
|
'''Resources:'''
* [[Recorded class videos]]
* [[Powerpoint Slides from Class]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page How to edit a wiki]
|
'''External:'''
* [[Upcoming Events]]
* [[In the news]]
|
'''People:'''
* [[Staff Contact Info]]
* [[List of User Profiles]]
|-
|}

=='''During Class (Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST)'''==
* Live Quicktime stream during class (open this URL in Quicktime Player): 
** '''rtsp://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp''' 
** The best option is generally to copy this URL into QuickTime Player
** You can also watch via http (http://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp). This is typically not as clear.

* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/ Question Tool] (pick "InternetSociety2010") [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]

=='''Participating Asynchronously'''==
* You can add your thoughts to the Question Tool even after class is over; we will leave up the discussions from class for the entire week following. [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/InternetSociety2010 Direct URL]
* Online Office Hours with the TAs TBD

=='''Feedback:'''==

We'd love to get feedback on how the class is going! We've created a quick survey here:

(link to google spreadsheets http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=cENqTEEzZ29URGkxSVZETEotVG8tUWc6MA..)

=='''Syllabus at a glance:'''==
{| style="background-color:#CCCCCC;"
|-

|'''Unit I:'''
|'''What's So Different About The Web?'''
|-
|Jan 26
| [[Politics and Technology of Control: Introduction]]
|-
| Feb 2
| [[Regulating Speech Online]]
|-
| Feb 9
| [[New Economic Models]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_1:_Wikipedia|Assignment 1]] due)''
|-
| Feb 16
| [[Peer Production and Collaboration]]

|-
| Feb 23
| [[Control and Code: Privacy Online]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_2:_Blog_Post|Assignment 2]] due)''
|-
|'''Unit II:'''
|'''Digital Institutions & Society'''
|-
| Mar 2
| [[Citizen Media]]
|-
| Mar 9
| [[Online Organizing and Politics]]
| ''([[Individual_Assignments#Assignment_3:_Audio_or_Video_Production|Assignment 3]] due)''
|
|-
| Mar 16
| [[Collective Action and Decision-making]]
| ''([[Class Presentation|Class Presentations]])''
|-
| Mar 30
|[[Internet and Democracy]]
| ''([[Class Presentation|Class Presentations]])''
|-
|'''Unit III:'''
|'''Consequences and Outcomes'''
|-
| Apr 6
| [[International Censorship and Filtering]]
| ''([[Class Presentation|Class Presentations]])''
|-
| Apr 13
| [[Copyright in Cyberspace]]
| ''([[Class Presentation|Class Presentations]])''
|-
| Apr 20
| [[Digital Natives and Internet Culture]]
| ''([[Class Presentation|Class Presentations]])''
|-
| Apr 27
| [[New Opportunities for Education]]
| ''([[Class Presentation|Class Presentations]])''
|-
| May 4
| [[Politics and Technology of Control II: Summing Up]]
|
|-
|May 12
|'''[[Final Project]] due''' (no class)
|
|}

Statement on Plagiarism

2009-05-13T15:11:40Z

Cmac:

Harvard University Extension School Policy on Student Conduct
[http://www.extension.harvard.edu/2006-07/register/policies/responsible.jsp]

'''Student Responsibilities'''

Harvard Extension School expects credit students to be active and engaged participants by attending all classes, taking all exams, and completing all coursework on time. Students enrolled in noncredit Institute for English Language (IEL) courses are also expected to attend all classes and complete all coursework. Late work may be submitted only with instructor approval and according to instructor policies.

Students are responsible for the accuracy of the information they include on all forms and applications. Submission of fraudulent information may be grounds for disciplinary review.

A student who is inadequately prepared, fails to attend classes, neglects coursework, or disrupts course progress with inappropriate behavior may be required to withdraw from the course by the Administrative Board for University Extension and excluded from future courses. Such students are not eligible for tuition refunds for those courses.

'''Academic Integrity'''

Harvard Extension School expects students to understand and maintain high standards of academic integrity. Breaches of academic integrity include the following examples.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the theft of someone else’s ideas and work. Whether a student copies verbatim or simply rephrases the ideas of another without properly acknowledging the source, the theft is the same. A computer program written as part of the student’s academic work is, like a paper, expected to be the student’s original work and subject to the same standards of representation. In the preparation of work submitted to meet course requirements, whether a draft or a final version of a paper, project, take-home exam, computer program, or other written assignment, students must take great care to distinguish their own ideas and language from information derived from sources. Sources include published primary and secondary materials, the Internet, and information and opinions gained directly from other people. Whenever ideas or facts are derived from a student’s reading and research, the sources must be properly cited.

Students are responsible for learning the proper forms of citation according to the standards delineated by Harvard University. This is true even for students from other countries who may have been taught to use sources in other ways. Writing with Sources: A Guide for Harvard Students, prepared by Harvard’s Expository Writing Program, is on reserve at Grossman Library and available on the program’s website. Students who have questions about the standards of scholarly writing should speak with their instructors before beginning research on assigned papers and projects.

Cheating

Collaboration on written assignments is prohibited unless explicitly permitted by the instructor. Students must acknowledge any collaboration and its extent in all submitted coursework. Students may not copy another student’s assignment, computer program or parts of a program, or exam. During an exam no communication between students is allowed, and books, papers, calculators, computers, or notes are not permitted except with the permission of the instructor or proctor.

A student may not submit the same or similar work to any other course without the written permission of the instructors involved.

'''Computer and Network Use'''

Information stored on a computer system or sent electronically over a network is the private property of the individual who created it. Examination, collection, or dissemination of that information without authorization from the owner is a violation of the owner’s right to control his or her property. Computers and networks provide mechanisms for protecting private information; attempts to circumvent these mechanisms to gain unauthorized access to private information are treated as violations of privacy.

Students are eligible for Harvard computer accounts primarily for educational use. Accounts are considered to have tangible value. Attempts to circumvent the accounting system, to use the accounts of others without authorization, or to use accounts for anything other than their intended purposes are all forms of attempted theft. Students should not disclose account passwords or otherwise make the account available to others. Use of Harvard’s computers and networks for commercial purposes without authorization is prohibited.

Students should not interfere with the functioning of a computer, or disrupt or distract others using a computer. Use of an e-mail system to send fraudulent, annoying, or obscene messages is prohibited. Similarly, messages must not misrepresent the identity of the sender, be sent as chain letters, or broadcast indiscriminately to large numbers of people.

It is the student’s responsibility to learn the rules for appropriate use of computers and networks. Policies are published in Computer Rules and Responsibilities, available in Science Center B-13, 51 Brattle Street, 53 Church Street, and online.

Certain computer misconduct is prohibited under Massachusetts law and is, therefore, subject to criminal penalties. Such misconduct includes knowingly gaining unauthorized access to a computer system or database, falsely obtaining electronic services or data without payment of required charges, and destroying electronically processed, stored, or in-transit data.

Library Use

Degree, certificate, and diploma candidates with University photo IDs have access to Harvard Libraries. To preserve the collections and to ensure ongoing access to them, library users are expected to respect the rules and regulations for use of library materials and property and to assist in the protection of library materials. Every library user has a responsibility to safeguard the integrity of library resources; respect the restrictions on access to and the use of those resources; report the theft, destruction, or misuse of library resources by others; respect the rights of others to the quiet use of the library; and respect the authority of the librarians and staff.

The following is prohibited: the exploitation of library resources or materials for commercial purposes; printing or downloading significant portions of licensed online resources; illegal copying; unauthorized removal of materials or property from the library; destruction, defacement, or abuse of library materials or property; and use of library privileges for reasons other than academic pursuits.

Students, staff, faculty members, researchers, visitors, and other users who fail to comply with library rules and regulations are subject to revocation of library privileges, disciplinary action, and legal prosecution. All library users are subject to the fines and penalties of the University, as well as the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts governing crimes against property.

For information about library access, see Libraries in the Resources section.

'''Conduct'''

Students are expected to conduct themselves responsibly, honestly, and with due consideration for others while on Harvard University property, as well as in all their interactions and communications with members of the Harvard community. The Administrative Board for University Extension reviews the actions of students charged with harassment; fraud; infringing on the rights of others; violating the rules and regulations of any University department; behaving inappropriately toward University faculty, staff, or fellow students; the unauthorized use of University facilities or equipment, including computer resources; the alteration or falsification of University records; the unauthorized recording, sale, or purchase of lectures or other instructional materials; destroying or defacing University property; misrepresenting themselves or their University affiliation; or disturbing orderly academic functions and processes.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is discriminatory and unlawful. Federal and state laws define sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or school environment. Harvard Extension School does not tolerate any form of sexual harassment. Students, instructors, or staff who engage in sexual harassment face discipline.

Students with complaints are encouraged to call Christopher Queen, dean of students, (617) 495-3481, or Brenda Mahoney, associate registrar, (617) 495-0977. Complaints can be handled either formally or informally. It is unlawful and a violation of Extension School policy to retaliate against anyone for filing a complaint of harassment or for cooperating in the investigation of such a complaint. Copies of the Extension School’s sexual harassment policy, which describes how student complaints can be filed and how cases are investigated, are available at 51 Brattle Street.

Talk:Regulating Speech Online

2009-02-03T23:55:23Z

Cmac: New page: =Regulating Speech Online Continued Discussion=

=Regulating Speech Online Continued Discussion=

Assignments

2009-02-03T21:15:22Z

Cmac:

== Assignment 1: Wikipedia ==
For this assignment, you should create a Wikipedia account and make substantial edits to an article on [http://en.wikipedia.com Wikipedia]. You should then add this page to your watchlist, and write a report what happens from the time that you made your edits. Ideally you will make several edits over this time frame. More details on the assignment as well as suggested wikipedia pages, as well as a space for you to report your "intervention" can be found on the [[Assignment 1 Details and Reporting]].

== Assignment 2: The Elevator Pitch ==
For this assignment, you should develop a short pitch (approximately one page) describing an important emerging theme or case study related to the course that you can develop later into a [[Class Presentation]] and [[Final Project]]. Construct an argument that will "sell" your idea to your colleagues. Think of the big picture and prepare your arguments for why your chosen topic or case study is worthy of further inquiry. Use links as appropriate. Some possible final project topics can be found here: [[Project Ideas]]. Post your pitch to the course wiki at [[Assignment 2 Submissions]].

== Assignment 3: Audio or Video Production ==
This assignment consists of an audiovisual work of your creation, and can be based on previous work (such as your Elevator Pitch). The work could be an audio file (such as a podcast or song), a video (such as a remix or animation), or a compelling image (such as a mindmap or photo montage). If an audio or video work, you should aim for a length of 3-5 minutes (there is 7 minute maximum). Content and presentation are much more important than length (a compelling 2-minute audio interview would be great). Whichever format you choose, your assignment should somehow fit in to one or more of the course's six broad thematic areas. Ideally, this assignment would feed into your class presentation and final project. Unlike the other individual assignments, this one may be done in pairs. Additional [[Assignment 3 Details and Links]].

Technology and Politics of Control: Introduction

2009-01-27T23:56:22Z

Cmac: New page: What's up with the web? On this subject, The Future Of The Internet writes a past and a future around the reader's moment. The declaration and the manifesto attempt to deï¬ne the public a...

What's up with the web? On this subject, The Future Of The Internet writes a past and a future around the reader's moment. The declaration and the manifesto attempt to deï¬ne the public and private internet in terms which seek ï¬nality and yet belie their protean present. "Digital Borders" gives the legal coordinates of a worldwide frontier. All of these readings give us context and historical background on the technology, culture, law and commerce of the internet and personal computers -the web. This huge subject reaches around all of us with tendrils of relevance. They're hiding around every corner. For example, one realizes that they are reading about publishing rights on a free, on-line publication. Is that strictly legal? Should one read on and seek and understanding of the law at the risk of breaking it? More reasonably, does this document describe itself and it's own relevance on this subject? Like the web, such tendrils are conceptual, made of whatever can be imagined, and much is made of this virtual, malleable openness which characterizes productive, expansive thought. It is, by all of these accounts, the key to the web's value. Naturally, the concept of control arises as the antithesis of all this good, generative stuff.

Control! It sounds fascist, or like the unfortunate predisposition of a clueless, brooding, antiquated chauvinist. But use the obvious simile where the web, in all of its organic complexity, is like a giant mind. It expands like a creative, learning thing. It learns to do new things, stores new information, and maybe changes temperament. It grows. Now, if you are picturing a child and phases of cognitive development, picture the out-of-control child. Picture the energetic, active, restless child with no parents. This image may mesh well with the 'state of nature' which is so palpable in John Perry Barlow's declaration. Yet Jack Goldsmith and Timothy Wu's article shows Yahoo! in a tug-o-war with the dreaded control which literally squelches fascism on the one hand enables wide-scale repression on the other. Control may be a force as powerful and malleable as openness. Maybe some balance can be found. And what about the money?

Economics, all things being equal, may provide some outside criteria by which to judge the progress of the rolling ball of control and generation at odds from this weeks readings. Barlow says there is no matter or property in cyberspace, and that all may enter without privilege of economics. The Cluetrain Manifesto says that "security is a red herring." One has to wonder whether these authors are really mindful of our 'world-wide' economic realities. It seems that countries with limited infrastructure will indeed depend on governments and tangible assets to achieve internet connectedness and concomitant education. And are the Cluetrain's ï¬fty-million users really bound by a common purpose more speciï¬c than general prosperity?* Economic arguments favor openness in Jonathan Zittrain's ï¬rst two chapters, where control manifests itself as inï¬exibility with a planned-obselescence-like wastefulness as detrimental as monopoly. The futurism and progressive fever in the declaration and manifesto show how the newness of the web and the vastness of its effects clearly contribute to a panoramic critique of business as usual. Alas, more generation. But is control what's down with the web?

-Dave Panzarino

'What about liberty?' you may ask -hey, this is just a thought provoking exercise! I'm not a an MBA! Maybe liberty is included in that 'all things being equal' above. See, I want to go to law school.

Project Ideas

2009-01-27T21:37:55Z

Cmac:

A brief sampling of ideas:

- Explore music payment aggregation schemes

- Compare US broadband policies with that of another country

- Write a case study on a selected online organization

- Study an emerging online media organization (e.g. Spot.us; Transparency Initiative; Reuters-Politico deal)

- Review a nation's Internet regulation policy (e.g. Australia's new Internet filtering policy; website rating systems)

- Track and document an online political campaign

- Monitor the evolution of change.gov after the inauguration

- Evaluate and compare online knowledge aggregators (Mahalo Answers, Yahoo Answers)

Technology and Development I: Internet & Democracy

2008-01-15T16:34:57Z

Cmac:

Despite rapid growth and extended efforts on the part of international organizations, development agencies, and private investors to reach a broader audience, the vast majority of the world does not have effective Internet access. Alternatively, mobile telephones continue to proliferate, and already boast twice the users. Have we made any progress, is the future mobile, and what has come of the World Summit on the Information Society?

== Readings ==

* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2670820702819322251&q=development+TED Rosling on Development]
* [http://www.globalvoicesonline.org Global Voices]
* [http://www.bridges.org/Real_Access Bridges.org's Real Access / Real Impact criteria for ICT access]

== Additional Resources ==
* [http://infodev.org/ Infodev]
* [http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm Statistics]
* [http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/ict/index.html ITU stats]
* [http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/index.asp ITU-D]
* [http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/publications/wtdr_06/index.html ITU's expensive publication]
* [http://classwiki.iac.gatech.edu/index.php/Meeting_Schedule_and_Readings Mike Best's Class Wiki]

Control and Code II: Regulating Through Technology

2008-01-15T16:21:50Z

Cmac:

What happens when the government steps in to control technology directly? Why do we need government intervention at all?

== Readings ==
* [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=903324 Why Have a Telecommunications Law?: Anti-Discrimination Norms in Communications] - Tim Wu
* [http://foureyedmonsters.com/neutrality/ Net Neutrality Video] by Arin Crumley