Technologies and Politics of Control - User contributions [en]

Privacy Part 1: Corporate Data Gathering

2014-04-01T18:44:15Z

Jolietheone: /* Class Discussion */

{{ClassCalendar}}

'''April 1'''

A persistent fear throughout all of the Internet’s operation is the Internet’s treatment of a person’s own privacy. We have a hard time defining the term, much less determining what role it should play in deciding the whos, whats, and hows of Internet governance. Nevertheless, the Internet’s present evolution indicates that unless we spend time contemplating the reinforcing privacy online, our interests may fall to the interests of profitability, online behavior regulation, and cybersecurity.

Over the next two weeks we'll look at privacy, beginning with general concepts of privacy, how data is measured and gathered on the web, and some specific legal responses to privacy concerns. Next week we'll build on these concepts with an eye toward government surveillance and law enforcement.

Our own [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/dobrien David O'Brien] will be leading the class discussion this week.

== Assignments ==

'''''The deadline for [[Assignments#Assignment_3:_Project_Outline|Assignment 3]] moved from March 25th to today, April 1st.''''' Please [[Assignment_3_Submissions|upload your assignment]] prior to class today.

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== Readings ==

; Conceptualizing privacy

* [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1127888 Daniel Solove, ''Understanding Privacy'' (Chapter 1)] (skim)

; Privacy and data

* [http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/16-07/pb_theory Chris Anderson, The End of Theory] (Wired appears to be having some troubles with their links this week, so if that doesn't work, try this [http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:XkYbG5I9RtkJ:www.wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2007/12/securitymatters_1213+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us cached version].)

* [http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/139104/kenneth-neil-cukier-and-viktor-mayer-schoenberger/the-rise-of-big-data Viktor Mayer-Shoenberger, The Rise of Big Data]

* [http://www.wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2007/12/securitymatters_1213 Bruce Schneier, Why Anonymous Data Sometimes Isn't] (see the note above about Wired - try this [http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:XkYbG5I9RtkJ:www.wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2007/12/securitymatters_1213+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us cached version] if the link above doesn't work).

* Play around with some of the websites by [http://latanyasweeney.org/ Latanya Sweeney]

:* [http://thedatamap.org/ The Data Map]

:* [http://aboutmyride.org/more.html About My Ride]

:* [http://aboutmyinfo.org/ About My Info]

; Corporate data practices

* [http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2012/12/07/how-dataium-watches-you/ Jeremy Singer-Vine, How Dataium Watches You]

* [http://www.interactually.com/linkedin-creepiest-social-network/ David Veldt, LinkedIn: The Creepiest Social Network]

* [http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323777204578189391813881534 Jennifer Valentino-Devires, Jeremy Singer-Vine, Ashkan Soltani, Websites Vary Prices, Deals Based on Users' Information] (if this appears behind a paywal, [http://blogs.wsj.com/wtk/ play around with the WSJ's interactive graphics])

== Optional Readings ==

* [http://yupnet.org/zittrain/archives/20 Jonathan Zittrain, ''The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It'' (Chapter 9)]

* [http://www.bitsbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/chapter2.pdf Hal Abelson, Ken Ledeen, and Harry Lewis, ''Blown to Bits'' (Chapter 2)] (pages 36-42)

* [https://www.socialtext.net/codev2/privacy Lawrence Lessig, ''Code 2.0'' (Chapter 7)] (focus on "Privacy in Public: Data")

* [http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2011/11/01/parents-survey-coppa.html danah boyd, Why Parents Help Children Violate Facebook’s 13+ Rule]

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_laws_of_the_United_States Wikipedia, Privacy Laws of the United States]

* [http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-295.html Solveig Singleton, Privacy as Censorship]

* [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/business/media/26privacy.html?_r=0 Noam Cohen, It’s Tracking Your Every Move and You May Not Even Know It (''New York Times'')]

* [https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2013/05/the_eyes_and_ea.html Bruce Schneier, Surveillance and the Internet of Things]

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== Videos Watched in Class ==

== Links ==

== Class Discussion ==
<div style="background-color:#CCCCCC;">Please remember to sign your postings by adding four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) to the end of your contribution. This will automatically add your username and the date/time of your post, like so: [[User:Andy|Andy]] 15:12, 7 November 2013 (EST)</div>

This week's readings on privacy have been really thought provoking. Whether we have a 'right' to internet privacy is a tough subject to ponder, as we have no obligation to use the internet, thus making our use subject to a company's terms, yet there are also a number of other factors to consider. Some of the biggest concerns are that the "data collection" isn't merely studied but disseminated, and also that that collection doesn't end at internet usage. It infiltrates every aspect of our lives, with surveillance footage being taken unbeknownst to those being viewed. I'm not sure if it was in this class or in another discussion, but supposedly we're not far away from a kind of optical monitoring whereby stores can track what a shopper looks at most intently to cater advertising to them specifically. Where does this invasion of privacy end?

Adding to the links above, I found this article linked in one of the above articles. It's very informative and interesting.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE3DD1F3FF93AA3575BC0A9609C8B63

Sidebar- loved the article by Veldt on LinkedIn... I, too, have always wondered HOW they can suggest people who I know in real life but with whom I haven't had any connection with via social networks or even e-mail.

[[User:Castille|Castille]] 16:33, 29 March 2014 (EDT)

:Great questions on privacy, Castille, just to piggy-back on what you've brought up….
:Data gathering will become more intrusive, especially as we advance technologically. This will impede on personal privacy to a point where it becomes a major issue. For example, Google glasses will open many avenues for companies to gather personal data.
:But where do ethics come in?
:Companies don't have moral ethics if it means they can convert personal data into potential profits. It may already be too late to legislate laws and then how do we enforce them? Its actually quite alarming how much personal information is available digitally and more to come as new devices (such as wearables) make it easier for companies (and other individuals) to exploit. [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 02:09, 31 March 2014 (EDT)

:I agree, Castille, that thinking about online privacy is complicated by the fact that users agree to certain terms of use and are not truly compelled to use the Internet, though it is undoubtedly next to impossible for some of us to avoid. I think that in spite of this (in spite of the fact that we automatically check the box agreeing to these terms of use), people will always feel that they have the right to privacy at least in the sense of having the right to be left alone. The mentality may be that if I'm not doing something wrong, if my behavior doesn't effect other people, then I shouldn't be bothered, shouldn't be observed without very explicit consent, and shouldn't have to feel like I'm being watched. [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 23:11, 31 March 2014 (EDT)

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The data we can gather through automation is undoubtedly incredible. The weakness with big data lies in the quality - relying too much on the results spit out from the tools could lead to numerous mistakes. That’s when human intellect comes into play; real-time observation and analysis will be critical for spotting errors.
Human ingenuity is the source of progress. Any company can better leverage the data available to them and generate a competitive advantage, as long as they’re equipped with inquisitive minds and critical thinkers who can best apply the data presented. [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 02:01, 31 March 2014 (EDT)

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I too enjoyed the article by Veldt on LinkedIn. I am an active LinkedIn user but like Castille have been troubled by the connection- generating ability of a site that I have not linked to other social networks or connected to my email. LinkedIn use has led many friends and colleagues of mine to tangible professional benefits and opportunities- headhunters and recruiters rely increasingly on the LinkedIn pool for scouting talent. In the contexts of other readings this week, and the question of whether it is truly possible to "opt-out"- LinkedIn is one platform that I feel is worth the privacy trade-off. Indeed, as a recent college graduate, in the early stages of my career, I often find myself faced with the unsettling truth that limiting my internet presence and enhancing security features on social media platforms with an aim to preserve my privacy is actually detrimental to my professional, educational and personal goals. In the name of upward mobility and maximizing exposure to opportunities, we choose not too think to hard about just how LinkedIn knows "People You May Know." Indeed, as highlighted in an NYT article late last year [http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/05/technology/personaltech/the-path-to-happy-employment-contact-by-contact-on-linkedin.html?_r=0], opting not to include a photo, complete a full profile and maximize the public reach of your profile in many ways defeats the purpose of being on LinkedIn in the first place. --[[User:Akk22|Akk22]] 10:25, 1 April 2014 (EDT)

Not related to this week's lecture, but for those interested, a major revamp is in the works for copyright law in the UK, including the addition of a US-like fair use clause - [http://www.ipo.gov.uk/response-2011-copyright-final.pdf Modernising Copyright: A modern, robust and flexible framework] --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 17:43, 31 March 2014 (EDT)

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I ran across an article shared through Reddit this week and I think it relates somewhat to the topic this week. It describes how Dropbox is able to know when copyrighted content is being shared, without infringing on a person's privacy. It is able to do this by "file hashing against a blacklist." It's an interesting read, especially for someone like me who isn't too familiar with computer technicalities. You can find the article here: http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/30/how-dropbox-knows-when-youre-sharing-copyrighted-stuff-without-actually-looking-at-your-stuff/

[[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 19:58, 31 March 2014 (EDT)

:I also saw a write up about this on Slate. What's interesting to me is this snippet: "It's almost impossible to find a service that stores your data but doesn't have a way to look at it with either human eyes or algorithms." People have concerns about actual employees at Dropbox looking at their stuff, but even the idea of algorithms "looking" can be unsettling. I wonder how much of this has to do with being uncomfortable with the idea that someone out there is rifling through your files and how much has to do with concern about computer programs, algorithms, etc. being presented as an impersonal solution to privacy problems. But even if there's not a ''who'' looking at your stuff, there's still a ''what,'' and the principle doesn't seem too different if you think of it abstractly. [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 07:43, 1 April 2014 (EDT)
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I can't say I was surprised by anything in Schneier piece ("Why 'Anonymous' Data Sometimes Isn't") about how easy it is to take "anonymous" information and attach it to a specific individual. The ease with which I can find someone online (on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media) with just two or three pieces of identifying information-- name, college he/she graduated from, workplace, username, etc.-- long ago left me assuming that anyone could do the same. When you factor in huge amounts of data and more sophisticated techniques to leverage that data, I wouldn't imagine anything would remain hidden. A few seemingly trivial bits of information can certainly add up very quickly.
[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 23:01, 31 March 2014 (EDT)
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I really enjoyed the chapter from Daniel Solove's book in which he tries to develop a new understanding of privacy. One of the bits that resonated the most with me is where he writes "Instead of attempting to locate the common denominator of these activities [that are disrupted by violations of privacy], we should conceptualize privacy by focusing on the specific types of disruption." It's interesting to approach privacy based on the problems violations cause rather than the type of information or behavior associated with those violations. So, it's not about whether or not giving out my phone number violates my privacy but whether that generates an innocuous or malicious outcome. I think this dovetails nicely with the idea (from the article about variable online pricing, I think) that there's not one answer to the privacy problem because there isn't one reason it's happening. Conceptualizing privacy in such a way that it can apply to all situations and problems could easily abstract it to a point that the theories are vague to a point of meaninglessness. [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 23:17, 31 March 2014 (EDT)

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I really love the article "LINKEDIN: THE CREEPIEST SOCIAL NETWORK" that's written by David Veldt.
I always wonder how social networks like facebook or linkedin know that I in fact know that person. And the advertisements that are on the right side of the facebook page are things that I am interested in. It is interesting how Linkedin is trying not to disclose to the users that they are tracking our search histories and might even our emails. Frankly speaking, I am not surprised that Facebook, Linkedin or even Google are tracking our personal information, as this is how their business work. Data gathering is a very important part for them to make money.

Peer Production: Development from the Edges and from the Crowd

2014-03-25T20:12:29Z

Jolietheone: /* Class Discussion */

{{ClassCalendar}}

'''March 25'''

Beyond merely providing a forum for political activism, scholars are increasingly aware of the benefits the Internet provides as a mode of production. How can the Internet help us make things together? How much hierarchy and control is needed to produce? How good is the material that peer production creates? And finally, what are the risks to producers (and society) inherent to peer production?

Joining us this week is [https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/rfaris Rob Faris], the Research Director for the Berkman Center.

== Assignments ==

'''''The deadline for [[Assignments#Assignment_3:_Project_Outline|Assignment 3]] has moved from March 25th to April 1st.''''' All other deadlines will not change.

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== Readings ==

; Development from the edges

* [http://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/democ1.htm Eric Von Hippel, ''Democratizing Innovation''] (Chapter 1, focus on pages 1-3 and 13-15, skim rest)

; Development as a crowd

* [https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2013/12/hergueux Jerome Hergeaux, Cooperation in a Peer Production Economy: Experimental Evidence from Wikipedia] (video, watch from beginning to 47:50)

* [http://video.mit.edu/watch/news-information-and-the-wealth-of-networks-9187/ Yochai Benkler, News, Information and the Wealth of Networks] (video, watch from 8:32 to 26:07)

:* if you’re not familiar, you may want to spend a little time looking at Wikipedia’s entry on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seti@home Seti@home].

* [http://web.media.mit.edu/~cebrian/p78-tang.pdf John Tang et al, Reflecting on the DARPA Red Balloon Challenge (''Communications of the ACM'')]

; Crowd intelligence

* [http://www.randomhouse.com/features/wisdomofcrowds/excerpt.html James Surowiecki, ''The Wisdom of Crowds''] (read excerpt)

* [http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2006/11/30/cass-sunsteins-infotopia/ Ethan Zuckerman, Review of Cass Sunstein’s “Infotopia”]

== Optional Readings ==

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia Wikipedia, Reliability of Wikipedia]

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uJWwLVkKTU Jonathan Zittrain, Minds for Sale] (video, watch all)

* [http://rcmap.hatnote.com/#en Hatnote, Real Time Wikipedia Changes Map]

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== Videos Watched in Class ==

== Links ==

== Class Discussion ==
<div style="background-color:#CCCCCC;">Please remember to sign your postings by adding four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) to the end of your contribution. This will automatically add your username and the date/time of your post, like so: [[User:Andy|Andy]] 15:12, 7 November 2013 (EST)</div>

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Having an extensive background in the social sciences I found the Jerome Hergeaux presentation to be a useful study for sociologists and psychologists alike. A question that came to mind during the presentation was how websites like wikipedia are changing social relationships and forms of gratification. Furthermore do certain groups benefit from these type of platforms more than others? The digital age has proven to be a time of change where "we, the people" feel more and more connected, or at least that's what we believe, but is this statement true across the board for the various socio-economic groups?

[[User:Jacqueline Argueta|Jacqueline Argueta]] 16:10, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

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COMMENTS ON "Jerome Hergeaux, Cooperation in a Peer Production Economy: Experimental Evidence from Wikipedia"

Coming from an operations research background, I find the application of game theoretic approaches to this project rather interesting. However, there are other aspects which were not taken into account. For example, the utility of social recognition derived by contributors to Wikipedia can be obtained at significantly reduced cost and risk compared to other options like authoring a book or publishing a paper in a peer-reviewed journal. Furthermore, the results are immediate so the perceived utility is also immediate.

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 08:40, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

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QUALITY OF CONTENT FROM PEER PRODUCTION IN WIKIPEDIA

Because Wikipedia content lacks originality and are mostly copied from other sources, I beg to differ on the usefulness of mentioning contributions to Wikipedia in one's resume. Real scholars would rather contribute to peer-reviewed journals where the benefits are far greater, including promotion and salary increase if working in an academic institution. So while Wikipedia content may be useful to the general public, the quality of the content may not be of high academic value.

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 09:17, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

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I think that one of the great examples of Democratizing Innovation are games... A number of highly successful games have been initially created as mods developed by gamers, and later turned into commercial products by the companies whose games were built upon... Some examples off the top of my head include many Half Life/Source engine based multiplayer games, DotA - originally based on Warcraft III, or, outside of video games, the many unofficial rulebooks, expansions and modifications of Dungeons & Dragons or some of the Wizards of the Coast's collectible card games. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 10:24, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

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AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OPEN COLLABORATION NETWORK

SETi@HOME gave me an idea to enhance air transport safety. The case of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 might have been more clear if air traffic is also being monitored by air control gamers and air traffic control towers can receive alerts, comments, and suggested routings from these gamers in real-time over the internet. For this to be possible, satellite and transponder data from all aircrafts need to be available, also in real-time over the internet, to the gamers. Software programmers can also develop new codes which can analyze traffic patterns or which can make predictions of flight paths based on current and new vectors using the real-time data.

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 11:02, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

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PEER PRODUCTION BY AMSAT ENTHUSIASTS OF SECOND INTERNET

When I read how I could access internet for free via the AMSAT satellites, I decided to get the amateur radio license (call sign KC9HKA) while in West Lafayette, IN. I was just curious to find out latest information about AMSAT and found this:

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Chaos-Computer-Club-Hackerspace-Global-Grid-SOPA-Protect-IP-Nick-Farr,news-13742.html

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 11:26, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

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I will have to look into the AMSAT satellites. Just recently we were discussing an article that appeared in the Daily Mail regarding an "OuterNet."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2552177/Forget-Internet-soon-OUTERNET-Company-plans-beam-free-wi-fi-person-Earth-space.html

The collaboration of people who "tinker" with technology is a fascinating subject. It remains much easier to verify results than from within the academic write-ups. [[User:VACYBER|VACYBER]] 13:23, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

:: I like this kind of news! I often tell colleagues at my office that "If you can't do it, it is expensive; if you know how to do it, it can be free!" While in the "Optimization in Aerospace Engineering" class as a aeronautical/astronautucal graduate student at Purdue University, I did a project to ascertain the viability of launching low orbit satellites (LEOs). The traditional thinking then was that it is too expensive and rockets typically carry more than a single payload. But calculations showed that it is economically viable to launch single payload of lightweight LEO. Such a project is crucial for education of the poor because the poor have limited or no access to the internet. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:04, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

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Thus far, most "peer production" has been limited to the entirely digital world. I'm interested in the intersection between peer-production and the emerging technology of 3D printing. It seems to me that most of the things sold on etsy.com could be printed by a 3D printer; there are even technologies emerging that allow printing of electronic circuits (e.g., the Kickstarter EX project). Clothing seems like one of the first things that could be a mass-market success for 3D printing. It seems like there's a huge range of new issues that will emerge, not only in the area of intellectual property but also things like product liability, etc. Once the technology exists on a massive scale at consumer homes, it seems like some of the same things that promote prosocial peer-production behavior, as discussed by the writers/speakers in this section, could unleash even more world-changing innovation once it includes the world of physical goods.
[[User:Jradoff|Jradoff]] 14:18, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

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The idea that crowd intelligence boosts the wisdom of the whole seems completely intuitive....and yet research does suggest (strongly) that people are more creative/innovative when they work alone. [http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0] Mind you, it could be that people are individually more creative, and then when they put these individual efforts together, the strength of that innovation is heightened…. And perhaps it's dependant upon what it is that is actually being produced. [[User:Twood|Twood]] 15:25, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

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Peer Production and Crowdsourcing is very effective elements for civil society. It is self-organizing community which proves to be very effective, for example Wikipedia and experience with Red Balloons. PP is very essential for firms and companies. They can benefit from solutions provided by PP for their services and products and etc. But, the main concern is lack of the organizational and legsialtive aspects of these little communities. Can these little communities be relaible wihout proper organizational and legislative support? Let's take Wikipedia as an example. As it is mentioned by one of students, Wikipedia is not considered as relaible source at universities in our coutry. Aysel Ibayeva ([[User:Aysel|Aysel]] 15:39, 25 March 2014 (EDT))
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Democratization of innovation seems to have positive side effects on product development. While far from being ideal for intricate and sophisticated research projects, user innovation benefits the community as a whole especially when the users/innovators share their work freely. This provides an opportunity for other users to improve upon the work thus creating rich opportunities for improvement. This democratization of the creative development segment of the market goes in hand with freely sharing alterations and product innovation. This mutually benefits both manufactures and consumers, as the user knows what they want and need most.
SETI@home is a novel idea and an excellent example of using the Internet not just as a social tool, but as way to connect thousands if not even millions of personal computers as a useful tool. The concept of the SETI is to search the universe for “radio transmissions from extraterrestrial intelligence”. By utilizing the down time of millions of computers CPU, the program is able to achieve monumental advancements that previously were possible only from supercomputers. That is similar in a way to the social strategies that the teams employed in the Red Balloon Challenge. MIT won, and by using a pay for information approach, they were able to quickly connect a web of people to help them pinpoint the position of all ten balloons. Even though the other teams did not find all the balloons, their approach to the search is an excellent example of how social networks and group efforts can achieve a far greater number of things than a lone individual could.
James Surowiecki brings up an interesting point, that crowds can and normally do perform much better then individuals in making predictions and decisions, but it’s also possible for a large group to do much worse. [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:51, 25 March 2014 (EDT)
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The James Surowiecki reading points to an important issue involving internet and society: the use of crowdsourcing. Increasingly, artists, even major players such as Spike Lee now resort to Kickstarter and other “crowd funding” sites. Arguably, the repercussions from such use are negligible; perhaps bigger names will eclipse up-and-coming artists? Yet, certain forms of crowd sourcing do hold the potential for danger.

For instance, after the horrific Boston Marathon bombings last April, Reddit users perused photos from the event, which, per the sites founder, “fueled online witch hunts.” Redditors pointed to Brown University student Sunil Tripathi. Authorities found Tripathi dead days after the arrest of Dhokhar Tsarnaev, with no cause of death known. But the unnecessary finger pointing led to harassment of Tripathi’s family who had their own grief to contend with. [http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/business/media/bombings-trip-up-reddit-in-its-turn-in-spotlight.html]

Perhaps in cases involving criminal investigations it is best to leave sleuthing to the professionals. Yes, citizens can still participate in the process by sharing information with authorities, but sites like Reddit are not the best means with which to do so. Are there instances where online crowd sourcing has turned up successful leads in a criminal investigation?

In a somewhat related story, 90’s grunge icon Courtney Love believes that she discovered the wreckage of MH370. [http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/courtney-love-malaysia-flight-370-104760.html] [[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 15:54, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

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As the saying goes, "Union makes strength." I am not claiming that this ancient wisdom perfectly holds in all circumstances but I think that it could greatly help scholars make things together on the internet. It is true that some people do work better individually than in groups. However, when it comes to the internet, one can easily see the power of collective work and peer production particularly in the academia. Even the world's most famous online sources of knowledge were produced by groups of people of the same interest. For example, the Wikipedia platform would not have gone this far had it not been for its community's peer production. Albeit its lack of originality and sometimes questionable quality of its content, the concept of aggregating such vast areas of knowledge into a single free online encyclopedia would not have been possible had it not been for peer production. Yes there is still much hierarchy and control in the production process. Yes there are risks inherent to peer production as well. However, I believe that the advantages of creating an atmosphere for either groups (political activists and scholars) outweighs the disadvantages not to.
[[User:cheikhmbacke|cheikhmbacke]] 15:56, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

COMMENTS ON THE WISDOM OF CROWDS
I found the excerpt from The wisdom of crowds really interesting. The last sentence in the article "The judgment of crowds may be good in laboratory settings and classrooms, but what happens in the real world? " From my understanding, the judgement of crowds is not as good as the judgement of an individual most of the time. As people tend to make more mistakes when they make decision together. However, this is not what we see in the experiments. I wonder what makes the difference between the results we have from the experiments and the real world. Perhaps, it is just because there is no such thing as a correct answer in the real world.

[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 16:12, 25 March 2014 (EDT)

Collective Action, Politics, and Protests

2014-03-11T06:26:25Z

Jolietheone: /* Class Discussion */

{{ClassCalendar}}

'''March 11'''

Last class we learned about SOPA, and the fear that it engendered in many Internet commentators. SOPA lead to what is often considered the high-water mark of American engagement online in domestic policy circles (so far). But the Internet has been used for collective action since its inception. When does this work? When does it fail? Who gets included and who are we leaving behind? Does the Internet serve as a better facilitator to protests in some areas versus others?

Today will be an exploration of online protests and collective action, both in general and through the lens of some famous recent examples. Along the way we'll grapple with limitations of online protest activity, the criticisms weighed against online protest behavior, and some of the ethical questions that come up when different organizations fight for attention to their specific causes.

Joining us this week will be [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/aliciasn Alicia Solow-Niederman], a Berkman project manager who studies collective action online.

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== Readings/Watchings ==

; Framing

* [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/forums/civic_media.html MIT Communications Forum, What is Civic Media?] (skim)

* [http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~farrell/blogpaperfinal.pdf Daniel Drezner and Henry Farrel, The Power and Politics of Blogs] (read introduction, "The networked structure of the blogosphere;" skim "How skewedness affects politics;" read "The constraints on blog influence" and conclusion)

* [http://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/4609956/SAIS%20online%20organizing%20paper%20final.pdf?sequence=1 Bruce Etling et al., Political Change in the Digital Age: The Fragility and Promise of Online Organizing] (read introduction, "Digital Technologies, Information and Political Transitions," "Online Organizing and Contentious Politics," and "The Uncertain Future of Digital Organizing")

; Case Studies

* [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2295953 Yochai Benkler et al., Social Mobilization and the Networked Public Sphere: Mapping the SOPA/PIPA Debate] (read 4-10, skim 12-38, read 39-46)

:* You may also want to play around with the [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/research/mediacloud/2013/mapping_sopa_pipa/# controversy mapper] Media Cloud put together in connection with this report.

* [http://civic.mit.edu/blog/erhardt/mapping-the-trayvon-martin-media-controversy Erhardt Graeff, Mapping the Trayvon Martin Media Controversy]

* [http://www2.scedu.unibo.it/roversi/SocioNet/AdamicGlanceBlogWWW.pdf Lada Adamic and Natalie Glance, The Political Blogosphere and the 2004 U.S. Election: Divided They Blog] (read introduction, analysis, and conclusion – i.e., pages 1-3 and 8-15)

* [http://journalistsresource.org/studies/international/global-tech/social-media-protest-egypt-tahrir-square Alex Remington, Social Media and Participation in Political Protest: Observations from Tahrir Square]

* [http://technosociology.org/?p=904 Zeynep Tufekci, #Kony2012, Understanding Networked Symbolic Action & Why Slacktivism is Conceptually Misleading]

; Observations, tactics, and methods

* [http://civicmedia.info/ideas/aaron-swartz-theory-of-change/ Aaron Swartz, A Theory of Change]

* [http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2012/04/20/the-tweetbomb-and-the-ethics-of-attention/ Ethan Zuckerman, The Tweetbomb and the Ethics of Attention]

== Optional Readings ==

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgh2dFngFsg Aaron Swartz, How We Stopped SOPA]

* [http://blog.socialflow.com/post/7120244932/data-viz-kony2012-see-how-invisible-networks-helped-a-campaign-capture-the-worlds-attention Gilad Lotan, KONY2012: See How Invisible Networks Helped a Campaign Capture the World’s Attention]

* [https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/publications/2010/Tale_Two_Blogospheres_Discursive_Practices_Left_Right Yochai Benkler and Aaron Shaw, A Tale of Two Blogospheres: Discursive Practices on the Left and Right]

* [http://opennet.net/sites/opennet.net/files/PolicingContent.pdf Jillian York, Policing Content in the Quasi-Public Sphere] (focus on the Introduction, and “Social Media: Privacy Companies, Public Responsibilities”)

* [http://www.benkler.org/Benkler_Wealth_Of_Networks_Chapter_7.pdf Yochai Benker, ''The Wealth of Networks''] (Chapter 7 - "The Emergence of a Networked Public Sphere")

</onlyinclude>

== Videos Watched in Class ==

== Links ==

== Class Discussion ==
<div style="background-color:#CCCCCC;">'''Please remember to sign your postings by adding four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) to the end of your contribution. This will automatically add your username and the date/time of your post, like so: [[User:Andy|Andy]] 11:51, 11 February 2014 (EST)'''</div>

<blockquote>
He also explained that people who claim that technology is neutral have typically zoomed out so far that the relationship between the individual, society and the technology are lost. He used the argument that while it may be accurate to say that either a gun or a toothbrush can be used to kill, but this theoretical accuracy is so abstract that it loses credibility.</blockquote>
I really like this, reminds me of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergence Emergent properties]
[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 15:48, 9 March 2014 (EDT)

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Benkler et al's "Social Mobilization and the Networked Public Sphere" defines the networked public sphere as "an alternative arena for public discourse and political debate, an arena that is less dominated by large media entities, less subject to government
control, and more open to wider participation." Thinking about how other parts of the public sphere are subject to each of these forces of control certainly makes the "public sphere" sound a little less "public." While the mainstream American media can often look like a circus, particularly if you're looking at the 24 hour news networks, with Benkler's ideas about the networked public sphere in mind, they don't really feel like something the public engages in. Rather, it is something we can engage with. Less a participatory medium than one that we have the option to either consume or not.
[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 12:01, 10 March 2014 (EDT)

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I found the article mapping the Trayvon Martin case particularly interesting as I grew up near where the incident occurred and it caused such a frenzy all over Florida (and all over the country, for that matter). I happen to know someone really high up in the DA's office in FL, so hearing the facts of the case in comparison to what the media was broadcasting was shocking. The media completely created a story to propel their own political agenda and made it fit what they wanted to say. This is not at all to say that the message regarding race relations wasn't important, but it is interesting how they would squash facts which came up on the opposing side and emphasize and exaggerate other aspects so that they're telling the story that they want to tell. It's especially fascinating when you consider the story of Travyon to that of Jordan Davis, another black teenager who was shot by a white man in Florida, which was CLEARLY a race issue. Unlike the case of Trayvon, Davis's case was cut-and-dry, yet the latter case didn't get nearly as much media attention despite the fact that it could've actually spoken more loudly and to a more severe degree about race relations.

[[User:Castille|Castille]] 12:07, 10 March 2014 (EDT)

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I thought the article on the KONY 2012 campaign and the concept of slack-tivism very interesting, especially since I remember very well watching the movement unfold and ultimately deflate. I do think that the internet can be effective in stirring debate and real change, but how we harness that power is ultimately unable to be controlled and can be easily manipulated, as we saw with the whole Kony movement. The organization was followed by scrutiny and met with a lot of accusations and controversy. However, the campaign did teach a valuable lesson: online movements can have real impacts and stir public conversation. The response from the video definitely brought Uganda to media attention as people investigated the message and the country.

There are some positive examples of collective action online, such as sites like Kickstarter that depend on action by strangers to support projects. It is a successful example, in a smaller and arguably more effective scale, on how the Internet is able to influence people’s lives and connect strangers. It would be interesting to see how sites like this can maintain it's audience and continue to inspire people to donate and participate.

[[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 19:51, 10 March 2014 (EDT)

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I found the article “The Power and Politics of Blogs” by Daniel Drezner and Henry Farrel really interesting. I always wonder why blogging has such a big impact and influence on people and the media when as a matter of fact, there are not many readers. “Blogging is many things, yet the typical blog is written by a teenage girl who uses it twice a month to update her friends and classmates on happenings in her life”, when now it has become an important media that could make a Senate Majority Leader resigns from the position.

[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 02:26, 11 March 2014 (EDT)

Copyright Part 2: Enforcement and Balances

2014-03-04T20:55:56Z

Jolietheone: /* Class Discussion */

{{ClassCalendar}}

'''March 4'''

Digital technologies spawned the proliferation of sharing of media and music, which has led to a number of controversial legal and technological strategies for control and copyright enforcement. “Controversial” may be putting it lightly; the ongoing fight between copyright owners and Internet evangelists is one of the most popularly debated fights surrounding Internet control.

This class focuses on how copyright is enforced online, with particular emphasis on the "notice-and-takedown" provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"), which allow Internet service providers to limit their liability for the copyright infringements of their users if the ISPs expeditiously remove material in response to complaints from copyright owners. The class will also look to the now-famous fight concerning SOPA and PIPA, and other attempts to more strictly regulate against online piracy.

Joining us will be [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/aholland Adam Holland], who works here at Berkman on the [https://www.chillingeffects.org/ Chilling Effects] project.

== Assignments ==

The second half of assignment 2 (commenting on prospectuses) is due ''before class'' today. Information on the assignment can be found [[Assignments#Assignment_2:_Prospectus|here]].

<onlyinclude>
== Readings/Watchings ==

; The DMCA Notice-And-Takedown Process

* Digital Media Law Project, [http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/copyright-claims-based-user-content Claims Based on User Content] and [http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/protecting-yourself-against-copyright-claims-based-user-content Protecting Yourself Against Copyright Claims Based on User Content]

* [https://www.eff.org/takedowns Electronic Frontier Foundation, Takedown Hall of Shame] (peruse)

* Chilling Effects, [http://www.chillingeffects.org/about About] and peruse the [http://www.chillingeffects.org/weather.cgi weather reports].

* [http://paidcontent.org/2013/02/24/how-google-did-the-right-thing-with-the-nascar-crash-video-and-why-it-matters/ Matthew Ingram, Paid Content, How Google did the right thing with the NASCAR crash video, and why it matters]

; Case Study - SOPA/PIPA

* [http://futureoftheinternet.org/reading-sopa Jonathan Zittrain, Kendra Albert, and Alicia Solow-Niederman, A Close Look at SOPA]

* [http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2012/01/15/mit-media-lab-opposes-sopa-pipa/ Ethan Zuckerman and Joi Ito, MIT Media Lab Opposes SOPA, PIPA]

; The big picture

* [http://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-traffic-drops-in-america-grows-in-europe-131111/ Ernesto Van Der Sar, BitTorrent Traffic Drops in America, Grows in Europe]

* [https://www.techdirt.com/blog/casestudies/articles/20120405/11221818390/perspective-complexities-copyright-creativity-victim-infringement.shtml Erin McKeown, A Perspective On the Complexities of Copyright and Creativity from a Victim of Infringement]

== Optional Readings ==

; Case Study - ISP "Six Strikes

* [http://www.onthemedia.org/2013/feb/01/copyright-alert-system-and-six-strikes/ Brooke Gladstone, Interview with Jill Lesser of Center for Copyright Information (''On The Media'')]

* [http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2013/02/25/the-6-likely-impact-of-six-strikes/ Jonathan Bailey, Plagiarism Today, The 6 Likely Impact of Six Strikes]

; Case Study - Operation In Our Sites

* [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1835604 Andy Sellars, Seized Sites: The In Rem Forfeiture of Copyright-Infringing Domain Names]

* [http://wendy.seltzer.org/blog/archives/2011/02/02/super-bust-due-process-and-domain-name-seizure.html Wendy Seltzer, Super Bust: Due Process and Domain Name Seizure]

</onlyinclude>

== Videos Watched in Class ==

== Links ==

== Class Discussion ==
<div style="background-color:#CCCCCC;">Please remember to sign your postings by adding four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) to the end of your contribution. This will automatically add your username and the date/time of your post, like so: [[User:Andy|Andy]] 15:12, 7 November 2013 (EST)</div>

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With so much copyrighted material out in cyberspace it is helpful to have provisions like the DMCA takedown and notice provisions to help combat copyright infringement. I think it is a reasonable approach to helping prevent abuses of copyright. On the other hand, instances like the Akon takedown do appear to fall into abuse of the DMCA. Nevertheless, I would argue that the DMCA actually worked in that instance because the material was taken down, but appealed and re-posted. However, if the political satirist in the Akon incident did not have legal counsel, the takedown probably would have remained. So there, I think is a flaw in the system, in that, companies with large pockets, and legal teams may be able to enforce their own form of censorship. With the proliferation of user generated content like blogs, with bloggers commentating and re-mixing copyrighted content, what constitutes infringement is more difficult to see. The good thing is that for the most part DMCA does not impose any prior restraint on expression. Posters are allowed to post without restraint, and for the most part they are not liable as long as the material in question is taken down quickly (as least I think that last part is true?).
The class readings about chilling effects dig deeper into the problems that cease and desist letters, and DMCA takedowns have for expression on the Internet. The Chilling Effects website talks about the harm that these C&D letters can have on expression. Internet bloggers, satirists, and others may takedown their content on their own, causing a sort of self censorship for fear of prosecution from powerful adversaries.
SOPA, and PIPPA also would have caused a chilling effect, and probably out and out prior restraint on many users expression on the Internet. I think that a robust activist element from groups like the Berkman Center(shameless plug lol), the EFF, and Chilling Effects, help Internet users to know when new laws are being introduced to curb expression, and even help represent users who have had their material wrongfully censored or removed from the Internet. Yet, it concerns me a little bit that without such advocacy groups the little guys on the Internet would be at an even bigger disadvantage to the bigger fish on the internet.
One question I have was about the Bit torrent article, I didn't understand the importance of Bit torrents decline in use in the US. Was it that the decline might signify that users are avoiding bit torrent for some reason? Also, I saw that bit torrent and youtube, and netflix use disproportionate amounts of space on the system. Is this sustainable? Is it fair that a few applications and companies use up so much of the space? Does that cause harm, or take from other uses that the space could be used for? I'm not really sure how that "space" works. Is it unlimited?[[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 08:13, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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I can't wait to hear the information in this lecture pertaining to copyrighted material. I am often amazed at the sheer magnitude of the task of enforcing rights to certain types of media, particularly with the precipitous expansion of the internet. Recently a friend of mine directed me to the website letmewatchthis.ch, where you can stream movies that are currently in theaters. Many of the movies seem to be marked "for awards consideration only" which would indicate that professionals in the industry are leaking this media to the internet. As more and more people around the world gain access to the internet (I read somewhere that 8 new people a second gain access to the internet), how will copyright enforcement agencies be able to keep up? Also, it seems to me that it will require the commitment of those responsible for the content (such as those professionals in the film industry leaking content) and that buy-in does not seem to be widely taking place. [[User:Drogowski|Drogowski]] 14:35, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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Yet again, related to an earlier class, but another interesting write-up was just published on The Verge: [http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/25/5431382/the-internet-is-fucked The Internet Is Fucked (but we can fix it)] --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 19:05, 26 February 2014 (EST)

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Could you try to fix it by the end of the semester and outline the rectification in your final research project please? I'm certain we would all appreciate your efforts (smile).
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 13:57, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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Ditto, not related to Copyright, but the theme of the class in general, politics & control of the Internet. The Quebec government started [http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/02/26/quebecs_language_watchdog_targets_stores_use_of_english_on_facebook.html fining businesses] for not writing in French on their Facebook pages. I've never understood why Canada has such a stereotype of being 'nice'. [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 23:37, 26 February 2014 (EST)

:Erin, thanks for sharing this. Seems like a really interesting example of the ways in which the Internet and digital technologies are a new place for old and ongoing debates to play out. With so much of our lives now taking place online, it makes sense that concerns about language, heritage, and culture have to be grappled with anew. I wonder if some of the push-back from business owners-- like the one in this article who says "Facebook has nothing to do with Quebec"-- stems from the idea that the Internet is a malleable and border-less place and confusion over what laws govern speech on a global forum run by a US-based company. And yes, I have heard some Quebecois friends get a little less than "nice" when it comes to discussing their francophone heritage... [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 15:16, 2 March 2014 (EST)

::Wow! That's crazy. Do you know what justification they have (or are using) to fine the businesses? Is it a case like the ADA, which prohibits discrimination against disabilities by such measures as requiring all public establishments to follow building codes to ensure disabled individuals are accommodated? By this I mean, is Quebec doing this so that French-speaking people are not excluded?[[User:Castille|Castille]] 15:51, 3 March 2014 (EST)

Hi [[User:Castille|Castille]] I have a hard time discussing this without letting it get personal, because I've faced off with Language Police, was beaten up as a kid in Quebec for being Anglophone (I was born in USA), and grew up following Quebec's laws which are at odds with the UN's Charter of Human rights (once again, WHY do Americans steriotype Canada as 'nice'??!!). So now, hearing that the Language Police are trying to control Facebook, which is an ''American'' company, I just get so mad.
Side-note: My own mother just received a letter from another Quebec Gov't agency, stating that she must delete any comments from users/customers on her company's Facebook page. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_of_the_French_Language Here is a link] to the laws in question, in case anyone is interested [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 12:32, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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Thanks for the link Erin! I am surprised Wikipedia hasn’t received a notice to re-write the Charter of the French language under Loi 101…in French (smile). Quebec had no official language prior to 1974, and it makes a person ponder what Camille Laurin’s intent was to propose such a ridiculous idea. If the government is so fond of the language, why not impose regulation on the import/export business? All commodities created by any business residing in Quebec could be written in French. A great majority of the world would have no idea if they had purchased crude oil or a tank of CoolAid ,and we could all guess what type of prescriptions we are purchasing from them on line. If they tightened the controls a little more, and enforced all imports to be written in French, we could slowly watch Quebec become non-existent. We could read about Quebec in our history books just like the Mayan. Brilliant idea!
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 13:50, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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The highly controversial Section 512 of the DMCA, 17 U.S.C. § 512 provides a “safety zone”, where online service providers could operate shielded from liability charges on account of copyright infringement. Service providers function by allowing people to modify, post, and search content on their servers. By hosting foreign content that is not generated by the OSP or ISP, they were placing themselves into position of being held liable on infringement charges. This changed in 1998, because as long as roughly three essential steps were taken, an OSP could take advantage of the “safe-harbor” clause. One of those steps is the “expeditious” removal of infringing content. On the other side, the alleged offender can send a counter-notice disputing the copyright holders claim. This might seem in favor of the public domain with an anti-copyright agenda, but it does not diminish the copyright holders privileges in any way. This provision also allows the first step of prosecution in the form of takedown notices. While these measures are beneficial for the public good and provide a degree of protection, they seem utterly inefficient in situations like Erin McKeown experienced. In an attempt to control infringers and pirates, the ICE has engaged in domain seizures, which resulted in tens of thousands of innocent websites being shut down. [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 22:26, 1 March 2014 (EST)

The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Takedown Hall of Shame has excellent examples of cease and desist letter offenders, even citing unusual claims such as one over the copyright privileges of a monkey’s photos! That is where major companies should take and follow Google’s example of standing up for users rights. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA), MIT points out that to stop pirating has many dangerous side effects including but not limited to being unconstitutional in violating certain aspects of free speech. [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 00:06, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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I was unable to find out anything about how many actions have been taken under the Copyright Alert System. Are there any known statistics on how many of these notices have been sent out or how many consumers have been affected? (whether centrally managed, or done by a third-party watchdog like EFF?)
[[User:Jradoff|Jradoff]] 13:48, 3 March 2014 (EST)

: [http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/199124-six-strikes-thwarting-piracy-leader-says The Hill] reported that an annual report should be expected soon on Six Strikes. (It just passed its first anniversary since implementation.) We're still waiting to see if that will have a level of analysis like this. [[User:Andy|Andy]] 10:26, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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I'm in a creative industry where intellectual property is important (software / online games). Yet I think that criminalization of intellectual property violations is ridiculous.

I called all my U.S. senators and representatives back when SOPA/PIPA was in the legislative process--I found it highly offensive. It seems absurd to me that someone would be placed in jail for copyright infringement, or that we are making agencies of the U.S. government an arm of private industry by using them to enforce this (not to mention giving government broad control over shutting down content that some moneyed interest finds objectionable).

The argument used by the industry is that copyright violation is equivalent to theft. I agree that many cases of copyvio are totally wrong, but I don't see why it can't be handled entirely through civil systems. The fact is that intellectual property violations *are* different from stealing a physical good, simply because in the former case we're dealing with a nonrival good (i.e., if you steal my car then I can't use it anymore; if you copy my software package, I've lost some potential revenue from you but you haven't deprived my ability to sell it to others). Furthermore, intellectual property violations are way more complex--these are cases that just aren't as clear-cut as showing that a theft actually occurred when you are caught with my stolen car.

I listened to the songs mentioned in the "Touch the Sun" / "Slung-lo" controversy referred to in the reading materials. I empathize with the creator of Slung-lo if they really feel their creation was improperly exploited, but I simply don't see the basis for their claim. But upon my listening I found both songs to be different, and the lyrics were (as far as I could tell) totally different. Billions of songs get made--lots will be similar. I shudder to think that a large and well-funded copyright holder could use claims like this to abuse others with the threat of criminal enforcement.
[[User:Jradoff|Jradoff]] 13:58, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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It seems that SOPA, PIPA, and the DCMA all seem to be working towards the same goal, that of eradicating copyright infringement/piracy. Why is the DCMA not sufficient? Internet piracy is a huge issue for the motion picture and music industries (and I'm sure for plenty of other industries) as it is stealing. I agree with Jradoff that it's not ''quite'' as bad as actual theft of property and therefore might not warrant a jail sentence, but it is essentially the same thing. What is the difference between going into a Best Buy and stealing a DVD or CD and stealing it from home? It seems the primary difference is simply the ease of convenience for the thief. I think we have only been desensitized to this kind of theft because it is so prevalent in society. Anyways, if we agree that internet piracy is "wrong", what can be done to curtail it further than the rules currently in place (i.e. the DCMA)? Have SOPA and/or PIPA been revised? In this article that I found on Forbes [http://www.forbes.com/sites/derekbroes/2012/01/20/why-should-you-fear-sopa-and-pipa/], author Derek Broes claims to have testified before Congress to propose "many solutions, none of which violate our First Amendment Right to Free Speech", but he does not elaborate on any specific alternatives or amendments to SOPA/PIPA. What effective alternatives are there, which would go above and beyond what is already in place, but wouldn't be as "harmful" as SOPA/PIPA? Is there still talk of a new iteration of the legislature? I would imagine that with the onslaught of backlash from the initial bills, they would have to call them something different to mitigate any potential hate...[[User:Castille|Castille]] 15:51, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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The former government in Australia tried for many years to implement a voluntary scheme to crack down on piracy through a series of discussions with ISPs, instead of having the government legislating enforcement of copyright. The meetings stopped happening, as the representatives from iiNet (large Australian ISP), would often get up and walk out of the meetings.

About 18 months ago, Australian Attorney-General George Brandis made a case against iiNet which attempted to hold them liable for their users on BitTorrent for piracy purposes, which was taken to the High Court. The entertainment industry was attempting to hold the ISP's liable because it is obviously not economically viable, (even if it is in fact possible) to prosecute each piracy user individually. iiNet was successful in their defense to which the High Court unanimously ruled the ISP is not liable for the acts of their users.

iiNet’s routine business of providing access to the internet will not, by itself, mean that they authorise their customers' acts of copyright infringement. At the same time, iiNet is not obliged to contact customers or terminate their accounts in response to notices from copyright owners. Although users are liable for copyright infringement, it is hardly enforced at all in Australia. Australia is needing legislative reform in regard to copyright laws, as their attempts to enforce it have been futile. [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 20:41, 3 March 2014 (EST)

I should also note that this is very low on the government's agenda. Most of the pirated entertainment comes from the USA. There’s no motive or benefit for the Australian Government to fight against illegal downloading on behalf of the American entertainment industry. In addition, most websites used by Australians to pirate, like BitTorrent and Pirates Bay, are American-based websites, which adds another disincentive for them. Unfortunately, a lot of piracy goes on here all too easily without intervention or blocking; almost makes me wonder if (per capita), more piracy happens here. Unless it becomes a political issue or the Australian government loses money over it, they’ll remain reluctant to spend the time or energy to fix it. [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 00:03, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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Exciting-- I was just searching Google for an episode of Girls that I accidentally deleted from my DVR and found the following notification at the bottom of the search page:
In response to a complaint we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed 1 result(s) from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaint that caused the removal(s) at ChillingEffects.org. [[User:Castille|Castille]] 00:22, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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It was interesting to read more on DMCA. I've never been too familiar with the specifics of the law but have faced it's effects constantly on YouTube as so many videos are removed over copyright claims. Reading more on it, I found this article very interesting: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/10/ten-years-later/ It portrays DMCA in a positive light, going as far as saying it "saved the web." I don't completely agree with the article, but I do think that content creators should have some safety net to ensure that their content cannot be used without proper credit or consent. And so, some safety net needs to be present but a filter that is too large is very concerning. The list of Takedown Hall of Shame is an alerting example of filtering gone wrong for the wrong reasons. It would interesting to see the solutions we come up with in the future. Will greater efforts of copyright regulation always be followed by an internet protest as large as the SOPA/PIPA one?

[[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 20:45, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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Piracy is a major issue in Australia. The copyright laws are more loose than compared with other countries such as the US and it is relatively easy to download content illegally. Before watching a movie, an advertisement airs with the line “You wouldn’t steal a car, you wouldn’t steal a handbag, you wouldn’t steal a movie. Downloading pirated films is stealing. Piracy - it’s a crime!”. I understand this commercial has a moral angle in hopes to minimise illegal downloading. However, If someone steals a car, handbag or wallet, a physical object that belongs to someone else has been removed without permission or payment. That would be theft. In one sense, if you download something illegally, it is a digital copy that changes hands. (‘Copy’ being the operative word). With piracy, nobody is physically deprived of anything, which is why I think most Australians don’t have a moral conflict when downloading illegally, which makes the advertisement’s suggestion that you are ‘stealing’ seem ludicrous.

Of course, this pirate ‘thief’ can make the work available to anyone for profit. However, not all online piracy is done for profit. Those profiting from piracy are the people selling copied films and CDs out of the back of their car, and people selling software ‘compilation’ disks.

Which brings me to the point, while the original creator might not be deprived of something, they ARE missing potential earnings. This is the difficult problem to solve. The past 10-odd years, we have seen a large value transfer from studios and publishers to those who will illegally download. However, I question whether or not the aspect of lost income from the entertainment industry is accurate. How is this measured? Are these estimated numbers exaggerated, or is this an honest reflection of loss for the entertainment industry?

One of the main objectives of the Copyright Alert System is to return the earnings to the entertainment industry and original owners of content. But in the end, will this system end up throttling the internet and the principles associated, i.e. free speech, that we believe the internet should stand for?
[[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 00:24, 4 March 2014 (EST)

:Marissa --

:What a wonderful post! I think you excellently encapsulate the problem both in terms of in terms of monetary quandaries when dealing with the entertainment industry online (assessing profit lost) and the moral dilemma both the user and publisher must confront. With iTunes charging $1.29 per song and most people having at least a few hundred songs on their iPod, the temptation is high to illegally download - especially amongst college student communities. iTunes has increased their prices probably to offset the lost profit from illegally downloading.

:Prominent musicians have also responded in conflicted ways with some actually embracing the idea. Artist Shakira is a known supporter of illegally downloading and has stated so in several interviews. Likewise, Beatles legend, John Lennon once said, “Music is everybody’s possession. It’s only the publishers who think that people own it" (Vignos 2012). On the other hand, Stevie Wonder fears that illegally downloading will lead to music being treated like "garbage" in the streets. The music industry has drastically changed with big business taking over as evidenced from the history of "Motown" music and the rise and fall of the father of Motown records, Berry Gordy.

:As Marissa, notes the term "stealing" is perhaps not the appropriate verb for the act because you are not physically depriving someone of something; however, it is the actual profit lost that is at stake. The problem is how this would-be profit would be calculated. How many people would have actually bought the song instead of downloading? I would guess the number would be much lower that those who went ahead and downloaded. Clearly, illegally downloading and copying music is immoral but how can we prevent this widespread practice most effectively? As it stands, very seldom are people prosecuted. Perhaps this is because the crime is not taken as seriously as other types of theft or is not as despised or looked down upon in our society. On the other hand, it might be just too difficult to catch all of the downloaders and trace their activity to a point where it would hold up in court with reasonable cause.

:http://www.michigandaily.com/opinion/viewpoint-illegal-downloads-music-industry

--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 10:50, 4 March 2014 (EST)

::You guys are hitting on some great points! The question of whether to call infringement "theft" or "stealing" is about as controversial as they come. On the one hand, and to borrow from [http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/a1_8_8s12.html Jefferson], sharing an idea/expression/discovery is by its inherent nature nonrivalrous - I can share with you an idea without diminishing my possession of the same idea. On the other hand, if I give you something in lieu of you buying it yourself, I may not be diminishing my own possession, but I may be interfering with the author's income, and thus risking their incentive to create in the first place. But on the other, other, hand, the studies that have looked at piracy's effect on sales are wildly divergent as to whether a download can be translated to a lost sale - some, including [http://www.unc.edu/~cigar/papers/FileSharing_March2004.pdf Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Koleman Strumpf] have found that there is actually no correlation between downloads and lost sales. That sounds totally insane at first, but when you consider the possibility that a large margin of people download music they would never buy (if required to obtain the music in that way), it is much more plausible. (The study still has many other critics, of course.) [[User:Andy|Andy]] 11:01, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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The recent Federal Appeals Court ruling ordering Google to remove the inflammatory film "The Innocence of Muslims" from YouTube.com, appears to stretch the copyright interpretation. The ruling certainly sets a precedent for both basic copyright law, eectronic distribution and the First Amendment. Not being a lawyer, Kozinski's ruling appears troubling. In reading the copyright interpretation, I get the impression we've exceed copyright law and entered in to some troubling precedents. Any thought?[[User:VACYBER|VACYBER]] 10:12, 4 March 2014 (EST)

:We'll be talking about the Garcia v. Google case for a while in the second half of class today. Stay tuned! [[User:Andy|Andy]] 10:26, 4 March 2014 (EST)

Thanks for sharing this, Vacyber. I find this to be a dangerous, unconstitutional precedent and appalling ruling! If anyone has seen the video, it did not incite violence of any kind. Simply because someone interpreted a video to be insulting does not warrant its removal. If everything posted online that someone (or some group) deemed offense were to be removed, the court would never have a day off and the internet as we know it may cease to exist (at least in terms of its vast information-sharing capabilities). By catering to one group and limiting freedom of speech, we are not doing anyone any favors and are only foolishly destructing our own liberties. It will be interesting to see how future cases will be handled and I look forward to the class discussion!
--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 11:01, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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Erin McKeown's article rises a very important point that is common too most of the legal system, not just copyright: Most laws claim that they intent to protect those most in need, but in fact favour the big and powerful, usually rich as opposed to poor, and groups and corporations as opposed to individuals. Now, I'm not one of the people who believe poor individuals intrinsically deserve more that rich corporations, but I do believe they deserve to have equal protection in our legal system, and not just on paper. The problem is, the way copyright law, and many other laws work, it is usually not viable for individuals to sue infringers because it takes too much time, money, knowledge (for starters, the knowledge that you ''can'' sue at all) and other resources. Especially given that most individuals do not have the knowledge or a legal team behind them who could provide them with the knowledge related to copyright law, they are much less likely to benefit from it as they cannot easily estimate whether any action will be worth the investment. This is a major problem that needs to be resolved, lest the copyright law benefits more those who infringe, than their victims. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 11:50, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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This just in... The Russian court in Khabarovsk forced Rostelekom to block internet access to Wikipedia (!!), Yandex (largest Russian website) and Kinopoisk (Russian IMDB). The pretext is that the three websites contain anti-semitic content, in case of Wikipedia a link to Mein Kampf in the article on Hitler. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 13:18, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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Having read all articles, I came to conclusion that "takedown notices" are quite enough for prevention of copyrights infringement. It sould also be applied to defamation, trademark and other intellectual property rights as the system proves to be very effective. POPA and PIPA cannot be accepted as: 1) they are unlikely to be implemented due to absence of mechanism of searching the sites that infringe copyrights (there are hundrends/thousands of them); if this legislation is adopted and not implemented in future, the power of legislation can be undermoned 2) the website may contain legal and "illegal" materials, so it will be unfair to block the particular webiste on this ground. Aysel Ibayeva([[User:Aysel|Aysel]] 14:28, 4 March 2014 (EST))

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The problematics of copyright infringements is widespread on the web. From musicians to journalists and other content creators, it is becoming harder and harder to track it all particularly due to the amount of content being uploaded every second. However, I think that a mere "take-down" notice should suffice to prevent such act. I like to use the example of YouTube's Contend ID technology for it is an effective and quick way to help resolve copyright infringement claims from content creators. For YouTube, they could resolve copyright infringement claims in three different ways. The content owner could choose to block, remove, or better yet monetize their claim. Therefore, the payoff for the claimer is highest in any case. Unfortunately, all governments, regulators, and ISPs do not have YouTube's technology or resources to handle copyright infringements claims at the same level. As a result, I think that a "take-down" notice should be enough. [[User:cheikhmbacke|cheikhmbacke]] 15:32, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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First of all , during my reading of the class discussion, I recalled Spotify that offers streaming service created by Daniel Ek and sponsored by Sean Parker, with the purpose of reducing piracy in a European country such as Sweden. At the time, Sweden was the home of Pirate Bay where the Swedish thought was a right to listen free lyrics. Is It a solution against piracy sponsored by the creator of Napster? Nowadays, where transformations occur online, where social interactions are hype, where the share of information is a global necessity. Therefore, the market for music develops with greater efficiency. Many companies are creating ways to combat piracy and developing the market with a higher quality service in order to change the behaviors of the users. However, the rules of copyright are not adapted for the challenges of the new concept of the new virtual market. Gisellebatista

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I cannot wait to start this lecture. Copyright has always been an issue not only on the internet but also on paper. Internet is just making it easier for people to violate the rules and for people to discover and report to the host.
However, I also found it difficult to determine if something is in fact copied from another person as copying is not always about word to word copy and paste.
On the other hand, I believe most companies would just take down the material when they receive a takedown notice without further investigation. As it is easier and they are for profit companies after all.

[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 15:55, 4 March 2014 (EST)

Assignment 2 Submissions

2014-03-04T20:37:11Z

Jolietheone: /* Comments */

{{AssignmentCal}}

===Submission Instructions===

''Please note that we have updated the [[Final_Project#Frequently_Asked_Questions|final project page's FAQ section]] based on some student questions that have come to us over the past week.''

This assignment is due on February 25. Grading for this assignment is on a 5-point scale; late assignments will be docked 1 point for each day they are late (assignments submitted 4 days late or later will have a maximum grade of 1 point).

Please name your file "wikiusername_Assignment2," where "wikiusername" is replaced with your username, to avoid overwriting someone else's assignment or causing errors in the Wiki by including forbidden characters.'' So if your username is "jdoe" and your file is a Word document your file should be named "jdoe_Assignment2.doc."

Upload your rough draft here: [[Special:Upload|Upload file]]. If you have trouble finding the file you uploaded, check the [[Special:ImageList|list of uploaded files]].

In the submissions section below please post the following information:

*Name or pseudonym:
*Prospectus title:
*Link to prospectus: (add your link here)

==Comments==

Everyone will receive an additional participation grade for this assignment. You should read through everyone's proposals after they are uploaded and add constructive comments below the proposal on which you're commenting. Comments should be submitted by March 5 so you have time to incorporate them, if applicable, into your project outline. '''Please remember to sign your comments by adding four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) to the end of your contribution. This will automatically add your username and the date/time of your post.''' If we don't know who you are we can't give you credit for finishing this assignment!

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*Name: Jolie Ho - Wan Lap Ho
*Instagram vs Flickr
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Jolie_Assignment_2.docx
[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 16:15, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: How do you propose to collect data to answer the last question? [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:22, 27 February 2014 (EST)

Hey Jolie! You picked a really fascinating topic to cover! Just a few thoughts I hope will help. How do you plan on pinpointing how all the users behave differently, just because there are so many registered accounts you might be able to find people who behave nearly the same or certain individuals who have accounts on both Instagram and Flickr. Just as a mere suggestion maybe you can find a niche that is unique to each site and compare them? Maybe Instagram has thousands of pictures of food and seflis while Flickr has more professional content? I hope this will help you! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:15, 1 March 2014 (EST)

::I really like your topic to dive into why Instagram has been so successful compared to Flicker. It may be interesting to compare the age groups of each users. Instagram seems more accessible because it is a phone app that is simple and immediate to use, whereas Flicker users upload a batch of vacation photos, etc. I like Emmanuel's suggestion to compare the content between users. Another suggestion which relates to the selfies/food photos may be to compare the users themselves. I think older people tend to use Flickr and therefore may not post as much. However, younger people (who no long user facebook) posting to instagram all the time would provide a way for facebook to get back that market. ([[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 14:31, 2 March 2014 (EST))

::Hi Jolie: This is a very interesting topic, with many possible areas focus on! (Also, a nice mix between the tech and creative worlds.) You mentioned that Instagram and Flickr diverge where mobile apps are concerned. This looked particularly interesting, especially following the Flickr app's overhaul. Anecdotally, via Twitter, it looked as though the Flickr update was a major talking point in both the Instagram and Flickr user groups. My thought was that it may be interesting to look at whether this major app update had any bearing on either of the two communities, as it may have impacted some of your research questions. Best! [[User:Twood|Twood]] 09:33, 4 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Jolie, good choice of topic. Flickr and Instagram are great examples of user generated content applications where control practices play a integral part. I like your idea to compare and contrast the sites. Also, I think it's insightful how you noted that Flickr has been around longer but is not as successful, and your desire to find out why, Instagram is more successful. That question I think, leads you into a analysis of the successful tactics of each site. However, instead of viewing their success in light of stock prices as is usually done, in keeping with our class theme it seems that you will ask how do the sites control practices help with their success or failure. Perhaps as you look for those answers, you may find some trends that other companies may want to emulate or avoid to make their sites/apps successful. Your research could lead to consulting work for you! All the best on your project.[[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 12:43, 4 March 2014 (EST)

:: Hello Jolie, very interesting topic choice, both Flickr and Instagram represent emerging content applications that are quite popular. My one concern with your topic would be your question pertaining to the behavior of users on the site. Both Flickr and Instagram are massive sites and would be very difficult to mine for information without some type of selection bias. Have you considered sourcing a third-party site that tracks information on these two applications? Possibly a forum about rules for these two sites? I just think it would be a very daunting task to use Flickr and Instagram as your sources. I can't wait to see the final result, good luck. [[User:Drogowski|Drogowski]] 14:05, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Drogowski - Daniel Rogowski
*Regulating Digital Currencies: The Bitcoin Conundrum
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Regulating_Digital_Currencies-_The_Bitcoin_Conundrum_Daniel_Rogowski.docx
[[User:Drogowski|Drogowski]] 14:58, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: How would this differ from other imaginary items of trade like currency/commodity derivatives and futures and virtual commodities like pork bellies? [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:17, 27 February 2014 (EST)

Dear Daniel,
What an interesting topic! I was not even aware that state governments recognized these currencies. Would you be able to come up with more material if you focus on one or two countries and their reaction to the online currency? Also Ichua gave great advice; maybe one country’s reaction and policies to multiple online currencies would help in the scope of observation. Your idea of creating a website to report and share your findings is really novel! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:26, 1 March 2014 (EST)

:: Very interesting topic Daniel. Ive been following the progress of Bitcoin as a personal interest. Apart from the regulatory challenges Bitcoin poses for Governments, its also vulnerable to cyber attacks which can erode trust in using the currency. Whilst the actual Bitcoin itself is heavily encrypted, the Bitcoin exchanges are vulnerable to hacking and cyber theft as evidenced recently by the successful attacks on Mt Gox, one of the world's largest Bitcoin exchanges. It would be interesting to observe the effect (if any) this would have on the regulatory view of the currency by Governments. [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:47, 2 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Daniel, you've picked an interesting, and narrowly defined topic, and you have concrete steps for your methodology of answering the questions that you've come up with. I think you have a very good framework with which to start your project, all that's left is to fill in the blanks to the outline you've created for yourself. Good work up front. Also, presenting your project in website form is quite appropriate I think for your topic, it underscores your point in a way.[[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 12:55, 4 March 2014 (EST)

::Great topic!! Have you considered discussing the ways in which bit coins are used for illegal purposes?(ex: The Silk Road- Where people can use bit coin to anonymously purchase illegal goods such as narcotics and firearms)
[[User:Benh|Benh]] 13:31, 4 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Daniel: This really is a fantastic topic! Your research questions are very focused, which is great given the many ways you could run with the subject. I'm not certain if this will help, but: Here in Canada, there has been quite a lot of coverage regarding Bitcoin ATMs popping up. Here's one such article: http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg-s-first-bitcoin-atm-now-accepting-cash-1.1688529. And another: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bitcoin-machine-comes-to-montreal-1.2525050. However, who knows how long these machines will remain in operation given the buzz now surrounding Canadian banking self-regulations: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/02/19/bitcoin-bank-of-montreal_n_4817319.html. Looking forward to reading more. [[User:Twood|Twood]] 14:37, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Pseudonym: Marissa1989
*Prospectus title: The rise of the collaborative consumption movement: Analyzing effective control of communication, structures of gaining trust & verification, and legal issues.
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment_2_Barkey-2.pdf
[[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 23:37, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:Hi, Marissa! I used AirBnB to rent out my apartment last summer and it actually resulted in me being robbed by the person to the tune of $10,000-- not including the rent for the summer, which he didn't pay (I didn't get any of it back, either, despite the insurance). It was a nasty situation. Anyways, from what I understand, the majority of communication on AirBnB is done privately. Without staging anything or intervening, how do you plan to observe enough to answer your question(s)? I think this is basically the same concern with one of the other treatments I read, regarding Facebook. I do think the security of platforms like AirBnB is of great concern and would be a very interesting subject to study in depth![[User:Castille|Castille]] 21:16, 28 February 2014 (EST)

Dear Marissa,
I loved the idea for your prospectus! Just as a suggestion, would you consider comparing a few corresponding sites like 9flats, Couchsurfing International, or Hospitality Club? You could analyze how they handle different verifiability and security issues while also comparing how the sites are constructed to better “vet” their users. This may yield insight on how trustworthy their users are to each other. You might even want to inquire if one has had “major” legal issues in the past. I hope this helps! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:32, 1 March 2014 (EST)

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Greetings Marissa!

Your topic is very interesting and it appears we have a few of the same elements in the companies we have selected to research: Verification and trust. From what I understand, you are addressing issues of users on auction/garage sale platforms surrounding the tiers of user verifiability. In other words, who is protecting one user from being taken advantage of by another user.

The comment you posted on the wiki under my topic in regards to the effectiveness of how the sites that I have selected deal with inaccurate comments made about companies by the general public are dealt with is of great importance-the public can ruin a business for no other reason than spite. In other words, who protects the companies from users.

The proposal you submitted intrigues me in many ways. By studying the community of airbnb.com, it appears you will be analyzing the controls implemented to make the site successful (verification, quality feedback, security, payment, userability and collaboration).

In summary, it appears we are both working on protection issues, and if the verification process is significant enough to gain consumer trust.

Would you mind if I ask how you plan to analyze the user? I would be interested in your methodology, and we may even find each other’s approach helpful to each other. We may even be able to compare and contrast the communities with a similar approach and work together if you would be interested.
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 15:18, 3 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Marissa, great topic! You are hitting on many of the themes of the class with your proposal. One thing I thought about when reading your prospectus was how this collaborative way of business could be a model for types of activities. This community type platform that you are studying could be used in other settings that could help communities to work more closely together by sharing resources, and collaborating when they need to buy and sell things. Perhaps, your research will highlight the ways that these communities are successful and not successful. And furthermore, your research could highlight the processes that other businesses and governments could take to emulate the best of these sites(indirectly by from the behavior and processes you observe). I know that this is not necessarily what your research will be focused on but perhaps a social scientist or entrepreneur reading your final project with find tools within your analysis to help them to build something we might not have seen before. All the best on in your work![[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 13:19, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 18:36, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*Change.org vrs Ripp Off Report
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Harvard_Research_Paper-Final.docx

Dear Melissa,
What a great topic and area of coverage!!! I’m hoping my comments and questions will be of help to you! Which site succumbs more readily to outside pressure and take down requests? Also you mentioned that a susceptible compliant to both is that they are accused of not “vetting” their sources. You could possible test to see which one (if either of them do) checks them more thoroughly. This might be, and I know nothing about it, accomplished by putting posts of your own and noting if they require any amount of proof, citation, source, or quote of any kind. I really hope this helps you! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:35, 1 March 2014 (EST)

Thank you so much Emmanuel! Your ideas are superb and very helpful!
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 13:17, 3 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Melissa, these sites can be a boon for consumers in helping to identify unscrupulous businesses and thus avoiding them. The issue that I find with these sites, that's never been effectively dealt with, is how do they identify and remove potentially inaccurate comments attacking a business as a result of say, a personal vendetta by a disgruntled employee or a customer who was unreasonable. Many small and medium size businesses rely on word of mouth for new customers. If the site allows the comments to remain, it may affect the business. This in effect may lead to possible blackmail of businesses by threatening to post inaccurate information on these sites. I'm also very interested in the sample groups and postings that you choose. Great topic! [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:47, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Marissa, Excellent insight and the problems posed are valid. Your questions are helping to me and assist in narrowing the topic-which is clearly too broad at the moment.
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 13:17, 3 March 2014 (EST)

: Hi Melissa, Just a quick note, because I loved your prospectus so much (it's such a creative take on the assignment, but still seems to hit on all the prof's requirements, really amazing job). With your '''Q1''', ''Why would one site be more popular?''- I can;t help but wonder, does the fact that it has such a simple, perfect 1-word URL have any effect? Also, due to the time (2007) & place (USA) I automatically assumed this website was somehow related to Obama's election campaign- though from quick Google search there doesn't seem to be any direct link. Anyways, just wanted to say, I really like your prospectus. [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 21:49, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 14:32, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*Twitch Plays Pokémon – How Mediating Gameplay Changes the Game
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/MikeJohnson_Assignment2.docx

:Hey Mike, it would absolutely be my pleasure to provide feedback to you. I won't go too far before having the time to focus & read it completely- so my first feedback to you is: if you didn't pick such an interesting topic, I would have actually read the full prospectus. However after reading your first paragraph, I ended up watching TPP and reading its subreddit and forgot to finish reading your prospectus! hahaha. But this weekend I'll spend time focusing and try to provide you feedback, hopefully as good as the feedback you gave me (: [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 10:34, 28 February 2014 (EST)

::Hi Mike! After reading [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]]'s comments below, I'm kinda worried about posting my comments, cus I think I understood your questions from a different point of view.
::*First of all, my question- how do you approach your 2nd qualitative question? I'm not completely sure I understand what you mean by vulnerability.
::*Second, my advice, feel free to take it or leave it: to keep within scope of this project (2500 word paper seems so short!), I believe it may be easier to tackle Qualitative questions #1 & 3, and your second quantitative question (''Has it helped or hurt the game to impose such controls?''). I get the impression that these questions would be the ones that would be easiest to answer from following the community discussion on the subreddit. That being said, if we were writing 8000 word papers, it would be so much fun for you to really dive into the architecture & UX of the game itself, while paralleling it with the subreddit(!!!). Really awesome topic & prospectus.
::[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 22:16, 3 March 2014 (EST)

:After reading your prospectus, I have a few questions based on your questions, or maybe some questions that combine the ones you already have. It seems clear from what you write in your prospectus that the user experience is absolutely vulnerable to the controls imposed by the game, but I'm curious to know in what ways. Were users bumping up against controls they didn't like before there were changes, or was it only after the controls of the creator were made clear (he made himself known in an explicit way, rather than operating quietly in the background) that users began to find fault? (Another way of thinking about this might be- were a lot of users thinking about the controls imposed by the game before the creator's changes forced them to think about it?) If I understand the current set up correctly, it seems that users still have the option to have commands parsed as they go instead of waiting for them to be tallied and then implemented. So, were the controls only seen as problematic once users considered that there was one person making a decision that affected every user? Is the lack of democratic decision-making behind the scenes a bigger problem for users than the actual changes in user experience?

:As far as your quantitative question goes, I'm wondering if there's any way for you to know how many users stopped playing the game after the creator made changes? Do you have a means of seeing the changes over time? [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 14:16, 2 March 2014 (EST)

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*[[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 14:03, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*How does the online Flickr community operate within the Creative Commons feature? How do they share their work, and work together?
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Prospectus_for_final_paper_Michael_Thomas.docx

Dear Michael,
I find your prospective very interesting! I thought to give you these few suggestions. I hope they will help! You might want to see what percentage of Flickr users are a part of the Creative Commons community and whether it consists of a majority or a minority. Another area of research might be into the other forms of control that Flickr uses to protect copyrighted material, and then to compare them with Creative Commons to see if they are as effective, prevalent, or well known. Also, when there are infringements in copyright policy, do people respond to correction or do they just ignore and continue violating the rules? Lastly, how does the Creative Commons community handle repeat violators (if there are any)? Wish you the best! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:43, 1 March 2014 (EST)

You've mentioned architectural methods used to encourage correct attribution, but another architectural detail to consider is how and whether Flickr encourages users to publish their content under (cc) as opposed to (c) and if so, whether the users are in fact aware of the rights they retain and give away. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 12:28, 4 March 2014 (EST)

Hi Michael: I think this is an interesting and nicely focused way to examine Creative Commons — through one very robust example. And even if you don't end up using a comparison of communities in your final project, my thinking is that it may be worth doing a comparison, even for your own purposes. Perhaps a comparison with another leviathan of online Creative Commons, like a YouTube or Vimeo. Because, although their systems aren't perfect, the act of comparing and contrasting may offer some perspective. Just a thought. Hopefully it helps! [[User:Twood|Twood]] 15:02, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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[[User:Luciagamboaso|Luciagamboaso]] 10:42, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*Framework of control in government run collaborative platform
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment_2_LGS.docx‎

: Hi Lucia, are there specified rules of engagement so that government effort to filter or modify inappropriate inputs are minimized? [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 13:32, 25 February 2014 (EST)

Hi Lucia, This is looks to be very interesting - I was wondering if you can be more specific on what types of data the initiative is exploring. Are they looking for statistical data mainly, do you vote on what subjects you are going to put on the website or research? It looks like a great example of policy control via the government. I would to know more about the website and its overall goals - something that helps define its missions parameters, as I visited the website main page and got an idea of what they were saying - I am just needing some more clarity that's all. But again, the subject looks like a great idea and should be very interesting...[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 18:48, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Hey Lucía!
I think your choice of study fits perfectly with the theme of the course! Perhaps you can also investigate to see if they are stifling public opinion or whether they are flooding the docs with pro-government voices to influence the theme towards their agenda? Also as a suggestion, can you see if it is truly open to everyone? Maybe you would like to find another similar program that the government has tried in the past (assuming that they have tried). Do the number of participants fluxuate? Is there a trend in what the government sees as inappropriate? Or is it just random edits that are corrected by the government? I hope these comments can help you! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 00:13, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*Assignment 2:
*Gendered Online Communities: Targeted Harassment and Successful Interventions
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:akk22_assignment2.docx
*[[User:akk22|akk22]] 10:23, 25 February 2014 (EST)

::I'd really like to read and comment on your prospectus, but it seems like the file didn't upload. Happy to respond to it once it's up!
::[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 20:57, 26 February 2014 (EST)

:I second Jkelly's comment. This look very intriguing and I'd like to learn more about your plans for the project! [[User:Twood|Twood]] 23:14, 3 March 2014 (EST)

:Third. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 11:58, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Assignment 2:

*Can websites with online forums, control the behavior of its members for the sake of growth?

*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Dan_Coronado_assignmen_2b.docx

[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 09:47, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:Hello, Dan! Admittedly, I had never heard of “Anandtech.com” prior to reading your prospectus, but I’m glad that you told me about it. I really like their “Cable TVification” assessment of the internet in recent years. After reading your prospectus it seems to me that you are focusing on Lessig’s norms as regulators within the site’s forums, as well as “laws" instituted by the website. It is an interesting subject, because as you say, this particular forum is very successful in fostering an environment where users are likely to return. That said, I see that you qualify users of the site as “good,” and I’m curious to know how you will operationalize this term for your project. You mention words like “courteous” and “helpful,” but I’m wondering: what characteristics do you think you will look for when observing, in order to qualify a “good user.” For comparison, do you have an example of what behavior that “bad” users might entail? Lastly, I see that there are literally millions of post on the forum; you may wish to focus on a specific topic and/or date range in order to have a more manageable data set to observe. I’m interested to see what you’re project will entail, especially being that I am also observing forums for my project. [[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 23:00, 1 March 2014 (EST)

: Hi Vance, thanks for taking the time to look at my prospectus - Basically, what I meant to convey is that these are the characteristics of a "good" website, a website that demonstrates use and activity to by the administrators and its members/users. What I will be focusing in on is, how is the site's control policy administered and conveyed to its members, both historically and presently, through the links in my prospectus – and to answer your question about bad behavior in online forums, yes I will, as I think that is a critical component regarding context – And this also goes out too Marissa as well, what I really wanted to focus in on was how does bad behavior and is control policies in its forums, effect a webite economically - as I think ths would even go further towards Lessig's FOUR norms of regulation on where the dot lands - but for obvious reasons, that could end up being too big. However, I still might toss something like that in - My goal is to pick out a couple of instances of the control poliy being implemented and see what the results were based on specific incident/instance was there a ban and how long was it for - what was the reason, what was the community's response to that action and so forth... - Again, thanks for the input and suggestions.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 09:59, 3 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Dan, forums have proven very useful mediums for learning and troubleshooting. What would be interesting is how forums deal with covert advertising I.e. Forum posters who may be businesses, subtly advertising their own goods or services under the guise of responding to threads without paying for advertising rights. Would paid advertisers pose potential conflicts of interest to the neutrality of forums? I'd also be interested in seeing how you compare the Anandtech's forum controls against others. Would you choose similar types of forums with respect to content type? [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:47, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Marrisa, I tried to include your response with Vance's up top :O) [[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 09:59, 3 March 2014 (EST)

Hey Dan!
If you are mainly comparing Anandtech’s forum site policies, maybe you could also compare past versions of the rules? Also, you might want to see if Anandtech has any unique features in toxicity control that would make it standout from other less successful forums. Overall the concept is fantastic! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 00:16, 3 March 2014 (EST)

Hi Emmanuel, thanks for the feedback - ya, I am going to try and put some type of onus on Anandtech as well, and see if some of their reactions to their policies could be considered a little over zealous or a bit too far reaching. Most times, their admins/moderators are pretty decent, but again, like everyone else, there are times when a few of their admins/moderators could be having a bad day and maybe be a little too heavy handed - we'll see, stay tuned to find out. just a little humor :o) Thanks again for the input.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 09:59, 3 March 2014 (EST)

----

*Assignment Two:

*A Web of Lies and Licentious Lure: Temptation, Divorce, and the Internet

* http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Divorce_and_the_Internet_Harvard_Project.docx

--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 17:24, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:First of all, GREAT TITLE!!! Second of all, this seems like an extremely interesting subject and I'd love to read more about it. I do wonder whether you'll be able to get access to the material you might be looking for by doing "undercover investigation" and the other research methods you listed. It seems to me that the kind of exchanges you're discussing would be difficult to observe on Facebook as they likely wouldn't be out in the open. I may be completely mistaken, but I was also under the impression that the assignment encouraged examining a more open forum or something of the like where observation was more feasible. I know that there are public matchmaking sites and I would assume there are also forums geared towards those who wish to have illicit affairs, so that might be an area into which you may want to delve. [[User:Castille|Castille]] 02:19, 28 February 2014 (EST)

Castille - Thank you for your uplifting encouragement and I am also glad you brought up the open forum. I did not realize that we could not go undercover in doing this but now I am in the process of searching for an open forum like the ones you mentioned that are targeted towards marriage communities grappling with the problems of infidelity on the internet. I am crossing my fingers that I can find the right resource because I am passionate about the topic! --[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 15:22, 4 March 2014 (EST)

:I also love the topic and find the subject very interesting! I share Castille's concerns above. It seems challenging to get access to the materials you will need to answer these questions. I wonder if there is an open forum somewhere in the internet where angry divorcees can go to vent about how social media ruined their marriage? It may be a biased site, but it may provide resources to other statistics or materials that may help? Or if there is a community you could observe and monitor the degree of online flirting? ([[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 14:48, 2 March 2014 (EST))

Margorm - Thank you for the feedback. I admit I am less advanced in studying the internet and technology as a whole, but I am in the process of finding a more narrowed down open forum that targets this topic. Due to my occupation, I do not have social media and have lived my personal life mostly "off-line" unlike most in my generation. That being said, this is a great learning opportunity for me to delve into these online communities and construct a study that unveils cyber social norms and how they impact the modern family. --[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 15:22, 4 March 2014 (EST)

Wow very cool subject - and one I am sure that deserves a lot of attention these days. With that said, it seems that this subject matter could be a thesis or dissertation as the material collected probably seems to be endless. I was wondering what specific community are you going to target on facebook, as this looks to be potentially a very large paper? I have to admit that I am fascinated to see what other statistics this might uncover, as I am sure we all have heard stories of spouses leaving their significant other for someone they met online. Yet maybe, you can focus on something more specific then a facebook community - as there might be other communities or even forums that have support groups for such instances or circumstances that you mentioned earlier. Maybe seeing how they interact with each other and what rules or policies can be observed and commented on. Overall the topic is really great and I am sure it will have some very interesting content that is fascinating.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 19:13, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Dancoron - I appreciate the compliment and the insight! I mentioned to the others that I am in the process of searching for the perfect forum to study but finding one is harder than I had hoped. I know there are sites like Ashley Madison which are extremely controversial in that they actually are tryst websites for married couples who want to have discreet affairs. There is actually a group out there that is advertising and trying to garner support to shutdown the site, but this goes back to the freedom of speech dilemma that we have been discussing in class. Obviously, controversial sites like this and sugardaddy.com have a negative impact on society but measuring or controlling this is more complex. I think an open forum where users discuss the issue would be most beneficial for me to find; yet, I am wondering how to compile the data of my observation? It will be more qualitative driven than quantitative depending on what I uncover.--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 15:22, 4 March 2014 (EST)

:Your title choice definitely catches the eye and I think you are on to a very interesting subject choice here. I am going to echo the sentiment of a few others here who have pointed out that you may want to explore other forums for gathering information. I think a facebook community would be difficult to uncover what you are looking for. Is there a blog somewhere in which people go to ask advice in dealing with such issues? If this really contributes to 60% of divorces I am sure there are more sites out there that you can leverage for your research. It also seems to me like you are hinting at two different subjects, the first being pornography and divorce, the second being social media and divorce (in particular facebook). I would reccommend sticking to the first subject, not only is it more unique, but it also removes the issue associated with using facebook as a source (I think we were asked to avoid it). I think you have a great start here and can't wait to see the final result. [[User:Drogowski|Drogowski]] 13:56, 4 March 2014 (EST)

Drogowski - Thank you for your helpful and supportive comments! I think that the pornography angle may be better than trying to deal with social media as a whole. That was my initial thought but the feedback helps! I will look into forums targeting pornography addiction online and divorce. I am sure there has to be some forum out there for struggling marriages in these situations. In college I will never forget an amazing presentation from a man who came to our school to preach against online pornography. This man traveled around the country to give his presentation because he said his online addiction ruined his marriage and he wanted to educate and bring awareness to the issue.--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 15:22, 4 March 2014 (EST)

----
Very interesting subject matter Amy!

You may have selected one of the most controversial and highly emotional subjects out of all proposals presented. I would agree with Dancoron. The questions outlined could lead to a doctoral dissertation. Additionally, Castille does bring a good point to light, in that we are encouraged to avoid any work as an “alias”.

I think many of us are having trouble (to include myself) narrowing the research down to a tolerable amount of data collection for an in depth analysis.

In your proposal, you suggested comparing and contrasting divorce rates. What sources would you be comparing and contrasting? Are you speaking to different communities in the United States or on a larger level? Or, are you addressing the male/female divorce ratio?

Secondly, will you be cross-examining two nations who have access to Facebook, in efforts to compare and contrast divorce ratios in direct correlation to Facebook usage?

If your research goals are to use Facebook as the platform for study concerning divorce, it may be difficult to get access to this information unless you are accepted into a person’s profile, group or community. In efforts to stay objective, I don’t think you would want to study anyone that you personally know. Pornography could be a difficult study, in direct correlation to pornography with the controls Facebook allows for each individual user.

Would it be possible for you to follow a smaller, more open group that readily blogs/views pornography that is open to the public for data collection in a short period of time?

Unfortunately this is completely out of my arena. I have never been married and I don’t view porn sites. But, your topic is fabulously interesting.

Good luck with your research and I can’t wait to see your results.

--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 20:29, 3 March 2014 (EST)

Melissa - Thank you so much for your encouraging words and helpful feedback! I did not realize that this could be a future dissertation but if I end up really enjoying the research I might turn into one as I still have not decided my topic yet! I am very passionate about the topic because the internet has become such a part of our lives and no doubt impacts families, relationships, marriages, and the way we (on a human level) think about what is right and wrong morally.

When I wrote up my Prospectus I was a bit general with it but I think I will stick to pornography online and its impact on marriage. For now, I will steer away from comparing/contrasting different nations, divorce rates, etc. because that might be too wide/inconclusive in scope. My research may be more qualitative than quantitative but it appears that may be the case for many projects. I have always gravitated towards controversial topics and this one has been a long passion of mine since college. For now, I am in search of online forums that target couples struggling with pornography online addictions and my aim will be to analyze their conversations and draw my conclusions on these observations. In the analysis, I am wondering if we are allowed to quote the users or how we can effectively encapsulate the findings? Any advice on this avenue is highly appreciated!

Thanks again for the help! I feel fortunate to have this information-sharing forum with my classmates!
--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 15:22, 4 March 2014 (EST)

----

*Assignment Two:
*Who has the right to control our personal genetic information?
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Monroe_Assignment_Two.docx

[[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 18:30, 23 February 2014 (EST)
: Hi Margo, I'm not sure if you'll ever read this, but if you do, would you by any chance be interested in working on your project in a group? I'm highly interested in this topic (in part because I'm considering founding my next startup in this field), and I've been following it both from a distance as an observer, and from the inside as a customer of 23andMe. I'd love to dig deeper and work with you on this project. Cheers, Philip Seyfi --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 19:28, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:Hi [[User:Margorm|Margorm]]! I love your topic. Your prospectus, combined with our brief discussions in class have really made me wonder- if 23andme is part of the first iteration of DNA decoding tools for personal use, where will we be in 25 years (: Just my general thoughts on this great topic- my comments specifically regarding your prospectus are below:
::*I really like that you asked whether the FDA is the best agency to regulate DNA testing, especially your last sentence ''what regulatory bodies outside of the FDA should be paying attention to this personalized and identifiable database?''. Throughout this class, I've had similar types of questions many times.
::*It is '''very''' cool that you are taking an empirical approach to the community discussion, however it seems that the data you will collect (assessing changes in attitudes of community members) will be more apt to answer your 2nd question (''How has the ban on delivering health-related risk assessments to the 23andMe community impacted the consumer’s trust toward the product?''), rather than the underlined question that I referred to in my previous bullet.
:Please note that I am most interested in your underlined question regarding the FDA! However my advice is that your second question regarding attitudes & trust may be easier to study with respect to your methodology.
:[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 12:07, 25 February 2014 (EST) - updated 03 March 2014 ~11pm

:It seems clear that although institutional positions and statements are mostly contrary to the patentability of human genes as such, however international patent offices (U.S., Europe, and Japan) have accepted the patenting of human DNA sequences if they meet the technical and legal requirements, including the “utility”. DNA occurs naturally in the human body and should not be patented by a single company that can then use its patents to limit scientific research and the free exchange of ideas. As said by Koepsell “Laws of patent are meant to be used to protect inventions — things that engineers are doing — not things that scientist discover” (Holman, 2007). A regulatory block of decoding tools for personal use would seem to be an exercise in economic control. I believe you'll find an ample supply of public opinion in regards to attitudes of community members. [[User:VACYBER|VACYBER]] 10:28, 4 March 2014 (EST)

-Margo- In relation to your topic, what is your opinion as to Apple recently integrating fingerprint scanners into the iPhone (5s)? Do you believe that Apple can store our personal information through this technology?
[[User:Benh|Benh]] 13:49, 4 March 2014 (EST)

:: Margo- Absolutely love the topic choice you've made. I recently took a course that focused on the ethics of biotechnology and found it to be one of the most intriguing topics I have studied. 23 & me is an excellent site to discuss in your work, as I am sure you are aware of the relationship between the site and google. There will be no shortage of sources for your research and I think judging from your prospectus you are off to an amazing start. If you would be interested in working together on this as a group project I would be very interested in collaborating with you. I would propose creating a website of our findings (which I can create) and can provide some additional insight on the topic. Please send me an email @ danielrogowski@fas.harvard.edu if that would interest you. Regards, Daniel. [[User:Drogowski|Drogowski]] 14:17, 4 March 2014 (EST)
----

Hi Margo,

I am sorry that I have never heard of 23andme. However, you have opened my eyesight into this new subject and has raised my attention to this concern.
Also, I am really interested in your question "is the FDA the correct agency to regulate 23andMe, a company who claims to be an information - not diagnostic - service?"
This also leads to another question, can we hold 23andme liable for the health information that they provide to the users as they are claiming to be an information - not diagnostic - service?

[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 15:37, 4 March 2014 (EST)

----

[[User:Castille|Castille]] 18:58, 22 February 2014 (EST)
*Assignment Two:
*LESS IS MORE?; Tumblr's Policies Against Self-Harm
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:CastilleRath_ASSIGNMENT_TWO.doc

::Castille, I think you have a really excellent topic here. My first thought is that it would probably be helpful to choose a particular self-harming behavior that's discussed on Tumblr to help narrow the scope of your work. Additionally, while these issues can and often are related, I imagine that the Tumblr communities that surround each issue probably have a distinct culture. This topic makes me think of the Jessica McKenzie piece, "Obeying French Courts, Twitter Hands Over Identities of Users Who Employed Anti-Semitic Hashtag" we read in week four. I would be curious to know how many of the controversial hashtags are actually used in subversive ways. Some of the reactions to Tumblr's policy change seem to touch on this when users write that they use these tags to address their own struggle with self-harming behavior. After these policy changes got some press, did it shed enough light on these self-harm blogs to inspire users to use these potentially triggering hashtags in new and positive ways?
::[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 13:56, 26 February 2014 (EST)

::Thanks for your feedback! I'm planning to narrow the scope to primarily center on pro-suicide blog postings, but I think I'll have to use some other examples such as cutting and possibly even pro-eating disorder blogs, as they all seem to interact with each other. It appears from my research thus far that the communities are intrinsically linked much more so than I expected. I agree, it would be interesting to see if things have changed-- though I'm not quite sure how to gauge pre-policy versus post-policy changes. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them! [[User:Castille|Castille]] 02:19, 28 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Castille, fantastic topic! I like your approach to analysing this topic and its a subject which is very controversial & personal. I agree, the main challenge for any Government is to try and regulate the numerous blogs and hashtags on sites like Tumblr, effectively putting a suicide watch on them. Would this be an effective use of tax payer funds and how many suicides could this prevent? What would be the process be if a potential suicide victim was identified? We have to be careful not to act in a knee-jerk reaction when there is a death and expect the Government to do something about it. I think there needs to be a balance of responsibility between these site operators and the Government. I'm very interested in the outcome of your topic. [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:47, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Castille --

This is such an excellent topic choice and it is so important for our society today, in particular for the youth and young vulnerable minds of our generation. The fact that the site changed its policy to allow blogs that engaged in "discussion, support, encouragement, and documenting the experiences of those dealing with difficult conditions like anorexia, bulimia, and other forms of self-injury” may actually make the policy more convoluted for the website than it had hoped. In one sense, it seems that they were making amends to promote free speech and also to allow healthy dialogue about such behaviors. However, there becomes a "grey line" as to what discussions are supportive or encouraging against such behaviors. For example, an element of perception is involved in that some users (particularly immature, younger generations) may view discussion boards about anorexic "experiences" as an enticement of curiosity to engage in such behaviors rather than to refrain from them. As your research unfolds, it will be interesting to see how the "new" policy fares amongst the users. Often times, it seems when a website makes a new policy, it is loosely "enforced" for a while and then it eventually dies out and goes back to square one. Maybe a compare and contrast of the impact before and after the two policies were enacted could be an interesting angle.

I am interested in how you would monitor the data from the group within or just as an outside observer? You mentioned that you would like to join the group (if that is allowed), and I am thinking of doing the same thing in my research. However, someone had mentioned that this may not be allowed or that we are not supposed to use an alias? It looks like we both need to clarify this part.

Great work and I look forward to seeing the results!

--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 13:14, 4 March 2014 (EST)

----

*Watson
*To Publish Or Not: Social Media and the Syrian Conflict
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Watson_Assignment2.docx
[[User:Watson|Watson]] 23:33, 23 February 2014 (EST)

Greetings Watson!

A few questions:

How would you determine which distribution channel the Syrian opposition used the most?

How would you be able to detect the limitations of public information if it has not been disclosed?

If you were to select two media channels to compare/contrast, would there be enough data available in those two communities to properly “diagnose”, or is the data withheld from the public?

If you chart a paper on what capacitated the Syrian opposition groups to communicate their cause, will this information lead to a report or a true communal study on the Internet?

Very interesting proposal and I wish you the best in your research!

--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 20:47, 3 March 2014 (EST)

:This is a very interesting topic. There is a lot to examine here, especially since a large part of the attacks and arguments happened online. An interesting topic would be to mention the Syrian Electronic Army and the many acts of online vandalism that they did. You can find more info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Electronic_Army The Internet was certainly a tool in the conflict. An interesting focus would be to investigate their motives and the impact this electronic army had on the Syrian conflict.

[[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 21:01, 3 March 2014 (EST)

Greetings, Watson!

I am intrigued by your topic because I truly believe that social media is becoming the new stomping ground for collective action and has incredible potential to spawn modern revolutions of many types. Have you considered comparing and contrasting how the Wall Street movement/protest was influenced by social media comparable to the events in Syria? I read an article a while back that discussed how the internet in Syria was literally shut down for several days and there was great speculation that this was actually an inside job to prevent the power of social media and communication. What a frightening and disturbing abuse of power! This act alone may show to a certain extent how the power of the internet and social media was suppressed by the regime. I wish I could recall the article but if I find it I will send it your way.

I am speculative that social media is more powerful than youtube in terms of collective action, but this is a conjecture. The youtube video tried in that Garcia vs. Google case was said to have prompted the entire uprising yet only about 500 people had actually viewed the video. It seems the video became a type of "figure" for the push and was used as more of a platform by the social media community to promote action even if most had not even seen the video. For better of worse, the "mob mentality" is alive and well on the internet. In any event, I am curious to see how your research pans out!

--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 13:33, 4 March 2014 (EST)

------

*Assignment 2
* Instagram: a public space for free expression?
* http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:LRS_IS_prospectus.docx
[[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 21:42, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:: Laura – Instagram is not only the biggest mobile photo sharing app, but is also now owned by Facebook, and thus a disproportionate amount of mobile peer to peer communication falls to the censorship whims of this company. This is an incredibly worthy area to research, if not lofty. Since Instagram now allows direct, private communication of photos, you have to wonder if there is a difference in how moderated these communications are versus a post intended for the public that uses hashtags (let us not forget that the hashtag’s original use was searchability, not irony). That said it might be very difficult monitor the differences in speed and effectiveness of what gets censored without interfering with the community you’re observing. One way may be to follow news events (such as this recent one: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9448993) that show Instagram’s policy enforcement in action. The issue with that approach is that it is cherry picking the successful takedowns rather than observing uncensored posts that are breaking the terms of service. Another option may be monitoring Instagram’s list of banned hashtags and searching synonyms or alternate hashtags, but again this is a difficult aspect of their policy to observe in action.
::I believe there is still strategizing to be done to design your observation of the community, above merely reporting their policy. I hope my take somehow helps you with this endeavor!
::[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 09:55, 1 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi, Laura! I think Instagram is a really great topic and will provide a massive amount of material, which I think can be beneficial and detrimental. It seems you might want to consider focusing on a specific aspect of censorship on Instagram, like nudity, drug references, or profanity (if any of those are prohibited-- I don't know their specific terms of use). What aspect of Instagram's censorship do you find to have the highest potential to become problematic? Is their choice as a company to disallow certain messages/images actually infringing on free speech, when they don't have any power over whether an individual chooses to express himself (IE he/she is still capable of posting the material on another site), they merely control/monitor the postings on their own site? [[User:Castille|Castille]] 02:19, 28 February 2014 (EST)

Hi Laura!

I am not familiar with Instagram but I know it is a very popular application with my friends and I feel out of the loop for not being involved with it. As you mention this application is extremely popular worldwide so studying the nodes of its infrastructure and the social norms, policies, etc. associated with it is a valiant effort for understanding our modern generation and evolving cyber world. Are there any particular rules or norms that you are aiming to target? For example, perhaps studying one specific violations related to pornography, harmful behavior, violence, etc. may help to narrow it down. I admit I am not familiar with Instagram, but I would imagine a site of this magnitude has a tremendously challenging struggle in policing such offenses. Is there a way for users to report offenses observed within the community? If so, I would be curious to know how often reports are filed and whether or not they are acted on. Many times, I feel that users on sites like this witness offensive material but refrain from acting on it because they do not believe their report will be followed-up on. It would be interesting (I know this would be difficult to do) to find which types of users are most judicious in filing reports on offensive behavior. For example, I would guess that the teenage generation is less concerned or bothered by offensive material that may have become immune to them in contrast to members of the older generation that have jumped on the social media bandwagon later in life.

Best of luck in your cyber adventure!

--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 14:08, 4 March 2014 (EST)

----

* [[User:Jradoff|Jradoff]] 21:56, 24 February 2014 (EST)
* Comparing Regulation of Free Expression in Online Game Forums
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Prospectus-Radoff.txt Prospectus Text]

:Hi Jon- My first thoughts on your prospectus have to do with scope. In comparing these three different games, I think there might be too many factors to consider-- subscription-based vs. free, PC vs. iOS, etc. I wonder if it wouldn't be more manageable to tackle your research questions if you focused in on two games that were more similar so that you have fewer variables to contend with when you're thinking about your research questions. My instinct is that working with WoW and League of Legends would work since you can still attempt to tackle each of Lessig's four forces. I'm not sure how much the law in the US varies from that in Finland, but removing Clash of Clans from the equation might help the narrow your scope in that sense as well. [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 14:27, 2 March 2014 (EST)

----

* jkelly
* Does "toxic" online culture stifle feminist discourse?
* http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Jkelly_Assignment_2.odt
[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 22:15, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:: Jane – It is a great idea to compare feminist discussion within the confines of a feminist-oriented website to discussion in a public space without this slant. The regulations on discussion are obviously going to be wildly different in each of these communities. You identify Facebook and Twitter as less thoughtful in their discussion for feminist topics - perhaps as a result of their differences in comment policy? I was interested in the comment policy of Bitch Media that you mentioned in the prospectus, so I looked it up. (For others: it can be found here: http://bitchmagazine.org/comments-policy) One line that stood out to me was the following: “As far as moderation of this space goes, guest bloggers moderate the comments on their respective posts, but website moderators will step in when necessary.” – Does this mean that each blog post is technically regulated in a different way? It is not a deal killer if so, because it sparked the following idea: Because FB and Twitter are big places, could you find a smaller community (that is not inherently feminist-oriented) that is discussing the same thing as mentioned in one or a few of the Bitch Media posts, and compare the discussions directly? Just a thought!
::[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 11:54, 26 February 2014 (EST)

::Does ''anyone else'' see the awesome irony of a woman named Jane writing about Bitch magazine? Am I the only one on here who was a teenage girl in the '90s? I remember clear as day, reading [http://bitchmagazine.org/article/ten-things-hate-about-jane Bitch's criticisms of Jane] back in 1998. BTW [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] I hope you understand that as a very longtime fan of Bitch magazine I am in no way criticizing your project, I actually think it's '''such''' a cool topic. You & I would probably have been awesome friends as teenagers. p.s. This doesn't count as a comment on the prospectus!!! I hope. [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 21:44, 26 February 2014 (EST)

:::Haha, thanks so much for sharing that Erin!! I haven't had a chance to read the whole thing, but when you see words and phrases like "fake, sanctimonious," "self-obsessed," "narcissism," "blithe unconcern with which they suggest spending huge amounts of money on items of debatable utility," and "overweening focus on the superficial, ersatz do-it-for-you tone, and fake individualism" in just a quick scan of the article, it's bound to be a fun read. Thanks! [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 08:53, 27 February 2014 (EST)

----

*Name: Erin Saucke-Lacelle
*Prospectus title: Effect of rules & regulations on political discussion
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/ErinSaucke-Lacelle-Assignment2.pdf
[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 23:33, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Erin, I agree with your hypothesis about alienation. For example the weak and poor citizens do not have access to the internet and will be left out of the discussion. Their needs are often under-represented or not represented at all. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 08:04, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:::Thank you for the feedback [[User:Ichua|Ichua]]! Your comment makes me wonder though- for this project, we are assigned to studying an online community. Wouldn't the nature of the assignment therefore assume that all students completing this assignment will be leaving out the interest and opinions of people who do not have access to the Internet? Also, I am curious what you mean when you refer to 'weak' citizens? Again, thanks so much for the feedback! [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 11:47, 25 February 2014 (EST)

::::"Weak" = "Not powerful", have no voice or influence in government discussions and policy-making. Some politicians even believe these people should not participate in voting. Typically viewed as a country's liability rather than an asset. In a country like the Philippines with a total population of 90 million, a great economic revolution can happen if the 40 million in poverty and unemployed are mobilized. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 13:49, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Erin - I think the comparison of two subreddits with different regulations is a solid method of studying the effect of regulation on political discussion. I also believe the two subreddits you have chosen make for a great comparison. The only reservation I have in your prospectus is the focus on word count of the regulations as indicative of the rigor of the moderation. For example, one subreddit may simply say "Discussion of Russia is forbidden" - which in five words hampers more conversation than either of the two sets of regulations do in actuality. I do not think the word count is a meaningful statistic. Apropos your question of whether those without internet access will be under-represented in our studies, I would say that because we are focusing on specific small communities to begin with, we are under-representing the reactions (to control) of everyone in the world who is not in that community. The vast majority of the world is not included. Our focus is on only those within the community itself that we can observe. Ultimately I believe your project is designed very well. Since I too am studying a subreddit for my project, I will be following your progress closely!
::[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 11:23, 26 February 2014 (EST)

:::Hi [[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]]! Thank you very much for the feedback, very good point about the empirical data on the rules, hopefully I can expand when I have 2500 words to work with. BTW, I just wanted to comment- the question about people without Internet access was actually [[User:Ichua|Ichua]]'s question. My understanding of the assignment is to study ''only'' online communities for this assignment (and not offline humans, which excludes anyone who doesn't or can't access the Internets). My question that [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] commented on is whether ''"users are intimidated by the effort or research required to post, thus limiting participation to a narrow audience"''. Sidenote- '''Thank you''' very much for introducing us to the Twitch Plays Pokémon phenomenon in class. So freaking cool. My God do I ever love the Internet.-[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]]

:::: Thanks Erin! I think it is absolutely amazing as well, and I've never played Pokémon. If you would like to read my prospectus and help me think about potential research questions using their subreddit, I am all ears. [[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 11:34, 27 February 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Ian Chua
*Prospectus title: Resolving National Issues With Online Collaborative And Interactive Cognitive Mapping
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/LSTU-E120_Assignment2_IanChua.pdf
[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 06:31, 25 February 2014 (EST)

: I learned from Erin that a project of this nature has its limitations. Government leaders or concerned individuals need to go to Ground Zero and observe for themselves the problems of the poor and weak citizenry. And if democratic rule has failed to eliminate poverty, why not consider compassionate rule?

::@[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] you know, I might be wrong!!! Not sure yet, I guess, til we hear back from more students, or the prof/TAs (: [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 15:40, 25 February 2014 (EST)

: Hi Ian, great topic and I like the innovative approach you're taking. I agree that social media is an important medium for Governments to gauge public mood or opinion. In fact, Australia's Prime Minister, Tony Abbott recently spent $4 million to analyse social media and gauge the public mood on certain policies he introduced. From my understanding, you're looking to build something like a mind map to organise the social media feedback and also meta tag it? This would effectively allow content to be searched and categorised similar to a knowledge base. Just a couple of questions though....How will you apply the cognitive map? Do you have a specific social media medium and Government in mind? Looking forward to reading the final outcome! [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:42, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Hi Ian, I believe your cognitive map is a great tool to solve the problem of transparency and traceability of complaints towards government policies posted on social media. However, I believe that building the tool yourself is not only time consuming but it makes the second part, which is the essence of the assignment, depend on the success of the map. I would propose for you to focus on a map that serves similar purposes (if existing) that is already running with an established community. I do not mean to get your hopes down but just help you be aware of the time constraints.

[[User:Luciagamboaso|Luciagamboaso]] 15:09, 4 March 2014 (EST)
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*Name: P. Scott Lapinski
*Prospectus title: “Crowd Control”. Content and community controls which impact scholarly communication within the PubMed Commons scientific forum
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/PSL_Assignment2.rtf
[[User:Psl|Psl]] 11:57, 25 February 2014 (EST)

::I was unaware of this community exits, and I think it will be a great place for graduate students and researchers to find which papers they should be reading. For example, if I need to utilize a method that is slightly outside of my field, this community will help identify the appropriate and esteemed papers. This may also serve as a better model for Peer Review (one day). Because PubMed is already an exclusive database primarily for biomedical researchers, I am interested to what you observe. I am worried that because only pubmed users (or people using a University IP address) have access to pubmed articles, open access will play a minimal role in which articles spark more conversation. Unfortunately, people tend to converse about papers in high-impact journals like Nature and Science, and I would expect these articles to compete with the open access ones. Perhaps an observation of which articles receive complaints about not being open-access for the curious science lover who is no longer in academia may be an interesting perspective.. ([[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 13:45, 2 March 2014 (EST))

:::Hi Paul! Thank you for introducing me to PubMed Commons! I have to agree with [[User:Margorm|Margorm]]: people who are 'allowed' to comment on PubMed articles often have access to most articles through their Universities or Institutions. That being said, since first reading your prospectus, I've thought so much about the access to PubMed Commons. In order to be part of the community, the major factor is that you are an author of a paper appearing in PubMed. An author can 'invite themselves' only if PubMed has your email address on file. For personal/professional interest of being a member of this site, I've checked with 8 different people (who are all corresponding authors on separate PubMed articles) whether they could invite themselves, and only 1 of the 8 authors could gain access. I understand why it is important for PubMed to confirm identity, however I believe this factor will strongly limit the adoption of PubMed Commons. It should also be noted that I am not an average PubMed author- most scientists I talked to about this think 'social media is stupid' or a waste of time. Very few will go through the trouble of asking 8 separate authors to try to log in, until they find one person who can. However, exactly as Margo pointed out, "This may also serve as a better model for Peer Review (one day)".
:::[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 23:29, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: VACYBER
*Prospectus title: Regulatory steps for hacking tools in light of the tremendous potential for fiscal and data loss
*Link to prospectus:http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:VACYBER_Assignment2.docx
[[User:VACYBER|VACYBER]] 12:46, 25 February 2014 (EST)

::I can see where this topic would make an interesting focal point for a review article or commentary on the exploitation opportunities, (legal and criminal) that open source software packages like these permit. As an administrator of several IT systems myself, reading your prospectus has made me curious to learn more about NESSUS and Metasploit, and perhaps use them to test out weaknesses in my own servers.

::Let's continue along that thought...and say I will download and experiment with this software... I'm using this scenario "hypothetically" in hopes that it may help you focus more on the key question(s) you are hoping to answer, and to also consider "from where" you will be able to make some observations to address that question. In other words, where might you be able to follow some online community activity over the next few weeks, and observe some interactions between the users, developers, and IT administrators who work with these software packages?

::So, after just now learning of these open source packages, I want to download them on my Linux box and experiment. I want to see how others have installed, implemented, and customized the software to exploit a variety of possibilities. Is there an open community where I can lurk and maybe participate in a discussion to learn about various ways I can use this software to test out my servers for vulnerabilities and bugs? What kind of controls might I be subjected to within that community that may prevent me from discussing specifics about what known vulnerabilities have been discovered, and what security holes one can exploit? If I discover a major security flaw, can (or should) I document this within that online community? Are there normative, legal, and/or architectural controls that prevent or discourage divulging too much information within his community? I noticed a discussion forum at http://discussions.nessus.org/welcome, and https://community.rapid7.com/community/metasploit... would these be the communities you were considering?

::Anyway, hoping this helps out. I just wanted to raise these questions as a way to help you identify the specific online community where some observable activity will occur, and focus in on what controls you hope to be able to see playing-out during the rest of the semester. You may already have that in mind, but it wasn't in the prospectus, so I thought I'd raise the questions here. I think knowing the answer to these questions will help put the ideas into the context of the Final Project's objectives and should also help with the next task of building the outline in Assignment 3. [[User:Psl|Psl]] 14:25, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Twood
*Prospectus Title: Online Independent Music Communities: The Mechanisms and Effects of Copyright Control
*Link: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Twood_Assignment2.rtf
[[User:Twood|Twood]] 14:03, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Somehow the uploaded RTF file had been converted to a CALC spreadsheet file, making some of the contents hard to read. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:08, 27 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Twood. I find your paper topic to be incredibly interesting and well-thought out. I wish I had constructive criticism to give you, but I find that you are on the right path. My only question at the moment: how do you plan on measuring the response of community members to the each sites' control mechanisms? [[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 11:41, 28 February 2014 (EST)

Hi Twood, I find this to be a very cool topic and being a musician myself, makes it even more so. I have never ever been a fan of sampling music outright and then adding a new beat and some remixing to make it one's own, just not my style. I like the prospect of you examining a smaller or less commercialized community musically (as compared to You tube). Again, as own who owns small studio at home and records pretty solidly, it is always great to see musicians recording and producing their own stuff from scratch with small home studio setups. I hope you show an example of a community catching someone in the act of stealing another's music or idea and what the outcome of that interaction will be - because as musicians we always borrow, modify or improves someone else's cord progression or guitar lick to make it our own. So, it would be great to see if you could hint about that distinction - as I am sure it comes up a lot in communities like this. But, overall really nice topic to concentrate on.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 19:42, 2 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Cheikh Mbacke
*Prospectus Title: Re/Code: A Neutral Endorser of Disruptive Technology Companies
*Link: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Cheikh_Mbacke_Assignment_2.txt
[[User:cheikhmbacke|cheikhmbacke]] 15:15, 25 February 2014 (EST)

: Cheikh, I'm looking forward to reading your paper. Online technology journalism is indeed a most interesting industry... after all, a tech journalist with sufficient influence can single-handedly kill an up and coming technology project with billions in R&D costs, and this is particularly worrying given how easy it is for a competing company with a sufficient budget to influence said journalists, as well as how often these journalists write reviews having used the product in questions for mere minutes, or without necessary expertise in the are where such product can be useful. That said, my suggestion to you is to narrow your topic to one single research question. At the moment, you paper risks going astray as you intend to cover a wide array of very different concerns. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 12:06, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Emmanuelsurillo
*Prospectus title: "emmanuelsurillo_Assignment2.doc."
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:%22emmanuelsurillo_Assignment2.doc.%22.docx [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:41, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:You raise some great research questions to examine within these communities. You might want to narrow your focus more. Will you be talking about the legalities of “jail-breaking” and it’s effect on the Apple and Android market? Considering the topics we discussed in class, it might be interesting to develop your research to mention the view of major companies toward these forums and the rogue developers. Once an iphone is jail-broken, it losses its apple warranty coverage. This might be a topic you want to bring up with your research. Good luck! [[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 21:36, 3 March 2014 (EST)
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Greetings Emmanuel,

You have selected a really “hot” topic. Mobile applications appear to be taking over actual web development these days. I’m in the process of creating a new site, for the general public, to locate assistance after they have been harmed by other entities. The developer of my site highly recommended that I create a mobile app at the same time. He is correct and the only reason I do not plan to follow his suggestion is directly related to cost.

I’m unclear of the real statistics, but Internet users seem to be using phones as their selected source of information more frequently than computers. Most people carry their phones (even to bed) but fewer seem to be in constant travel with their laptop.

I am not familiar with the sites you listed in your proposal since I am not a mobile application developer, but I am happy to learn there are forums to enhance applications through large communities.

It appears many of our classmates are attempting to use a compare/contrast approach, which seems logical, if we want to identify how resourceful one community is versus another. Your research will be extremely useful to many, and I would like to pass your results onto my developer after you have completed all the hard work (smile).

A few questions for you:

“I want to compare how useful and productive these web sites are to the users end for accomplishing these goals.”

1. How do you plan to compare and contrast the central 7-9 questions outlined in your proposal for the final project? In other words, will you be able to summarize the data from each research question in one succinct paragraph to meet the page requirements?
2. Do you think it would be easier to select 2-3 questions presented in your proposal to dig a little deeper or perhaps ask a few others from the class to join you on a team to cover all the questions presented?

I ask these questions, because I am struggling with these issues myself. I believe if I ask enough people in our community who are using a similar approach, I will (eventually) determine a model that may be useful for my own research.

Another suggestion: Could we potentially find a group of people in our research community (class) that are interested in using a similar approach, but still collectively analyze the communities we selected for personal purposes? In other words, I am certain most students have selected the entities of study for some reason, such as personal satisfaction or business achievement. However, Andy has made it clear that he would entertain teams multiple times. In fact, the option has been posted on every page of our instructions for the main project. In fact, the option has been posted so many times that I am beginning to think he may be giving us a subtle hint or clue: “This assignment will be more effective if you work collectively together and you may gain more valuable research by teaming”. I don’t read minds, but…

Example:

I am attempting to look at the effectiveness of two sites created to allegedly help people who have been taken advantage of by either an entity or a person. Section 203 under the Communication Decency Act assists people in their ability to say whatever they think, regardless if correct.

You are comparing two mobile application sites to analyze how useful and productive the sites are for the users to include accuracy and validity.

Marissa is researching the validity of airbnb.com, and looking at the controls put in place by the website to protect people.

I still have many proposals to read today, but it does appear that many of us are running in a few general hypothetical areas of question:

Which site is more effective due to the controls implemented by the site itself? (Compare/Contrast)

Can the data on these sites be considered valid? Is so, why or why not?

Could we potentially work together on a research methodology for all three sites to compare and contrast if the model is effective in and of itself while measuring the data across the board for multiple communications? In summary, we could compare and contrast the model that we collectively created against the sites we personally selected.

My biggest concern with many of our proposals is that they are too broad and we will not find the depth. Most of our topics could be potential dissertations; unfortunately we are lacking 5 years of research time (smile). I plan to look for commonality in proposals submitted-perhaps we can all make this better together. Could we potentially try to use our class community to research the depth of the Internet communities.?

Just thoughts.

Cheers!
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 17:07, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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Hi Emmanuel,

Great topic!!
I am not sure if you would like to go into that direction, but from my point of view, I would say there is a big difference in the active level between iphone users via Android users in forum.
Iphone users are usually not as active as Android users in forum. And I think this is a really interesting topic to look into.

On the other hand, I think it would be a good idea to narrow down your topic as there are 9 research questions that you are planning to coverin your paper. It would be difficult to talk about each question in depth with the words limit.

[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 03:42, 4 March 2014 (EST)

Hello Emmanuel,
Have you considered discussing recent legislation rendering unlocking phones illegal in the United states?
[[User:Benh|Benh]] 14:11, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 15:42, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*Architectural choices for a better Q&A community (StackOverflow)
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/LSTUE-120Assignment2.pdf

::Hi [[User:Seifip|Seifip]]! Few bits of feedback for you. First of all, I like that you tied back to Lessig's regulators. Very strong prospectus overall. Second, I wonder how you define an ''effective way of shaping an online community'' ? I assume that you didn't define 'effective' because of the 400-word limit for this assignment. My advice would be for you to perhaps draw specific comparisons between StackOverflow and another online developer support community. Alternatively (and perhaps more fun), you might change the phrasing of your research question to something like 'In what ways does X architectural element affect conversation on StackOverflow?'. Overall though, I think this is a very strong topic for your final project, because developer communities are some of the most in-depth technical discussions on the web. [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 23:47, 3 March 2014 (EST)

::: Thanks for your feedback, Erin! I'll consider narrowing down the research question to a single element. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 10:57, 4 March 2014 (EST)

::
Hi Philip,
Great topic! I think that, given the increase in number of programmers relying more and more on credible forums Such as StackOverflow (which has elements of Wikis, blogs, etc) for Q&A, API, CMS, and other Web documentations, it's not only relevant to reflect on the architecture of such forums but necessary as well. You raised a very interesting question about the effectiveness of shaping an online community based on that community's user interface's architecture. I definitely encourage you to proceed with this great topic and look forward to reading more.
By the way, thank you very much for your valuable time and feedback. Indeed, I will take your observations into consideration. --[[User:cheikhmbacke|cheikhmbacke]] 13:13, 4 March 2014 (EST)

::Philip, total code noob here!...
As stated, "genuinely dangerous" wikis, etc. are problems. Can you show how the architecture of StackOverflow corrals, or fails to corral, the potentially dangerous code within its architecture. Is the architecture of StackOverflow analogous to architecture in the physical world, e.g., holding cells, drunk tanks, SCIF "skiff" areas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensitive_Compartmented_Information_Facility, not to mention bank vaults, moats (water and dry), atm machines, and police car backseats, etc? What are the structural components used to contain the potentially dangerous code? Again, can physical architecture be used to explain the structural elements, e.g., bricks/mortar, razor wire/concertina wire/barbed wire, reinforced steel? Personally, I'd love to know as I went to school for architecture, yet I’m not strictly working in the field, and I find the concept of computing architecture fascinating... are there parallels that can be used to build a better site, have they been used, can parallels be made for the non-informed reader?

Are we to assume that StackOverflow has configured a successful or unsuccessful solution? Is it better, worse, or different than its rivals? Is it successful, and thus continues to exist (and possibly thrive), because of the criticisms from Programming Reddit and Experts Exchange users?

Your Lessig quote, can you expound upon it within the paper? If so, perhaps, providing example(s)of what it means in re your project?

Is there a better way of delineating the questions in StackedOverflow that have been skewed beyond their original intention?[[User:A. Tom Anteus|A. Tom Anteus]] 14:57, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Art.Mescon
*Title: Do Etsy’s regulations aim to help buyers and/or sellers or are they primarily protective of the company itself, leaving third parties on their own to seek out reputable transaction partners?
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Art.Mescon_Assignment2.docx

::You raise some great ideas in your prospectus that would make for an interesting research paper around Etsy. However, I wonder if it might be best to focus more on the controls for which you can already observe playing out within the Etsy community's online activities? In other words, the community norms and architecture controls within Etsy itself (user-"self-regulation" and Etsy's-"private-regulation") might be the most reliable "observable data" that you will be able to anticipate over the next few weeks. The government level controls (public-regulation) you suggest may require moving outside this community, and I am not sure that a useful discussion (with observational data) will be possible within the page limit, nor would it be crucial to answering your research question.

::I like the research question very much, and I think it couches the challenges you hope to observe within the methodology you propose. Also, I anticipate that the community interactions over the next couple of months should provide you with enough observational data to answer your question. One more tip on the question... What would you think about starting the question with "How" rather than "Do"...? Play around with the phrase of your question, and see how it feels. My thinking is that you will allow yourself some flexibility in what you will truly have to report on when it comes time to write up the results. The answer to a "Do" question requires one to choose a yes or no and your findings will likely challenge any "absolute" judgment call... So don't let yourself get cornered into having to make that choice (at least not at this early stage). By starting the question with "How do Etsy’s regulations...", will allow you to have more flexibility to report on what the observations will show, and your can balance your discussion section on some good and not-so-good controls that play out over the next few weeks.

::Last point. In your sentence "I intend to identify how Etsy controls, or fails to control content in a manner that is advantageous to their users.", I wasn't sure if by "users" you meant the buyers, sellers, or both. My mind is interpreting that "user" is the buyer in this sentence’s context, and the word "content" is used to define both the items and community sellers that are being controlled. True? That distinction may be important to clarify as the full report gets written, because the Etsy controls and observations being gathered will (I suspect) impact buyers vs sellers vs content each a little differently. On a similar note... To cut down on the need to follow every buyer, seller and thing in "Top Searches" for this community, do you think it would be helpful to focus on just one type of craft? I don't know enough about Etsy specifically to determine if that would work for this project, but it might be another way to find a sub-group/sub-community limit, and still provide you with enough observational data to draw some conclusions.

::Hoping these comments are helpful! [[User:Psl|Psl]] 12:22, 28 February 2014 (EST)

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Title: YouTube Comment Filtering and Other Cyberbullying Initiatives

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Lpereira_Prospectus.docx

[[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 16:07, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Might be interesting to determine whether and how Youtube encourages positive comments and discourage negative or hate comments. Ultimately, it would be ideal if the character of misbehaving individuals could be improved. Some ideas might be the use of "Like" and "Dislike" votes on these comments and/or the award/deduction of "attitude points". The individuals posting hate and aggressive comments could be prohibited from further postings if the attitude point reaches a certain limit. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:02, 27 February 2014 (EST)

::I really like the focal point you will be observing, and you are quite right in pointing out that this "negativity" is becoming an unfortunate reality for many "open comment" sections within these online spaces. Even what can begin as constructive dialog and healthy debate, can quickly degenerate into blather, flames, and hate words when anonymity can be so effectively used as a shield. Interestingly, we can't always point our finger at just one "troll" injecting some deliberate provocation...because sometimes the breakdown occurs with the 3 or 4 community members who (hither to) we're exchanging words in a perfectly eloquent & respectful manner. But the hate, racism, and bullying that poison the dialog on these comment-boards are on a much more disturbing level, and one that certainly will make for an interesting study.

::So, The broad question that I am hearing in your prospectus is "What are the most important controls that an online service provider can successfully implement to intercept and discourage cyberbullying, hate-speech, and irrelevant negativity? The sub-question then would be "How effective and/or constraining are those controls on the community's ability to engage with each other in a meaningful unbiased dialog about the content? (YouTube in this example)?

::Have you given some thought to the subject matter that you will focus on, as a way to observe how these comments progress? It may be helpful to put your lens onto a consistent subject to observe the cycle of communication. From there you should be able to witness what prompts the conversation to begin in the first place; when do counter-points get introduced, how long is constructive dialog able to bridge back and fourth, what is the "poison-pill" that kills the conversation, and when do the controls kick-in?. (Observing where the controls kick in would obviously be the essential part to report on, not so much each of those elements of the cycle of communication I itemized there.)

::I’d be curious to also know if the observation shows that the cycle of communication is more (or less) positive throughout based on the type of subject that initiates the conversation? News stories on "hot button" topics or baseball contrasted with (say) a page dealing with baking fudge probably have different trajectories of "success" in remaining positive. (I am thinking about the inherent behavior of the potential community members themselves… one lends itself to polarized opinions with predictable “zealots” appearing in either camp, while the other community may be more welcoming of differing opinions and tastes). SO for example, thinking of an individual wearing that New York Yankees hat in Fenway Park on game day....vs... a group of bakers talking about chocolate vs. peanut butter fudge recipes…The former is likely to risk some taunting, a black eye, a broken tooth, and perhaps a small riot... while those in the latter group, might, at worst, receive only a cavity. Anyway, my point is that it might be interesting compare a couple of focused topics of conversation as a way of discovering a smaller sub-community that builds around a YouTube comment-board (With one engaging in a "Hot button" topic.... While the other group is discussing something seemingly non-polarizing.)[[User:Psl|Psl]] 12:00, 28 February 2014 (EST)

::Hate speech and Internet harassment are major players in the controversy surrounding freedom of speech. While it is a newsworthy topic, it is very broad and difficult to condense into a single essay. Building upon PSL’s suggestion about separating research, there are some controls you may wish to include in your research. For example, topics like a YouTube video claiming President Obama is the Anti-Christ are more likely to receive negative comments than a video of a kitten playing with yarn. Additionally, current events have a huge impact on the attention a video may receive. Looking back on the kitten video, there would be a massive public reaction if the yarn the kitten was playing with had a toxic dye in it that was killing kittens shortly after playing with it. Current events and the way stories are portrayed in the media have a significant impact over how users react in comment sections on YouTube. [[User:Julie|Julie]] 13:20, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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I really like your topic about company removing comments to avoid negativity on websites. I would like to comment on the part where Youtube is trying to enable a tool for the video up-loaders to review the comments before they are published. I understand this is a tool to avoid cyberbullying, however, I think this one tool might be over limiting on freedom of speech. Users can choose not to publish the comments that are harassing, they can also remove comments that are criticizing or even just some comments that they do not like. Youtube needs to control this tool in a better way to avoid that.

[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 15:17, 4 March 2014 (EST)
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*Ben Harmatz
*Government Entities: Internet Surveillance and Censorship
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Harvard_NSA_1_draft_copy.doc
[[User:Benh|Benh]] 16:49, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Ben. While I think your prospectus brings up the interesting and very pertinent topic of government control, surveillance, and censorship, I think that it is simply far too broad of a topic. For the assignment, we are supposed to monitor the activities of users on a particular site or group of sites, but looking at the internet as a whole is far too much for an 8-10 page paper! Perhaps consider government control, surveillance, and censorship while observing a particular website that has been named as a victim (by the media) of NSA's surveillance and dig deeper there. [[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 13:02, 28 February 2014 (EST)

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*Patricia Byrnes
*Title: Are moderators effective for policing and protecting a site from illegal use?
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Patricia_Byrnes_Assig._Two.doc
[[User:TriciaBy|TriciaBy]] 16:59, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:Patricia, First off, love your idea, moderating internet speech, as well as your methodology: if what you want to measure is moderating behavior, norms, and free speech concerns, the “Politics & Leaders” forum is a fantastic place to do so since It appears that discussions there can turn from heated to vituperative in the blink of an eye! With respect to your research question, by specifying “effective,” I assume that you will quantify instances of behavior that violate the established rules of the site. This method is good since you give yourself a verifiable and quantifiable measure. You can then use Lessig’s and other scholars work to explain these data. Now, you say that you wish to "research the rules and regulations of the site,” which looks like it might be an insurmountable task. I visited the site’s “Super Editor handbook” and I see that it is quite extensive. Perhaps you might want to focus specifically on one type of violation, such as "3.4.1 Discouraged Ranking Themes - Personal Experience / Personal Preference Rankings” ? [[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 23:00, 1 March 2014 (EST)

: This is a very interesting topic, and a complement of sorts to mine. As Vance has mentioned, it might be a good idea to focus on a single type of infringement. Also, keep in mind that looking up formal charges for infringement may not lead to a very accurate data point given that many take down notices are delivered through more traditional, private systems such as email (as an owner of several websites, I've received quite a few infringement notifications pertaining to content post by our users, all of them as a personal email, none through the official DMCA means or through our hosting provider). --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 12:23, 4 March 2014 (EST)

-------

*Name or pseudonym: Vance.Puchalski
*Regulators and the Spread of (Mis)Information
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Puchalski-Assignment2.docx
[[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 17:17, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:As an extension student and a reader of both sites, I agree that extension student is often more accurate especially due to the required affiliation. You should consider when collecting your data that often information is not so black and white. A lot of people on these treads seek opinion, which is more of a personal thought rather than right or wrong. A lot on forums is opinion based, not fact based and so I think you should prepare for your data to be filled with a lot of gray areas, which you might already be expecting. The correlation between accuracy and monitoring is certainty an interesting topic. Anyway, great research topic and I’m interested to see your findings. Good luck! [[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 21:20, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*A. Tom Anteus
*Cryptocurrency Uses in Conflict Zones Around the World
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Cryptocurrency_Uses_in_Conflict_Zones_Around_the_World.pdf
[[User:A. Tom Anteus|A. Tom Anteus]] 17:26, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Tom, intriguing topic! I'm a keen follower of the Bitcoin revolution myself so have been naturally drawn to your prospectus and Daniel's as well. However I would say its quite difficult to follow your proposal. I'm not quite sure how you intend to analyse and measure the use of cryptocurrency in conflict zones. Which conflict areas will you be targeting? Do you intend to follow forums or analyse chatter on various websites. If so, which ones? [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:36, 2 March 2014 (EST)

:: One interesting avenue to explore might be how government control of internet in countries like China affect, and could affect the adoption and use of Bitcoin. I've followed Bitcoin for a long time and one of my concerns has always been that Bitcoin is dependent on some infrastructure that is relatively vulnerable to government control and influence, and that if Bitcoin ever grew sufficiently to compete with official state currencies it might invite even more internet regulation. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 12:14, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Julie Dubela
*Mapping Social Media Debate on the OHCHR Report on North Korea
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Julie_Assignment2.txt
[[User:Julie|Julie]] 18:37, 25 February 2014 (EST)

Hi Julie, great prospectus. I find the whole North Korea situation appalling from a global response perspective. A lot of the articles, commentary and reactions from people around the world have been effectively muzzled. Your approach to analyse public reaction through social media is methodical and well thought through. Your plan to use specific tools to collect information from twitter hash tags, Google trends etc and follow up by analysing them to find common themes and trends is great. I look forward to reading the final report! [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:52, 2 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Julie! Good job on your topic selection. I think that you raised very interesting points that are worthy of discussion. The problematic of human rights in North Korea is a sensitive and complex one to deal with. However, I am very intrigued by your methodology and strategy to intelligently use social media and other reliable analytic to scale your findings. I personally did not know some of those tools that you intend to utilize to track and illustrate your results (so thank you for mentioning them on your prospectus). I'm absolutely looking forward to reading more and finding out how you would execute your strategy. [[User:cheikhmbacke|cheikhmbacke]] 14:44, 4 March 2014 (EST)
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*Andrew Grant
*Quantified Self and Qualified Liability: Strava and Lessig's Four Forces
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Andrew_Grant_Assigmnment_Two_02252014.docx
[[User:AndrewGrant|Andrew Grant]]

::Andrew, your prospectus sounds fantastic. Lots of interesting questions being asked in light of Lessig's Four Forces and the Quantified Self movement. I think that you many be asking too many questions for an 8-10 page paper, if you are to go into sufficient depth for each one. Do you think that it's realistic to answer the five research questions in so short of a paper? Other than that, I think you are off to a great start and I am interested in hearing more about it. [[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 11:49, 28 February 2014 (EST)

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In general, it might be helpful to state why your project is important and how the outcome of the research might help regulate/control or improve human behavior on the internet. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 19:58, 27 February 2014 (EST)

Assignment 2 Submissions

2014-03-04T20:17:44Z

Jolietheone: /* Comments */

{{AssignmentCal}}

===Submission Instructions===

''Please note that we have updated the [[Final_Project#Frequently_Asked_Questions|final project page's FAQ section]] based on some student questions that have come to us over the past week.''

This assignment is due on February 25. Grading for this assignment is on a 5-point scale; late assignments will be docked 1 point for each day they are late (assignments submitted 4 days late or later will have a maximum grade of 1 point).

Please name your file "wikiusername_Assignment2," where "wikiusername" is replaced with your username, to avoid overwriting someone else's assignment or causing errors in the Wiki by including forbidden characters.'' So if your username is "jdoe" and your file is a Word document your file should be named "jdoe_Assignment2.doc."

Upload your rough draft here: [[Special:Upload|Upload file]]. If you have trouble finding the file you uploaded, check the [[Special:ImageList|list of uploaded files]].

In the submissions section below please post the following information:

*Name or pseudonym:
*Prospectus title:
*Link to prospectus: (add your link here)

==Comments==

Everyone will receive an additional participation grade for this assignment. You should read through everyone's proposals after they are uploaded and add constructive comments below the proposal on which you're commenting. Comments should be submitted by March 5 so you have time to incorporate them, if applicable, into your project outline. '''Please remember to sign your comments by adding four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) to the end of your contribution. This will automatically add your username and the date/time of your post.''' If we don't know who you are we can't give you credit for finishing this assignment!

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*Name: Jolie Ho - Wan Lap Ho
*Instagram vs Flickr
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Jolie_Assignment_2.docx
[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 16:15, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: How do you propose to collect data to answer the last question? [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:22, 27 February 2014 (EST)

Hey Jolie! You picked a really fascinating topic to cover! Just a few thoughts I hope will help. How do you plan on pinpointing how all the users behave differently, just because there are so many registered accounts you might be able to find people who behave nearly the same or certain individuals who have accounts on both Instagram and Flickr. Just as a mere suggestion maybe you can find a niche that is unique to each site and compare them? Maybe Instagram has thousands of pictures of food and seflis while Flickr has more professional content? I hope this will help you! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:15, 1 March 2014 (EST)

::I really like your topic to dive into why Instagram has been so successful compared to Flicker. It may be interesting to compare the age groups of each users. Instagram seems more accessible because it is a phone app that is simple and immediate to use, whereas Flicker users upload a batch of vacation photos, etc. I like Emmanuel's suggestion to compare the content between users. Another suggestion which relates to the selfies/food photos may be to compare the users themselves. I think older people tend to use Flickr and therefore may not post as much. However, younger people (who no long user facebook) posting to instagram all the time would provide a way for facebook to get back that market. ([[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 14:31, 2 March 2014 (EST))

::Hi Jolie: This is a very interesting topic, with many possible areas focus on! (Also, a nice mix between the tech and creative worlds.) You mentioned that Instagram and Flickr diverge where mobile apps are concerned. This looked particularly interesting, especially following the Flickr app's overhaul. Anecdotally, via Twitter, it looked as though the Flickr update was a major talking point in both the Instagram and Flickr user groups. My thought was that it may be interesting to look at whether this major app update had any bearing on either of the two communities, as it may have impacted some of your research questions. Best! [[User:Twood|Twood]] 09:33, 4 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Jolie, good choice of topic. Flickr and Instagram are great examples of user generated content applications where control practices play a integral part. I like your idea to compare and contrast the sites. Also, I think it's insightful how you noted that Flickr has been around longer but is not as successful, and your desire to find out why, Instagram is more successful. That question I think, leads you into a analysis of the successful tactics of each site. However, instead of viewing their success in light of stock prices as is usually done, in keeping with our class theme it seems that you will ask how do the sites control practices help with their success or failure. Perhaps as you look for those answers, you may find some trends that other companies may want to emulate or avoid to make their sites/apps successful. Your research could lead to consulting work for you! All the best on your project.[[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 12:43, 4 March 2014 (EST)

:: Hello Jolie, very interesting topic choice, both Flickr and Instagram represent emerging content applications that are quite popular. My one concern with your topic would be your question pertaining to the behavior of users on the site. Both Flickr and Instagram are massive sites and would be very difficult to mine for information without some type of selection bias. Have you considered sourcing a third-party site that tracks information on these two applications? Possibly a forum about rules for these two sites? I just think it would be a very daunting task to use Flickr and Instagram as your sources. I can't wait to see the final result, good luck. [[User:Drogowski|Drogowski]] 14:05, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Drogowski - Daniel Rogowski
*Regulating Digital Currencies: The Bitcoin Conundrum
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Regulating_Digital_Currencies-_The_Bitcoin_Conundrum_Daniel_Rogowski.docx
[[User:Drogowski|Drogowski]] 14:58, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: How would this differ from other imaginary items of trade like currency/commodity derivatives and futures and virtual commodities like pork bellies? [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:17, 27 February 2014 (EST)

Dear Daniel,
What an interesting topic! I was not even aware that state governments recognized these currencies. Would you be able to come up with more material if you focus on one or two countries and their reaction to the online currency? Also Ichua gave great advice; maybe one country’s reaction and policies to multiple online currencies would help in the scope of observation. Your idea of creating a website to report and share your findings is really novel! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:26, 1 March 2014 (EST)

:: Very interesting topic Daniel. Ive been following the progress of Bitcoin as a personal interest. Apart from the regulatory challenges Bitcoin poses for Governments, its also vulnerable to cyber attacks which can erode trust in using the currency. Whilst the actual Bitcoin itself is heavily encrypted, the Bitcoin exchanges are vulnerable to hacking and cyber theft as evidenced recently by the successful attacks on Mt Gox, one of the world's largest Bitcoin exchanges. It would be interesting to observe the effect (if any) this would have on the regulatory view of the currency by Governments. [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:47, 2 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Daniel, you've picked an interesting, and narrowly defined topic, and you have concrete steps for your methodology of answering the questions that you've come up with. I think you have a very good framework with which to start your project, all that's left is to fill in the blanks to the outline you've created for yourself. Good work up front. Also, presenting your project in website form is quite appropriate I think for your topic, it underscores your point in a way.[[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 12:55, 4 March 2014 (EST)

::Great topic!! Have you considered discussing the ways in which bit coins are used for illegal purposes?(ex: The Silk Road- Where people can use bit coin to anonymously purchase illegal goods such as narcotics and firearms)
[[User:Benh|Benh]] 13:31, 4 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Daniel: This really is a fantastic topic! Your research questions are very focused, which is great given the many ways you could run with the subject. I'm not certain if this will help, but: Here in Canada, there has been quite a lot of coverage regarding Bitcoin ATMs popping up. Here's one such article: http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg-s-first-bitcoin-atm-now-accepting-cash-1.1688529. And another: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bitcoin-machine-comes-to-montreal-1.2525050. However, who knows how long these machines will remain in operation given the buzz now surrounding Canadian banking self-regulations: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/02/19/bitcoin-bank-of-montreal_n_4817319.html. Looking forward to reading more. [[User:Twood|Twood]] 14:37, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Pseudonym: Marissa1989
*Prospectus title: The rise of the collaborative consumption movement: Analyzing effective control of communication, structures of gaining trust & verification, and legal issues.
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment_2_Barkey-2.pdf
[[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 23:37, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:Hi, Marissa! I used AirBnB to rent out my apartment last summer and it actually resulted in me being robbed by the person to the tune of $10,000-- not including the rent for the summer, which he didn't pay (I didn't get any of it back, either, despite the insurance). It was a nasty situation. Anyways, from what I understand, the majority of communication on AirBnB is done privately. Without staging anything or intervening, how do you plan to observe enough to answer your question(s)? I think this is basically the same concern with one of the other treatments I read, regarding Facebook. I do think the security of platforms like AirBnB is of great concern and would be a very interesting subject to study in depth![[User:Castille|Castille]] 21:16, 28 February 2014 (EST)

Dear Marissa,
I loved the idea for your prospectus! Just as a suggestion, would you consider comparing a few corresponding sites like 9flats, Couchsurfing International, or Hospitality Club? You could analyze how they handle different verifiability and security issues while also comparing how the sites are constructed to better “vet” their users. This may yield insight on how trustworthy their users are to each other. You might even want to inquire if one has had “major” legal issues in the past. I hope this helps! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:32, 1 March 2014 (EST)

----
Greetings Marissa!

Your topic is very interesting and it appears we have a few of the same elements in the companies we have selected to research: Verification and trust. From what I understand, you are addressing issues of users on auction/garage sale platforms surrounding the tiers of user verifiability. In other words, who is protecting one user from being taken advantage of by another user.

The comment you posted on the wiki under my topic in regards to the effectiveness of how the sites that I have selected deal with inaccurate comments made about companies by the general public are dealt with is of great importance-the public can ruin a business for no other reason than spite. In other words, who protects the companies from users.

The proposal you submitted intrigues me in many ways. By studying the community of airbnb.com, it appears you will be analyzing the controls implemented to make the site successful (verification, quality feedback, security, payment, userability and collaboration).

In summary, it appears we are both working on protection issues, and if the verification process is significant enough to gain consumer trust.

Would you mind if I ask how you plan to analyze the user? I would be interested in your methodology, and we may even find each other’s approach helpful to each other. We may even be able to compare and contrast the communities with a similar approach and work together if you would be interested.
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 15:18, 3 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Marissa, great topic! You are hitting on many of the themes of the class with your proposal. One thing I thought about when reading your prospectus was how this collaborative way of business could be a model for types of activities. This community type platform that you are studying could be used in other settings that could help communities to work more closely together by sharing resources, and collaborating when they need to buy and sell things. Perhaps, your research will highlight the ways that these communities are successful and not successful. And furthermore, your research could highlight the processes that other businesses and governments could take to emulate the best of these sites(indirectly by from the behavior and processes you observe). I know that this is not necessarily what your research will be focused on but perhaps a social scientist or entrepreneur reading your final project with find tools within your analysis to help them to build something we might not have seen before. All the best on in your work![[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 13:19, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 18:36, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*Change.org vrs Ripp Off Report
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Harvard_Research_Paper-Final.docx

Dear Melissa,
What a great topic and area of coverage!!! I’m hoping my comments and questions will be of help to you! Which site succumbs more readily to outside pressure and take down requests? Also you mentioned that a susceptible compliant to both is that they are accused of not “vetting” their sources. You could possible test to see which one (if either of them do) checks them more thoroughly. This might be, and I know nothing about it, accomplished by putting posts of your own and noting if they require any amount of proof, citation, source, or quote of any kind. I really hope this helps you! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:35, 1 March 2014 (EST)

Thank you so much Emmanuel! Your ideas are superb and very helpful!
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 13:17, 3 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Melissa, these sites can be a boon for consumers in helping to identify unscrupulous businesses and thus avoiding them. The issue that I find with these sites, that's never been effectively dealt with, is how do they identify and remove potentially inaccurate comments attacking a business as a result of say, a personal vendetta by a disgruntled employee or a customer who was unreasonable. Many small and medium size businesses rely on word of mouth for new customers. If the site allows the comments to remain, it may affect the business. This in effect may lead to possible blackmail of businesses by threatening to post inaccurate information on these sites. I'm also very interested in the sample groups and postings that you choose. Great topic! [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:47, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Marissa, Excellent insight and the problems posed are valid. Your questions are helping to me and assist in narrowing the topic-which is clearly too broad at the moment.
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 13:17, 3 March 2014 (EST)

: Hi Melissa, Just a quick note, because I loved your prospectus so much (it's such a creative take on the assignment, but still seems to hit on all the prof's requirements, really amazing job). With your '''Q1''', ''Why would one site be more popular?''- I can;t help but wonder, does the fact that it has such a simple, perfect 1-word URL have any effect? Also, due to the time (2007) & place (USA) I automatically assumed this website was somehow related to Obama's election campaign- though from quick Google search there doesn't seem to be any direct link. Anyways, just wanted to say, I really like your prospectus. [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 21:49, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 14:32, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*Twitch Plays Pokémon – How Mediating Gameplay Changes the Game
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/MikeJohnson_Assignment2.docx

:Hey Mike, it would absolutely be my pleasure to provide feedback to you. I won't go too far before having the time to focus & read it completely- so my first feedback to you is: if you didn't pick such an interesting topic, I would have actually read the full prospectus. However after reading your first paragraph, I ended up watching TPP and reading its subreddit and forgot to finish reading your prospectus! hahaha. But this weekend I'll spend time focusing and try to provide you feedback, hopefully as good as the feedback you gave me (: [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 10:34, 28 February 2014 (EST)

::Hi Mike! After reading [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]]'s comments below, I'm kinda worried about posting my comments, cus I think I understood your questions from a different point of view.
::*First of all, my question- how do you approach your 2nd qualitative question? I'm not completely sure I understand what you mean by vulnerability.
::*Second, my advice, feel free to take it or leave it: to keep within scope of this project (2500 word paper seems so short!), I believe it may be easier to tackle Qualitative questions #1 & 3, and your second quantitative question (''Has it helped or hurt the game to impose such controls?''). I get the impression that these questions would be the ones that would be easiest to answer from following the community discussion on the subreddit. That being said, if we were writing 8000 word papers, it would be so much fun for you to really dive into the architecture & UX of the game itself, while paralleling it with the subreddit(!!!). Really awesome topic & prospectus.
::[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 22:16, 3 March 2014 (EST)

:After reading your prospectus, I have a few questions based on your questions, or maybe some questions that combine the ones you already have. It seems clear from what you write in your prospectus that the user experience is absolutely vulnerable to the controls imposed by the game, but I'm curious to know in what ways. Were users bumping up against controls they didn't like before there were changes, or was it only after the controls of the creator were made clear (he made himself known in an explicit way, rather than operating quietly in the background) that users began to find fault? (Another way of thinking about this might be- were a lot of users thinking about the controls imposed by the game before the creator's changes forced them to think about it?) If I understand the current set up correctly, it seems that users still have the option to have commands parsed as they go instead of waiting for them to be tallied and then implemented. So, were the controls only seen as problematic once users considered that there was one person making a decision that affected every user? Is the lack of democratic decision-making behind the scenes a bigger problem for users than the actual changes in user experience?

:As far as your quantitative question goes, I'm wondering if there's any way for you to know how many users stopped playing the game after the creator made changes? Do you have a means of seeing the changes over time? [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 14:16, 2 March 2014 (EST)

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*[[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 14:03, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*How does the online Flickr community operate within the Creative Commons feature? How do they share their work, and work together?
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Prospectus_for_final_paper_Michael_Thomas.docx

Dear Michael,
I find your prospective very interesting! I thought to give you these few suggestions. I hope they will help! You might want to see what percentage of Flickr users are a part of the Creative Commons community and whether it consists of a majority or a minority. Another area of research might be into the other forms of control that Flickr uses to protect copyrighted material, and then to compare them with Creative Commons to see if they are as effective, prevalent, or well known. Also, when there are infringements in copyright policy, do people respond to correction or do they just ignore and continue violating the rules? Lastly, how does the Creative Commons community handle repeat violators (if there are any)? Wish you the best! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:43, 1 March 2014 (EST)

You've mentioned architectural methods used to encourage correct attribution, but another architectural detail to consider is how and whether Flickr encourages users to publish their content under (cc) as opposed to (c) and if so, whether the users are in fact aware of the rights they retain and give away. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 12:28, 4 March 2014 (EST)

Hi Michael: I think this is an interesting and nicely focused way to examine Creative Commons — through one very robust example. And even if you don't end up using a comparison of communities in your final project, my thinking is that it may be worth doing a comparison, even for your own purposes. Perhaps a comparison with another leviathan of online Creative Commons, like a YouTube or Vimeo. Because, although their systems aren't perfect, the act of comparing and contrasting may offer some perspective. Just a thought. Hopefully it helps! [[User:Twood|Twood]] 15:02, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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[[User:Luciagamboaso|Luciagamboaso]] 10:42, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*Framework of control in government run collaborative platform
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment_2_LGS.docx‎

: Hi Lucia, are there specified rules of engagement so that government effort to filter or modify inappropriate inputs are minimized? [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 13:32, 25 February 2014 (EST)

Hi Lucia, This is looks to be very interesting - I was wondering if you can be more specific on what types of data the initiative is exploring. Are they looking for statistical data mainly, do you vote on what subjects you are going to put on the website or research? It looks like a great example of policy control via the government. I would to know more about the website and its overall goals - something that helps define its missions parameters, as I visited the website main page and got an idea of what they were saying - I am just needing some more clarity that's all. But again, the subject looks like a great idea and should be very interesting...[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 18:48, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Hey Lucía!
I think your choice of study fits perfectly with the theme of the course! Perhaps you can also investigate to see if they are stifling public opinion or whether they are flooding the docs with pro-government voices to influence the theme towards their agenda? Also as a suggestion, can you see if it is truly open to everyone? Maybe you would like to find another similar program that the government has tried in the past (assuming that they have tried). Do the number of participants fluxuate? Is there a trend in what the government sees as inappropriate? Or is it just random edits that are corrected by the government? I hope these comments can help you! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 00:13, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*Assignment 2:
*Gendered Online Communities: Targeted Harassment and Successful Interventions
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:akk22_assignment2.docx
*[[User:akk22|akk22]] 10:23, 25 February 2014 (EST)

::I'd really like to read and comment on your prospectus, but it seems like the file didn't upload. Happy to respond to it once it's up!
::[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 20:57, 26 February 2014 (EST)

:I second Jkelly's comment. This look very intriguing and I'd like to learn more about your plans for the project! [[User:Twood|Twood]] 23:14, 3 March 2014 (EST)

:Third. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 11:58, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Assignment 2:

*Can websites with online forums, control the behavior of its members for the sake of growth?

*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Dan_Coronado_assignmen_2b.docx

[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 09:47, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:Hello, Dan! Admittedly, I had never heard of “Anandtech.com” prior to reading your prospectus, but I’m glad that you told me about it. I really like their “Cable TVification” assessment of the internet in recent years. After reading your prospectus it seems to me that you are focusing on Lessig’s norms as regulators within the site’s forums, as well as “laws" instituted by the website. It is an interesting subject, because as you say, this particular forum is very successful in fostering an environment where users are likely to return. That said, I see that you qualify users of the site as “good,” and I’m curious to know how you will operationalize this term for your project. You mention words like “courteous” and “helpful,” but I’m wondering: what characteristics do you think you will look for when observing, in order to qualify a “good user.” For comparison, do you have an example of what behavior that “bad” users might entail? Lastly, I see that there are literally millions of post on the forum; you may wish to focus on a specific topic and/or date range in order to have a more manageable data set to observe. I’m interested to see what you’re project will entail, especially being that I am also observing forums for my project. [[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 23:00, 1 March 2014 (EST)

: Hi Vance, thanks for taking the time to look at my prospectus - Basically, what I meant to convey is that these are the characteristics of a "good" website, a website that demonstrates use and activity to by the administrators and its members/users. What I will be focusing in on is, how is the site's control policy administered and conveyed to its members, both historically and presently, through the links in my prospectus – and to answer your question about bad behavior in online forums, yes I will, as I think that is a critical component regarding context – And this also goes out too Marissa as well, what I really wanted to focus in on was how does bad behavior and is control policies in its forums, effect a webite economically - as I think ths would even go further towards Lessig's FOUR norms of regulation on where the dot lands - but for obvious reasons, that could end up being too big. However, I still might toss something like that in - My goal is to pick out a couple of instances of the control poliy being implemented and see what the results were based on specific incident/instance was there a ban and how long was it for - what was the reason, what was the community's response to that action and so forth... - Again, thanks for the input and suggestions.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 09:59, 3 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Dan, forums have proven very useful mediums for learning and troubleshooting. What would be interesting is how forums deal with covert advertising I.e. Forum posters who may be businesses, subtly advertising their own goods or services under the guise of responding to threads without paying for advertising rights. Would paid advertisers pose potential conflicts of interest to the neutrality of forums? I'd also be interested in seeing how you compare the Anandtech's forum controls against others. Would you choose similar types of forums with respect to content type? [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:47, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Marrisa, I tried to include your response with Vance's up top :O) [[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 09:59, 3 March 2014 (EST)

Hey Dan!
If you are mainly comparing Anandtech’s forum site policies, maybe you could also compare past versions of the rules? Also, you might want to see if Anandtech has any unique features in toxicity control that would make it standout from other less successful forums. Overall the concept is fantastic! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 00:16, 3 March 2014 (EST)

Hi Emmanuel, thanks for the feedback - ya, I am going to try and put some type of onus on Anandtech as well, and see if some of their reactions to their policies could be considered a little over zealous or a bit too far reaching. Most times, their admins/moderators are pretty decent, but again, like everyone else, there are times when a few of their admins/moderators could be having a bad day and maybe be a little too heavy handed - we'll see, stay tuned to find out. just a little humor :o) Thanks again for the input.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 09:59, 3 March 2014 (EST)

----

*Assignment Two:

*A Web of Lies and Licentious Lure: Temptation, Divorce, and the Internet

* http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Divorce_and_the_Internet_Harvard_Project.docx

--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 17:24, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:First of all, GREAT TITLE!!! Second of all, this seems like an extremely interesting subject and I'd love to read more about it. I do wonder whether you'll be able to get access to the material you might be looking for by doing "undercover investigation" and the other research methods you listed. It seems to me that the kind of exchanges you're discussing would be difficult to observe on Facebook as they likely wouldn't be out in the open. I may be completely mistaken, but I was also under the impression that the assignment encouraged examining a more open forum or something of the like where observation was more feasible. I know that there are public matchmaking sites and I would assume there are also forums geared towards those who wish to have illicit affairs, so that might be an area into which you may want to delve. [[User:Castille|Castille]] 02:19, 28 February 2014 (EST)

:I also love the topic and find the subject very interesting! I share Castille's concerns above. It seems challenging to get access to the materials you will need to answer these questions. I wonder if there is an open forum somewhere in the internet where angry divorcees can go to vent about how social media ruined their marriage? It may be a biased site, but it may provide resources to other statistics or materials that may help? Or if there is a community you could observe and monitor the degree of online flirting? ([[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 14:48, 2 March 2014 (EST))

Wow very cool subject - and one I am sure that deserves a lot of attention these days. With that said, it seems that this subject matter could be a thesis or dissertation as the material collected probably seems to be endless. I was wondering what specific community are you going to target on facebook, as this looks to be potentially a very large paper? I have to admit that I am fascinated to see what other statistics this might uncover, as I am sure we all have heard stories of spouses leaving their significant other for someone they met online. Yet maybe, you can focus on something more specific then a facebook community - as there might be other communities or even forums that have support groups for such instances or circumstances that you mentioned earlier. Maybe seeing how they interact with each other and what rules or policies can be observed and commented on. Overall the topic is really great and I am sure it will have some very interesting content that is fascinating.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 19:13, 2 March 2014 (EST)

:Your title choice definitely catches the eye and I think you are on to a very interesting subject choice here. I am going to echo the sentiment of a few others here who have pointed out that you may want to explore other forums for gathering information. I think a facebook community would be difficult to uncover what you are looking for. Is there a blog somewhere in which people go to ask advice in dealing with such issues? If this really contributes to 60% of divorces I am sure there are more sites out there that you can leverage for your research. It also seems to me like you are hinting at two different subjects, the first being pornography and divorce, the second being social media and divorce (in particular facebook). I would reccommend sticking to the first subject, not only is it more unique, but it also removes the issue associated with using facebook as a source (I think we were asked to avoid it). I think you have a great start here and can't wait to see the final result. [[User:Drogowski|Drogowski]] 13:56, 4 March 2014 (EST)

----
Very interesting subject matter Amy!

You may have selected one of the most controversial and highly emotional subjects out of all proposals presented. I would agree with Dancoron. The questions outlined could lead to a doctoral dissertation. Additionally, Castille does bring a good point to light, in that we are encouraged to avoid any work as an “alias”.

I think many of us are having trouble (to include myself) narrowing the research down to a tolerable amount of data collection for an in depth analysis.

In your proposal, you suggested comparing and contrasting divorce rates. What sources would you be comparing and contrasting? Are you speaking to different communities in the United States or on a larger level? Or, are you addressing the male/female divorce ratio?

Secondly, will you be cross-examining two nations who have access to Facebook, in efforts to compare and contrast divorce ratios in direct correlation to Facebook usage?

If your research goals are to use Facebook as the platform for study concerning divorce, it may be difficult to get access to this information unless you are accepted into a person’s profile, group or community. In efforts to stay objective, I don’t think you would want to study anyone that you personally know. Pornography could be a difficult study, in direct correlation to pornography with the controls Facebook allows for each individual user.

Would it be possible for you to follow a smaller, more open group that readily blogs/views pornography that is open to the public for data collection in a short period of time?

Unfortunately this is completely out of my arena. I have never been married and I don’t view porn sites. But, your topic is fabulously interesting.

Good luck with your research and I can’t wait to see your results.

--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 20:29, 3 March 2014 (EST)

----

*Assignment Two:
*Who has the right to control our personal genetic information?
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Monroe_Assignment_Two.docx

[[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 18:30, 23 February 2014 (EST)
: Hi Margo, I'm not sure if you'll ever read this, but if you do, would you by any chance be interested in working on your project in a group? I'm highly interested in this topic (in part because I'm considering founding my next startup in this field), and I've been following it both from a distance as an observer, and from the inside as a customer of 23andMe. I'd love to dig deeper and work with you on this project. Cheers, Philip Seyfi --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 19:28, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:Hi [[User:Margorm|Margorm]]! I love your topic. Your prospectus, combined with our brief discussions in class have really made me wonder- if 23andme is part of the first iteration of DNA decoding tools for personal use, where will we be in 25 years (: Just my general thoughts on this great topic- my comments specifically regarding your prospectus are below:
::*I really like that you asked whether the FDA is the best agency to regulate DNA testing, especially your last sentence ''what regulatory bodies outside of the FDA should be paying attention to this personalized and identifiable database?''. Throughout this class, I've had similar types of questions many times.
::*It is '''very''' cool that you are taking an empirical approach to the community discussion, however it seems that the data you will collect (assessing changes in attitudes of community members) will be more apt to answer your 2nd question (''How has the ban on delivering health-related risk assessments to the 23andMe community impacted the consumer’s trust toward the product?''), rather than the underlined question that I referred to in my previous bullet.
:Please note that I am most interested in your underlined question regarding the FDA! However my advice is that your second question regarding attitudes & trust may be easier to study with respect to your methodology.
:[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 12:07, 25 February 2014 (EST) - updated 03 March 2014 ~11pm

:It seems clear that although institutional positions and statements are mostly contrary to the patentability of human genes as such, however international patent offices (U.S., Europe, and Japan) have accepted the patenting of human DNA sequences if they meet the technical and legal requirements, including the “utility”. DNA occurs naturally in the human body and should not be patented by a single company that can then use its patents to limit scientific research and the free exchange of ideas. As said by Koepsell “Laws of patent are meant to be used to protect inventions — things that engineers are doing — not things that scientist discover” (Holman, 2007). A regulatory block of decoding tools for personal use would seem to be an exercise in economic control. I believe you'll find an ample supply of public opinion in regards to attitudes of community members. [[User:VACYBER|VACYBER]] 10:28, 4 March 2014 (EST)

-Margo- In relation to your topic, what is your opinion as to Apple recently integrating fingerprint scanners into the iPhone (5s)? Do you believe that Apple can store our personal information through this technology?
[[User:Benh|Benh]] 13:49, 4 March 2014 (EST)

:: Margo- Absolutely love the topic choice you've made. I recently took a course that focused on the ethics of biotechnology and found it to be one of the most intriguing topics I have studied. 23 & me is an excellent site to discuss in your work, as I am sure you are aware of the relationship between the site and google. There will be no shortage of sources for your research and I think judging from your prospectus you are off to an amazing start. If you would be interested in working together on this as a group project I would be very interested in collaborating with you. I would propose creating a website of our findings (which I can create) and can provide some additional insight on the topic. Please send me an email @ danielrogowski@fas.harvard.edu if that would interest you. Regards, Daniel. [[User:Drogowski|Drogowski]] 14:17, 4 March 2014 (EST)
----

[[User:Castille|Castille]] 18:58, 22 February 2014 (EST)
*Assignment Two:
*LESS IS MORE?; Tumblr's Policies Against Self-Harm
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:CastilleRath_ASSIGNMENT_TWO.doc

::Castille, I think you have a really excellent topic here. My first thought is that it would probably be helpful to choose a particular self-harming behavior that's discussed on Tumblr to help narrow the scope of your work. Additionally, while these issues can and often are related, I imagine that the Tumblr communities that surround each issue probably have a distinct culture. This topic makes me think of the Jessica McKenzie piece, "Obeying French Courts, Twitter Hands Over Identities of Users Who Employed Anti-Semitic Hashtag" we read in week four. I would be curious to know how many of the controversial hashtags are actually used in subversive ways. Some of the reactions to Tumblr's policy change seem to touch on this when users write that they use these tags to address their own struggle with self-harming behavior. After these policy changes got some press, did it shed enough light on these self-harm blogs to inspire users to use these potentially triggering hashtags in new and positive ways?
::[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 13:56, 26 February 2014 (EST)

::Thanks for your feedback! I'm planning to narrow the scope to primarily center on pro-suicide blog postings, but I think I'll have to use some other examples such as cutting and possibly even pro-eating disorder blogs, as they all seem to interact with each other. It appears from my research thus far that the communities are intrinsically linked much more so than I expected. I agree, it would be interesting to see if things have changed-- though I'm not quite sure how to gauge pre-policy versus post-policy changes. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them! [[User:Castille|Castille]] 02:19, 28 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Castille, fantastic topic! I like your approach to analysing this topic and its a subject which is very controversial & personal. I agree, the main challenge for any Government is to try and regulate the numerous blogs and hashtags on sites like Tumblr, effectively putting a suicide watch on them. Would this be an effective use of tax payer funds and how many suicides could this prevent? What would be the process be if a potential suicide victim was identified? We have to be careful not to act in a knee-jerk reaction when there is a death and expect the Government to do something about it. I think there needs to be a balance of responsibility between these site operators and the Government. I'm very interested in the outcome of your topic. [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:47, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Castille --

This is such an excellent topic choice and it is so important for our society today, in particular for the youth and young vulnerable minds of our generation. The fact that the site changed its policy to allow blogs that engaged in "discussion, support, encouragement, and documenting the experiences of those dealing with difficult conditions like anorexia, bulimia, and other forms of self-injury” may actually make the policy more convoluted for the website than it had hoped. In one sense, it seems that they were making amends to promote free speech and also to allow healthy dialogue about such behaviors. However, there becomes a "grey line" as to what discussions are supportive or encouraging against such behaviors. For example, an element of perception is involved in that some users (particularly immature, younger generations) may view discussion boards about anorexic "experiences" as an enticement of curiosity to engage in such behaviors rather than to refrain from them. As your research unfolds, it will be interesting to see how the "new" policy fares amongst the users. Often times, it seems when a website makes a new policy, it is loosely "enforced" for a while and then it eventually dies out and goes back to square one. Maybe a compare and contrast of the impact before and after the two policies were enacted could be an interesting angle.

I am interested in how you would monitor the data from the group within or just as an outside observer? You mentioned that you would like to join the group (if that is allowed), and I am thinking of doing the same thing in my research. However, someone had mentioned that this may not be allowed or that we are not supposed to use an alias? It looks like we both need to clarify this part.

Great work and I look forward to seeing the results!

--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 13:14, 4 March 2014 (EST)

----

*Watson
*To Publish Or Not: Social Media and the Syrian Conflict
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Watson_Assignment2.docx
[[User:Watson|Watson]] 23:33, 23 February 2014 (EST)

Greetings Watson!

A few questions:

How would you determine which distribution channel the Syrian opposition used the most?

How would you be able to detect the limitations of public information if it has not been disclosed?

If you were to select two media channels to compare/contrast, would there be enough data available in those two communities to properly “diagnose”, or is the data withheld from the public?

If you chart a paper on what capacitated the Syrian opposition groups to communicate their cause, will this information lead to a report or a true communal study on the Internet?

Very interesting proposal and I wish you the best in your research!

--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 20:47, 3 March 2014 (EST)

:This is a very interesting topic. There is a lot to examine here, especially since a large part of the attacks and arguments happened online. An interesting topic would be to mention the Syrian Electronic Army and the many acts of online vandalism that they did. You can find more info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Electronic_Army The Internet was certainly a tool in the conflict. An interesting focus would be to investigate their motives and the impact this electronic army had on the Syrian conflict.

[[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 21:01, 3 March 2014 (EST)

Greetings, Watson!

I am intrigued by your topic because I truly believe that social media is becoming the new stomping ground for collective action and has incredible potential to spawn modern revolutions of many types. Have you considered comparing and contrasting how the Wall Street movement/protest was influenced by social media comparable to the events in Syria? I read an article a while back that discussed how the internet in Syria was literally shut down for several days and there was great speculation that this was actually an inside job to prevent the power of social media and communication. What a frightening and disturbing abuse of power! This act alone may show to a certain extent how the power of the internet and social media was suppressed by the regime. I wish I could recall the article but if I find it I will send it your way.

I am speculative that social media is more powerful than youtube in terms of collective action, but this is a conjecture. The youtube video tried in that Garcia vs. Google case was said to have prompted the entire uprising yet only about 500 people had actually viewed the video. It seems the video became a type of "figure" for the push and was used as more of a platform by the social media community to promote action even if most had not even seen the video. For better of worse, the "mob mentality" is alive and well on the internet. In any event, I am curious to see how your research pans out!

--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 13:33, 4 March 2014 (EST)

------

*Assignment 2
* Instagram: a public space for free expression?
* http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:LRS_IS_prospectus.docx
[[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 21:42, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:: Laura – Instagram is not only the biggest mobile photo sharing app, but is also now owned by Facebook, and thus a disproportionate amount of mobile peer to peer communication falls to the censorship whims of this company. This is an incredibly worthy area to research, if not lofty. Since Instagram now allows direct, private communication of photos, you have to wonder if there is a difference in how moderated these communications are versus a post intended for the public that uses hashtags (let us not forget that the hashtag’s original use was searchability, not irony). That said it might be very difficult monitor the differences in speed and effectiveness of what gets censored without interfering with the community you’re observing. One way may be to follow news events (such as this recent one: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9448993) that show Instagram’s policy enforcement in action. The issue with that approach is that it is cherry picking the successful takedowns rather than observing uncensored posts that are breaking the terms of service. Another option may be monitoring Instagram’s list of banned hashtags and searching synonyms or alternate hashtags, but again this is a difficult aspect of their policy to observe in action.
::I believe there is still strategizing to be done to design your observation of the community, above merely reporting their policy. I hope my take somehow helps you with this endeavor!
::[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 09:55, 1 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi, Laura! I think Instagram is a really great topic and will provide a massive amount of material, which I think can be beneficial and detrimental. It seems you might want to consider focusing on a specific aspect of censorship on Instagram, like nudity, drug references, or profanity (if any of those are prohibited-- I don't know their specific terms of use). What aspect of Instagram's censorship do you find to have the highest potential to become problematic? Is their choice as a company to disallow certain messages/images actually infringing on free speech, when they don't have any power over whether an individual chooses to express himself (IE he/she is still capable of posting the material on another site), they merely control/monitor the postings on their own site? [[User:Castille|Castille]] 02:19, 28 February 2014 (EST)

Hi Laura!

I am not familiar with Instagram but I know it is a very popular application with my friends and I feel out of the loop for not being involved with it. As you mention this application is extremely popular worldwide so studying the nodes of its infrastructure and the social norms, policies, etc. associated with it is a valiant effort for understanding our modern generation and evolving cyber world. Are there any particular rules or norms that you are aiming to target? For example, perhaps studying one specific violations related to pornography, harmful behavior, violence, etc. may help to narrow it down. I admit I am not familiar with Instagram, but I would imagine a site of this magnitude has a tremendously challenging struggle in policing such offenses. Is there a way for users to report offenses observed within the community? If so, I would be curious to know how often reports are filed and whether or not they are acted on. Many times, I feel that users on sites like this witness offensive material but refrain from acting on it because they do not believe their report will be followed-up on. It would be interesting (I know this would be difficult to do) to find which types of users are most judicious in filing reports on offensive behavior. For example, I would guess that the teenage generation is less concerned or bothered by offensive material that may have become immune to them in contrast to members of the older generation that have jumped on the social media bandwagon later in life.

Best of luck in your cyber adventure!

--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 14:08, 4 March 2014 (EST)

----

* [[User:Jradoff|Jradoff]] 21:56, 24 February 2014 (EST)
* Comparing Regulation of Free Expression in Online Game Forums
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Prospectus-Radoff.txt Prospectus Text]

:Hi Jon- My first thoughts on your prospectus have to do with scope. In comparing these three different games, I think there might be too many factors to consider-- subscription-based vs. free, PC vs. iOS, etc. I wonder if it wouldn't be more manageable to tackle your research questions if you focused in on two games that were more similar so that you have fewer variables to contend with when you're thinking about your research questions. My instinct is that working with WoW and League of Legends would work since you can still attempt to tackle each of Lessig's four forces. I'm not sure how much the law in the US varies from that in Finland, but removing Clash of Clans from the equation might help the narrow your scope in that sense as well. [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 14:27, 2 March 2014 (EST)

----

* jkelly
* Does "toxic" online culture stifle feminist discourse?
* http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Jkelly_Assignment_2.odt
[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 22:15, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:: Jane – It is a great idea to compare feminist discussion within the confines of a feminist-oriented website to discussion in a public space without this slant. The regulations on discussion are obviously going to be wildly different in each of these communities. You identify Facebook and Twitter as less thoughtful in their discussion for feminist topics - perhaps as a result of their differences in comment policy? I was interested in the comment policy of Bitch Media that you mentioned in the prospectus, so I looked it up. (For others: it can be found here: http://bitchmagazine.org/comments-policy) One line that stood out to me was the following: “As far as moderation of this space goes, guest bloggers moderate the comments on their respective posts, but website moderators will step in when necessary.” – Does this mean that each blog post is technically regulated in a different way? It is not a deal killer if so, because it sparked the following idea: Because FB and Twitter are big places, could you find a smaller community (that is not inherently feminist-oriented) that is discussing the same thing as mentioned in one or a few of the Bitch Media posts, and compare the discussions directly? Just a thought!
::[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 11:54, 26 February 2014 (EST)

::Does ''anyone else'' see the awesome irony of a woman named Jane writing about Bitch magazine? Am I the only one on here who was a teenage girl in the '90s? I remember clear as day, reading [http://bitchmagazine.org/article/ten-things-hate-about-jane Bitch's criticisms of Jane] back in 1998. BTW [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] I hope you understand that as a very longtime fan of Bitch magazine I am in no way criticizing your project, I actually think it's '''such''' a cool topic. You & I would probably have been awesome friends as teenagers. p.s. This doesn't count as a comment on the prospectus!!! I hope. [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 21:44, 26 February 2014 (EST)

:::Haha, thanks so much for sharing that Erin!! I haven't had a chance to read the whole thing, but when you see words and phrases like "fake, sanctimonious," "self-obsessed," "narcissism," "blithe unconcern with which they suggest spending huge amounts of money on items of debatable utility," and "overweening focus on the superficial, ersatz do-it-for-you tone, and fake individualism" in just a quick scan of the article, it's bound to be a fun read. Thanks! [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 08:53, 27 February 2014 (EST)

----

*Name: Erin Saucke-Lacelle
*Prospectus title: Effect of rules & regulations on political discussion
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/ErinSaucke-Lacelle-Assignment2.pdf
[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 23:33, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Erin, I agree with your hypothesis about alienation. For example the weak and poor citizens do not have access to the internet and will be left out of the discussion. Their needs are often under-represented or not represented at all. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 08:04, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:::Thank you for the feedback [[User:Ichua|Ichua]]! Your comment makes me wonder though- for this project, we are assigned to studying an online community. Wouldn't the nature of the assignment therefore assume that all students completing this assignment will be leaving out the interest and opinions of people who do not have access to the Internet? Also, I am curious what you mean when you refer to 'weak' citizens? Again, thanks so much for the feedback! [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 11:47, 25 February 2014 (EST)

::::"Weak" = "Not powerful", have no voice or influence in government discussions and policy-making. Some politicians even believe these people should not participate in voting. Typically viewed as a country's liability rather than an asset. In a country like the Philippines with a total population of 90 million, a great economic revolution can happen if the 40 million in poverty and unemployed are mobilized. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 13:49, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Erin - I think the comparison of two subreddits with different regulations is a solid method of studying the effect of regulation on political discussion. I also believe the two subreddits you have chosen make for a great comparison. The only reservation I have in your prospectus is the focus on word count of the regulations as indicative of the rigor of the moderation. For example, one subreddit may simply say "Discussion of Russia is forbidden" - which in five words hampers more conversation than either of the two sets of regulations do in actuality. I do not think the word count is a meaningful statistic. Apropos your question of whether those without internet access will be under-represented in our studies, I would say that because we are focusing on specific small communities to begin with, we are under-representing the reactions (to control) of everyone in the world who is not in that community. The vast majority of the world is not included. Our focus is on only those within the community itself that we can observe. Ultimately I believe your project is designed very well. Since I too am studying a subreddit for my project, I will be following your progress closely!
::[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 11:23, 26 February 2014 (EST)

:::Hi [[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]]! Thank you very much for the feedback, very good point about the empirical data on the rules, hopefully I can expand when I have 2500 words to work with. BTW, I just wanted to comment- the question about people without Internet access was actually [[User:Ichua|Ichua]]'s question. My understanding of the assignment is to study ''only'' online communities for this assignment (and not offline humans, which excludes anyone who doesn't or can't access the Internets). My question that [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] commented on is whether ''"users are intimidated by the effort or research required to post, thus limiting participation to a narrow audience"''. Sidenote- '''Thank you''' very much for introducing us to the Twitch Plays Pokémon phenomenon in class. So freaking cool. My God do I ever love the Internet.-[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]]

:::: Thanks Erin! I think it is absolutely amazing as well, and I've never played Pokémon. If you would like to read my prospectus and help me think about potential research questions using their subreddit, I am all ears. [[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 11:34, 27 February 2014 (EST)

----

*Name: Ian Chua
*Prospectus title: Resolving National Issues With Online Collaborative And Interactive Cognitive Mapping
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/LSTU-E120_Assignment2_IanChua.pdf
[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 06:31, 25 February 2014 (EST)

: I learned from Erin that a project of this nature has its limitations. Government leaders or concerned individuals need to go to Ground Zero and observe for themselves the problems of the poor and weak citizenry. And if democratic rule has failed to eliminate poverty, why not consider compassionate rule?

::@[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] you know, I might be wrong!!! Not sure yet, I guess, til we hear back from more students, or the prof/TAs (: [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 15:40, 25 February 2014 (EST)

: Hi Ian, great topic and I like the innovative approach you're taking. I agree that social media is an important medium for Governments to gauge public mood or opinion. In fact, Australia's Prime Minister, Tony Abbott recently spent $4 million to analyse social media and gauge the public mood on certain policies he introduced. From my understanding, you're looking to build something like a mind map to organise the social media feedback and also meta tag it? This would effectively allow content to be searched and categorised similar to a knowledge base. Just a couple of questions though....How will you apply the cognitive map? Do you have a specific social media medium and Government in mind? Looking forward to reading the final outcome! [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:42, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Hi Ian, I believe your cognitive map is a great tool to solve the problem of transparency and traceability of complaints towards government policies posted on social media. However, I believe that building the tool yourself is not only time consuming but it makes the second part, which is the essence of the assignment, depend on the success of the map. I would propose for you to focus on a map that serves similar purposes (if existing) that is already running with an established community. I do not mean to get your hopes down but just help you be aware of the time constraints.

[[User:Luciagamboaso|Luciagamboaso]] 15:09, 4 March 2014 (EST)
----

*Name: P. Scott Lapinski
*Prospectus title: “Crowd Control”. Content and community controls which impact scholarly communication within the PubMed Commons scientific forum
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/PSL_Assignment2.rtf
[[User:Psl|Psl]] 11:57, 25 February 2014 (EST)

::I was unaware of this community exits, and I think it will be a great place for graduate students and researchers to find which papers they should be reading. For example, if I need to utilize a method that is slightly outside of my field, this community will help identify the appropriate and esteemed papers. This may also serve as a better model for Peer Review (one day). Because PubMed is already an exclusive database primarily for biomedical researchers, I am interested to what you observe. I am worried that because only pubmed users (or people using a University IP address) have access to pubmed articles, open access will play a minimal role in which articles spark more conversation. Unfortunately, people tend to converse about papers in high-impact journals like Nature and Science, and I would expect these articles to compete with the open access ones. Perhaps an observation of which articles receive complaints about not being open-access for the curious science lover who is no longer in academia may be an interesting perspective.. ([[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 13:45, 2 March 2014 (EST))

:::Hi Paul! Thank you for introducing me to PubMed Commons! I have to agree with [[User:Margorm|Margorm]]: people who are 'allowed' to comment on PubMed articles often have access to most articles through their Universities or Institutions. That being said, since first reading your prospectus, I've thought so much about the access to PubMed Commons. In order to be part of the community, the major factor is that you are an author of a paper appearing in PubMed. An author can 'invite themselves' only if PubMed has your email address on file. For personal/professional interest of being a member of this site, I've checked with 8 different people (who are all corresponding authors on separate PubMed articles) whether they could invite themselves, and only 1 of the 8 authors could gain access. I understand why it is important for PubMed to confirm identity, however I believe this factor will strongly limit the adoption of PubMed Commons. It should also be noted that I am not an average PubMed author- most scientists I talked to about this think 'social media is stupid' or a waste of time. Very few will go through the trouble of asking 8 separate authors to try to log in, until they find one person who can. However, exactly as Margo pointed out, "This may also serve as a better model for Peer Review (one day)".
:::[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 23:29, 3 March 2014 (EST)

----

*Name: VACYBER
*Prospectus title: Regulatory steps for hacking tools in light of the tremendous potential for fiscal and data loss
*Link to prospectus:http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:VACYBER_Assignment2.docx
[[User:VACYBER|VACYBER]] 12:46, 25 February 2014 (EST)

::I can see where this topic would make an interesting focal point for a review article or commentary on the exploitation opportunities, (legal and criminal) that open source software packages like these permit. As an administrator of several IT systems myself, reading your prospectus has made me curious to learn more about NESSUS and Metasploit, and perhaps use them to test out weaknesses in my own servers.

::Let's continue along that thought...and say I will download and experiment with this software... I'm using this scenario "hypothetically" in hopes that it may help you focus more on the key question(s) you are hoping to answer, and to also consider "from where" you will be able to make some observations to address that question. In other words, where might you be able to follow some online community activity over the next few weeks, and observe some interactions between the users, developers, and IT administrators who work with these software packages?

::So, after just now learning of these open source packages, I want to download them on my Linux box and experiment. I want to see how others have installed, implemented, and customized the software to exploit a variety of possibilities. Is there an open community where I can lurk and maybe participate in a discussion to learn about various ways I can use this software to test out my servers for vulnerabilities and bugs? What kind of controls might I be subjected to within that community that may prevent me from discussing specifics about what known vulnerabilities have been discovered, and what security holes one can exploit? If I discover a major security flaw, can (or should) I document this within that online community? Are there normative, legal, and/or architectural controls that prevent or discourage divulging too much information within his community? I noticed a discussion forum at http://discussions.nessus.org/welcome, and https://community.rapid7.com/community/metasploit... would these be the communities you were considering?

::Anyway, hoping this helps out. I just wanted to raise these questions as a way to help you identify the specific online community where some observable activity will occur, and focus in on what controls you hope to be able to see playing-out during the rest of the semester. You may already have that in mind, but it wasn't in the prospectus, so I thought I'd raise the questions here. I think knowing the answer to these questions will help put the ideas into the context of the Final Project's objectives and should also help with the next task of building the outline in Assignment 3. [[User:Psl|Psl]] 14:25, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Twood
*Prospectus Title: Online Independent Music Communities: The Mechanisms and Effects of Copyright Control
*Link: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Twood_Assignment2.rtf
[[User:Twood|Twood]] 14:03, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Somehow the uploaded RTF file had been converted to a CALC spreadsheet file, making some of the contents hard to read. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:08, 27 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Twood. I find your paper topic to be incredibly interesting and well-thought out. I wish I had constructive criticism to give you, but I find that you are on the right path. My only question at the moment: how do you plan on measuring the response of community members to the each sites' control mechanisms? [[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 11:41, 28 February 2014 (EST)

Hi Twood, I find this to be a very cool topic and being a musician myself, makes it even more so. I have never ever been a fan of sampling music outright and then adding a new beat and some remixing to make it one's own, just not my style. I like the prospect of you examining a smaller or less commercialized community musically (as compared to You tube). Again, as own who owns small studio at home and records pretty solidly, it is always great to see musicians recording and producing their own stuff from scratch with small home studio setups. I hope you show an example of a community catching someone in the act of stealing another's music or idea and what the outcome of that interaction will be - because as musicians we always borrow, modify or improves someone else's cord progression or guitar lick to make it our own. So, it would be great to see if you could hint about that distinction - as I am sure it comes up a lot in communities like this. But, overall really nice topic to concentrate on.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 19:42, 2 March 2014 (EST)

----------

*Name: Cheikh Mbacke
*Prospectus Title: Re/Code: A Neutral Endorser of Disruptive Technology Companies
*Link: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Cheikh_Mbacke_Assignment_2.txt
[[User:cheikhmbacke|cheikhmbacke]] 15:15, 25 February 2014 (EST)

: Cheikh, I'm looking forward to reading your paper. Online technology journalism is indeed a most interesting industry... after all, a tech journalist with sufficient influence can single-handedly kill an up and coming technology project with billions in R&D costs, and this is particularly worrying given how easy it is for a competing company with a sufficient budget to influence said journalists, as well as how often these journalists write reviews having used the product in questions for mere minutes, or without necessary expertise in the are where such product can be useful. That said, my suggestion to you is to narrow your topic to one single research question. At the moment, you paper risks going astray as you intend to cover a wide array of very different concerns. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 12:06, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Emmanuelsurillo
*Prospectus title: "emmanuelsurillo_Assignment2.doc."
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:%22emmanuelsurillo_Assignment2.doc.%22.docx [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:41, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:You raise some great research questions to examine within these communities. You might want to narrow your focus more. Will you be talking about the legalities of “jail-breaking” and it’s effect on the Apple and Android market? Considering the topics we discussed in class, it might be interesting to develop your research to mention the view of major companies toward these forums and the rogue developers. Once an iphone is jail-broken, it losses its apple warranty coverage. This might be a topic you want to bring up with your research. Good luck! [[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 21:36, 3 March 2014 (EST)
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Greetings Emmanuel,

You have selected a really “hot” topic. Mobile applications appear to be taking over actual web development these days. I’m in the process of creating a new site, for the general public, to locate assistance after they have been harmed by other entities. The developer of my site highly recommended that I create a mobile app at the same time. He is correct and the only reason I do not plan to follow his suggestion is directly related to cost.

I’m unclear of the real statistics, but Internet users seem to be using phones as their selected source of information more frequently than computers. Most people carry their phones (even to bed) but fewer seem to be in constant travel with their laptop.

I am not familiar with the sites you listed in your proposal since I am not a mobile application developer, but I am happy to learn there are forums to enhance applications through large communities.

It appears many of our classmates are attempting to use a compare/contrast approach, which seems logical, if we want to identify how resourceful one community is versus another. Your research will be extremely useful to many, and I would like to pass your results onto my developer after you have completed all the hard work (smile).

A few questions for you:

“I want to compare how useful and productive these web sites are to the users end for accomplishing these goals.”

1. How do you plan to compare and contrast the central 7-9 questions outlined in your proposal for the final project? In other words, will you be able to summarize the data from each research question in one succinct paragraph to meet the page requirements?
2. Do you think it would be easier to select 2-3 questions presented in your proposal to dig a little deeper or perhaps ask a few others from the class to join you on a team to cover all the questions presented?

I ask these questions, because I am struggling with these issues myself. I believe if I ask enough people in our community who are using a similar approach, I will (eventually) determine a model that may be useful for my own research.

Another suggestion: Could we potentially find a group of people in our research community (class) that are interested in using a similar approach, but still collectively analyze the communities we selected for personal purposes? In other words, I am certain most students have selected the entities of study for some reason, such as personal satisfaction or business achievement. However, Andy has made it clear that he would entertain teams multiple times. In fact, the option has been posted on every page of our instructions for the main project. In fact, the option has been posted so many times that I am beginning to think he may be giving us a subtle hint or clue: “This assignment will be more effective if you work collectively together and you may gain more valuable research by teaming”. I don’t read minds, but…

Example:

I am attempting to look at the effectiveness of two sites created to allegedly help people who have been taken advantage of by either an entity or a person. Section 203 under the Communication Decency Act assists people in their ability to say whatever they think, regardless if correct.

You are comparing two mobile application sites to analyze how useful and productive the sites are for the users to include accuracy and validity.

Marissa is researching the validity of airbnb.com, and looking at the controls put in place by the website to protect people.

I still have many proposals to read today, but it does appear that many of us are running in a few general hypothetical areas of question:

Which site is more effective due to the controls implemented by the site itself? (Compare/Contrast)

Can the data on these sites be considered valid? Is so, why or why not?

Could we potentially work together on a research methodology for all three sites to compare and contrast if the model is effective in and of itself while measuring the data across the board for multiple communications? In summary, we could compare and contrast the model that we collectively created against the sites we personally selected.

My biggest concern with many of our proposals is that they are too broad and we will not find the depth. Most of our topics could be potential dissertations; unfortunately we are lacking 5 years of research time (smile). I plan to look for commonality in proposals submitted-perhaps we can all make this better together. Could we potentially try to use our class community to research the depth of the Internet communities.?

Just thoughts.

Cheers!
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 17:07, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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Hi Emmanuel,

Great topic!!
I am not sure if you would like to go into that direction, but from my point of view, I would say there is a big difference in the active level between iphone users via Android users in forum.
Iphone users are usually not as active as Android users in forum. And I think this is a really interesting topic to look into.

On the other hand, I think it would be a good idea to narrow down your topic as there are 9 research questions that you are planning to coverin your paper. It would be difficult to talk about each question in depth with the words limit.

[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 03:42, 4 March 2014 (EST)

Hello Emmanuel,
Have you considered discussing recent legislation rendering unlocking phones illegal in the United states?
[[User:Benh|Benh]] 14:11, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 15:42, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*Architectural choices for a better Q&A community (StackOverflow)
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/LSTUE-120Assignment2.pdf

::Hi [[User:Seifip|Seifip]]! Few bits of feedback for you. First of all, I like that you tied back to Lessig's regulators. Very strong prospectus overall. Second, I wonder how you define an ''effective way of shaping an online community'' ? I assume that you didn't define 'effective' because of the 400-word limit for this assignment. My advice would be for you to perhaps draw specific comparisons between StackOverflow and another online developer support community. Alternatively (and perhaps more fun), you might change the phrasing of your research question to something like 'In what ways does X architectural element affect conversation on StackOverflow?'. Overall though, I think this is a very strong topic for your final project, because developer communities are some of the most in-depth technical discussions on the web. [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 23:47, 3 March 2014 (EST)

::: Thanks for your feedback, Erin! I'll consider narrowing down the research question to a single element. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 10:57, 4 March 2014 (EST)

::
Hi Philip,
Great topic! I think that, given the increase in number of programmers relying more and more on credible forums Such as StackOverflow (which has elements of Wikis, blogs, etc) for Q&A, API, CMS, and other Web documentations, it's not only relevant to reflect on the architecture of such forums but necessary as well. You raised a very interesting question about the effectiveness of shaping an online community based on that community's user interface's architecture. I definitely encourage you to proceed with this great topic and look forward to reading more.
By the way, thank you very much for your valuable time and feedback. Indeed, I will take your observations into consideration. --[[User:cheikhmbacke|cheikhmbacke]] 13:13, 4 March 2014 (EST)

::Philip, total code noob here!...
As stated, "genuinely dangerous" wikis, etc. are problems. Can you show how the architecture of StackOverflow corrals, or fails to corral, the potentially dangerous code within its architecture. Is the architecture of StackOverflow analogous to architecture in the physical world, e.g., holding cells, drunk tanks, SCIF "skiff" areas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensitive_Compartmented_Information_Facility, not to mention bank vaults, moats (water and dry), atm machines, and police car backseats, etc? What are the structural components used to contain the potentially dangerous code? Again, can physical architecture be used to explain the structural elements, e.g., bricks/mortar, razor wire/concertina wire/barbed wire, reinforced steel? Personally, I'd love to know as I went to school for architecture, yet I’m not strictly working in the field, and I find the concept of computing architecture fascinating... are there parallels that can be used to build a better site, have they been used, can parallels be made for the non-informed reader?

Are we to assume that StackOverflow has configured a successful or unsuccessful solution? Is it better, worse, or different than its rivals? Is it successful, and thus continues to exist (and possibly thrive), because of the criticisms from Programming Reddit and Experts Exchange users?

Your Lessig quote, can you expound upon it within the paper? If so, perhaps, providing example(s)of what it means in re your project?

Is there a better way of delineating the questions in StackedOverflow that have been skewed beyond their original intention?[[User:A. Tom Anteus|A. Tom Anteus]] 14:57, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Art.Mescon
*Title: Do Etsy’s regulations aim to help buyers and/or sellers or are they primarily protective of the company itself, leaving third parties on their own to seek out reputable transaction partners?
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Art.Mescon_Assignment2.docx

::You raise some great ideas in your prospectus that would make for an interesting research paper around Etsy. However, I wonder if it might be best to focus more on the controls for which you can already observe playing out within the Etsy community's online activities? In other words, the community norms and architecture controls within Etsy itself (user-"self-regulation" and Etsy's-"private-regulation") might be the most reliable "observable data" that you will be able to anticipate over the next few weeks. The government level controls (public-regulation) you suggest may require moving outside this community, and I am not sure that a useful discussion (with observational data) will be possible within the page limit, nor would it be crucial to answering your research question.

::I like the research question very much, and I think it couches the challenges you hope to observe within the methodology you propose. Also, I anticipate that the community interactions over the next couple of months should provide you with enough observational data to answer your question. One more tip on the question... What would you think about starting the question with "How" rather than "Do"...? Play around with the phrase of your question, and see how it feels. My thinking is that you will allow yourself some flexibility in what you will truly have to report on when it comes time to write up the results. The answer to a "Do" question requires one to choose a yes or no and your findings will likely challenge any "absolute" judgment call... So don't let yourself get cornered into having to make that choice (at least not at this early stage). By starting the question with "How do Etsy’s regulations...", will allow you to have more flexibility to report on what the observations will show, and your can balance your discussion section on some good and not-so-good controls that play out over the next few weeks.

::Last point. In your sentence "I intend to identify how Etsy controls, or fails to control content in a manner that is advantageous to their users.", I wasn't sure if by "users" you meant the buyers, sellers, or both. My mind is interpreting that "user" is the buyer in this sentence’s context, and the word "content" is used to define both the items and community sellers that are being controlled. True? That distinction may be important to clarify as the full report gets written, because the Etsy controls and observations being gathered will (I suspect) impact buyers vs sellers vs content each a little differently. On a similar note... To cut down on the need to follow every buyer, seller and thing in "Top Searches" for this community, do you think it would be helpful to focus on just one type of craft? I don't know enough about Etsy specifically to determine if that would work for this project, but it might be another way to find a sub-group/sub-community limit, and still provide you with enough observational data to draw some conclusions.

::Hoping these comments are helpful! [[User:Psl|Psl]] 12:22, 28 February 2014 (EST)

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Title: YouTube Comment Filtering and Other Cyberbullying Initiatives

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Lpereira_Prospectus.docx

[[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 16:07, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Might be interesting to determine whether and how Youtube encourages positive comments and discourage negative or hate comments. Ultimately, it would be ideal if the character of misbehaving individuals could be improved. Some ideas might be the use of "Like" and "Dislike" votes on these comments and/or the award/deduction of "attitude points". The individuals posting hate and aggressive comments could be prohibited from further postings if the attitude point reaches a certain limit. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:02, 27 February 2014 (EST)

::I really like the focal point you will be observing, and you are quite right in pointing out that this "negativity" is becoming an unfortunate reality for many "open comment" sections within these online spaces. Even what can begin as constructive dialog and healthy debate, can quickly degenerate into blather, flames, and hate words when anonymity can be so effectively used as a shield. Interestingly, we can't always point our finger at just one "troll" injecting some deliberate provocation...because sometimes the breakdown occurs with the 3 or 4 community members who (hither to) we're exchanging words in a perfectly eloquent & respectful manner. But the hate, racism, and bullying that poison the dialog on these comment-boards are on a much more disturbing level, and one that certainly will make for an interesting study.

::So, The broad question that I am hearing in your prospectus is "What are the most important controls that an online service provider can successfully implement to intercept and discourage cyberbullying, hate-speech, and irrelevant negativity? The sub-question then would be "How effective and/or constraining are those controls on the community's ability to engage with each other in a meaningful unbiased dialog about the content? (YouTube in this example)?

::Have you given some thought to the subject matter that you will focus on, as a way to observe how these comments progress? It may be helpful to put your lens onto a consistent subject to observe the cycle of communication. From there you should be able to witness what prompts the conversation to begin in the first place; when do counter-points get introduced, how long is constructive dialog able to bridge back and fourth, what is the "poison-pill" that kills the conversation, and when do the controls kick-in?. (Observing where the controls kick in would obviously be the essential part to report on, not so much each of those elements of the cycle of communication I itemized there.)

::I’d be curious to also know if the observation shows that the cycle of communication is more (or less) positive throughout based on the type of subject that initiates the conversation? News stories on "hot button" topics or baseball contrasted with (say) a page dealing with baking fudge probably have different trajectories of "success" in remaining positive. (I am thinking about the inherent behavior of the potential community members themselves… one lends itself to polarized opinions with predictable “zealots” appearing in either camp, while the other community may be more welcoming of differing opinions and tastes). SO for example, thinking of an individual wearing that New York Yankees hat in Fenway Park on game day....vs... a group of bakers talking about chocolate vs. peanut butter fudge recipes…The former is likely to risk some taunting, a black eye, a broken tooth, and perhaps a small riot... while those in the latter group, might, at worst, receive only a cavity. Anyway, my point is that it might be interesting compare a couple of focused topics of conversation as a way of discovering a smaller sub-community that builds around a YouTube comment-board (With one engaging in a "Hot button" topic.... While the other group is discussing something seemingly non-polarizing.)[[User:Psl|Psl]] 12:00, 28 February 2014 (EST)

::Hate speech and Internet harassment are major players in the controversy surrounding freedom of speech. While it is a newsworthy topic, it is very broad and difficult to condense into a single essay. Building upon PSL’s suggestion about separating research, there are some controls you may wish to include in your research. For example, topics like a YouTube video claiming President Obama is the Anti-Christ are more likely to receive negative comments than a video of a kitten playing with yarn. Additionally, current events have a huge impact on the attention a video may receive. Looking back on the kitten video, there would be a massive public reaction if the yarn the kitten was playing with had a toxic dye in it that was killing kittens shortly after playing with it. Current events and the way stories are portrayed in the media have a significant impact over how users react in comment sections on YouTube. [[User:Julie|Julie]] 13:20, 4 March 2014 (EST)

----
I really like your topic about company removing comments to avoid negativity on websites. I would like to comment on the part where Youtube is trying to enable a tool for the video up-loaders to review the comments before they are published. I understand this is a tool to avoid cyberbullying, however, I think this one tool might be over limiting on freedom of speech. Users can choose not to publish the comments that are harassing, they can also remove comments that are criticizing or even just some comments that they do not like. Youtube needs to control this tool in a better way to avoid that.

[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 15:17, 4 March 2014 (EST)
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*Ben Harmatz
*Government Entities: Internet Surveillance and Censorship
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Harvard_NSA_1_draft_copy.doc
[[User:Benh|Benh]] 16:49, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Ben. While I think your prospectus brings up the interesting and very pertinent topic of government control, surveillance, and censorship, I think that it is simply far too broad of a topic. For the assignment, we are supposed to monitor the activities of users on a particular site or group of sites, but looking at the internet as a whole is far too much for an 8-10 page paper! Perhaps consider government control, surveillance, and censorship while observing a particular website that has been named as a victim (by the media) of NSA's surveillance and dig deeper there. [[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 13:02, 28 February 2014 (EST)

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*Patricia Byrnes
*Title: Are moderators effective for policing and protecting a site from illegal use?
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Patricia_Byrnes_Assig._Two.doc
[[User:TriciaBy|TriciaBy]] 16:59, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:Patricia, First off, love your idea, moderating internet speech, as well as your methodology: if what you want to measure is moderating behavior, norms, and free speech concerns, the “Politics & Leaders” forum is a fantastic place to do so since It appears that discussions there can turn from heated to vituperative in the blink of an eye! With respect to your research question, by specifying “effective,” I assume that you will quantify instances of behavior that violate the established rules of the site. This method is good since you give yourself a verifiable and quantifiable measure. You can then use Lessig’s and other scholars work to explain these data. Now, you say that you wish to "research the rules and regulations of the site,” which looks like it might be an insurmountable task. I visited the site’s “Super Editor handbook” and I see that it is quite extensive. Perhaps you might want to focus specifically on one type of violation, such as "3.4.1 Discouraged Ranking Themes - Personal Experience / Personal Preference Rankings” ? [[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 23:00, 1 March 2014 (EST)

: This is a very interesting topic, and a complement of sorts to mine. As Vance has mentioned, it might be a good idea to focus on a single type of infringement. Also, keep in mind that looking up formal charges for infringement may not lead to a very accurate data point given that many take down notices are delivered through more traditional, private systems such as email (as an owner of several websites, I've received quite a few infringement notifications pertaining to content post by our users, all of them as a personal email, none through the official DMCA means or through our hosting provider). --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 12:23, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name or pseudonym: Vance.Puchalski
*Regulators and the Spread of (Mis)Information
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Puchalski-Assignment2.docx
[[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 17:17, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:As an extension student and a reader of both sites, I agree that extension student is often more accurate especially due to the required affiliation. You should consider when collecting your data that often information is not so black and white. A lot of people on these treads seek opinion, which is more of a personal thought rather than right or wrong. A lot on forums is opinion based, not fact based and so I think you should prepare for your data to be filled with a lot of gray areas, which you might already be expecting. The correlation between accuracy and monitoring is certainty an interesting topic. Anyway, great research topic and I’m interested to see your findings. Good luck! [[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 21:20, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*A. Tom Anteus
*Cryptocurrency Uses in Conflict Zones Around the World
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Cryptocurrency_Uses_in_Conflict_Zones_Around_the_World.pdf
[[User:A. Tom Anteus|A. Tom Anteus]] 17:26, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Tom, intriguing topic! I'm a keen follower of the Bitcoin revolution myself so have been naturally drawn to your prospectus and Daniel's as well. However I would say its quite difficult to follow your proposal. I'm not quite sure how you intend to analyse and measure the use of cryptocurrency in conflict zones. Which conflict areas will you be targeting? Do you intend to follow forums or analyse chatter on various websites. If so, which ones? [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:36, 2 March 2014 (EST)

:: One interesting avenue to explore might be how government control of internet in countries like China affect, and could affect the adoption and use of Bitcoin. I've followed Bitcoin for a long time and one of my concerns has always been that Bitcoin is dependent on some infrastructure that is relatively vulnerable to government control and influence, and that if Bitcoin ever grew sufficiently to compete with official state currencies it might invite even more internet regulation. --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 12:14, 4 March 2014 (EST)

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*Julie Dubela
*Mapping Social Media Debate on the OHCHR Report on North Korea
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Julie_Assignment2.txt
[[User:Julie|Julie]] 18:37, 25 February 2014 (EST)

Hi Julie, great prospectus. I find the whole North Korea situation appalling from a global response perspective. A lot of the articles, commentary and reactions from people around the world have been effectively muzzled. Your approach to analyse public reaction through social media is methodical and well thought through. Your plan to use specific tools to collect information from twitter hash tags, Google trends etc and follow up by analysing them to find common themes and trends is great. I look forward to reading the final report! [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:52, 2 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Julie! Good job on your topic selection. I think that you raised very interesting points that are worthy of discussion. The problematic of human rights in North Korea is a sensitive and complex one to deal with. However, I am very intrigued by your methodology and strategy to intelligently use social media and other reliable analytic to scale your findings. I personally did not know some of those tools that you intend to utilize to track and illustrate your results (so thank you for mentioning them on your prospectus). I'm absolutely looking forward to reading more and finding out how you would execute your strategy. [[User:cheikhmbacke|cheikhmbacke]] 14:44, 4 March 2014 (EST)
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*Andrew Grant
*Quantified Self and Qualified Liability: Strava and Lessig's Four Forces
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Andrew_Grant_Assigmnment_Two_02252014.docx
[[User:AndrewGrant|Andrew Grant]]

::Andrew, your prospectus sounds fantastic. Lots of interesting questions being asked in light of Lessig's Four Forces and the Quantified Self movement. I think that you many be asking too many questions for an 8-10 page paper, if you are to go into sufficient depth for each one. Do you think that it's realistic to answer the five research questions in so short of a paper? Other than that, I think you are off to a great start and I am interested in hearing more about it. [[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 11:49, 28 February 2014 (EST)

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In general, it might be helpful to state why your project is important and how the outcome of the research might help regulate/control or improve human behavior on the internet. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 19:58, 27 February 2014 (EST)

Assignment 2 Submissions

2014-03-04T08:42:41Z

Jolietheone: /* Comments */

{{AssignmentCal}}

===Submission Instructions===

''Please note that we have updated the [[Final_Project#Frequently_Asked_Questions|final project page's FAQ section]] based on some student questions that have come to us over the past week.''

This assignment is due on February 25. Grading for this assignment is on a 5-point scale; late assignments will be docked 1 point for each day they are late (assignments submitted 4 days late or later will have a maximum grade of 1 point).

Please name your file "wikiusername_Assignment2," where "wikiusername" is replaced with your username, to avoid overwriting someone else's assignment or causing errors in the Wiki by including forbidden characters.'' So if your username is "jdoe" and your file is a Word document your file should be named "jdoe_Assignment2.doc."

Upload your rough draft here: [[Special:Upload|Upload file]]. If you have trouble finding the file you uploaded, check the [[Special:ImageList|list of uploaded files]].

In the submissions section below please post the following information:

*Name or pseudonym:
*Prospectus title:
*Link to prospectus: (add your link here)

==Comments==

Everyone will receive an additional participation grade for this assignment. You should read through everyone's proposals after they are uploaded and add constructive comments below the proposal on which you're commenting. Comments should be submitted by March 5 so you have time to incorporate them, if applicable, into your project outline. '''Please remember to sign your comments by adding four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) to the end of your contribution. This will automatically add your username and the date/time of your post.''' If we don't know who you are we can't give you credit for finishing this assignment!

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*Name: Jolie Ho - Wan Lap Ho
*Instagram vs Flickr
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Jolie_Assignment_2.docx
[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 16:15, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: How do you propose to collect data to answer the last question? [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:22, 27 February 2014 (EST)

Hey Jolie! You picked a really fascinating topic to cover! Just a few thoughts I hope will help. How do you plan on pinpointing how all the users behave differently, just because there are so many registered accounts you might be able to find people who behave nearly the same or certain individuals who have accounts on both Instagram and Flickr. Just as a mere suggestion maybe you can find a niche that is unique to each site and compare them? Maybe Instagram has thousands of pictures of food and seflis while Flickr has more professional content? I hope this will help you! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:15, 1 March 2014 (EST)

::I really like your topic to dive into why Instagram has been so successful compared to Flicker. It may be interesting to compare the age groups of each users. Instagram seems more accessible because it is a phone app that is simple and immediate to use, whereas Flicker users upload a batch of vacation photos, etc. I like Emmanuel's suggestion to compare the content between users. Another suggestion which relates to the selfies/food photos may be to compare the users themselves. I think older people tend to use Flickr and therefore may not post as much. However, younger people (who no long user facebook) posting to instagram all the time would provide a way for facebook to get back that market. ([[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 14:31, 2 March 2014 (EST))

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*Name: Drogowski - Daniel Rogowski
*Regulating Digital Currencies: The Bitcoin Conundrum
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Regulating_Digital_Currencies-_The_Bitcoin_Conundrum_Daniel_Rogowski.docx
[[User:Drogowski|Drogowski]] 14:58, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: How would this differ from other imaginary items of trade like currency/commodity derivatives and futures and virtual commodities like pork bellies? [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:17, 27 February 2014 (EST)

Dear Daniel,
What an interesting topic! I was not even aware that state governments recognized these currencies. Would you be able to come up with more material if you focus on one or two countries and their reaction to the online currency? Also Ichua gave great advice; maybe one country’s reaction and policies to multiple online currencies would help in the scope of observation. Your idea of creating a website to report and share your findings is really novel! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:26, 1 March 2014 (EST)

::
Very interesting topic Daniel. Ive been following the progress of Bitcoin as a personal interest. Apart from the regulatory challenges Bitcoin poses for Governments, its also vulnerable to cyber attacks which can erode trust in using the currency. Whilst the actual Bitcoin itself is heavily encrypted, the Bitcoin exchanges are vulnerable to hacking and cyber theft as evidenced recently by the successful attacks on Mt Gox, one of the world's largest Bitcoin exchanges. It would be interesting to observe the effect (if any) this would have on the regulatory view of the currency by Governments. [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:47, 2 March 2014 (EST)

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*Pseudonym: Marissa1989
*Prospectus title: The rise of the collaborative consumption movement: Analyzing effective control of communication, structures of gaining trust & verification, and legal issues.
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment_2_Barkey-2.pdf
[[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 23:37, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:Hi, Marissa! I used AirBnB to rent out my apartment last summer and it actually resulted in me being robbed by the person to the tune of $10,000-- not including the rent for the summer, which he didn't pay (I didn't get any of it back, either, despite the insurance). It was a nasty situation. Anyways, from what I understand, the majority of communication on AirBnB is done privately. Without staging anything or intervening, how do you plan to observe enough to answer your question(s)? I think this is basically the same concern with one of the other treatments I read, regarding Facebook. I do think the security of platforms like AirBnB is of great concern and would be a very interesting subject to study in depth![[User:Castille|Castille]] 21:16, 28 February 2014 (EST)

Dear Marissa,
I loved the idea for your prospectus! Just as a suggestion, would you consider comparing a few corresponding sites like 9flats, Couchsurfing International, or Hospitality Club? You could analyze how they handle different verifiability and security issues while also comparing how the sites are constructed to better “vet” their users. This may yield insight on how trustworthy their users are to each other. You might even want to inquire if one has had “major” legal issues in the past. I hope this helps! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:32, 1 March 2014 (EST)

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Greetings Marissa!

Your topic is very interesting and it appears we have a few of the same elements in the companies we have selected to research: Verification and trust. From what I understand, you are addressing issues of users on auction/garage sale platforms surrounding the tiers of user verifiability. In other words, who is protecting one user from being taken advantage of by another user.

The comment you posted on the wiki under my topic in regards to the effectiveness of how the sites that I have selected deal with inaccurate comments made about companies by the general public are dealt with is of great importance-the public can ruin a business for no other reason than spite. In other words, who protects the companies from users.

The proposal you submitted intrigues me in many ways. By studying the community of airbnb.com, it appears you will be analyzing the controls implemented to make the site successful (verification, quality feedback, security, payment, userability and collaboration).

In summary, it appears we are both working on protection issues, and if the verification process is significant enough to gain consumer trust.

Would you mind if I ask how you plan to analyze the user? I would be interested in your methodology, and we may even find each other’s approach helpful to each other. We may even be able to compare and contrast the communities with a similar approach and work together if you would be interested.
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 15:18, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 18:36, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*Change.org vrs Ripp Off Report
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Harvard_Research_Paper-Final.docx

Dear Melissa,
What a great topic and area of coverage!!! I’m hoping my comments and questions will be of help to you! Which site succumbs more readily to outside pressure and take down requests? Also you mentioned that a susceptible compliant to both is that they are accused of not “vetting” their sources. You could possible test to see which one (if either of them do) checks them more thoroughly. This might be, and I know nothing about it, accomplished by putting posts of your own and noting if they require any amount of proof, citation, source, or quote of any kind. I really hope this helps you! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:35, 1 March 2014 (EST)

Thank you so much Emmanuel! Your ideas are superb and very helpful!
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 13:17, 3 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Melissa, these sites can be a boon for consumers in helping to identify unscrupulous businesses and thus avoiding them. The issue that I find with these sites, that's never been effectively dealt with, is how do they identify and remove potentially inaccurate comments attacking a business as a result of say, a personal vendetta by a disgruntled employee or a customer who was unreasonable. Many small and medium size businesses rely on word of mouth for new customers. If the site allows the comments to remain, it may affect the business. This in effect may lead to possible blackmail of businesses by threatening to post inaccurate information on these sites. I'm also very interested in the sample groups and postings that you choose. Great topic! [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:47, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Marissa, Excellent insight and the problems posed are valid. Your questions are helping to me and assist in narrowing the topic-which is clearly too broad at the moment.
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 13:17, 3 March 2014 (EST)

: Hi Melissa, Just a quick note, because I loved your prospectus so much (it's such a creative take on the assignment, but still seems to hit on all the prof's requirements, really amazing job). With your '''Q1''', ''Why would one site be more popular?''- I can;t help but wonder, does the fact that it has such a simple, perfect 1-word URL have any effect? Also, due to the time (2007) & place (USA) I automatically assumed this website was somehow related to Obama's election campaign- though from quick Google search there doesn't seem to be any direct link. Anyways, just wanted to say, I really like your prospectus. [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 21:49, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 14:32, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*Twitch Plays Pokémon – How Mediating Gameplay Changes the Game
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/MikeJohnson_Assignment2.docx

:Hey Mike, it would absolutely be my pleasure to provide feedback to you. I won't go too far before having the time to focus & read it completely- so my first feedback to you is: if you didn't pick such an interesting topic, I would have actually read the full prospectus. However after reading your first paragraph, I ended up watching TPP and reading its subreddit and forgot to finish reading your prospectus! hahaha. But this weekend I'll spend time focusing and try to provide you feedback, hopefully as good as the feedback you gave me (: [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 10:34, 28 February 2014 (EST)

::Hi Mike! After reading [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]]'s comments below, I'm kinda worried about posting my comments, cus I think I understood your questions from a different point of view.
::*First of all, my question- how do you approach your 2nd qualitative question? I'm not completely sure I understand what you mean by vulnerability.
::*Second, my advice, feel free to take it or leave it: to keep within scope of this project (2500 word paper seems so short!), I believe it may be easier to tackle Qualitative questions #1 & 3, and your second quantitative question (''Has it helped or hurt the game to impose such controls?''). I get the impression that these questions would be the ones that would be easiest to answer from following the community discussion on the subreddit. That being said, if we were writing 8000 word papers, it would be so much fun for you to really dive into the architecture & UX of the game itself, while paralleling it with the subreddit(!!!). Really awesome topic & prospectus.
::[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 22:16, 3 March 2014 (EST)

:After reading your prospectus, I have a few questions based on your questions, or maybe some questions that combine the ones you already have. It seems clear from what you write in your prospectus that the user experience is absolutely vulnerable to the controls imposed by the game, but I'm curious to know in what ways. Were users bumping up against controls they didn't like before there were changes, or was it only after the controls of the creator were made clear (he made himself known in an explicit way, rather than operating quietly in the background) that users began to find fault? (Another way of thinking about this might be- were a lot of users thinking about the controls imposed by the game before the creator's changes forced them to think about it?) If I understand the current set up correctly, it seems that users still have the option to have commands parsed as they go instead of waiting for them to be tallied and then implemented. So, were the controls only seen as problematic once users considered that there was one person making a decision that affected every user? Is the lack of democratic decision-making behind the scenes a bigger problem for users than the actual changes in user experience?

:As far as your quantitative question goes, I'm wondering if there's any way for you to know how many users stopped playing the game after the creator made changes? Do you have a means of seeing the changes over time? [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 14:16, 2 March 2014 (EST)

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*[[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 14:03, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*How does the online Flickr community operate within the Creative Commons feature? How do they share their work, and work together?
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Prospectus_for_final_paper_Michael_Thomas.docx

Dear Michael,
I find your prospective very interesting! I thought to give you these few suggestions. I hope they will help! You might want to see what percentage of Flickr users are a part of the Creative Commons community and whether it consists of a majority or a minority. Another area of research might be into the other forms of control that Flickr uses to protect copyrighted material, and then to compare them with Creative Commons to see if they are as effective, prevalent, or well known. Also, when there are infringements in copyright policy, do people respond to correction or do they just ignore and continue violating the rules? Lastly, how does the Creative Commons community handle repeat violators (if there are any)? Wish you the best! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:43, 1 March 2014 (EST)

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[[User:Luciagamboaso|Luciagamboaso]] 10:42, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*Framework of control in government run collaborative platform
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment_2_LGS.docx‎

: Hi Lucia, are there specified rules of engagement so that government effort to filter or modify inappropriate inputs are minimized? [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 13:32, 25 February 2014 (EST)

Hi Lucia, This is looks to be very interesting - I was wondering if you can be more specific on what types of data the initiative is exploring. Are they looking for statistical data mainly, do you vote on what subjects you are going to put on the website or research? It looks like a great example of policy control via the government. I would to know more about the website and its overall goals - something that helps define its missions parameters, as I visited the website main page and got an idea of what they were saying - I am just needing some more clarity that's all. But again, the subject looks like a great idea and should be very interesting...[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 18:48, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Hey Lucía!
I think your choice of study fits perfectly with the theme of the course! Perhaps you can also investigate to see if they are stifling public opinion or whether they are flooding the docs with pro-government voices to influence the theme towards their agenda? Also as a suggestion, can you see if it is truly open to everyone? Maybe you would like to find another similar program that the government has tried in the past (assuming that they have tried). Do the number of participants fluxuate? Is there a trend in what the government sees as inappropriate? Or is it just random edits that are corrected by the government? I hope these comments can help you! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 00:13, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*Assignment 2:
*Gendered Online Communities: Targeted Harassment and Successful Interventions
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:akk22_assignment2.docx
*[[User:akk22|akk22]] 10:23, 25 February 2014 (EST)

::I'd really like to read and comment on your prospectus, but it seems like the file didn't upload. Happy to respond to it once it's up!
::[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 20:57, 26 February 2014 (EST)

:I second Jkelly's comment. This look very intriguing and I'd like to learn more about your plans for the project! [[User:Twood|Twood]] 23:14, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*Assignment 2:

*Can websites with online forums, control the behavior of its members for the sake of growth?

*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Dan_Coronado_assignmen_2b.docx

[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 09:47, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:Hello, Dan! Admittedly, I had never heard of “Anandtech.com” prior to reading your prospectus, but I’m glad that you told me about it. I really like their “Cable TVification” assessment of the internet in recent years. After reading your prospectus it seems to me that you are focusing on Lessig’s norms as regulators within the site’s forums, as well as “laws" instituted by the website. It is an interesting subject, because as you say, this particular forum is very successful in fostering an environment where users are likely to return. That said, I see that you qualify users of the site as “good,” and I’m curious to know how you will operationalize this term for your project. You mention words like “courteous” and “helpful,” but I’m wondering: what characteristics do you think you will look for when observing, in order to qualify a “good user.” For comparison, do you have an example of what behavior that “bad” users might entail? Lastly, I see that there are literally millions of post on the forum; you may wish to focus on a specific topic and/or date range in order to have a more manageable data set to observe. I’m interested to see what you’re project will entail, especially being that I am also observing forums for my project. [[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 23:00, 1 March 2014 (EST)

: Hi Vance, thanks for taking the time to look at my prospectus - Basically, what I meant to convey is that these are the characteristics of a "good" website, a website that demonstrates use and activity to by the administrators and its members/users. What I will be focusing in on is, how is the site's control policy administered and conveyed to its members, both historically and presently, through the links in my prospectus – and to answer your question about bad behavior in online forums, yes I will, as I think that is a critical component regarding context – And this also goes out too Marissa as well, what I really wanted to focus in on was how does bad behavior and is control policies in its forums, effect a webite economically - as I think ths would even go further towards Lessig's FOUR norms of regulation on where the dot lands - but for obvious reasons, that could end up being too big. However, I still might toss something like that in - My goal is to pick out a couple of instances of the control poliy being implemented and see what the results were based on specific incident/instance was there a ban and how long was it for - what was the reason, what was the community's response to that action and so forth... - Again, thanks for the input and suggestions.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 09:59, 3 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi Dan, forums have proven very useful mediums for learning and troubleshooting. What would be interesting is how forums deal with covert advertising I.e. Forum posters who may be businesses, subtly advertising their own goods or services under the guise of responding to threads without paying for advertising rights. Would paid advertisers pose potential conflicts of interest to the neutrality of forums? I'd also be interested in seeing how you compare the Anandtech's forum controls against others. Would you choose similar types of forums with respect to content type? [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:47, 2 March 2014 (EST)

Marrisa, I tried to include your response with Vance's up top :O) [[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 09:59, 3 March 2014 (EST)

Hey Dan!
If you are mainly comparing Anandtech’s forum site policies, maybe you could also compare past versions of the rules? Also, you might want to see if Anandtech has any unique features in toxicity control that would make it standout from other less successful forums. Overall the concept is fantastic! [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 00:16, 3 March 2014 (EST)

Hi Emmanuel, thanks for the feedback - ya, I am going to try and put some type of onus on Anandtech as well, and see if some of their reactions to their policies could be considered a little over zealous or a bit too far reaching. Most times, their admins/moderators are pretty decent, but again, like everyone else, there are times when a few of their admins/moderators could be having a bad day and maybe be a little too heavy handed - we'll see, stay tuned to find out. just a little humor :o) Thanks again for the input.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 09:59, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*Assignment Two:

*A Web of Lies and Licentious Lure: Temptation, Divorce, and the Internet

* http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Divorce_and_the_Internet_Harvard_Project.docx

--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 17:24, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:First of all, GREAT TITLE!!! Second of all, this seems like an extremely interesting subject and I'd love to read more about it. I do wonder whether you'll be able to get access to the material you might be looking for by doing "undercover investigation" and the other research methods you listed. It seems to me that the kind of exchanges you're discussing would be difficult to observe on Facebook as they likely wouldn't be out in the open. I may be completely mistaken, but I was also under the impression that the assignment encouraged examining a more open forum or something of the like where observation was more feasible. I know that there are public matchmaking sites and I would assume there are also forums geared towards those who wish to have illicit affairs, so that might be an area into which you may want to delve. [[User:Castille|Castille]] 02:19, 28 February 2014 (EST)

:I also love the topic and find the subject very interesting! I share Castille's concerns above. It seems challenging to get access to the materials you will need to answer these questions. I wonder if there is an open forum somewhere in the internet where angry divorcees can go to vent about how social media ruined their marriage? It may be a biased site, but it may provide resources to other statistics or materials that may help? Or if there is a community you could observe and monitor the degree of online flirting? ([[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 14:48, 2 March 2014 (EST))

Wow very cool subject - and one I am sure that deserves a lot of attention these days. With that said, it seems that this subject matter could be a thesis or dissertation as the material collected probably seems to be endless. I was wondering what specific community are you going to target on facebook, as this looks to be potentially a very large paper? I have to admit that I am fascinated to see what other statistics this might uncover, as I am sure we all have heard stories of spouses leaving their significant other for someone they met online. Yet maybe, you can focus on something more specific then a facebook community - as there might be other communities or even forums that have support groups for such instances or circumstances that you mentioned earlier. Maybe seeing how they interact with each other and what rules or policies can be observed and commented on. Overall the topic is really great and I am sure it will have some very interesting content that is fascinating.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 19:13, 2 March 2014 (EST)

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Very interesting subject matter Amy!

You may have selected one of the most controversial and highly emotional subjects out of all proposals presented. I would agree with Dancoron. The questions outlined could lead to a doctoral dissertation. Additionally, Castille does bring a good point to light, in that we are encouraged to avoid any work as an “alias”.

I think many of us are having trouble (to include myself) narrowing the research down to a tolerable amount of data collection for an in depth analysis.

In your proposal, you suggested comparing and contrasting divorce rates. What sources would you be comparing and contrasting? Are you speaking to different communities in the United States or on a larger level? Or, are you addressing the male/female divorce ratio?

Secondly, will you be cross-examining two nations who have access to Facebook, in efforts to compare and contrast divorce ratios in direct correlation to Facebook usage?

If your research goals are to use Facebook as the platform for study concerning divorce, it may be difficult to get access to this information unless you are accepted into a person’s profile, group or community. In efforts to stay objective, I don’t think you would want to study anyone that you personally know. Pornography could be a difficult study, in direct correlation to pornography with the controls Facebook allows for each individual user.

Would it be possible for you to follow a smaller, more open group that readily blogs/views pornography that is open to the public for data collection in a short period of time?

Unfortunately this is completely out of my arena. I have never been married and I don’t view porn sites. But, your topic is fabulously interesting.

Good luck with your research and I can’t wait to see your results.

--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 20:29, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*Assignment Two:
*Who has the right to control our personal genetic information?
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Monroe_Assignment_Two.docx

[[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 18:30, 23 February 2014 (EST)
: Hi Margo, I'm not sure if you'll ever read this, but if you do, would you by any chance be interested in working on your project in a group? I'm highly interested in this topic (in part because I'm considering founding my next startup in this field), and I've been following it both from a distance as an observer, and from the inside as a customer of 23andMe. I'd love to dig deeper and work with you on this project. Cheers, Philip Seyfi --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 19:28, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:Hi [[User:Margorm|Margorm]]! I love your topic. Your prospectus, combined with our brief discussions in class have really made me wonder- if 23andme is part of the first iteration of DNA decoding tools for personal use, where will we be in 25 years (: Just my general thoughts on this great topic- my comments specifically regarding your prospectus are below:
::*I really like that you asked whether the FDA is the best agency to regulate DNA testing, especially your last sentence ''what regulatory bodies outside of the FDA should be paying attention to this personalized and identifiable database?''. Throughout this class, I've had similar types of questions many times.
::*It is '''very''' cool that you are taking an empirical approach to the community discussion, however it seems that the data you will collect (assessing changes in attitudes of community members) will be more apt to answer your 2nd question (''How has the ban on delivering health-related risk assessments to the 23andMe community impacted the consumer’s trust toward the product?''), rather than the underlined question that I referred to in my previous bullet.
:Please note that I am most interested in your underlined question regarding the FDA! However my advice is that your second question regarding attitudes & trust may be easier to study with respect to your methodology.
:[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 12:07, 25 February 2014 (EST) - updated 03 March 2014 ~11pm

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[[User:Castille|Castille]] 18:58, 22 February 2014 (EST)
*Assignment Two:
*LESS IS MORE?; Tumblr's Policies Against Self-Harm
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:CastilleRath_ASSIGNMENT_TWO.doc

::Castille, I think you have a really excellent topic here. My first thought is that it would probably be helpful to choose a particular self-harming behavior that's discussed on Tumblr to help narrow the scope of your work. Additionally, while these issues can and often are related, I imagine that the Tumblr communities that surround each issue probably have a distinct culture. This topic makes me think of the Jessica McKenzie piece, "Obeying French Courts, Twitter Hands Over Identities of Users Who Employed Anti-Semitic Hashtag" we read in week four. I would be curious to know how many of the controversial hashtags are actually used in subversive ways. Some of the reactions to Tumblr's policy change seem to touch on this when users write that they use these tags to address their own struggle with self-harming behavior. After these policy changes got some press, did it shed enough light on these self-harm blogs to inspire users to use these potentially triggering hashtags in new and positive ways?
::[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 13:56, 26 February 2014 (EST)

::Thanks for your feedback! I'm planning to narrow the scope to primarily center on pro-suicide blog postings, but I think I'll have to use some other examples such as cutting and possibly even pro-eating disorder blogs, as they all seem to interact with each other. It appears from my research thus far that the communities are intrinsically linked much more so than I expected. I agree, it would be interesting to see if things have changed-- though I'm not quite sure how to gauge pre-policy versus post-policy changes. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them! [[User:Castille|Castille]] 02:19, 28 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Castille, fantastic topic! I like your approach to analysing this topic and its a subject which is very controversial & personal. I agree, the main challenge for any Government is to try and regulate the numerous blogs and hashtags on sites like Tumblr, effectively putting a suicide watch on them. Would this be an effective use of tax payer funds and how many suicides could this prevent? What would be the process be if a potential suicide victim was identified? We have to be careful not to act in a knee-jerk reaction when there is a death and expect the Government to do something about it. I think there needs to be a balance of responsibility between these site operators and the Government. I'm very interested in the outcome of your topic. [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:47, 2 March 2014 (EST)

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*Watson
*To Publish Or Not: Social Media and the Syrian Conflict
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Watson_Assignment2.docx
[[User:Watson|Watson]] 23:33, 23 February 2014 (EST)

Greetings Watson!

A few questions:

How would you determine which distribution channel the Syrian opposition used the most?

How would you be able to detect the limitations of public information if it has not been disclosed?

If you were to select two media channels to compare/contrast, would there be enough data available in those two communities to properly “diagnose”, or is the data withheld from the public?

If you chart a paper on what capacitated the Syrian opposition groups to communicate their cause, will this information lead to a report or a true communal study on the Internet?

Very interesting proposal and I wish you the best in your research!

--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 20:47, 3 March 2014 (EST)

:This is a very interesting topic. There is a lot to examine here, especially since a large part of the attacks and arguments happened online. An interesting topic would be to mention the Syrian Electronic Army and the many acts of online vandalism that they did. You can find more info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Electronic_Army The Internet was certainly a tool in the conflict. An interesting focus would be to investigate their motives and the impact this electronic army had on the Syrian conflict.

[[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 21:01, 3 March 2014 (EST)

------

*Assignment 2
* Instagram: a public space for free expression?
* http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:LRS_IS_prospectus.docx
[[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 21:42, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:: Laura – Instagram is not only the biggest mobile photo sharing app, but is also now owned by Facebook, and thus a disproportionate amount of mobile peer to peer communication falls to the censorship whims of this company. This is an incredibly worthy area to research, if not lofty. Since Instagram now allows direct, private communication of photos, you have to wonder if there is a difference in how moderated these communications are versus a post intended for the public that uses hashtags (let us not forget that the hashtag’s original use was searchability, not irony). That said it might be very difficult monitor the differences in speed and effectiveness of what gets censored without interfering with the community you’re observing. One way may be to follow news events (such as this recent one: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9448993) that show Instagram’s policy enforcement in action. The issue with that approach is that it is cherry picking the successful takedowns rather than observing uncensored posts that are breaking the terms of service. Another option may be monitoring Instagram’s list of banned hashtags and searching synonyms or alternate hashtags, but again this is a difficult aspect of their policy to observe in action.
::I believe there is still strategizing to be done to design your observation of the community, above merely reporting their policy. I hope my take somehow helps you with this endeavor!
::[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 09:55, 1 March 2014 (EST)

::Hi, Laura! I think Instagram is a really great topic and will provide a massive amount of material, which I think can be beneficial and detrimental. It seems you might want to consider focusing on a specific aspect of censorship on Instagram, like nudity, drug references, or profanity (if any of those are prohibited-- I don't know their specific terms of use). What aspect of Instagram's censorship do you find to have the highest potential to become problematic? Is their choice as a company to disallow certain messages/images actually infringing on free speech, when they don't have any power over whether an individual chooses to express himself (IE he/she is still capable of posting the material on another site), they merely control/monitor the postings on their own site? [[User:Castille|Castille]] 02:19, 28 February 2014 (EST)

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* [[User:Jradoff|Jradoff]] 21:56, 24 February 2014 (EST)
* Comparing Regulation of Free Expression in Online Game Forums
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Prospectus-Radoff.txt Prospectus Text]

:Hi Jon- My first thoughts on your prospectus have to do with scope. In comparing these three different games, I think there might be too many factors to consider-- subscription-based vs. free, PC vs. iOS, etc. I wonder if it wouldn't be more manageable to tackle your research questions if you focused in on two games that were more similar so that you have fewer variables to contend with when you're thinking about your research questions. My instinct is that working with WoW and League of Legends would work since you can still attempt to tackle each of Lessig's four forces. I'm not sure how much the law in the US varies from that in Finland, but removing Clash of Clans from the equation might help the narrow your scope in that sense as well. [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 14:27, 2 March 2014 (EST)

----

* jkelly
* Does "toxic" online culture stifle feminist discourse?
* http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Jkelly_Assignment_2.odt
[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 22:15, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:: Jane – It is a great idea to compare feminist discussion within the confines of a feminist-oriented website to discussion in a public space without this slant. The regulations on discussion are obviously going to be wildly different in each of these communities. You identify Facebook and Twitter as less thoughtful in their discussion for feminist topics - perhaps as a result of their differences in comment policy? I was interested in the comment policy of Bitch Media that you mentioned in the prospectus, so I looked it up. (For others: it can be found here: http://bitchmagazine.org/comments-policy) One line that stood out to me was the following: “As far as moderation of this space goes, guest bloggers moderate the comments on their respective posts, but website moderators will step in when necessary.” – Does this mean that each blog post is technically regulated in a different way? It is not a deal killer if so, because it sparked the following idea: Because FB and Twitter are big places, could you find a smaller community (that is not inherently feminist-oriented) that is discussing the same thing as mentioned in one or a few of the Bitch Media posts, and compare the discussions directly? Just a thought!
::[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 11:54, 26 February 2014 (EST)

::Does ''anyone else'' see the awesome irony of a woman named Jane writing about Bitch magazine? Am I the only one on here who was a teenage girl in the '90s? I remember clear as day, reading [http://bitchmagazine.org/article/ten-things-hate-about-jane Bitch's criticisms of Jane] back in 1998. BTW [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] I hope you understand that as a very longtime fan of Bitch magazine I am in no way criticizing your project, I actually think it's '''such''' a cool topic. You & I would probably have been awesome friends as teenagers. p.s. This doesn't count as a comment on the prospectus!!! I hope. [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 21:44, 26 February 2014 (EST)

:::Haha, thanks so much for sharing that Erin!! I haven't had a chance to read the whole thing, but when you see words and phrases like "fake, sanctimonious," "self-obsessed," "narcissism," "blithe unconcern with which they suggest spending huge amounts of money on items of debatable utility," and "overweening focus on the superficial, ersatz do-it-for-you tone, and fake individualism" in just a quick scan of the article, it's bound to be a fun read. Thanks! [[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 08:53, 27 February 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Erin Saucke-Lacelle
*Prospectus title: Effect of rules & regulations on political discussion
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/ErinSaucke-Lacelle-Assignment2.pdf
[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 23:33, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Erin, I agree with your hypothesis about alienation. For example the weak and poor citizens do not have access to the internet and will be left out of the discussion. Their needs are often under-represented or not represented at all. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 08:04, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:::Thank you for the feedback [[User:Ichua|Ichua]]! Your comment makes me wonder though- for this project, we are assigned to studying an online community. Wouldn't the nature of the assignment therefore assume that all students completing this assignment will be leaving out the interest and opinions of people who do not have access to the Internet? Also, I am curious what you mean when you refer to 'weak' citizens? Again, thanks so much for the feedback! [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 11:47, 25 February 2014 (EST)

::::"Weak" = "Not powerful", have no voice or influence in government discussions and policy-making. Some politicians even believe these people should not participate in voting. Typically viewed as a country's liability rather than an asset. In a country like the Philippines with a total population of 90 million, a great economic revolution can happen if the 40 million in poverty and unemployed are mobilized. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 13:49, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Erin - I think the comparison of two subreddits with different regulations is a solid method of studying the effect of regulation on political discussion. I also believe the two subreddits you have chosen make for a great comparison. The only reservation I have in your prospectus is the focus on word count of the regulations as indicative of the rigor of the moderation. For example, one subreddit may simply say "Discussion of Russia is forbidden" - which in five words hampers more conversation than either of the two sets of regulations do in actuality. I do not think the word count is a meaningful statistic. Apropos your question of whether those without internet access will be under-represented in our studies, I would say that because we are focusing on specific small communities to begin with, we are under-representing the reactions (to control) of everyone in the world who is not in that community. The vast majority of the world is not included. Our focus is on only those within the community itself that we can observe. Ultimately I believe your project is designed very well. Since I too am studying a subreddit for my project, I will be following your progress closely!
::[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 11:23, 26 February 2014 (EST)

:::Hi [[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]]! Thank you very much for the feedback, very good point about the empirical data on the rules, hopefully I can expand when I have 2500 words to work with. BTW, I just wanted to comment- the question about people without Internet access was actually [[User:Ichua|Ichua]]'s question. My understanding of the assignment is to study ''only'' online communities for this assignment (and not offline humans, which excludes anyone who doesn't or can't access the Internets). My question that [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] commented on is whether ''"users are intimidated by the effort or research required to post, thus limiting participation to a narrow audience"''. Sidenote- '''Thank you''' very much for introducing us to the Twitch Plays Pokémon phenomenon in class. So freaking cool. My God do I ever love the Internet.-[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]]

:::: Thanks Erin! I think it is absolutely amazing as well, and I've never played Pokémon. If you would like to read my prospectus and help me think about potential research questions using their subreddit, I am all ears. [[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 11:34, 27 February 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Ian Chua
*Prospectus title: Resolving National Issues With Online Collaborative And Interactive Cognitive Mapping
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/LSTU-E120_Assignment2_IanChua.pdf
[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 06:31, 25 February 2014 (EST)

: I learned from Erin that a project of this nature has its limitations. Government leaders or concerned individuals need to go to Ground Zero and observe for themselves the problems of the poor and weak citizenry. And if democratic rule has failed to eliminate poverty, why not consider compassionate rule?

::@[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] you know, I might be wrong!!! Not sure yet, I guess, til we hear back from more students, or the prof/TAs (: [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 15:40, 25 February 2014 (EST)

: Hi Ian, great topic and I like the innovative approach you're taking. I agree that social media is an important medium for Governments to gauge public mood or opinion. In fact, Australia's Prime Minister, Tony Abbott recently spent $4 million to analyse social media and gauge the public mood on certain policies he introduced. From my understanding, you're looking to build something like a mind map to organise the social media feedback and also meta tag it? This would effectively allow content to be searched and categorised similar to a knowledge base. Just a couple of questions though....How will you apply the cognitive map? Do you have a specific social media medium and Government in mind? Looking forward to reading the final outcome! [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:42, 2 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: P. Scott Lapinski
*Prospectus title: “Crowd Control”. Content and community controls which impact scholarly communication within the PubMed Commons scientific forum
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/PSL_Assignment2.rtf
[[User:Psl|Psl]] 11:57, 25 February 2014 (EST)

::I was unaware of this community exits, and I think it will be a great place for graduate students and researchers to find which papers they should be reading. For example, if I need to utilize a method that is slightly outside of my field, this community will help identify the appropriate and esteemed papers. This may also serve as a better model for Peer Review (one day). Because PubMed is already an exclusive database primarily for biomedical researchers, I am interested to what you observe. I am worried that because only pubmed users (or people using a University IP address) have access to pubmed articles, open access will play a minimal role in which articles spark more conversation. Unfortunately, people tend to converse about papers in high-impact journals like Nature and Science, and I would expect these articles to compete with the open access ones. Perhaps an observation of which articles receive complaints about not being open-access for the curious science lover who is no longer in academia may be an interesting perspective.. ([[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 13:45, 2 March 2014 (EST))

:::Hi Paul! Thank you for introducing me to PubMed Commons! I have to agree with [[User:Margorm|Margorm]]: people who are 'allowed' to comment on PubMed articles often have access to most articles through their Universities or Institutions. That being said, since first reading your prospectus, I've thought so much about the access to PubMed Commons. In order to be part of the community, the major factor is that you are an author of a paper appearing in PubMed. An author can 'invite themselves' only if PubMed has your email address on file. For personal/professional interest of being a member of this site, I've checked with 8 different people (who are all corresponding authors on separate PubMed articles) whether they could invite themselves, and only 1 of the 8 authors could gain access. I understand why it is important for PubMed to confirm identity, however I believe this factor will strongly limit the adoption of PubMed Commons. It should also be noted that I am not an average PubMed author- most scientists I talked to about this think 'social media is stupid' or a waste of time. Very few will go through the trouble of asking 8 separate authors to try to log in, until they find one person who can. However, exactly as Margo pointed out, "This may also serve as a better model for Peer Review (one day)".
:::[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 23:29, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: VACYBER
*Prospectus title: Regulatory steps for hacking tools in light of the tremendous potential for fiscal and data loss
*Link to prospectus:http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:VACYBER_Assignment2.docx
[[User:VACYBER|VACYBER]] 12:46, 25 February 2014 (EST)

::I can see where this topic would make an interesting focal point for a review article or commentary on the exploitation opportunities, (legal and criminal) that open source software packages like these permit. As an administrator of several IT systems myself, reading your prospectus has made me curious to learn more about NESSUS and Metasploit, and perhaps use them to test out weaknesses in my own servers.

::Let's continue along that thought...and say I will download and experiment with this software... I'm using this scenario "hypothetically" in hopes that it may help you focus more on the key question(s) you are hoping to answer, and to also consider "from where" you will be able to make some observations to address that question. In other words, where might you be able to follow some online community activity over the next few weeks, and observe some interactions between the users, developers, and IT administrators who work with these software packages?

::So, after just now learning of these open source packages, I want to download them on my Linux box and experiment. I want to see how others have installed, implemented, and customized the software to exploit a variety of possibilities. Is there an open community where I can lurk and maybe participate in a discussion to learn about various ways I can use this software to test out my servers for vulnerabilities and bugs? What kind of controls might I be subjected to within that community that may prevent me from discussing specifics about what known vulnerabilities have been discovered, and what security holes one can exploit? If I discover a major security flaw, can (or should) I document this within that online community? Are there normative, legal, and/or architectural controls that prevent or discourage divulging too much information within his community? I noticed a discussion forum at http://discussions.nessus.org/welcome, and https://community.rapid7.com/community/metasploit... would these be the communities you were considering?

::Anyway, hoping this helps out. I just wanted to raise these questions as a way to help you identify the specific online community where some observable activity will occur, and focus in on what controls you hope to be able to see playing-out during the rest of the semester. You may already have that in mind, but it wasn't in the prospectus, so I thought I'd raise the questions here. I think knowing the answer to these questions will help put the ideas into the context of the Final Project's objectives and should also help with the next task of building the outline in Assignment 3. [[User:Psl|Psl]] 14:25, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Twood
*Prospectus Title: Online Independent Music Communities: The Mechanisms and Effects of Copyright Control
*Link: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Twood_Assignment2.rtf
[[User:Twood|Twood]] 14:03, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Somehow the uploaded RTF file had been converted to a CALC spreadsheet file, making some of the contents hard to read. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:08, 27 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Twood. I find your paper topic to be incredibly interesting and well-thought out. I wish I had constructive criticism to give you, but I find that you are on the right path. My only question at the moment: how do you plan on measuring the response of community members to the each sites' control mechanisms? [[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 11:41, 28 February 2014 (EST)

Hi Twood, I find this to be a very cool topic and being a musician myself, makes it even more so. I have never ever been a fan of sampling music outright and then adding a new beat and some remixing to make it one's own, just not my style. I like the prospect of you examining a smaller or less commercialized community musically (as compared to You tube). Again, as own who owns small studio at home and records pretty solidly, it is always great to see musicians recording and producing their own stuff from scratch with small home studio setups. I hope you show an example of a community catching someone in the act of stealing another's music or idea and what the outcome of that interaction will be - because as musicians we always borrow, modify or improves someone else's cord progression or guitar lick to make it our own. So, it would be great to see if you could hint about that distinction - as I am sure it comes up a lot in communities like this. But, overall really nice topic to concentrate on.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 19:42, 2 March 2014 (EST)

----------

*Name: Cheikh Mbacke
*Prospectus Title: Re/Code: A Neutral Endorser of Disruptive Technology Companies
*Link: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Cheikh_Mbacke_Assignment_2.txt
[[User:cheikhmbacke|cheikhmbacke]] 15:15, 25 February 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Emmanuelsurillo
*Prospectus title: "emmanuelsurillo_Assignment2.doc."
*Link to prospectus: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:%22emmanuelsurillo_Assignment2.doc.%22.docx [[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:41, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:You raise some great research questions to examine within these communities. You might want to narrow your focus more. Will you be talking about the legalities of “jail-breaking” and it’s effect on the Apple and Android market? Considering the topics we discussed in class, it might be interesting to develop your research to mention the view of major companies toward these forums and the rogue developers. Once an iphone is jail-broken, it losses its apple warranty coverage. This might be a topic you want to bring up with your research. Good luck! [[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 21:36, 3 March 2014 (EST)
----

Greetings Emmanuel,

You have selected a really “hot” topic. Mobile applications appear to be taking over actual web development these days. I’m in the process of creating a new site, for the general public, to locate assistance after they have been harmed by other entities. The developer of my site highly recommended that I create a mobile app at the same time. He is correct and the only reason I do not plan to follow his suggestion is directly related to cost.

I’m unclear of the real statistics, but Internet users seem to be using phones as their selected source of information more frequently than computers. Most people carry their phones (even to bed) but fewer seem to be in constant travel with their laptop.

I am not familiar with the sites you listed in your proposal since I am not a mobile application developer, but I am happy to learn there are forums to enhance applications through large communities.

It appears many of our classmates are attempting to use a compare/contrast approach, which seems logical, if we want to identify how resourceful one community is versus another. Your research will be extremely useful to many, and I would like to pass your results onto my developer after you have completed all the hard work (smile).

A few questions for you:

“I want to compare how useful and productive these web sites are to the users end for accomplishing these goals.”

1. How do you plan to compare and contrast the central 7-9 questions outlined in your proposal for the final project? In other words, will you be able to summarize the data from each research question in one succinct paragraph to meet the page requirements?
2. Do you think it would be easier to select 2-3 questions presented in your proposal to dig a little deeper or perhaps ask a few others from the class to join you on a team to cover all the questions presented?

I ask these questions, because I am struggling with these issues myself. I believe if I ask enough people in our community who are using a similar approach, I will (eventually) determine a model that may be useful for my own research.

Another suggestion: Could we potentially find a group of people in our research community (class) that are interested in using a similar approach, but still collectively analyze the communities we selected for personal purposes? In other words, I am certain most students have selected the entities of study for some reason, such as personal satisfaction or business achievement. However, Andy has made it clear that he would entertain teams multiple times. In fact, the option has been posted on every page of our instructions for the main project. In fact, the option has been posted so many times that I am beginning to think he may be giving us a subtle hint or clue: “This assignment will be more effective if you work collectively together and you may gain more valuable research by teaming”. I don’t read minds, but…

Example:

I am attempting to look at the effectiveness of two sites created to allegedly help people who have been taken advantage of by either an entity or a person. Section 203 under the Communication Decency Act assists people in their ability to say whatever they think, regardless if correct.

You are comparing two mobile application sites to analyze how useful and productive the sites are for the users to include accuracy and validity.

Marissa is researching the validity of airbnb.com, and looking at the controls put in place by the website to protect people.

I still have many proposals to read today, but it does appear that many of us are running in a few general hypothetical areas of question:

Which site is more effective due to the controls implemented by the site itself? (Compare/Contrast)

Can the data on these sites be considered valid? Is so, why or why not?

Could we potentially work together on a research methodology for all three sites to compare and contrast if the model is effective in and of itself while measuring the data across the board for multiple communications? In summary, we could compare and contrast the model that we collectively created against the sites we personally selected.

My biggest concern with many of our proposals is that they are too broad and we will not find the depth. Most of our topics could be potential dissertations; unfortunately we are lacking 5 years of research time (smile). I plan to look for commonality in proposals submitted-perhaps we can all make this better together. Could we potentially try to use our class community to research the depth of the Internet communities.?

Just thoughts.

Cheers!
--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 17:07, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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Hi Emmanuel,

Great topic!!
I am not sure if you would like to go into that direction, but from my point of view, I would say there is a big difference in the active level between iphone users via Android users in forum.
Iphone users are usually not as active as Android users in forum. And I think this is a really interesting topic to look into.

On the other hand, I think it would be a good idea to narrow down your topic as there are 9 research questions that you are planning to coverin your paper. It would be difficult to talk about each question in depth with the words limit.

[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 03:42, 4 March 2014 (EST)
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*[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 15:42, 25 February 2014 (EST)
*Architectural choices for a better Q&A community (StackOverflow)
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/LSTUE-120Assignment2.pdf

::Hi [[User:Seifip|Seifip]]! Few bits of feedback for you. First of all, I like that you tied back to Lessig's regulators. Very strong prospectus overall. Second, I wonder how you define an ''effective way of shaping an online community'' ? I assume that you didn't define 'effective' because of the 400-word limit for this assignment. My advice would be for you to perhaps draw specific comparisons between StackOverflow and another online developer support community. Alternatively (and perhaps more fun), you might change the phrasing of your research question to something like 'In what ways does X architectural element affect conversation on StackOverflow?'. Overall though, I think this is a very strong topic for your final project, because developer communities are some of the most in-depth technical discussions on the web. [[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 23:47, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*Name: Art.Mescon
*Title: Do Etsy’s regulations aim to help buyers and/or sellers or are they primarily protective of the company itself, leaving third parties on their own to seek out reputable transaction partners?
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Art.Mescon_Assignment2.docx

::You raise some great ideas in your prospectus that would make for an interesting research paper around Etsy. However, I wonder if it might be best to focus more on the controls for which you can already observe playing out within the Etsy community's online activities? In other words, the community norms and architecture controls within Etsy itself (user-"self-regulation" and Etsy's-"private-regulation") might be the most reliable "observable data" that you will be able to anticipate over the next few weeks. The government level controls (public-regulation) you suggest may require moving outside this community, and I am not sure that a useful discussion (with observational data) will be possible within the page limit, nor would it be crucial to answering your research question.

::I like the research question very much, and I think it couches the challenges you hope to observe within the methodology you propose. Also, I anticipate that the community interactions over the next couple of months should provide you with enough observational data to answer your question. One more tip on the question... What would you think about starting the question with "How" rather than "Do"...? Play around with the phrase of your question, and see how it feels. My thinking is that you will allow yourself some flexibility in what you will truly have to report on when it comes time to write up the results. The answer to a "Do" question requires one to choose a yes or no and your findings will likely challenge any "absolute" judgment call... So don't let yourself get cornered into having to make that choice (at least not at this early stage). By starting the question with "How do Etsy’s regulations...", will allow you to have more flexibility to report on what the observations will show, and your can balance your discussion section on some good and not-so-good controls that play out over the next few weeks.

::Last point. In your sentence "I intend to identify how Etsy controls, or fails to control content in a manner that is advantageous to their users.", I wasn't sure if by "users" you meant the buyers, sellers, or both. My mind is interpreting that "user" is the buyer in this sentence’s context, and the word "content" is used to define both the items and community sellers that are being controlled. True? That distinction may be important to clarify as the full report gets written, because the Etsy controls and observations being gathered will (I suspect) impact buyers vs sellers vs content each a little differently. On a similar note... To cut down on the need to follow every buyer, seller and thing in "Top Searches" for this community, do you think it would be helpful to focus on just one type of craft? I don't know enough about Etsy specifically to determine if that would work for this project, but it might be another way to find a sub-group/sub-community limit, and still provide you with enough observational data to draw some conclusions.

::Hoping these comments are helpful! [[User:Psl|Psl]] 12:22, 28 February 2014 (EST)

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Title: YouTube Comment Filtering and Other Cyberbullying Initiatives

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Lpereira_Prospectus.docx

[[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 16:07, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Might be interesting to determine whether and how Youtube encourages positive comments and discourage negative or hate comments. Ultimately, it would be ideal if the character of misbehaving individuals could be improved. Some ideas might be the use of "Like" and "Dislike" votes on these comments and/or the award/deduction of "attitude points". The individuals posting hate and aggressive comments could be prohibited from further postings if the attitude point reaches a certain limit. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:02, 27 February 2014 (EST)

::I really like the focal point you will be observing, and you are quite right in pointing out that this "negativity" is becoming an unfortunate reality for many "open comment" sections within these online spaces. Even what can begin as constructive dialog and healthy debate, can quickly degenerate into blather, flames, and hate words when anonymity can be so effectively used as a shield. Interestingly, we can't always point our finger at just one "troll" injecting some deliberate provocation...because sometimes the breakdown occurs with the 3 or 4 community members who (hither to) we're exchanging words in a perfectly eloquent & respectful manner. But the hate, racism, and bullying that poison the dialog on these comment-boards are on a much more disturbing level, and one that certainly will make for an interesting study.

::So, The broad question that I am hearing in your prospectus is "What are the most important controls that an online service provider can successfully implement to intercept and discourage cyberbullying, hate-speech, and irrelevant negativity? The sub-question then would be "How effective and/or constraining are those controls on the community's ability to engage with each other in a meaningful unbiased dialog about the content? (YouTube in this example)?

::Have you given some thought to the subject matter that you will focus on, as a way to observe how these comments progress? It may be helpful to put your lens onto a consistent subject to observe the cycle of communication. From there you should be able to witness what prompts the conversation to begin in the first place; when do counter-points get introduced, how long is constructive dialog able to bridge back and fourth, what is the "poison-pill" that kills the conversation, and when do the controls kick-in?. (Observing where the controls kick in would obviously be the essential part to report on, not so much each of those elements of the cycle of communication I itemized there.)

::I’d be curious to also know if the observation shows that the cycle of communication is more (or less) positive throughout based on the type of subject that initiates the conversation? News stories on "hot button" topics or baseball contrasted with (say) a page dealing with baking fudge probably have different trajectories of "success" in remaining positive. (I am thinking about the inherent behavior of the potential community members themselves… one lends itself to polarized opinions with predictable “zealots” appearing in either camp, while the other community may be more welcoming of differing opinions and tastes). SO for example, thinking of an individual wearing that New York Yankees hat in Fenway Park on game day....vs... a group of bakers talking about chocolate vs. peanut butter fudge recipes…The former is likely to risk some taunting, a black eye, a broken tooth, and perhaps a small riot... while those in the latter group, might, at worst, receive only a cavity. Anyway, my point is that it might be interesting compare a couple of focused topics of conversation as a way of discovering a smaller sub-community that builds around a YouTube comment-board (With one engaging in a "Hot button" topic.... While the other group is discussing something seemingly non-polarizing.)[[User:Psl|Psl]] 12:00, 28 February 2014 (EST)

----

*Ben Harmatz
*Government Entities: Internet Surveillance and Censorship
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Harvard_NSA_1_draft_copy.doc
[[User:Benh|Benh]] 16:49, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:: Hi Ben. While I think your prospectus brings up the interesting and very pertinent topic of government control, surveillance, and censorship, I think that it is simply far too broad of a topic. For the assignment, we are supposed to monitor the activities of users on a particular site or group of sites, but looking at the internet as a whole is far too much for an 8-10 page paper! Perhaps consider government control, surveillance, and censorship while observing a particular website that has been named as a victim (by the media) of NSA's surveillance and dig deeper there. [[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 13:02, 28 February 2014 (EST)

------

*Patricia Byrnes
*Title: Are moderators effective for policing and protecting a site from illegal use?
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Patricia_Byrnes_Assig._Two.doc
[[User:TriciaBy|TriciaBy]] 16:59, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:Patricia, First off, love your idea, moderating internet speech, as well as your methodology: if what you want to measure is moderating behavior, norms, and free speech concerns, the “Politics & Leaders” forum is a fantastic place to do so since It appears that discussions there can turn from heated to vituperative in the blink of an eye! With respect to your research question, by specifying “effective,” I assume that you will quantify instances of behavior that violate the established rules of the site. This method is good since you give yourself a verifiable and quantifiable measure. You can then use Lessig’s and other scholars work to explain these data. Now, you say that you wish to "research the rules and regulations of the site,” which looks like it might be an insurmountable task. I visited the site’s “Super Editor handbook” and I see that it is quite extensive. Perhaps you might want to focus specifically on one type of violation, such as "3.4.1 Discouraged Ranking Themes - Personal Experience / Personal Preference Rankings” ? [[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 23:00, 1 March 2014 (EST)

-------

*Name or pseudonym: Vance.Puchalski
*Regulators and the Spread of (Mis)Information
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Puchalski-Assignment2.docx
[[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 17:17, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:As an extension student and a reader of both sites, I agree that extension student is often more accurate especially due to the required affiliation. You should consider when collecting your data that often information is not so black and white. A lot of people on these treads seek opinion, which is more of a personal thought rather than right or wrong. A lot on forums is opinion based, not fact based and so I think you should prepare for your data to be filled with a lot of gray areas, which you might already be expecting. The correlation between accuracy and monitoring is certainty an interesting topic. Anyway, great research topic and I’m interested to see your findings. Good luck! [[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 21:20, 3 March 2014 (EST)

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*A. Tom Anteus
*Cryptocurrency Uses in Conflict Zones Around the World
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Cryptocurrency_Uses_in_Conflict_Zones_Around_the_World.pdf
[[User:A. Tom Anteus|A. Tom Anteus]] 17:26, 25 February 2014 (EST)

Hi Tom, intriguing topic! I'm a keen follower of the Bitcoin revolution myself so have been naturally drawn to your prospectus and Daniel's as well. However I would say its quite difficult to follow your proposal. I'm not quite sure how you intend to analyse and measure the use of cryptocurrency in conflict zones. Which conflict areas will you be targeting? Do you intend to follow forums or analyse chatter on various websites. If so, which ones? [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:36, 2 March 2014 (EST)

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*Julie Dubela
*Mapping Social Media Debate on the OHCHR Report on North Korea
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Julie_Assignment2.txt
[[User:Julie|Julie]] 18:37, 25 February 2014 (EST)

Hi Julie, great prospectus. I find the whole North Korea situation appalling from a global response perspective. A lot of the articles, commentary and reactions from people around the world have been effectively muzzled. Your approach to analyse public reaction through social media is methodical and well thought through. Your plan to use specific tools to collect information from twitter hash tags, Google trends etc and follow up by analysing them to find common themes and trends is great. I look forward to reading the final report! [[User:Marissa1989|Marissa1989]] 07:52, 2 March 2014 (EST)

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*Andrew Grant
*Quantified Self and Qualified Liability: Strava and Lessig's Four Forces
*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Andrew_Grant_Assigmnment_Two_02252014.docx
[[User:AndrewGrant|Andrew Grant]]

::Andrew, your prospectus sounds fantastic. Lots of interesting questions being asked in light of Lessig's Four Forces and the Quantified Self movement. I think that you many be asking too many questions for an 8-10 page paper, if you are to go into sufficient depth for each one. Do you think that it's realistic to answer the five research questions in so short of a paper? Other than that, I think you are off to a great start and I am interested in hearing more about it. [[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 11:49, 28 February 2014 (EST)

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In general, it might be helpful to state why your project is important and how the outcome of the research might help regulate/control or improve human behavior on the internet. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 19:58, 27 February 2014 (EST)

Assignment 2 Submissions

2014-02-25T21:15:33Z

Jolietheone: /* Comments */

Assignment 2 Submissions

2014-02-25T21:13:39Z

Jolietheone: /* Comments */

Copyright Part 1: Guiding Principles and Online Application

2014-02-25T20:18:16Z

Jolietheone: /* Class Discussion */

{{ClassCalendar}}

'''February 25'''

The Internet has enabled individuals to become involved in the production of media and to distribute their contributions widely at a very low cost. The former bastion of the entertainment industry is opening up to what many are calling a democratization of culture. The copyright doctrine of fair use seemingly bolsters the right to recut, reframe, and recycle previous works, but the protection fair use gives to those re-purposing copyrighted material is notoriously uncertain.

Over the next two classes, this course will take up the some of the issues related to copyright protection and enforcement online. Today’s class will focus on the legal regime of copyright: what it protects, what it doesn’t protect, and how the doctrine has transformed in light of digital reproduction and distribution.

<onlyinclude>

== Assignments ==

The first half of assignment 2 (posting your prospectus) is due ''before class'' today. Information on the assignment can be found [[Assignments#Assignment_2:_Prospectus|here]]. Please note that we have updated the [[Final_Project#Frequently_Asked_Questions|final project page's FAQ section]] based on some student questions that have come to us over the past week.

== Readings/Watchings ==

; The mechanics of copyright law

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Clause Wikipedia, Copyright Clause]

* [http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 1: Copyright Basics] (read only Who Can Claim Copyright?, What Works Are Protected?, What is Not Protected by Copyright?, How to Secure a Copyright, and How Long Copyright Protection Endures)

* [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107 17 U.S.C. § 107 - Limitations on Exclusive Rights: Fair Use]

; Digital applications and new challenges

* [http://blip.tv/lessig/it-is-about-time-getting-our-values-around-copyright-2847688 Lawrence Lessig, It is About Time: Getting Our Values around Copyright] (watch first 6 minutes)

* [http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/08/why-johnny-cant-stream-how-video-copyright-went-insane/ James Grimmelmann, Why Johnny Can’t Stream: How Video Copyright Went Insane]

; Copyright solutions

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DKm96Ftfko Creative Commons, A Shared Culture] (video, watch all) and [http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Spectrumofrights_Comic1 Spectrum of Rights]

* [http://www.copyhype.com/2012/08/there-is-no-magic-bullet/ Terry Hart, There is No Magic Bullet]

* [http://www.uspto.gov/news/publications/copyrightgreenpaper.pdf U.S. Department of Commerce: Internet Policy Task Force, Copyright Policy, Creativity, and Innovation in the Digital Economy] (Executive summary only)

* [http://www.copyright.gov/docs/next_great_copyright_act.pdf Maria Pallante, The Next Great Copyright Act] (skim Section II (323-339) only)

:* Maria Pallante is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Register_of_Copyrights Register of Copyrights] for the United States.

== Recommended Readings ==

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HQVBmKsVhI Lewis Hyde, Common As Air: Revolution, Art, and Ownership] (video, watch from 2:12 to 24:37)

* [http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jdlitman/papers/read.htm Jessica Litman, The Exclusive Right to Read] (introduction and Sections I and II only)

* [http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2008/10/dodgy-digits-behind-the-war-on-piracy/ Julian Sanchez, Ars Technica, 750,000 Lost Jobs? The Dodgy Digits Behind the War on Piracy]

* [http://www.bloomsburyacademic.com/view/Remix_9781849662505/chapter-ba-9781849662505-chapter-0001.xml Lawrence Lessig, ''Remix: Making Art and Culture Thrive in the Hybrid Economy''] (Introduction only)

</onlyinclude>

== Videos Watched in Class ==

== Links ==

== Class Discussion ==

{|class="wikitable" border=3 style="margin: auto; background-color:#FFFFCC;"
|align="center"|<big>'''REMINDER'''</big>
|-
|style="background-color:#FFFFFF;"|Your comments must be submitted '''before 4:00PM ET''' on the Tuesday we hold class in order to count for participation credit. Please see the [[Class Participation|participation policy]] for more information.
|}
<br/>
<div style="background-color:#CCCCCC;">Please remember to sign your postings by adding four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) to the end of your contribution. This will automatically add your username and the date/time of your post, like so: [[User:Andy|Andy]] 15:12, 7 November 2013 (EST)</div>

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This is related to an earlier class, but a great article on Wikipedia's bots has just been published on The Verge... [http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/18/5412636/this-machine-kills-trolls-how-wikipedia-robots-snuff-out-vandalism This machine kills trolls: How Wikipedia’s robots and cyborgs snuff out vandalism] --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 17:53, 19 February 2014 (EST)

:What an interesting article! It seems rather shocking to me that users would protest the implementation of bots to patrol vandalism on Wikipedia. One comment cited in the article is that "Editing bots are wrong for Wikipedia, and if they allow it they are letting go of their vision of community participation in favor of the visions (or delusions) of grand technological solutions". This seems like an argument made on principle rather than for practicality's sake. Surely we benefit from these anti-vandalism bots, as Wikipedia would be worthless if people were allowed to make whatever edits they pleased, due to the proliferation of internet trolls. [[User:Castille|Castille]] 16:01, 24 February 2014 (EST)

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Regarding Copyright laws, it seems that there are many ambiguities and potential loopholes inherent in the system. How is it acceptable for musicians to freely perform "covers" of popular songs-- oftentimes to the extent that their entire act is merely covers, such as at weddings, corporate events, restaurants, etc.-- yet plays cannot be performed live without the consent of the author/copyright holder? It is not altogether uncommon in these situations for an artist to be paid to perform someone else's work, for the purpose of entertainment. What is the difference, then, between these situations? Based on Grimmelmann's article "Why Johnny can't stream", it appears that there are is an endless string of individuals and companies finding new ways to circumvent the laws, so that new laws must be implemented. Where does this stop? Is this due to rebellion against unfair copyright restrictions, companies merely trying to exploit artists and capitalize on their work, or individuals trying to be greedy or subversive?

By the way, has anyone heard about Aereo's progress, and/or where it currently stands in the legal system? I looked it up online and it seems to be taking on members who want to pre-register for the service, though the article was written in August of 2012, so you would think it would be out by now.
[[User:Castille|Castille]] 13:08, 23 February 2014 (EST)

: I was also curious about where the Aereo case(s) were currently... and happened upon this update published last week (also in arstechnica) "Aereo loses copyright fight, gets banned in 6 states" http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/02/aereo-loses-copyright-fight-to-tv-networks-in-utah/ and as Comcast/NBC "cuts a deal with Netflix"...as well as potentially merging with Time-Warner, just how "lovely" is that? http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2014/02/24/does-netflixcomcast-deal-remove-obstacle-to-twc-merger/ [[User:Psl|Psl]] 11:35, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:Great comments! As to "covers" of popular songs, those are not usually free uses, but instead uses that are licensed in ways that most of us don't normally see. As to covers of live music, those are usually handled by blanket licenses from performance rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC) through either the venue or the artist. For recorded covers, there is actually a statutory license in the law which allows the covering band to do this without permission, provided they pay a particular fee per copy sold. (These days most of that is administered through a corporation called the Harry Fox Agency.) And as for Aereo, [http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/american-broadcasting-companies-inc-v-aereo-inc/ the Supreme Court has agreed to hear] the appeal from the Second Circuit's case (one of many, as Psl points out), which will in all likelihood set the standard for Aereo's legality nationwide. So we will see! [[User:Andy|Andy]] 16:48, 24 February 2014 (EST)

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COPYRIGHT OF TEXTBOOKS

Based on the readings, how is it possible for new math textbooks for elementary and high school to claim copyrights when the content has not changed for decades? Perhaps examples and illustrations and format of presentation used across different textbooks may differ, but the content and concepts taught are essentially the same.

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 18:19, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:This question drives right to the heart of what is protected vs. unprotected under copyright. We're going to tackle that in some depth tonight. [[User:Andy|Andy]] 12:31, 25 February 2014 (EST)

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NPOV AND COPYRIGHT IN WIKIPEDIA

Because of NPOV, all content in Wikipedia need to be copied....and referenced. If one copies everything or extensively from a single source, would it still be legal? And if one copies from many sources, it is called a work of research? [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 19:51, 24 February 2014 (EST)

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 19:51, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:While the question of "is that research" is a complicated one, the particular copyright licenses offered over Wikipedia content are [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Copyrights here]. It's a bit complicated and depends on the particular media in question, but most adhere to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License Creative Commons CC-BY-SA] license for content, which allows use with attribution back to Wikipedia, provided what you use it for is also licensed under this same open term. We'll talk more about this tonight. [[User:Andy|Andy]] 12:31, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:I almost forgot what i wanted to say about Creative Commons. As online content developer, sometimes we do indeed want certain content to be copied freely for marketing purposes or we felt it should be offered free to certain people, but people dare not distribute such content for us because of copyright infringement. [[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 13:02, 25 February 2014 (EST)

----
The article, There is no Magic Bullet, was an interesting read. He talks about the idea of combatting piracy as often being boiled down to: “make piracy harder, make legal options easier" which is problematic. The availability of technology is making piracy a lot easier these days. While, legal options are usually a long and expensive option in most cases. This leaves us at a problem. The emergence of easy and paid websites, like amazon and netflix, worked as a legal alternative instead of piracy but it has not been successful in a world-wide scale so far. I think as long as there is a easy, free alternative, it will often be the first choice for most people, even it is illegal. It doesn't always have to be bad, especially as it relates to creative content like music. Free sharing is often a great opportunity for growth and marketing.
I'm interested to see how copyright laws and creative content will develop with the advancement of the internet. I wonder if making piracy harder is a viable option at this point without infringing on personal content.

[[User:Lpereira|Lpereira]] 20:56, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:It's a great question, and one that we're still trying to explore and understand. The anecdotal evidence we have suggests that countries that offer legal alternatives to piracy have experienced a drop in BitTorrent traffic since those have been made available, but it's near impossible to draw further conclusions off of that single point of data. [[User:Andy|Andy]] 12:31, 25 February 2014 (EST)

-----
Reading the Grimmelmann "Why Johnny Can't Stream" article I'm reminded of how the music industry fought so hard against services like Napster, while simultaneously it was the emergence of technology like iTunes--and the consequent unbundling of music tracks from albums--that spelled the end of their industry as they knew it. Similarly, "broadcast" and the gatekeeper model of media distribution is at an end. While the broadcasters fight services like Aero, the whole idea of DVR (whether in your living room, or in the cloud) is not going to be relevnt in the future: services like Netflix's original content (e.g., House of Cards) and HBO Go, where content will be made available by the content owner itself, disintermediating the cable networks, will be the norm. In this environment, we won't need a DVR and cable companies won't be relevant. It seems to me that part of the strategy with services like Netflix original content or HBO Go is twofold: to eliminate their dependence on distribution networks, while also rendering DVRs (and their consequent copyright issues) obsolete. After all, I'd be buying my content by-the-drink from the creator rather than from a distribution network where I have a legitimate reason to copy it and watch at different types or with commercials removed.

[[User:Jradoff|Jradoff]] 20:58, 24 February 2014 (EST)
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A separate question: why did the framers consider copyrights/patents important enough to mention in the Constitution? Why not just leave it to Congress to worry about as part of regulating interstate commerce? As Lessig noted in his video, intellectual property law was a very minor concern for anyone prior to the 20th century. The Internet Policy Task Force doc claims that "the Framers intended copyright itself to be the engine of free expression” but that's stated as an assertion (quoting the Supreme Court) without any explanation. I'm interested in understanding the historical context and what the framers were concerned about. Thoughts?

[[User:Jradoff|Jradoff]] 21:00, 24 February 2014 (EST)

:We'll be talking about that in class today, but the Lewis Hyde lecture in the recommended reading (and his book, ''Common As Air'' tackle that at considerable length). [[User:Andy|Andy]] 12:31, 25 February 2014 (EST)

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WHY COPYRIGHT ISN'T AN ISSUE FOR ONLINE LEARNING:

Simply replicating textbooks into digital format for online accessibility is not good enough for online learning.
Otherwise, all students should be getting A's for math and science just from reading textbooks. When my staff develops online resources for math, a lot of attention goes into how to engage the student online through interactivity, choreography, and animation. We also bear in mind how these resources might be used in the classroom. We incorporate multiple modalities of teaching, learning and self-assessments. And the skills required for creating an online learning resource are very different from just producing a textbook. We need the teacher or content expert to be able to think like a script-writer, a movie producer, a choreographer, a programmer and an animator, all rolled into one.

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 02:44, 25 February 2014 (EST)

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PLAGIARISM AND ONLINE APPLICATION OF COPYRIGHT

It is very common to see several websites replicating the same information word-for-word. This makes internet searches very inefficient and frustrates internet users trying to do research on the web. Search robots should be used to warn website owners to remove such content.

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 11:38, 25 February 2014 (EST)

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HOW ONE COUNTRY CIRCUMVENTS THE COPYRIGHT PROBLEM IN DISTRIBUTION OF KNOWLEDGE TO THE POOR

The copyright protects the earnings of the author and publisher and ensures that each copy of the book contributes a return to their investment. But the poor has no money. How can a country distribute knowledge to the poor? The Indian Ministry of Education seems to have authored their own content and made these academic content available online for free.

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 11:57, 25 February 2014 (EST)

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Smartphones have also helped citizens in being able to access the internet without a broadband home internet connection. Estimates claim that 56% of Americans now have smartphones and this has helped to significantly bridge the gap domestically.

http://techland.time.com/2013/08/26/for-some-without-home-broadband-smartphones-bridge-the-gap/

--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 13:25, 25 February 2014 (EST)

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CUSTOMIZABLE ROYALTY FREE SOUNDRACKS

This is a cool software which I started to use a decade ago: http://www.smartsound.com
You can specify the duration of the desired type of music and it will auto-generate the royalty-free soundtrack.

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 12:22, 25 February 2014 (EST)

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NEW SOFTWARE WHICH ENHANCES CREATIVITY AND REDUCES INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT

New versions of software such as PhotoShop, Maya, and CrazyTalk, are now more powerful, user friendly and cost much less than a decade ago which enables the user to quickly create high quality original images, textures, scenes, and animations. This gives artists more incentives to exercise their own creativity and avoid copying from other sources.

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 12:44, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:Everyday millions of videos are uploaded to the servers of YouTube and responsible for assessing whether or not they are in accordance with the rules of copyright is the ContentID. The tool was created by Google to analyze the productions in search of pieces of audiovisual works protected by copyright. The record labels and movie studios send copies of their original works and the system compares numerous excerpts with what is being shared on the network to find illegal copies on site. When the system finds a similarity between the video posted by a user with videos available in a database registered in the ContentID , the rights holders are notified and must decide what will be done. Some options are: block the video, leave it mute or unavailable; monetize by displaying ads and inserting the video link to the original owner of the content , or even track it views with the statistics being computed only on who Analytics own the copyright on the work. http://www.youtube.com/my_videos_copyright gisellebatista

::Great point, Giselle! We're going to talk about the "private ordering" around copyright (and the issues that come up there) with Adam Holland from Chilling Effects next week. [[User:Andy|Andy]] 14:53, 25 February 2014 (EST)

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Outside of doubling down on the penalties for copyright infringement, we seem to gather very little cooperation for addressing the challenges of digital copyright. Any solution proposed with direct enforcement appears to cut corners with due process. Let's have the ISP's monitor and throttle back activity. However, ISPs lack the skill set and capability to interpret copyright law and adjudicate penalties. Increased inspection and examination of content brings about a level of surveillance that most users are uncomfortable with in their digital travels.
[[User:VACYBER|VACYBER]] 13:12, 25 February 2014 (EST)

:Some of these hard questions between enforcement and other values will be tackled next week when we discuss the DMCA, SOPA, Six Strikes, and some of the other enforcement ideas floated over the past decade or so. As I've said a few times in this class so far, there are no easy answers here, but I hope we can explore the values at stake. [[User:Andy|Andy]] 13:59, 25 February 2014 (EST)

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Copyright infringement in many countries is still not resolved. As a result of infringement the music, films, videos, books and other information can be freely downloaded by users without the appropriate permission of copyright owners. A lot of people event don't know the difference between legal and illegal dissemination of information. This situation also impacts government (for example, tax issues) From my point of view, the reason is that the current legislation in many coutnrties is not enough for internet as it doesn't incorporate the characteristics of Internet. The new methods of protection of copyright should be established with close cooperation of internet providers (for example, blocking th user from access to certain website for several days in cases of infringement of copyrights or financial means as penalties). Aysel Ibayeva ([[User:Aysel|Aysel]] 14:57, 25 February 2014 (EST))

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It seems as though copyright as a whole is (and must) follow down the same path as online streaming did -- adapt or being adapted by the circumstances. Free online streaming is now legitimatized by the Crackles, etc. of the world. The industry adapted. Of course, that industry issue was based in copyright issues. But it now looks like other forms of copyright issues may have to follow down the same road. I'm thinking in particular of indie artist sampling and uploading material illegally (the control of this was main focus of my prospectus.) [[User:Twood|Twood]] 15:14, 25 February 2014 (EST)

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First of all, I would say the article written by James Grimmelmann has opened my eyesight.
Copyright is a really interesting topic that I would love to look into, especially the copyright on derivative work, in the other words, re-creation. In Hong Kong, the Government has been trying to ban derivative work by enacting a law to restrict people from re-creating.
[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 15:18, 25 February 2014 (EST)

Regulating Speech Online

2014-02-18T08:13:15Z

Jolietheone: /* Class Discussion */

{{ClassCalendar}}

'''February 18'''

The Internet has the potential to revolutionize public discourse. Instead of large media companies and corporate advertisers controlling the channels of speech, anyone with an Internet connection can, in the words of the Supreme Court, “become a town crier with a voice that resonates farther than it could from any soapbox.” (Reno v. ACLU). Internet speakers can reach vast audiences of readers, viewers, researchers, and buyers that stretch across real space borders, or they can concentrate on niche audiences that share a common interest or geographical location. What's more, speech on the Internet has truly become a conversation, with different voices and viewpoints mingling together to create a single "work."

With this great potential, however, comes new questions. What happens when anyone can publish to a global audience with virtually no oversight? How can a society balance the rights of speakers with the interests in safeguarding minors from offensive content? When different countries take different approaches on speech, whose values should take precedence? When a user of a website says something defamatory, when should we punish the user and when should we punish the website?

In this class, we will look at how law and social norms are struggling to adapt to this new electronic terrain.

Joining us this week will be [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/jhermes Jeff Hermes], Director of the [http://www.dmlp.org/ Digital Media Law Project].

<onlyinclude>

== Assignments ==

The first half of assignment 2 (posting your prospectus) is due before class ''next week (Feb. 25th)''. Information on the assignment can be found [[Assignments#Assignment_2:_Prospectus|here]].

== Readings ==

; Private and public control of speech online

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfS_2oXVch0 Berkman Center, How Internet Censorship Works] (about 7 mins., watch all)

* [http://access.opennet.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/accesscontrolled-chapter-5.pdf Ethan Zuckerman, Intermediary Censorship (from ''Access Controlled'')]

* [http://www.newrepublic.com/article/113045/free-speech-internet-silicon-valley-making-rules Jeffrey Rosen, The Delete Squad (New Republic)]

* Biz Stone and Alex Macgillivary, [http://blog.twitter.com/2011/01/tweets-must-flow.html The Tweets Must Flow] and [http://blog.twitter.com/2012/01/tweets-still-must-flow.html The Tweets Still Must Flow]

* [http://googleblog.blogspot.co.uk/2007/11/free-expression-and-controversial.html Rachel Whetstone, Free Expression and Controversial Content on the Web]

; Speech laws and liabilities in the United States

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_230_of_the_Communications_Decency_Act Wikipedia, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act]

* [https://www.eff.org/sites/default/files/cda-ag-letter.pdf Letter to Members of Congress from 49 state and territorial Attorneys General]

; Cross-border concerns

* [http://freespeechdebate.com/en/media/susan-benesch-on-dangerous-speech-2/ Susan Benesch, Dangerous Speech] (audio interview, about 9 mins., listen to all)

* [http://techpresident.com/news/wegov/24189/twitter-hands-over-data-unbonjuif-authors-french-authorities Jessica McKenzie, Obeying French Courts, Twitter Hands Over Identities of Users Who Employed Anti-Semitic Hashtag (TechPresident)]

* [http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/14/opinion/york-libya-youtube/index.html Jillian York, Should Google Censor an Anti-Islam Video?]

== Optional Readings ==

* [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1625820 David Ardia, Free Speech Savior or Shield for Scoundrels: An Empirical Study of Intermediary Immunity Under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act] (Read all of Section I, Parts C&D of Section II, and Conclusion)

* [http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/03/a-friendly-exchange-about-the-future-of-online-liability.ars John Palfrey & Adam Thierer, "Dialogue: The Future of Online Obscenity and Social Networks" (Ars Technica)]

* [http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=1557224836887427725&q=reno+v+aclu&hl=en&as_sdt=2,22 ''Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union'', 521 U.S. 844 (1997)]

* [https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/sites/cyber.law.harvard.edu/files/Evolving_Landscape_of_Internet_Control_3.pdf Hal Roberts et al., The Evolving Landscape of Internet Control]

* [http://access.opennet.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/accessdenied-chapter-5.pdf Jonathan Zittrain and John Palfrey, Reluctant Gatekeepers: Corporate Ethics on a Filtered Internet (from ''Access Denied'')]

* [http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/09/adapting-us-policy-in-a-changing-international-system/245307/ Anne-Marie Slaughter, Adapting U.S. Policy in a Changing International System]

* [http://www.dmlp.org/blog/2012/structural-weakness-internet-speech Andy Sellars, The Structural Weakness of Internet Speech]

==Links from Class Discussion==

</onlyinclude>

==Class Discussion==

{|class="wikitable" border=3 style="margin: auto; background-color:#FFFFCC;"
|align="center"|<big>'''REMINDER'''</big>
|-
|style="background-color:#FFFFFF;"|Your comments must be submitted '''before 4:00PM ET''' on the Tuesday we hold class in order to count for participation credit. Please see the [[Class Participation|participation policy]] for more information.
|}
<br/>
<div style="background-color:#CCCCCC;">Please remember to sign your postings by adding four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) to the end of your contribution. This will automatically add your username and the date/time of your post, like so: [[User:Andy|Andy]] 15:12, 7 November 2013 (EST)</div>

----

I found the reading this week really interesting as I am from the country that pioneered Internet censorship, China. To be exact, I am from Hong Kong, one of the Special Administrative Regions of China. For those who are not familiar with the history of Hong Kong, it used to be a colony of Britain and China resumed sovereignty in 1997. Hong Kong is under the principle of “One County, Two Systems”, which means that it has a different political, legal and economical system from China and will be maintained that way for at least 50 years.

Facebook, Twitter, New York Times have been on the blocked websites list in China because they are “politically sensitive”. Instead, they created their own social networking tools, Weibo. There are a couple different Weibo that launched by different companies, but all of them are in cooperation of the Internet Censorship in the People’s Republic of China.

WeChat,a popular messaging app for smart phone which is similar to WhatsApp, Line, Facebook Messenger etc, is also under censorship. Messages that contain some keywords will be filtered and blocked. Users who send those messages will receive a message saying” The message you sent contains restricted works. Please try again”.

In September last year, The Chinese Government finally allows a small selection of people to access those banned websites including Facebook and Twitter. However, the small selection of people means people that live in that specific 17 square mile area of Shanghai. Many say this is a great start of the revolution, but I am not as optimistic as the rest. I do acknowledge the changes that have been made in years, however, I believe this incident is only a one-time exception that the government made.

[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 03:13, 18 February 2014 (EST)
----

"The spread of information networks (the internet) is forming a new nervous system for our planet" - Hilary Clinton.

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccGzOJHE1rw

For governments to react expeditiously to help individuals or communities in distress, there must be freedom of speech online.
But for this to be effective, the process need to be organized and formalized. Individuals need to ensure they are not sending noises and gibberish but useful information so that either the government or other able individuals, NGO's, or even private corporations can come to the rescue.

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 06:57, 12 February 2014 (EST)

----

I have to say, I found "The Delete Squad" article by Jeffrey Rosen to be extremely interesting. While I find hate speech despicable, I agree with the conclusion at which "The Deciders" arrived, to intervene only in rare cases in which resulting violence appeared imminent. In this age of prolific internet bullying, I can see how many people (particularly parents) might be inclined to argue that regulations must be implemented, but to me the solution seems to lie more so in the individual's own usage of the internet. By this I mean to say that a person should be responsible for restricting his or her (or his or her child's) internet usage so that he or she is not actively involved in sites which might be problematic. [[User:Castille|Castille]] 02:26, 15 February 2014 (EST)

:Rosen's article sheds a lot of light on what has become very important content control force in digitally-mediated discussions. For me, the most interesting and troubling aspect of this is the time they take to decide these things. Rosen claims the content review groups at Facebook have on average 20 seconds to evaluate a claim before acting upon it. It is nearly impossible to internalize in such a short period of time the complicated elements Susan Benesch flags to separate the dangerous from the tasteless but far less dangerous - the context, the speaker, the audience, etc. How can they be expected to do in 20 seconds what scholars and courts spend years (and many trees of paper) contemplating in other contexts? (Oh, and to your next post - book recommendations are always welcome!) [[User:Andy|Andy]] 21:40, 17 February 2014 (EST)

----

This might be a little off-topic, so I apologize in advance if it's "inappropriate", but I was wondering if anyone has read ''The Circle'' by Dave Eggers? These readings-- and my exchange with Ichua on last week's discussion board-- have really made me consider the thoughts posed in that book. Basically, the book is about a company (a la Facebook) which seeks to "complete the circle" of internet usage and identity. It functions as a sort of government in and of itself, as well as a full-fledged community/world. Everything is consolidated on their system, so that people have basically no anonymity online as we do now; the internet is no longer removed from reality, but is instead a virtual reality in the most literal sense. All of their information is stored within the system, including their medical records, family history, purchase history, job details and tasks, and essentially all communication is conducted through the site. There is also a security camera system which is set up and controlled by the users, but has become so prolific that essentially every area of the globe is under surveillance. While the situation posed in the novel is drastic and even scary, there are a lot of positives to certain aspects. I think the biggest concern is not necessarily the loss of privacy, but the question of who controls (or should control) such a system. Certainly controls should exist, but surely corporations should not have that much power or intimate knowledge and it seems that even a government would not suffice for such a job. Should there be another authority? If so, what sort of entity would be qualified to do such a job? I'd love to hear other peoples' perspectives, whether you've read it or not.[[User:Castille|Castille]] 12:55, 17 February 2014 (EST)

----

*'''NOTE 1''' While reading this week's articles, I took a break from homework to scroll down my Facebook newsfeed. I came across a post by a friend in Quebec, about a website that satirizes Snapchat. When I clicked the link, it gave me an error message. I messaged my friend, she was able to open the link with no problem from Quebec. From the comments on her post, it seems as though the only questionable content were some dirty pictures on the site, but nothing I understand to be limited in the USA. That was a bit weird/scary...
*'''NOTE 2''' Now that I am done reading this week's articles, I am more nervous to post my honest response to some of the articles than I used to be!
*'''QUESTION''' Does anyone know the Wiki Markdown version of <code>target="_blank"</code>? I'd be happy to add the markup to the class readings if anyone knows what the code is (I've tried Googling it... no luck...)
[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 15:27, 17 February 2014 (EST)

: It is generally considered bad practice in web development to use target="_blank" outside of very specific, exceptional cases. The reason is simple: If the link has no target attribute, the behaviour is defined by user's settings and by user's action as they can either click the link or right click and open in another tab/window/etc., some browsers offering other options such us click&drag, middle click, etc. If the link has a target="_blank" attribute, on the other hand, the user is forced to open the link in a separate tab/window - his actions are thus limited by the developer, for no good reason (even if the developer might think he has a good reason, it usually isn't). --[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 17:39, 17 February 2014 (EST)

::Thank you for the note Seifip!!! Makes sense, maybe i can play around with Chrome settings & see if I can set it so outside links always open in new tab... Not that I'm too lazy to press the cmd/ctrl key for each link... (well I guess a bit) but my keyboards are all in different languages which confuses the crap out of my typing muscle memory, so I love it when browsers already know which links I want in a new tab (:

----

As I was considering the intersections of this week’s readings, several articles reminded me of a case that occurred back in 2000, although not within the realm of the Internet or something like the Flickr or Picasa most of us are very familiar with today, the parallels and concerns will seem obvious.

When we think about the amount of daily photographic content that now goes up on Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, etc. and consider the roles of these “Deciders” (as defined in one of the reading), the case as it occurred for an Oberlin, Ohio family back in 2000, seems like it could play out over and over again if individual states received the powers of prosecution to the extent that the State Attorneys General are requesting in their letter to congress on July 23, 2013.

Some may remember the case I’m referring to, in an overly distilled summary, it involved an amateur photographer who was chronicling her daughter’s life in still photography. Some photographs included her (then 8yr old) daughter bathing. When the photos were developed by the local film-processing lab, a clerk reported this to the police as an incident of “child pornography”. The local police agreed, and the mother was arrested and the case garnered national attention at the time with the ACLU coming to the defense of the mother.
http://www.oberlin.edu/alummag/oamcurrent/oam_spring_00/atissue.html
[Later the subject of an entire book looking more closely at the issues]
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/questions-of-photographic-propriety-in-framing-innocence/

The letter by the 49 Attorneys General certainly strikes at a horror that anyone with a human heart will become equally enraged towards - the tragedy of child abuse, sex trafficking, and exploitation. While it seems odd that the word “The State” is omitted from the current language of the CDA, I wonder if by including “The State” in CDA language, we will end up introduce a sliding scale of laws that become defined by “the standards of any small community” enforcing crimes that THEY define a “Obscenity” and/or “child pornography”.

What is viewed as unprotected speech and deemed as “obscenity” (or “child pornography”) in Lorain County Ohio, may not result in the same definition in (say) San Francisco. With the addition of “The State” in the CDA, could the State of Ohio prosecute a photographer in San Francisco for posting an “obscene” picture to a Flickr account which is accessible to users in Ohio? If the definition of “obscenity” is based on the Miller’s test (below), then What are the “community standards” that define obscenity in a case where one state wishes to prosecute someone in another “community”??

The Miller test for obscenity includes the following criteria

(1) whether ‘the average person, applying contemporary community standards’ would find that the work, ‘taken as a whole,’ appeals to ‘prurient interest’

(2) whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law, and

(3) whether the work, ‘taken as a whole,’ lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

[[User:Psl|Psl]] 17:47, 17 February 2014 (EST)

:Thanks for contributing! Just to clarify, the constitutional definition of actionable obscenity under ''Miller'' has the geographic element to it, which tailors the more general [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/part-I/chapter-71 criminal statute], but in the realm of child pornography neither the [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2252 criminal statute] nor the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_v._Ferber First Amendment doctrine] base liability on community standards. So while obscenity can very state to state, child pornography does not. (And both are illegal at the federal level.) [[User:Andy|Andy]] 18:47, 17 February 2014 (EST)

----

I have a greater appreciation for the issues involved in online free speech after this week's article. I somewhat disagree with Zuckerman's conclusion that private limitations to speech in private spaces is "Dangerous for a public society," in that I believe that private companies need to be able to define what is or isn't acceptable communication within their own environments--we're guests in these areas, and it's up to companies owning the spaces to decide what sort of environment their guests are going to experience. On the other hand, I don't think it can be the government that defines what's acceptable--it needs to be up to the individual owners of these spaces. I'm concerned about any encroachment on an individual or private enterprise's ability to decide what rules are appropriate for itself. While I find the content of, say, a site like Stormfront (a white separatist website) to be totally repugnant, I would defend their right to publish what they do--if anything, it simply exposes their nonsense to public scrutiny and criticism.

I am sympathetic to Benesch's thinking about "dangerous speech," and in particular it does make sense that the context (speaker, political environment, proximity to sensitive events, lack of competition/criticism) can make hate speech turn into something more insidious. Nevertheless, I'm unable to think of a good solution that doesn't actually make things worse. She claims to defend freedom of expression yet is able to make a distinction between expression and freedom of the press (dissemination). I find myself unable to disentangle the two. When one considers the international aspects, and the potential for international lawsuits (such as the French cases we've discussed) it seems like it would be unusually hard to apply her test to speech and protect the right of companies in places such as the United States to publish things that someone might claim to be "dangerous" elsewhere. For example, would the Chinese government find it to be "dangerous" if the customers of Twitter posted content about how there should be an end to single-party rule? Where do we draw the line? It's clear that not only are there the interests of certain governments at stake (and their authoritarian approaches to speech) but also the simple fact that some countries (such as the Rwanda example) may not have the institutions or cultural heritage to handle US-style free speech; yet it is it fair to force US companies to account for all of these cross-border and cross-cultural differences?

[[User:Jradoff|Jradoff]] 20:08, 17 February 2014 (EST)

Assignment 1 Submissions

2014-02-11T22:27:56Z

Jolietheone: /* Submissions */

{{AssignmentCal}}

===Submission Instructions===

'''This section of the website is crawled by search engines. If you do not want your name to appear in a search connected with your writing, use your class wiki username.'''

''Please make sure the name of your file includes your name or pseudonym (example: Name_Assignment1.doc) to avoid overwriting someone else's assignment.''

Grading for this assignment is on a 5-point scale; late assignments will be docked 1 point for each day they are late (final deadline: Tuesday, February 12, 5:30pm ET).

Upload your file here: [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/Special:Upload Upload file]. After you upload your file, please post a link to it in the "Submissions" section below in the following format:

* Your Name or Chosen Pseudonym:
* Link to rule: (URL of the Wikipedia editing policy you chose)
* Link to article: (URL of the Wikipedia article you edited)
* Link to report: (URL of the file you uploaded)

If you have trouble finding the file you uploaded, check the [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2013/Special:ImageList list of uploaded files].

Need help editing? [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page Check out this guide]

===Submissions===
Please post your link to your report below, in the following format:

*Jolie jolietheone

*Link to rule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability

*Link to article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratosphere_Girl#Plot

*Link to report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Assignment_1.docx

[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 17:27, 11 February 2014 (EST)

*Mikewitwicki

*Rule: NPOV; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance_mandate

*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Michael_Thomas_assignment1.docx

[[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 14:29, 11 February 2014 (EST)

* AmyAnn0644

* Rule Chosen: Verifiability -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability

* Wiki Edited: Marwari Yuva Manch -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marwari_Yuva_Manch

* Posted Link to Assignment Submission: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:AmyAnn0644_Assignment1.docx
--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 16:39, 10 February 2014 (EST)

[[User:Andy|Andy]] 19:58, 14 November 2013 (EST)
----

* MikeJohnson (course Wiki), MDJAnalyst (on Wikipedia)
* [RULE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability]
* [ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SN_2014J]
* [REPORT: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/MikeJohnson-Verifiability.pdf]

[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 12:22, 11 February 2014 (EST)

----

* margorm (class wiki), marengo5 (Wikipedia)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability WP:VERIFY]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosensor - Revamped the section on Interferometric Reflectance Imaging Sensor]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment1_Monroe.rtf Verifibility Report by Margo Monroe]

([[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 19:19, 10 February 2014 (EST))
----

*AKK22 (on this wiki, and Wikipedia)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability Verifiability]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprout_(TV_network) Sprout]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Kauth_Assignment1.pdf Report PDF]

----

* Jradoff (on this wiki), Tarinth (on Wikipedia)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability WP:V]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generative_systems Generative systems]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment1Radoff.txt Report Text]

[[User:Jradoff|Jradoff]] 12:21, 8 February 2014 (EST)

----

* Dancoron (in the class wiki), DCorona501st (is my name on Wikipedia)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability WP:VERIFY]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Corp - My addition Roland JV-80 Synthesizer & ROland SR-JV80 Expansion boards]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Dancoron_assignment1.doc My report of Verifiability]
[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 15:33, 8 February 2014 (EST)

----
* Castille (on class Wiki), Stille1002 (on Wikipedia)
* [RULE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view]
* [ARTICLE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workers%27_compensation]
* [REPORT: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:CastilleRath_ASSIGNMENT_ONE.doc]
[[User:Castille|Castille]] 12:30, 9 February 2014 (EST)

----

* jkelly (class wiki). jkelly88 (Wikipedia)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability Verifiability]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sunset_Tree The Sunset Tree]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Jkelly_Assignment1.doc Assignment 1]
[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 21:36, 9 February 2014 (EST)

----

* ichua (class wiki); iyhchua (Wikipedia)
* [RULE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view]
* [ARTICLE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posterior_compartment_of_leg]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:LSTU-E120_Assignment1_IanChua.pdf Assignment 1]
[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 13:11, 10 February 2014 (EST)

----

* Watson
* Rule chosen: NPOV -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view
* Wiki Edited: Silk Road(marketplace) -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road_(marketplace)
* Posted Link to Assignment Submission: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Watson_Assignment1.docx
--[[User:Watson|Watson]] 23:22, 10 February 2014 (EST)

----

* Drogowski (on this Wiki) drogowski (on Wikipedia)

* Rule Chosen: Verifiability -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability

* Wiki Edited: Uniform Investment Adviser Law Exam -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Investment_Adviser_Law_Exam

* Posted Link to Assignment Submission: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Daniel_Rogowski_LSTU_Project_1.docx

----

* Your Name or Chosen Pseudonym: Philip Seyfi ([[User:Seifip|Seifip]])
* Link to rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability
* Link to article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Oxford
* Link to report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Seyfi%2C_Philip_-_Assignment_1.pdf
----
* Your Name or Chosen Pseudonym: Aysel Ibayeva
* Link to rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability
* Link to article:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurance
* Link to report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Verifiability.docx. [[User:Aysel|Aysel]] 11:27, 11 February 2014 (EST)Aysel Ibayeva

----
* Pseudonym: Twood
* Rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view
* Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_journalism
* Report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment_one_twood.rtf [[User:Twood|Twood]] 11:29, 11 February 2014 (EST)

----

* Pseudonym: Deluxegourmet / Erin Saucke-Lacelle
* Link to rule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view
* Link to article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positron_emission_tomography#Safety
* Report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:ErinSaucke-LacelleAssignment1.rtf
[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 12:56, 11 February 2014 (EST)

----

Lucia Gamboa
* [RULE: Verifiability -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability]
* [ARTICLE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_broadband_plans_from_around_the_world#Mexico]
* [REPORT: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment_1_LGS.docx]

----

*Lpereira
*[Rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability]
*[Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_market]
*[Report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Lpereira_assingment_1.docx]

----

*PSL (Class wiki), Kleinzach2001(on Wikipedia)
*[Link to rule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view]
*[Link to article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed_Central]
*[Link to report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/PSL_Assignment1.rtf]

----
*[Rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research]
*[Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribute_act ]
*[Report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:TriciaByrnes_Asg.1.txt]
* TriciaBy --[[User:TriciaBy|TriciaBy]] 15:18, 11 February 2014 (EST)

----
*AndrewGrant
*[Rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability]
*[Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalalau_Trail]
*[Report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:AndrewGrant_assignment1_02112014.docx]

----

*[[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:41, 11 February 2014 (EST)
*Link to rule: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability)
*Link to article: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_the_United_States)
*Link to report: (http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment_One.docx)

-------------
*[[User:cheikhmbacke|cheikhmbacke]] 16:30, 11 February 2014 (EST)
*Link to report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Cheikh_Mbacke_Assignment_1.txt
*Link to rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view
*Link to article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_behavior

-------------
*Link to Report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Wikipedia_Assignment_Harvard.docx
*Link to Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Scorsese
*Link to Rule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability
*[[User:Benh|Benh]] 17:09, 11 February 2014 (EST)
-------------

*Your Name or Chosen Pseudonym: Finelinebilly (Wikipedia)
*Link to rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research
*Link to article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_university_school_of_general_studies
*Link to report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Puchalski-Assignment1.pdf
[[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 17:22, 11 February 2014 (EST)

Assignment 1 Submissions

2014-02-11T22:27:12Z

Jolietheone: /* Submissions */

{{AssignmentCal}}

===Submission Instructions===

'''This section of the website is crawled by search engines. If you do not want your name to appear in a search connected with your writing, use your class wiki username.'''

''Please make sure the name of your file includes your name or pseudonym (example: Name_Assignment1.doc) to avoid overwriting someone else's assignment.''

Grading for this assignment is on a 5-point scale; late assignments will be docked 1 point for each day they are late (final deadline: Tuesday, February 12, 5:30pm ET).

Upload your file here: [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/Special:Upload Upload file]. After you upload your file, please post a link to it in the "Submissions" section below in the following format:

* Your Name or Chosen Pseudonym:
* Link to rule: (URL of the Wikipedia editing policy you chose)
* Link to article: (URL of the Wikipedia article you edited)
* Link to report: (URL of the file you uploaded)

If you have trouble finding the file you uploaded, check the [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2013/Special:ImageList list of uploaded files].

Need help editing? [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page Check out this guide]

===Submissions===
Please post your link to your report below, in the following format:
Jolie jolietheone
Link to rule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability
Link to article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratosphere_Girl#Plot
Link to report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Assignment_1.docx
[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 17:27, 11 February 2014 (EST)

*Mikewitwicki

*Rule: NPOV; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance_mandate

*http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Michael_Thomas_assignment1.docx

[[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 14:29, 11 February 2014 (EST)

* AmyAnn0644

* Rule Chosen: Verifiability -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability

* Wiki Edited: Marwari Yuva Manch -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marwari_Yuva_Manch

* Posted Link to Assignment Submission: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:AmyAnn0644_Assignment1.docx
--[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 16:39, 10 February 2014 (EST)

[[User:Andy|Andy]] 19:58, 14 November 2013 (EST)
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* MikeJohnson (course Wiki), MDJAnalyst (on Wikipedia)
* [RULE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability]
* [ARTICLE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SN_2014J]
* [REPORT: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/MikeJohnson-Verifiability.pdf]

[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 12:22, 11 February 2014 (EST)

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* margorm (class wiki), marengo5 (Wikipedia)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability WP:VERIFY]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosensor - Revamped the section on Interferometric Reflectance Imaging Sensor]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment1_Monroe.rtf Verifibility Report by Margo Monroe]

([[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 19:19, 10 February 2014 (EST))
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*AKK22 (on this wiki, and Wikipedia)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability Verifiability]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprout_(TV_network) Sprout]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Kauth_Assignment1.pdf Report PDF]

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* Jradoff (on this wiki), Tarinth (on Wikipedia)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability WP:V]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generative_systems Generative systems]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment1Radoff.txt Report Text]

[[User:Jradoff|Jradoff]] 12:21, 8 February 2014 (EST)

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* Dancoron (in the class wiki), DCorona501st (is my name on Wikipedia)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability WP:VERIFY]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Corp - My addition Roland JV-80 Synthesizer & ROland SR-JV80 Expansion boards]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Dancoron_assignment1.doc My report of Verifiability]
[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 15:33, 8 February 2014 (EST)

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* Castille (on class Wiki), Stille1002 (on Wikipedia)
* [RULE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view]
* [ARTICLE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workers%27_compensation]
* [REPORT: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:CastilleRath_ASSIGNMENT_ONE.doc]
[[User:Castille|Castille]] 12:30, 9 February 2014 (EST)

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* jkelly (class wiki). jkelly88 (Wikipedia)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability Verifiability]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sunset_Tree The Sunset Tree]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Jkelly_Assignment1.doc Assignment 1]
[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 21:36, 9 February 2014 (EST)

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* ichua (class wiki); iyhchua (Wikipedia)
* [RULE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view]
* [ARTICLE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posterior_compartment_of_leg]
* [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:LSTU-E120_Assignment1_IanChua.pdf Assignment 1]
[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 13:11, 10 February 2014 (EST)

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* Watson
* Rule chosen: NPOV -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view
* Wiki Edited: Silk Road(marketplace) -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road_(marketplace)
* Posted Link to Assignment Submission: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Watson_Assignment1.docx
--[[User:Watson|Watson]] 23:22, 10 February 2014 (EST)

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* Drogowski (on this Wiki) drogowski (on Wikipedia)

* Rule Chosen: Verifiability -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability

* Wiki Edited: Uniform Investment Adviser Law Exam -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Investment_Adviser_Law_Exam

* Posted Link to Assignment Submission: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Daniel_Rogowski_LSTU_Project_1.docx

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* Your Name or Chosen Pseudonym: Philip Seyfi ([[User:Seifip|Seifip]])
* Link to rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability
* Link to article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Oxford
* Link to report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Seyfi%2C_Philip_-_Assignment_1.pdf
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* Your Name or Chosen Pseudonym: Aysel Ibayeva
* Link to rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability
* Link to article:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurance
* Link to report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Verifiability.docx. [[User:Aysel|Aysel]] 11:27, 11 February 2014 (EST)Aysel Ibayeva

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* Pseudonym: Twood
* Rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view
* Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_journalism
* Report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment_one_twood.rtf [[User:Twood|Twood]] 11:29, 11 February 2014 (EST)

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* Pseudonym: Deluxegourmet / Erin Saucke-Lacelle
* Link to rule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view
* Link to article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positron_emission_tomography#Safety
* Report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:ErinSaucke-LacelleAssignment1.rtf
[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 12:56, 11 February 2014 (EST)

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Lucia Gamboa
* [RULE: Verifiability -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability]
* [ARTICLE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_broadband_plans_from_around_the_world#Mexico]
* [REPORT: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment_1_LGS.docx]

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*Lpereira
*[Rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability]
*[Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_market]
*[Report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Lpereira_assingment_1.docx]

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*PSL (Class wiki), Kleinzach2001(on Wikipedia)
*[Link to rule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view]
*[Link to article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed_Central]
*[Link to report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/PSL_Assignment1.rtf]

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*[Rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research]
*[Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribute_act ]
*[Report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:TriciaByrnes_Asg.1.txt]
* TriciaBy --[[User:TriciaBy|TriciaBy]] 15:18, 11 February 2014 (EST)

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*AndrewGrant
*[Rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability]
*[Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalalau_Trail]
*[Report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:AndrewGrant_assignment1_02112014.docx]

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*[[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:41, 11 February 2014 (EST)
*Link to rule: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability)
*Link to article: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_the_United_States)
*Link to report: (http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Assignment_One.docx)

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*[[User:cheikhmbacke|cheikhmbacke]] 16:30, 11 February 2014 (EST)
*Link to report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Cheikh_Mbacke_Assignment_1.txt
*Link to rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view
*Link to article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_behavior

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*Link to Report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/sites/is2015/images/Wikipedia_Assignment_Harvard.docx
*Link to Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Scorsese
*Link to Rule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability
*[[User:Benh|Benh]] 17:09, 11 February 2014 (EST)
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*Your Name or Chosen Pseudonym: Finelinebilly (Wikipedia)
*Link to rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research
*Link to article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_university_school_of_general_studies
*Link to report: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is2015/File:Puchalski-Assignment1.pdf
[[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 17:22, 11 February 2014 (EST)

Politics and Technology of Control: Introduction

2014-01-28T21:41:57Z

Jolietheone: /* Class Discussion */

{{ClassCalendar}}
'''January 28'''

The Internet at its core is simply an expression of a technological protocol that allows for a particular way of sharing information. But its role has never been this understated. The Net has great potential for “good” (e.g. innovation, economic growth, education, and access to information), and likewise is a great platform for the bawdy, tawdry and illegal. So is this platform about fundamental social, political and economic change, or about access to solipsistic blogging, pornography, cheap pharmaceuticals, free music, and poker at home? This question leads us to a host of interesting issues that weave their way through the course related to openness, access, regulatory control, free speech, anonymity, intellectual property rights, democracy, transparency, norms and values, economic and cultural change, and cyber-terrorism, as well as scamsters and thieves.

'''There is a small assignment to do before class. See [[#Preparation (Assignment "Zero")|Assignment Zero]] below.

== Preparation (Assignment "Zero") ==

* Reflect on what you believe are the most significant social, cultural, political or economic changes associated with the spread of digital technologies. In a few sentences, please offer 2-3 examples in the [[#Class Discussion|Class Discussion]] section below and be prepared to discuss them during class.

<onlyinclude>

== Readings/Watchings ==

'''What is the Internet?'''

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2QdEj8UjBc Ethan Zuckerman, History of the Internet] (approx. 7 mins., watch all)

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whmMNRHktX8 Jonathan Zittrain, How the Internet Works] (approx. 4 mins., watch all)

'''How does the Internet change governance?'''

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

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

* [http://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2009/03/the_third_wave.htm Eric Goldman, The Third Wave of Internet Exceptionalism]

* [http://www.ted.com/talks/rebecca_mackinnon_let_s_take_back_the_internet.html Rebecca MacKinnon, Let’s Take Back the Internet! (TED.com)] (approx. 15 mins., watch all)

'''Who governs the Internet?'''

* [http://www.icann.org/sites/default/files/assets/governance-2500x1664-13jan14-en.png ICANN, Who Runs the Internet?] (infographic)

* [http://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=1071915 Alex Simonelis, A Concise Guide to the Major Internet Bodies] (skim, but focus on ICANN, IETF, IANA, and W3C)

'''Who is the Internet? Who is it not? What can we do about it?'''

* [http://www.webuse.org/pdf/Hargittai-DigitalDivideWhatToDo2007.pdf Eszter Hargittai, The Digital Divide and What to Do About It (New Economy Handbook)] (focus on Sections I-III)

:* Hargittai’s data is from 2003. For more recent data, see [http://pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2013/PIP_Offline%20adults_092513_PDF.pdf Pew Internet & American Life Project, Who's Not Online and Why] (read the summary, skim the sections).

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNHkG7w2IA8 Ethan Zuckerman, Why Our Webs Are Rarely Worldwide, And What We Can Do About It] (approx. 14 mins., watch all)

== Optional Readings ==

* [http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2013/12/04/video-who-controls-the-internet/ Ellery Biddle, Who Controls the Internet? (''Global Voices'')] (video in Spanish with English subtitles, 10 mins., watch all)

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

* [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1752415 Tim Wu, Is Internet Exceptionalism Dead?]

* [http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2012/12/05/good-and-bad-reasons-to-be-worried-about-wcit/ Ethan Zuckerman, Good and Bad Reasons to be Worried About WCIT]

</onlyinclude>

== Videos Watched in Class ==

== Class Discussion ==

<div style="background-color:#CCCCCC;">Welcome to Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control! This is the section of the page where you should add your comments to complete "assignment zero." Once you have registered an account, just click the "[edit]" button at the upper right hand corner of this section to add text! '''Please remember to sign your postings by adding four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) to the end of your contribution. This will automatically add your username and the date/time of your post, like so: [[User:Andy|Andy]] 15:12, 7 November 2013 (EST)</div>

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The most significant changes associated with the spread of digital technologies would be the speed of information exchange and increased opportunity for information sharing.

With the help of social networking websites, it takes only one click to inform your friends and family about the birthday party that will be held next week in downtown, and you will be able to do a head count by looking at how many people click the “Going” button. It saves time and effort to exchange information nowadays. Although this attributed to the fact that people have been less careful when sharing information, we could not deny that digital technologies has contributed a lot in a positive way such as improving efficiency.

Another good example of showing how rapid the information sharing process could be via digital technologies is Edward Snowden. He would like to warn the public “as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them” by releasing classified material to The Guardian. It only took a day for the news to travel around the world.
[[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 16:41, 28 January 2014 (EST)
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The spread of digital technology and the influence of the Internet have changed our society immeasurably. I am particularly interested in exploring the social, cultural, and political influence of digital technology on our society and in developing countries. From this perspective, one of the most significant moments of change on the Internet was the Arab Spring of 2010. As a grassroots movement facilitated by Twitter, this was a defining moment in demonstrating the power of online communities. The Arab Spring proved that individuals were able to cultivate communities online and more importantly, were able to organize themselves within the community to become a force of change. The democratization of information, ability to communicate, and the freedom to communicate gave the promise of justice for the voiceless and oppressed. Today, citizen advocacy has brought once quieted issues to the mainstream, like the NSA leaks, the 2012 Delhi gang rape, or the Boston Marathon Bombing.

However, the Internet and digital technology has influenced many other areas besides society and government. A critical step in progress for modern technology is the mapping of the human genome. The ability to store and access this information has ushered in unprecedented changes in medical fields. Furthermore, the Internet has increased access to medical tools like WebMD or the development of medical mobile applications, which will be an important development as technology becomes more globalized.
[[User:Julie|Julie]] 16:14, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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Access and participation afforded by the spread of digital technologies have had a significant impact socially, culturally, politically, and economically. Socially, access to networking platforms, social media, internet calling services and instant messaging have changed the quantity of individual connections- and quality of relationships- regardless of location throughout the world. Culturally, stratification of identity or orientation has shifted significantly; the emphasis on national, religious, ethnic, and other cultural differences has been diluted by the rise of interconnectivity, access to information and the ability to participate across cultures. Politically and economically, the impact is largely similar- access to non-traditional and real-time news sources fostered by the spread of digital technology empowers the consumer as well as the constituent. The ability to inform oneself and advocate for individual and collective interests has changed the landscape of economic and political participation; unfortunately this has been coupled with increased concerns about rights to information disseminated on the internet and the protection of privacy at the individual and organizational level. [[User:Akk22|Akk22]] 11:04, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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The explosion of digital technology has dramatically impacted society in all facets of life. It has evolved us as a species and will continue to change the way in which we interact with each other, the way we think, and eventually the human body itself will gradually transform. In terms of inventions, the birth of the internet has far surpassed any other invention known to mankind with respect to the magnitude of change occurring within the relatively short lifespan of its existence. As a child, I recall when robots were once considered something so distant in the future, but now we have a form of a robot with the internet. It contains more "knowledge" and holds more information than any human being.

Digital technology has altered society in several ways that I have observed and experienced:

Socially & Culturally - Digital technology has changed the way humans make plans and interact with one another. It appears that encounters and relationships have somehow become more casual and less personal via the advancement and widespread use of social media. Formalities and formal interactions are becoming less common. A simple text message now is the norm for setting up a date with a potential mate rather than a phone call or knocking on the lady's door to ask her parents' permission for a proper date.

Along these lines, for better or worse, it appears that even the cultural style of dress for those in the younger generations has evolved into a more casual trend. People are generally more accepting with an "anything goes" type of attitude. The iconic CEO Facebook creator, Mark Zuckerburg, is often seen wearing his T-Shirt even when meeting with other high profile CEOs and officials.

The so-called "dot-com" generation has also been known to feel the need for "instant gratification" and appear to have less patience than the elder members of society. This makes sense given digital technology's ease of immediate information sharing and overall access to information at the click of a button. Only a few years ago it seemed normal if someone did not respond within a day or two. Now if someone does not answer after one or two days, 911 is serious consideration.

General reliability between friends is also another changing element of human interaction because with the click of a button someone can cancel plans or easily evade previously planned obligations. A few decades ago, if I told someone we were to meet at the train station, I had better show up because I had no way of letting my comrade know I could not make it. It used to be considered nearly impossible to ask someone to "hang out" on the same day because planning with such short notice was simply not possible. With cell phones and text messaging, "meeting up" is now the norm and planning events out is becoming less common (or so has been true in my experience).

Governance & Governing: As Jack Goldsmith and Timothy Wu illustrate in their example about Yahoo in "Digital Borders", the internet has and I believe will continue to erode the general power of government. The internet has no borders and trying to determine the convoluted doctrine of privacy is a grapple for any expert to endure. The internet also enhances the power of the individual (for better or worse) as it affords all members of the world with a platform for anyone to view. With an unlimited audience propaganda becomes all the more powerful and any thought can be expressed and followed by the masses. Culturally, this can also enhance narcissism to the extent that one's own thoughts, photos, and individual power/image can be continually broadcasted for the world to see.

The internet has obviously changed the way laws are enforced and the modus operandi in which criminals operate. While the internet has arguably made it easier for law enforcement to catch certain types of criminals, other types of threats (namely, cyber crime) are more difficult and sometimes nearly impossible to detect.

Economy: While the internet has worked wonders for many economic gains such as providing general efficiency; the downside is the threat that if the internet crashes or otherwise becomes inoperable, business suddenly takes a back seat and can become totally paralyzed acting as a prime target for adversaries (as the recent Target credit card hacking events have shown). In other words, the benefits of efficiency are only truly beneficial to the extent that internet platforms are operating smoothly. The overdependence on the internet is perhaps the most frightening thing our society faces. I will never forget the first time I was at a store and the "servers" were down at the checkout counter. After two hours of shopping and loads of groceries, I was turned away even after offering cash! The computer system required all transactions to be logged. The damage to the economy if this were to happen on a grand scale would be damming.

The internet has actually changed the very definition of success and perception of success in my opinion. In one minute, you can become rich off the internet. One youtube video posted can start Justin Bieber's Hollywood career; the advent of a social media website can make someone one of the richest in the world. Striking it rich has become much easier for some who thrive off the popularity contest the internet provides. How this has impacted the traditional view of the American dream remains to be seen.

[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 20:48, 27 January 2014 (EST)

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The spread of digital technologies has sparked an ubiquitous world. Communication is instantaneous, global, and self-published. As a result, the public has chosen which social and political interactions to reject and trust, causing a potentially biased perception of their contemporary world. The irony of this bias is that the ability to access information from a variety of sources is unprecedented; sorting through the inundation of un- and published materials - fact or opinion - becomes a challenge for even the most educated. For the youth, privacy becomes re-defined as being alone physically, yet open to sharing the most insignificant or significant details of their lives digitally (how will these tendencies shape the future?). The combinational effects of these changes establish a gateway for future technologies to be adapted (or rejected) by the public; however, improving awareness and education of the general public is of utmost importance in order for society to fully embrace the power and impact of these future tools.

[[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 20:48, 27 January 2014 (EST)

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“Change” holds neither a positive, nor negative connotation, so I will provide an example of each:

The negative: The ubiquity of camera-equipped, internet-connected smartphones allows millions of Americans to digitally upload and share photographs with ease. Sometimes, though, these photos are compromising and end up in the hands of nefarious purveyors of “revenge porn.” The proliferation of revenge porn can and does compromise the privacy (and oftentimes safety) of private citizens who become unwitting victims of sexual harassment. And in most cases, law enforcement is unable to prosecute offenders. Many U.S. states punish “cyberstalking,” but only as a misdemeanor, which means that law enforcement cannot obtain warrants that are necessary to collect evidence needed to prosecute. Recourse in civil court proves equally futile due in large part to antiquated copyright law. I believe that revenge porn serves as an example of the social and political problems that can arise when technology moves faster than the law.

The positive: Digital technology continues to reinvent the culture of higher learning. For instance, I am currently participating in this discussion, and will attend this Cambridge-based class remotely, from my home in Manhattan, NYC. Moreover, MOOCs offered by EdX and similar providers allow interested parties to engage in courses out of genuine interest.

[[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 00:33, 27 January 2014 (EST)

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significant social, cultural, political or economic changes associated with the spread of digital technologies:

1) culturally and politically, spin control held by governments and regional authorities ( religious, corporate, ethnic ) loses traction in the minds of individual internet users; digital tech results in a macro shift of the rhetoric of belief from formerly established originators of spin to the web itself as provider of deconstructed information that individuals more typically use to form their own beliefs and to question the validity of formerly established paradigms.

2)economically, web commerce fast outdates the economics of traditional physically-based logistics. Serious privacy issues among users of new technologies stand as barriers to user confidence, even as new tech info systems tend to present prospective users with no viable lesser-cost alternatives.

[[User:Mbouscaren|Mbouscaren]] 14:55, 25 January 2014 (EST)

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1. The ability to communicate instantly has changed social interactions and relationships on a personal level (i.e. the instant feedback available on social media and communication via email, text, etc.) and in wider communities (i.e. forums, comments on news articles and blogs, etc.). The access to and engagement with new communication technologies can be empowering for those who may have otherwise felt voiceless, while a sense of anonymity can lead to harassment with minimal consequences.

2. Fast and easy access to information that allows individuals to educate themselves (though that has to be balanced against the challenges of finding reliable sources) and have more control as consumers (compare products, read reviews, etc.).

[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 16:25, 26 January 2014 (EST)

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*'''Significant social change -''' People with traits of autism, Asperger's, ADD, dyslexia, social anxiety are becoming over-represented among successful CEOs and entrepreneurs, relative to the population at large. The current economy has been rewarding companies run by people who have mental characteristics adapted to software programming, engineering, and creativity (for example) much more than in the past.

*'''Economic change -''' ''(To be honest, both of my answers could fit into social, political and economic...)'' Markets are shifting from broadcast, one-size fits all models of communication towards narrowcast, peer-to-peer conversations. On the Internet, consumer-driven input, quality products/content and sometimes even user-generated content are valued more highly than tightly-controlled corporate 'spin'. Of course this may change substantially with the fall of net neutrality.

[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 20:15, 26 January 2014 (EST)

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Significant social change: The way in which news spreads has changed drastically with the advent of the internet. Social networking sites, such as Facebook and particularly Twitter, have become news outlets that have, in some cases, proved to be quicker at providing up-to-the-minute current event info than traditional news providers.

Cultural/legal change: The spread of digital technologies has impacted the music industry and amateur artists in a profound way. A great example is the issue of mash-ups, the cutting and pasting of previously-recorded songs to make a brand new tune. Mash-ups have proven to be an outlet for amateur creativity, as the average person can take different songs (often times of different genres and beats) off the internet and make something entirely new. That amateur can then share her music with others. The music industry is not a fan of mash-ups, claiming that the infringe upon copy-right law. Current copy-right laws in the US are far behind the internet and do not provide guidelines on how to maintain a balance between what mash-up artists consider their 1st Amendment rights and what the music industry consider copy-right infringement.( There's a lot more I could say about this, as I wrote a paper on it, but in the interest of keeping it short, I'll end here.)

[[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 10:25, 27 January 2014 (EST)

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Technology and the internet have changed the face of communication in all of its various subjects-- political, social, cultural, etc.-- which is to say that it has mostly replaced actual faces and voices with a computer screen. This is not to say that there aren't benefits, as there certainly are a plethora of benefits, ranging from the accessibility of information and quick dissemination of news. With a mere device, one is capable of staying connected to their family, friends, and the community at large no matter where they travel. Like never before, people are being brought together from drastically different backgrounds and geographical locations. We are being exposed to stories about the cultural traditions of the smallest microcosms and have access to nearly every facet of companies, governments, et cetera. While there is certainly power in this digital age of communication, as demonstrated clearly in the political realm with the recent revolution in Egypt, the internet and technology have paradoxically separated us from one another. There is less and less human-to-human contact, with people preferring to sit at home behind their computer or telephone screens instead of discussing events in person. Individuals may now be able to see everything with Google Maps, for instance, but is this a satisfactory substitute for actually experiencing these places and incidents with every sense? And aside from sensory deprivation, we are creating an emotional barrier which spans the gamut from creating social awkwardness in person to allowing thoughtless online bullying to run rampant. However, even with plenty of negatives, can we condemn the very same internet and technologies which have advanced medicine and businesses the world over? The world economy has benefitted greatly, with global commerce being as easy as clicking a button or filling out a billing form. Individuals anywhere can start a business with minimal effort and are able to participate in global trade. As with most good things, there are certainly positives and negatives that go along with the internet and technological advances.
[[User:Castille|Castille]] 12:46, 27 January 2014 (EST)

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Digital technology helps us to automate repetitive, time-consuming, and error-prone tasks, enabling humans to spend more time doing what only humans can do: generate ideas. To use a timely example, TurboTax.com analyzes data and runs calculations for a consumer, saving them time and money by avoiding interaction with an accountant. However, sometimes replacing humans with a machine does not work so well. I personally dislike the self-checkout machines at CVS. They are too loud, and somehow always make some sort of mistake, requiring an attendant to come over and punch in a code, wasting time and failing to fulfill their basic function.

Although digital technology makes our lives easier in countless ways, many of which I might not even appreciate or understand, I think the ease and gratification of digital technologies can take a toll when humans become alienated from basic life tasks that might have their benefits. As "Castille" mentions - the constant use of and reliance on GoogleMaps might prevent people from actually gaining a sense of their environment and making observations that could help them memorize directions or landmarks, and allow them to be more self-reliant. Although digital technology allows developers, artists, educators, etc. to be really creative and productive, it also allows a lot of people to get away with being complacent.

[[User:Sballister|Sballister]] 18:20, 27 January 2014 (EST)

EDIT: I don't mean to say that TurboTax and self-checkout are examples of great social change, but they are signs of greater change like automation which will in turn affect standards for human interaction, self-reliance, etc. [[User:Sballister|Sballister]] 07:29, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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There are several important factors to consider with the rise and spread of digital technologies. From a human interactive tactile context the PC has to be the front runner that covers many sociological concerns that I consider important.

Prior to the smart phone, the personal computer (PC) has to be (and still is) one of the most important aspects of all digital technologies to be thrust upon mankind, because of the potential power it endows upon its owner, knowingly or unknowingly; as it allows one to cross state lines, oceans and continents in mere seconds without much effort by its user. This, coupled with the widespread use of the internet provides an important context to the discussion from a sociological framework. To have so much computing power at ones finger tips, yet it is often relegated by its user to social networking, video games and entertainment, that human contact is subconsciously negated by the user. Having to get out of the house is becoming more of a chore due to what can be done online. Hiking out in the woods for field trips or class projects is becoming more and more a novelty for students and teachers alike. We can't wait to get laptops in the hands of students in third world countries, for what, so that they too can watch life on a screen, rather then be poor and kick a soccer ball around a field somewhere.

At the end of the day, from both a global and sociological standpoint, the widespread use of digital technologies has just as many concerns as it does rewards.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 23:08, 27 January 2014 (EST)

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1. The launch of Sputnik changed many things — scientific, technological, military, and political — and the cold war of course spurred the beginnings of the internet in its earliest forms amongst the military, scientists, and researchers who used ARPAnet to transfer information, which fed American interest in the sciences and provided a foundation for the very digital technologies that now aid in the spread of our current digital technologies.

2. This leads into a second point, which is that intensified globalization of cultural elements — arguably beginning with WWII and intensifying in the '90s — promoted commercialization of the internet in the early '90s and put digital technology propagation into fast-forward. Suddenly we are able to access information on the other end of the world, rapidly, from the comfort of our own homes, and this allowed for ideas and digital technologies to spread over (again) the very digital technologies that made them possible. [[User:Twood|Twood]] 11:23, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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Free speech ideals are one of the political, social/cultural, and even economic challenges of the spread of digital technologies. Some people want to be able to say or produce whatever they want on the World Wide Web. And some people think like the author of "A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace", that the internet community can police themselves. But how would the internet prevent child pornography, or financial fraud from occurring without the help of government agencies? These are real questions that are worth debate. No one has all the answers yet.

Socially and culturally the challenges presented by the spread of digital technologies, revolves around how we use these technologies to communicate. We are still deciding what is acceptable, and what is not acceptable, socially and culturally. This social/cultural debate about the Internet is often about privacy-how much are we willing to share online. Each person is different and each culture/country feels different about how much should be revealed or restricted online. This leads us to economic results related to the spread of internet technologies.

One of the reasons that privacy is a concern with digital tech, is that companies want Internet user information. They want to know where you live, where you work, what are your favorite TV shows, and your food preferences, so that they can better sell to you. Economics also plays a role in how you will receive your Internet content/speed. Verizon and the FCC were recently in federal court arguing about whether Verizon could add additional charges to content providers, i.e. in theory, Verizon could charge these providers to reach their customers.

Politically, we have seen that digital technologies can be used to spy on citizens, and they also can be used by whistleblowers to shed light on secret activities by governments, as in the Edward Snowden incident.[[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 13:04, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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(Apologies in advance for the length)
Seems there is quite often a direct and indirect "significant change" that can be associated with each of these areas and advances in digital technologies.

The evolution of popular social networks such as Facebook or match.com are prime examples of where the technology has prompted significant change in our social behaviors. These and similar services have shifted the dynamic in our relationships with others. The ability to discover, connect and continually communicate with "friends” without geographical limitations, and without significant costs, has allowed communities, groups and couples to form tightly knit units. This has lead to countless new marriages, allowed us an ability to sustain long-distance relationships via Skype and FaceTime technologies. Such relationships were economically and technically impossible during the days of the Bell Telephone monopoly, which seem not too long ago. Yet, plenty of indirect "significant changes" related to this same area are also becoming more frequent... As a quick example, plenty of divorces have been linked to the "discovery" of online affairs, and the same social technologies have been exploited by predatory sex offenders who can easily pose as a "friend" on Facebook to unsuspecting children.

Politically, the expansion of the digital technologies has certainly allowed for many to enter into politics and effect public policy. A standard strategy now, but web-savvy politicians have been able to exploit the new technologies as a means of reaching their followers for not only "connecting" with potential constituents, but also it has allowed those who may never have considered running for public office, a means of "discovering" their political base, building support and financial contributions through the internet to drive their campaign. Not only for "career politicians", but also for the grassroots network that can help bolster a campaign for political outsiders the likes of Jessie "the Body" Ventura, and help launch a foray into politics. Conversely, political careers have certainly been destroyed by improprieties that the advances in digital technologies have made all too quick & easy. Best exemplified recently by a US Congressman (who needs no introduction) uploading certain digital photographs to an online "friend"...which indirectly has ramifications for his entire political party's platform which cannot afford to lose that 1 seat in the House of Representatives.

Culturally - the spread of digital technologies have allowed us to collaborate and learn from communities around the world as never before... The instantaneous ability to share news, images, sound and video has brought us a greater understanding into the lives and conditions of many different cultures around the world. We learn how they must thrive, struggle and persevere within unfamiliar regions worldwide. The world's news can become as "local" as the reports we hear everyday on our city's local TV news station. The consumer need only choose from where they wish to receive a daily RSS feed, or return daily to a "Bookmark" linking to their country's leading news service. Indirectly, this same ability to glance into another culture via online technologies can trigger an all-too-limited view of what a particular culture's values may or may not be. The predominant exposure of anti-American videos and rhetoric promoting atrocities against westerners by radical Islamic militant groups using the internet to build and recruit an international army of terrorists, has certainly skewed the non-Islamic world's understanding of the culture of Islam and the very large majority of Muslims around the world who are as peaceful, humane, and caring as we all strive to be.

Economically, the significant changes that have been prompted by advances in digital technologies are numerous. The entire economic model in many industries has needed to adapt to the new opportunities that digital technologies allowed (and expected) or risk their corporation’s demise. Photography, Music and Publishing have all seen major shifts in their production, marketing, distribution and sales models. Amazon was an early player in adapting to the new online economy, and many brick-and-mortar shops fell victim to the competition. In the publishing world, and ever more frequently within the music world, we are now leasing our content at the same (and sometimes much larger) costs than what consumers formerly paid to physically own the content. In addition to the content itself, providers are also able to charge for delivery mechanisms (propriety interfaces to interact with the content) or require “subscriber fees” to access cloud storage of your personal collection of digital assets (Music, e-books, library archiving projects, etc) How we read, listen, and enjoy the many arts are all indirectly changed because of the advances in digital technology and our reliance on the internet combined with smart devices to deliver content to us. [[User:Psl|Psl]] 13:17, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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The recent technological advances, and the development of the internet in particular, have brought about many changes to every part of our lives as individuals, as well as to the functioning of the society as a whole.

One of the most far-reaching effects of the development of the internet is the ease of mobilizing thousands and millions of people behind shared goals, for good, or for bad. From a satellite launch crowdfunded on Kickstarter, through the decline of “pink slime” following a change.org petition, to oppressing governments using online media to remain in power, the last few years in particular have hinted at the things to come. Indeed, what we're starting to see is that contrary to predictions of centuries past, the future of computing is turning out to center not on improved artificial intelligence through ever increasing computational power, but on real people empowered by technology.

A concept seemingly opposite to the idea of crowdsourcing is decentralization, another keyword for this decade. Governments across the world are beginning to wrap their heads around the internet and are becoming increasingly good at policing it. Internet giants such as Google and Facebook are also constantly tightening their grip on the large sections of the internet within their reach and control. The recent developments in federated social networks, decentralized authentication methods and currencies, and independent mesh networking however suggest that internet might in fact grow more uncontrollable than ever in the years to come.
[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 13:51, 28 January 2014 (EST)

:Thanks for the comments, and for the formatting update as well! If people would like to treat each of these as the start of a thread and reply feel free to do so - just insert a colon before your reply. [[User:Andy|Andy]] 13:57, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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Digital techniologies have created the promise of instant access to answers and information. They have removed the middle men and connected information producers and consumers, for example, with the advent of digital publishing authors, musicians, etc have more access to their readers and as such produce content with seemingly more artistic control. This in turn may have created microcosms of demand and increased the polarization of the conversation and reduced our experience with consensus building and effective dialog.

Additionally, the advent of digital technologies has increased the transparency of individuals and governments as they engage and as such has both benefited and hampered the international political dialog. Individual actions and the actions of individuals within governments and institutions are open for scrutiny often by entities who are not familiar with the context. [[User:Rstempfley|Rstempfley]] 15:00, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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The birth of digital technology changed the landscape of how equities, futures, options, and currencies are traded globally. From an economic perspective, exchanges worldwide were once left with limited ways to conduct transactions, to include the telephone (the ones hanging on a wall attached by an annoying cord) and face-to face communication, primarily through large financial institutions and advisors.

Technology has allowed the general public, who are now users of large public exchanges such as the NYSE, Nikkei, & NASDAQ ,open availability to markets that were once only offered to the elite and wealthy. Political constructs changed, as the general public were allowed into a market place that was once driven strictly by large financial institutions. Market entry for the general consumer changed the social environment of the stock market, and a more level playing field developed through the adoption of online brokerage firms such as AB Watley, E-Trade, and Ameritrade. Trading securities across not only state lines, but also entire countries, provided unlimited opportunity for those who wanted the option to trade securities without the use of a personal stockbroker. This type of transaction was unheard of in the early 90’s-today purchasing ones own stock online without the advise of a broker is the norm.--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 15:19, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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The digital universe has revolutionized access to information. Today, anyone can find anything by simply asking their phone! This overabundance of information is connected to a number of global issues including terror, freedom, energy and political polarization. Anyone can look up how to make a bomb online, but does that make it ok for the federal government to spy on all of us? These new technologies have increased our consumption of energy, yet we are inching toward renewable energy slower than the polar caps are melting. And to cap it all off, political parties now have access to so much information that there is data to support any claim, increasing the frequency of gridlock. [[User:Art.Mescon|Art.Mescon]] 15:32, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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Culturally: Digital technologies have given us instantaneous access to current events around the world. They have also given us an incredibly cheap way to communicate with anyone, anywhere, at any time. Initially, these technologies resulted in a sort of digital melting pot of beliefs, ideas, and knowledge. As we have matured as Internet users, and grown more proficient in harnessing this newfound ability, these technologies have begun to birth such innovations as Crowd Sourcing – changing the way we fund everything from aid relief to feature films.

Politically: We are only just beginning to see what is possible, politically, as a result of the digital landscape. By 2011, the increased adoption of smartphone technology, intersected with the rise of social media, helped launch a political protest in Tahrir Square that resulted in the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak – proving that this development in communication has far reaching implications for Democracy around the globe.

Economically: Despite many governments insistence to the contrary, via tariffs, trade is freer than ever. This is especially so on the consumer goods level, filling our grocers with foreign fruits and vegetables, and retail stores with products manufactured anywhere. The individual consumer, if so inclined, may hunt down the rarest of items on the other side of the world, and in days have them delivered to their doorsteps.

[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 15:35, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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EXAMPLE 1: ONLINE MATH LEARNING IN SINGAPORE

Background: I founded ACE-Learning Systems Pte Ltd in Jan 2001 to develop an
online math program for secondary schools. Obtained $60,000 funding from the
Infocomm Development Authority and started with 6 pilot schools from the
Ministry of Education. Now, we are the largest online math vendor in Singapore
with almost all secondary schools using the program.

Social: In the past, student success depended primarily on family's economic
background. Parents found it necessary to engage private tutors to ensure
their children get high grades to enable them to progress to better schools
from primary school through university. Students from poor families tend to be
left behind. Now, with online learning, access to quality education is now a
level playing field.

Economic: Very poor students under government subsidy schemes are given free
access to the program, free computer, and free internet access. Revenues from
the school subscription contracts enable the company to further develop and
improve the learning resources to its current state-of-the-art.

Technological: Problems in traditional chalkboard teaching: (1) Students
cannot remember what was taught in class (2) Pace of the classroom instruction
was too fast (3) Unable to multitask in copying chalkboard information and
trying to listen to the teacher at the same time (4) Poor visibility of
writing/drawing on the chalkboard depending on sitting location of the student
(5) Teacher erases chalkboard information before students could finish
copying. (6) Questions from students may require erased chalkboard data and
teacher has to rewrite/redraw the information. The introduction of the use of
Powerpoint amplify the problem, especially in cases where teachers refuse to
distribute their Powerpoint slides to the class. The scantily written notes
and lack of audio with Powerpoint sometimes make learning difficult. With
online learning, all these problems are resolved. Furthermore, teachers now
have effective interactive teaching resources which were impossible and
inoperable with chalkboard or Powerpoint instruction. These can also solicit
co-operative class participation. Students can now learn more effectively and
at an accelerated pace. Students can also view the online videos as many times
as they need at their own convenience at home or on mobile iOS or Android
devices.

Political: Grades for homework or quizzes no longer need to be "cast in
stone". Teachers can now encourage their students to re-do their homework
assignments or quizzes with new questions generated by the online system to
improve their performance with immediate feedback thus giving them the
opportunity to improve their grades. With the online multi-criteria performance monitoring tools, teachers can now quickly track their students' progress. Now, they can better manage their time and help the
weaker students. Teachers are now better empowered in their role as teachers
and facilitators of learning.

EXAMPLE 2: PROPOSAL FOR BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION, PHILIPPINES
.....will be continued in my next email, in case I run out of time.

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:38, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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The Internet has changed the way people interact socially and has impacted the economic realm in a tremendous way.

Before major technological developments, for one to interact with someone personally they would have to physically have access to that individual. But with the modern innovations of email, video chat, and social sites like Facebook and Twitter, one can access a whole world that was previously unknown to them.

Internet has changed the way in which commerce works; economically speaking industries are not the same. If someone wished to buy or sell commodities they would need to travel to a store, but with internet an individual from New York can make a purchase from a store in China and then sell that same item to someone in California and never even touch the product. The world has been drawn together since the advent of the Internet, and because of the changes society has benefited as a whole. It’s a powerful tool that all should learn about!

[[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:52, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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The internet and digital technology has changed the way we live. The power to have access to the collective information of the world cannot be understated. A person can take out there phone and "google" the answer to any question that pops up. Books and libraries are now all in one location online. The internet is a massive, evolving resource that everyone has access to.

The internet has changed the way people interact socially. Social media has created ways for people to broadcast their lives online. People upload events and pictures from their lives instantly, updating friends and family as things happen. There is the question too whether our digital lives online distract us or remove us from our relationships in the real world.

The internet and digital technology has permeated every aspect of our lives. It is impossible to walk down the street and not see someone engrossed in their phone. Companies all over the world rely on the internet to do business. The world is more connected than ever, and the internet's impact is reshaping the world very quickly.

[[User:Patcorrigan|Patcorrigan]]

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Geolocation: It is now possible to locate nearly anyone anywhere, including 6'4" bogeyman.

Manipulation of Media: Photoshop your face into a self-portrait of/by Vincent van Gogh. Conduct an interview and edit the outcome to suit your favor. Watch protests, view "Tank Man" from Tiananmen Square, and watch his real-life counterparts in near real-time be shot in the streets of Egypt by Egyptian soldiers and tanks brought to you in part by the U.S. Government.

Navigation: Deciphering actionable intellignece v. information glut will be the only way to "break on through" to the otherside of the revolution. Alas, it is not being televised.[[User:A. Tom Anteus|A. Tom Anteus]] 16:26, 28 January 2014 (EST) --[[User:A. Tom Anteus|A. Tom Anteus]] 16:26, 28 January 2014 (EST)[[User:A. Tom Anteus|A. Tom Anteus]] 16:37, 28 January 2014 (EST)

Politics and Technology of Control: Introduction

2014-01-28T21:41:11Z

Jolietheone: /* Class Discussion */

{{ClassCalendar}}
'''January 28'''

The Internet at its core is simply an expression of a technological protocol that allows for a particular way of sharing information. But its role has never been this understated. The Net has great potential for “good” (e.g. innovation, economic growth, education, and access to information), and likewise is a great platform for the bawdy, tawdry and illegal. So is this platform about fundamental social, political and economic change, or about access to solipsistic blogging, pornography, cheap pharmaceuticals, free music, and poker at home? This question leads us to a host of interesting issues that weave their way through the course related to openness, access, regulatory control, free speech, anonymity, intellectual property rights, democracy, transparency, norms and values, economic and cultural change, and cyber-terrorism, as well as scamsters and thieves.

'''There is a small assignment to do before class. See [[#Preparation (Assignment "Zero")|Assignment Zero]] below.

== Preparation (Assignment "Zero") ==

* Reflect on what you believe are the most significant social, cultural, political or economic changes associated with the spread of digital technologies. In a few sentences, please offer 2-3 examples in the [[#Class Discussion|Class Discussion]] section below and be prepared to discuss them during class.

<onlyinclude>

== Readings/Watchings ==

'''What is the Internet?'''

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2QdEj8UjBc Ethan Zuckerman, History of the Internet] (approx. 7 mins., watch all)

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whmMNRHktX8 Jonathan Zittrain, How the Internet Works] (approx. 4 mins., watch all)

'''How does the Internet change governance?'''

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

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

* [http://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2009/03/the_third_wave.htm Eric Goldman, The Third Wave of Internet Exceptionalism]

* [http://www.ted.com/talks/rebecca_mackinnon_let_s_take_back_the_internet.html Rebecca MacKinnon, Let’s Take Back the Internet! (TED.com)] (approx. 15 mins., watch all)

'''Who governs the Internet?'''

* [http://www.icann.org/sites/default/files/assets/governance-2500x1664-13jan14-en.png ICANN, Who Runs the Internet?] (infographic)

* [http://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=1071915 Alex Simonelis, A Concise Guide to the Major Internet Bodies] (skim, but focus on ICANN, IETF, IANA, and W3C)

'''Who is the Internet? Who is it not? What can we do about it?'''

* [http://www.webuse.org/pdf/Hargittai-DigitalDivideWhatToDo2007.pdf Eszter Hargittai, The Digital Divide and What to Do About It (New Economy Handbook)] (focus on Sections I-III)

:* Hargittai’s data is from 2003. For more recent data, see [http://pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2013/PIP_Offline%20adults_092513_PDF.pdf Pew Internet & American Life Project, Who's Not Online and Why] (read the summary, skim the sections).

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNHkG7w2IA8 Ethan Zuckerman, Why Our Webs Are Rarely Worldwide, And What We Can Do About It] (approx. 14 mins., watch all)

== Optional Readings ==

* [http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2013/12/04/video-who-controls-the-internet/ Ellery Biddle, Who Controls the Internet? (''Global Voices'')] (video in Spanish with English subtitles, 10 mins., watch all)

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

* [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1752415 Tim Wu, Is Internet Exceptionalism Dead?]

* [http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2012/12/05/good-and-bad-reasons-to-be-worried-about-wcit/ Ethan Zuckerman, Good and Bad Reasons to be Worried About WCIT]

</onlyinclude>

== Videos Watched in Class ==

== Class Discussion ==

<div style="background-color:#CCCCCC;">Welcome to Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control! This is the section of the page where you should add your comments to complete "assignment zero." Once you have registered an account, just click the "[edit]" button at the upper right hand corner of this section to add text! '''Please remember to sign your postings by adding four tildes (<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>) to the end of your contribution. This will automatically add your username and the date/time of your post, like so: [[User:Andy|Andy]] 15:12, 7 November 2013 (EST)</div>

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The most significant changes associated with the spread of digital technologies would be the speed of information exchange and increased opportunity for information sharing.

With the help of social networking websites, it takes only one click to inform your friends and family about the birthday party that will be held next week in downtown, and you will be able to do a head count by looking at how many people click the “Going” button. It saves time and effort to exchange information nowadays. Although this attributed to the fact that people have been less careful when sharing information, we could not deny that digital technologies has contributed a lot in a positive way such as improving efficiency.

Another good example of showing how rapid the information sharing process could be via digital technologies is Edward Snowden. He would like to warn the public “as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them” by releasing classified material to The Guardian. It only took a day for the news to travel around the world. [[User:Jolietheone|Jolietheone]] 16:41, 28 January 2014 (EST)
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The spread of digital technology and the influence of the Internet have changed our society immeasurably. I am particularly interested in exploring the social, cultural, and political influence of digital technology on our society and in developing countries. From this perspective, one of the most significant moments of change on the Internet was the Arab Spring of 2010. As a grassroots movement facilitated by Twitter, this was a defining moment in demonstrating the power of online communities. The Arab Spring proved that individuals were able to cultivate communities online and more importantly, were able to organize themselves within the community to become a force of change. The democratization of information, ability to communicate, and the freedom to communicate gave the promise of justice for the voiceless and oppressed. Today, citizen advocacy has brought once quieted issues to the mainstream, like the NSA leaks, the 2012 Delhi gang rape, or the Boston Marathon Bombing.

However, the Internet and digital technology has influenced many other areas besides society and government. A critical step in progress for modern technology is the mapping of the human genome. The ability to store and access this information has ushered in unprecedented changes in medical fields. Furthermore, the Internet has increased access to medical tools like WebMD or the development of medical mobile applications, which will be an important development as technology becomes more globalized.
[[User:Julie|Julie]] 16:14, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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Access and participation afforded by the spread of digital technologies have had a significant impact socially, culturally, politically, and economically. Socially, access to networking platforms, social media, internet calling services and instant messaging have changed the quantity of individual connections- and quality of relationships- regardless of location throughout the world. Culturally, stratification of identity or orientation has shifted significantly; the emphasis on national, religious, ethnic, and other cultural differences has been diluted by the rise of interconnectivity, access to information and the ability to participate across cultures. Politically and economically, the impact is largely similar- access to non-traditional and real-time news sources fostered by the spread of digital technology empowers the consumer as well as the constituent. The ability to inform oneself and advocate for individual and collective interests has changed the landscape of economic and political participation; unfortunately this has been coupled with increased concerns about rights to information disseminated on the internet and the protection of privacy at the individual and organizational level. [[User:Akk22|Akk22]] 11:04, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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The explosion of digital technology has dramatically impacted society in all facets of life. It has evolved us as a species and will continue to change the way in which we interact with each other, the way we think, and eventually the human body itself will gradually transform. In terms of inventions, the birth of the internet has far surpassed any other invention known to mankind with respect to the magnitude of change occurring within the relatively short lifespan of its existence. As a child, I recall when robots were once considered something so distant in the future, but now we have a form of a robot with the internet. It contains more "knowledge" and holds more information than any human being.

Digital technology has altered society in several ways that I have observed and experienced:

Socially & Culturally - Digital technology has changed the way humans make plans and interact with one another. It appears that encounters and relationships have somehow become more casual and less personal via the advancement and widespread use of social media. Formalities and formal interactions are becoming less common. A simple text message now is the norm for setting up a date with a potential mate rather than a phone call or knocking on the lady's door to ask her parents' permission for a proper date.

Along these lines, for better or worse, it appears that even the cultural style of dress for those in the younger generations has evolved into a more casual trend. People are generally more accepting with an "anything goes" type of attitude. The iconic CEO Facebook creator, Mark Zuckerburg, is often seen wearing his T-Shirt even when meeting with other high profile CEOs and officials.

The so-called "dot-com" generation has also been known to feel the need for "instant gratification" and appear to have less patience than the elder members of society. This makes sense given digital technology's ease of immediate information sharing and overall access to information at the click of a button. Only a few years ago it seemed normal if someone did not respond within a day or two. Now if someone does not answer after one or two days, 911 is serious consideration.

General reliability between friends is also another changing element of human interaction because with the click of a button someone can cancel plans or easily evade previously planned obligations. A few decades ago, if I told someone we were to meet at the train station, I had better show up because I had no way of letting my comrade know I could not make it. It used to be considered nearly impossible to ask someone to "hang out" on the same day because planning with such short notice was simply not possible. With cell phones and text messaging, "meeting up" is now the norm and planning events out is becoming less common (or so has been true in my experience).

Governance & Governing: As Jack Goldsmith and Timothy Wu illustrate in their example about Yahoo in "Digital Borders", the internet has and I believe will continue to erode the general power of government. The internet has no borders and trying to determine the convoluted doctrine of privacy is a grapple for any expert to endure. The internet also enhances the power of the individual (for better or worse) as it affords all members of the world with a platform for anyone to view. With an unlimited audience propaganda becomes all the more powerful and any thought can be expressed and followed by the masses. Culturally, this can also enhance narcissism to the extent that one's own thoughts, photos, and individual power/image can be continually broadcasted for the world to see.

The internet has obviously changed the way laws are enforced and the modus operandi in which criminals operate. While the internet has arguably made it easier for law enforcement to catch certain types of criminals, other types of threats (namely, cyber crime) are more difficult and sometimes nearly impossible to detect.

Economy: While the internet has worked wonders for many economic gains such as providing general efficiency; the downside is the threat that if the internet crashes or otherwise becomes inoperable, business suddenly takes a back seat and can become totally paralyzed acting as a prime target for adversaries (as the recent Target credit card hacking events have shown). In other words, the benefits of efficiency are only truly beneficial to the extent that internet platforms are operating smoothly. The overdependence on the internet is perhaps the most frightening thing our society faces. I will never forget the first time I was at a store and the "servers" were down at the checkout counter. After two hours of shopping and loads of groceries, I was turned away even after offering cash! The computer system required all transactions to be logged. The damage to the economy if this were to happen on a grand scale would be damming.

The internet has actually changed the very definition of success and perception of success in my opinion. In one minute, you can become rich off the internet. One youtube video posted can start Justin Bieber's Hollywood career; the advent of a social media website can make someone one of the richest in the world. Striking it rich has become much easier for some who thrive off the popularity contest the internet provides. How this has impacted the traditional view of the American dream remains to be seen.

[[User:AmyAnn0644|AmyAnn0644]] 20:48, 27 January 2014 (EST)

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The spread of digital technologies has sparked an ubiquitous world. Communication is instantaneous, global, and self-published. As a result, the public has chosen which social and political interactions to reject and trust, causing a potentially biased perception of their contemporary world. The irony of this bias is that the ability to access information from a variety of sources is unprecedented; sorting through the inundation of un- and published materials - fact or opinion - becomes a challenge for even the most educated. For the youth, privacy becomes re-defined as being alone physically, yet open to sharing the most insignificant or significant details of their lives digitally (how will these tendencies shape the future?). The combinational effects of these changes establish a gateway for future technologies to be adapted (or rejected) by the public; however, improving awareness and education of the general public is of utmost importance in order for society to fully embrace the power and impact of these future tools.

[[User:Margorm|Margorm]] 20:48, 27 January 2014 (EST)

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“Change” holds neither a positive, nor negative connotation, so I will provide an example of each:

The negative: The ubiquity of camera-equipped, internet-connected smartphones allows millions of Americans to digitally upload and share photographs with ease. Sometimes, though, these photos are compromising and end up in the hands of nefarious purveyors of “revenge porn.” The proliferation of revenge porn can and does compromise the privacy (and oftentimes safety) of private citizens who become unwitting victims of sexual harassment. And in most cases, law enforcement is unable to prosecute offenders. Many U.S. states punish “cyberstalking,” but only as a misdemeanor, which means that law enforcement cannot obtain warrants that are necessary to collect evidence needed to prosecute. Recourse in civil court proves equally futile due in large part to antiquated copyright law. I believe that revenge porn serves as an example of the social and political problems that can arise when technology moves faster than the law.

The positive: Digital technology continues to reinvent the culture of higher learning. For instance, I am currently participating in this discussion, and will attend this Cambridge-based class remotely, from my home in Manhattan, NYC. Moreover, MOOCs offered by EdX and similar providers allow interested parties to engage in courses out of genuine interest.

[[User:Vance.puchalski|Vance.puchalski]] 00:33, 27 January 2014 (EST)

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significant social, cultural, political or economic changes associated with the spread of digital technologies:

1) culturally and politically, spin control held by governments and regional authorities ( religious, corporate, ethnic ) loses traction in the minds of individual internet users; digital tech results in a macro shift of the rhetoric of belief from formerly established originators of spin to the web itself as provider of deconstructed information that individuals more typically use to form their own beliefs and to question the validity of formerly established paradigms.

2)economically, web commerce fast outdates the economics of traditional physically-based logistics. Serious privacy issues among users of new technologies stand as barriers to user confidence, even as new tech info systems tend to present prospective users with no viable lesser-cost alternatives.

[[User:Mbouscaren|Mbouscaren]] 14:55, 25 January 2014 (EST)

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1. The ability to communicate instantly has changed social interactions and relationships on a personal level (i.e. the instant feedback available on social media and communication via email, text, etc.) and in wider communities (i.e. forums, comments on news articles and blogs, etc.). The access to and engagement with new communication technologies can be empowering for those who may have otherwise felt voiceless, while a sense of anonymity can lead to harassment with minimal consequences.

2. Fast and easy access to information that allows individuals to educate themselves (though that has to be balanced against the challenges of finding reliable sources) and have more control as consumers (compare products, read reviews, etc.).

[[User:Jkelly|Jkelly]] 16:25, 26 January 2014 (EST)

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*'''Significant social change -''' People with traits of autism, Asperger's, ADD, dyslexia, social anxiety are becoming over-represented among successful CEOs and entrepreneurs, relative to the population at large. The current economy has been rewarding companies run by people who have mental characteristics adapted to software programming, engineering, and creativity (for example) much more than in the past.

*'''Economic change -''' ''(To be honest, both of my answers could fit into social, political and economic...)'' Markets are shifting from broadcast, one-size fits all models of communication towards narrowcast, peer-to-peer conversations. On the Internet, consumer-driven input, quality products/content and sometimes even user-generated content are valued more highly than tightly-controlled corporate 'spin'. Of course this may change substantially with the fall of net neutrality.

[[User:Deluxegourmet|Erin Saucke-Lacelle]] 20:15, 26 January 2014 (EST)

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Significant social change: The way in which news spreads has changed drastically with the advent of the internet. Social networking sites, such as Facebook and particularly Twitter, have become news outlets that have, in some cases, proved to be quicker at providing up-to-the-minute current event info than traditional news providers.

Cultural/legal change: The spread of digital technologies has impacted the music industry and amateur artists in a profound way. A great example is the issue of mash-ups, the cutting and pasting of previously-recorded songs to make a brand new tune. Mash-ups have proven to be an outlet for amateur creativity, as the average person can take different songs (often times of different genres and beats) off the internet and make something entirely new. That amateur can then share her music with others. The music industry is not a fan of mash-ups, claiming that the infringe upon copy-right law. Current copy-right laws in the US are far behind the internet and do not provide guidelines on how to maintain a balance between what mash-up artists consider their 1st Amendment rights and what the music industry consider copy-right infringement.( There's a lot more I could say about this, as I wrote a paper on it, but in the interest of keeping it short, I'll end here.)

[[User:Lrsanchez|Lrsanchez]] 10:25, 27 January 2014 (EST)

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Technology and the internet have changed the face of communication in all of its various subjects-- political, social, cultural, etc.-- which is to say that it has mostly replaced actual faces and voices with a computer screen. This is not to say that there aren't benefits, as there certainly are a plethora of benefits, ranging from the accessibility of information and quick dissemination of news. With a mere device, one is capable of staying connected to their family, friends, and the community at large no matter where they travel. Like never before, people are being brought together from drastically different backgrounds and geographical locations. We are being exposed to stories about the cultural traditions of the smallest microcosms and have access to nearly every facet of companies, governments, et cetera. While there is certainly power in this digital age of communication, as demonstrated clearly in the political realm with the recent revolution in Egypt, the internet and technology have paradoxically separated us from one another. There is less and less human-to-human contact, with people preferring to sit at home behind their computer or telephone screens instead of discussing events in person. Individuals may now be able to see everything with Google Maps, for instance, but is this a satisfactory substitute for actually experiencing these places and incidents with every sense? And aside from sensory deprivation, we are creating an emotional barrier which spans the gamut from creating social awkwardness in person to allowing thoughtless online bullying to run rampant. However, even with plenty of negatives, can we condemn the very same internet and technologies which have advanced medicine and businesses the world over? The world economy has benefitted greatly, with global commerce being as easy as clicking a button or filling out a billing form. Individuals anywhere can start a business with minimal effort and are able to participate in global trade. As with most good things, there are certainly positives and negatives that go along with the internet and technological advances.
[[User:Castille|Castille]] 12:46, 27 January 2014 (EST)

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Digital technology helps us to automate repetitive, time-consuming, and error-prone tasks, enabling humans to spend more time doing what only humans can do: generate ideas. To use a timely example, TurboTax.com analyzes data and runs calculations for a consumer, saving them time and money by avoiding interaction with an accountant. However, sometimes replacing humans with a machine does not work so well. I personally dislike the self-checkout machines at CVS. They are too loud, and somehow always make some sort of mistake, requiring an attendant to come over and punch in a code, wasting time and failing to fulfill their basic function.

Although digital technology makes our lives easier in countless ways, many of which I might not even appreciate or understand, I think the ease and gratification of digital technologies can take a toll when humans become alienated from basic life tasks that might have their benefits. As "Castille" mentions - the constant use of and reliance on GoogleMaps might prevent people from actually gaining a sense of their environment and making observations that could help them memorize directions or landmarks, and allow them to be more self-reliant. Although digital technology allows developers, artists, educators, etc. to be really creative and productive, it also allows a lot of people to get away with being complacent.

[[User:Sballister|Sballister]] 18:20, 27 January 2014 (EST)

EDIT: I don't mean to say that TurboTax and self-checkout are examples of great social change, but they are signs of greater change like automation which will in turn affect standards for human interaction, self-reliance, etc. [[User:Sballister|Sballister]] 07:29, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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There are several important factors to consider with the rise and spread of digital technologies. From a human interactive tactile context the PC has to be the front runner that covers many sociological concerns that I consider important.

Prior to the smart phone, the personal computer (PC) has to be (and still is) one of the most important aspects of all digital technologies to be thrust upon mankind, because of the potential power it endows upon its owner, knowingly or unknowingly; as it allows one to cross state lines, oceans and continents in mere seconds without much effort by its user. This, coupled with the widespread use of the internet provides an important context to the discussion from a sociological framework. To have so much computing power at ones finger tips, yet it is often relegated by its user to social networking, video games and entertainment, that human contact is subconsciously negated by the user. Having to get out of the house is becoming more of a chore due to what can be done online. Hiking out in the woods for field trips or class projects is becoming more and more a novelty for students and teachers alike. We can't wait to get laptops in the hands of students in third world countries, for what, so that they too can watch life on a screen, rather then be poor and kick a soccer ball around a field somewhere.

At the end of the day, from both a global and sociological standpoint, the widespread use of digital technologies has just as many concerns as it does rewards.[[User:Dancoron|Dancoron]] 23:08, 27 January 2014 (EST)

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1. The launch of Sputnik changed many things — scientific, technological, military, and political — and the cold war of course spurred the beginnings of the internet in its earliest forms amongst the military, scientists, and researchers who used ARPAnet to transfer information, which fed American interest in the sciences and provided a foundation for the very digital technologies that now aid in the spread of our current digital technologies.

2. This leads into a second point, which is that intensified globalization of cultural elements — arguably beginning with WWII and intensifying in the '90s — promoted commercialization of the internet in the early '90s and put digital technology propagation into fast-forward. Suddenly we are able to access information on the other end of the world, rapidly, from the comfort of our own homes, and this allowed for ideas and digital technologies to spread over (again) the very digital technologies that made them possible. [[User:Twood|Twood]] 11:23, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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Free speech ideals are one of the political, social/cultural, and even economic challenges of the spread of digital technologies. Some people want to be able to say or produce whatever they want on the World Wide Web. And some people think like the author of "A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace", that the internet community can police themselves. But how would the internet prevent child pornography, or financial fraud from occurring without the help of government agencies? These are real questions that are worth debate. No one has all the answers yet.

Socially and culturally the challenges presented by the spread of digital technologies, revolves around how we use these technologies to communicate. We are still deciding what is acceptable, and what is not acceptable, socially and culturally. This social/cultural debate about the Internet is often about privacy-how much are we willing to share online. Each person is different and each culture/country feels different about how much should be revealed or restricted online. This leads us to economic results related to the spread of internet technologies.

One of the reasons that privacy is a concern with digital tech, is that companies want Internet user information. They want to know where you live, where you work, what are your favorite TV shows, and your food preferences, so that they can better sell to you. Economics also plays a role in how you will receive your Internet content/speed. Verizon and the FCC were recently in federal court arguing about whether Verizon could add additional charges to content providers, i.e. in theory, Verizon could charge these providers to reach their customers.

Politically, we have seen that digital technologies can be used to spy on citizens, and they also can be used by whistleblowers to shed light on secret activities by governments, as in the Edward Snowden incident.[[User:Mikewitwicki|Mikewitwicki]] 13:04, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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(Apologies in advance for the length)
Seems there is quite often a direct and indirect "significant change" that can be associated with each of these areas and advances in digital technologies.

The evolution of popular social networks such as Facebook or match.com are prime examples of where the technology has prompted significant change in our social behaviors. These and similar services have shifted the dynamic in our relationships with others. The ability to discover, connect and continually communicate with "friends” without geographical limitations, and without significant costs, has allowed communities, groups and couples to form tightly knit units. This has lead to countless new marriages, allowed us an ability to sustain long-distance relationships via Skype and FaceTime technologies. Such relationships were economically and technically impossible during the days of the Bell Telephone monopoly, which seem not too long ago. Yet, plenty of indirect "significant changes" related to this same area are also becoming more frequent... As a quick example, plenty of divorces have been linked to the "discovery" of online affairs, and the same social technologies have been exploited by predatory sex offenders who can easily pose as a "friend" on Facebook to unsuspecting children.

Politically, the expansion of the digital technologies has certainly allowed for many to enter into politics and effect public policy. A standard strategy now, but web-savvy politicians have been able to exploit the new technologies as a means of reaching their followers for not only "connecting" with potential constituents, but also it has allowed those who may never have considered running for public office, a means of "discovering" their political base, building support and financial contributions through the internet to drive their campaign. Not only for "career politicians", but also for the grassroots network that can help bolster a campaign for political outsiders the likes of Jessie "the Body" Ventura, and help launch a foray into politics. Conversely, political careers have certainly been destroyed by improprieties that the advances in digital technologies have made all too quick & easy. Best exemplified recently by a US Congressman (who needs no introduction) uploading certain digital photographs to an online "friend"...which indirectly has ramifications for his entire political party's platform which cannot afford to lose that 1 seat in the House of Representatives.

Culturally - the spread of digital technologies have allowed us to collaborate and learn from communities around the world as never before... The instantaneous ability to share news, images, sound and video has brought us a greater understanding into the lives and conditions of many different cultures around the world. We learn how they must thrive, struggle and persevere within unfamiliar regions worldwide. The world's news can become as "local" as the reports we hear everyday on our city's local TV news station. The consumer need only choose from where they wish to receive a daily RSS feed, or return daily to a "Bookmark" linking to their country's leading news service. Indirectly, this same ability to glance into another culture via online technologies can trigger an all-too-limited view of what a particular culture's values may or may not be. The predominant exposure of anti-American videos and rhetoric promoting atrocities against westerners by radical Islamic militant groups using the internet to build and recruit an international army of terrorists, has certainly skewed the non-Islamic world's understanding of the culture of Islam and the very large majority of Muslims around the world who are as peaceful, humane, and caring as we all strive to be.

Economically, the significant changes that have been prompted by advances in digital technologies are numerous. The entire economic model in many industries has needed to adapt to the new opportunities that digital technologies allowed (and expected) or risk their corporation’s demise. Photography, Music and Publishing have all seen major shifts in their production, marketing, distribution and sales models. Amazon was an early player in adapting to the new online economy, and many brick-and-mortar shops fell victim to the competition. In the publishing world, and ever more frequently within the music world, we are now leasing our content at the same (and sometimes much larger) costs than what consumers formerly paid to physically own the content. In addition to the content itself, providers are also able to charge for delivery mechanisms (propriety interfaces to interact with the content) or require “subscriber fees” to access cloud storage of your personal collection of digital assets (Music, e-books, library archiving projects, etc) How we read, listen, and enjoy the many arts are all indirectly changed because of the advances in digital technology and our reliance on the internet combined with smart devices to deliver content to us. [[User:Psl|Psl]] 13:17, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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The recent technological advances, and the development of the internet in particular, have brought about many changes to every part of our lives as individuals, as well as to the functioning of the society as a whole.

One of the most far-reaching effects of the development of the internet is the ease of mobilizing thousands and millions of people behind shared goals, for good, or for bad. From a satellite launch crowdfunded on Kickstarter, through the decline of “pink slime” following a change.org petition, to oppressing governments using online media to remain in power, the last few years in particular have hinted at the things to come. Indeed, what we're starting to see is that contrary to predictions of centuries past, the future of computing is turning out to center not on improved artificial intelligence through ever increasing computational power, but on real people empowered by technology.

A concept seemingly opposite to the idea of crowdsourcing is decentralization, another keyword for this decade. Governments across the world are beginning to wrap their heads around the internet and are becoming increasingly good at policing it. Internet giants such as Google and Facebook are also constantly tightening their grip on the large sections of the internet within their reach and control. The recent developments in federated social networks, decentralized authentication methods and currencies, and independent mesh networking however suggest that internet might in fact grow more uncontrollable than ever in the years to come.
[[User:Seifip|Seifip]] 13:51, 28 January 2014 (EST)

:Thanks for the comments, and for the formatting update as well! If people would like to treat each of these as the start of a thread and reply feel free to do so - just insert a colon before your reply. [[User:Andy|Andy]] 13:57, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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Digital techniologies have created the promise of instant access to answers and information. They have removed the middle men and connected information producers and consumers, for example, with the advent of digital publishing authors, musicians, etc have more access to their readers and as such produce content with seemingly more artistic control. This in turn may have created microcosms of demand and increased the polarization of the conversation and reduced our experience with consensus building and effective dialog.

Additionally, the advent of digital technologies has increased the transparency of individuals and governments as they engage and as such has both benefited and hampered the international political dialog. Individual actions and the actions of individuals within governments and institutions are open for scrutiny often by entities who are not familiar with the context. [[User:Rstempfley|Rstempfley]] 15:00, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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The birth of digital technology changed the landscape of how equities, futures, options, and currencies are traded globally. From an economic perspective, exchanges worldwide were once left with limited ways to conduct transactions, to include the telephone (the ones hanging on a wall attached by an annoying cord) and face-to face communication, primarily through large financial institutions and advisors.

Technology has allowed the general public, who are now users of large public exchanges such as the NYSE, Nikkei, & NASDAQ ,open availability to markets that were once only offered to the elite and wealthy. Political constructs changed, as the general public were allowed into a market place that was once driven strictly by large financial institutions. Market entry for the general consumer changed the social environment of the stock market, and a more level playing field developed through the adoption of online brokerage firms such as AB Watley, E-Trade, and Ameritrade. Trading securities across not only state lines, but also entire countries, provided unlimited opportunity for those who wanted the option to trade securities without the use of a personal stockbroker. This type of transaction was unheard of in the early 90’s-today purchasing ones own stock online without the advise of a broker is the norm.--[[User:Melissaluke|Melissaluke]] 15:19, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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The digital universe has revolutionized access to information. Today, anyone can find anything by simply asking their phone! This overabundance of information is connected to a number of global issues including terror, freedom, energy and political polarization. Anyone can look up how to make a bomb online, but does that make it ok for the federal government to spy on all of us? These new technologies have increased our consumption of energy, yet we are inching toward renewable energy slower than the polar caps are melting. And to cap it all off, political parties now have access to so much information that there is data to support any claim, increasing the frequency of gridlock. [[User:Art.Mescon|Art.Mescon]] 15:32, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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Culturally: Digital technologies have given us instantaneous access to current events around the world. They have also given us an incredibly cheap way to communicate with anyone, anywhere, at any time. Initially, these technologies resulted in a sort of digital melting pot of beliefs, ideas, and knowledge. As we have matured as Internet users, and grown more proficient in harnessing this newfound ability, these technologies have begun to birth such innovations as Crowd Sourcing – changing the way we fund everything from aid relief to feature films.

Politically: We are only just beginning to see what is possible, politically, as a result of the digital landscape. By 2011, the increased adoption of smartphone technology, intersected with the rise of social media, helped launch a political protest in Tahrir Square that resulted in the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak – proving that this development in communication has far reaching implications for Democracy around the globe.

Economically: Despite many governments insistence to the contrary, via tariffs, trade is freer than ever. This is especially so on the consumer goods level, filling our grocers with foreign fruits and vegetables, and retail stores with products manufactured anywhere. The individual consumer, if so inclined, may hunt down the rarest of items on the other side of the world, and in days have them delivered to their doorsteps.

[[User:MikeJohnson|MikeJohnson]] 15:35, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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EXAMPLE 1: ONLINE MATH LEARNING IN SINGAPORE

Background: I founded ACE-Learning Systems Pte Ltd in Jan 2001 to develop an
online math program for secondary schools. Obtained $60,000 funding from the
Infocomm Development Authority and started with 6 pilot schools from the
Ministry of Education. Now, we are the largest online math vendor in Singapore
with almost all secondary schools using the program.

Social: In the past, student success depended primarily on family's economic
background. Parents found it necessary to engage private tutors to ensure
their children get high grades to enable them to progress to better schools
from primary school through university. Students from poor families tend to be
left behind. Now, with online learning, access to quality education is now a
level playing field.

Economic: Very poor students under government subsidy schemes are given free
access to the program, free computer, and free internet access. Revenues from
the school subscription contracts enable the company to further develop and
improve the learning resources to its current state-of-the-art.

Technological: Problems in traditional chalkboard teaching: (1) Students
cannot remember what was taught in class (2) Pace of the classroom instruction
was too fast (3) Unable to multitask in copying chalkboard information and
trying to listen to the teacher at the same time (4) Poor visibility of
writing/drawing on the chalkboard depending on sitting location of the student
(5) Teacher erases chalkboard information before students could finish
copying. (6) Questions from students may require erased chalkboard data and
teacher has to rewrite/redraw the information. The introduction of the use of
Powerpoint amplify the problem, especially in cases where teachers refuse to
distribute their Powerpoint slides to the class. The scantily written notes
and lack of audio with Powerpoint sometimes make learning difficult. With
online learning, all these problems are resolved. Furthermore, teachers now
have effective interactive teaching resources which were impossible and
inoperable with chalkboard or Powerpoint instruction. These can also solicit
co-operative class participation. Students can now learn more effectively and
at an accelerated pace. Students can also view the online videos as many times
as they need at their own convenience at home or on mobile iOS or Android
devices.

Political: Grades for homework or quizzes no longer need to be "cast in
stone". Teachers can now encourage their students to re-do their homework
assignments or quizzes with new questions generated by the online system to
improve their performance with immediate feedback thus giving them the
opportunity to improve their grades. With the online multi-criteria performance monitoring tools, teachers can now quickly track their students' progress. Now, they can better manage their time and help the
weaker students. Teachers are now better empowered in their role as teachers
and facilitators of learning.

EXAMPLE 2: PROPOSAL FOR BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION, PHILIPPINES
.....will be continued in my next email, in case I run out of time.

[[User:Ichua|Ichua]] 15:38, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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The Internet has changed the way people interact socially and has impacted the economic realm in a tremendous way.

Before major technological developments, for one to interact with someone personally they would have to physically have access to that individual. But with the modern innovations of email, video chat, and social sites like Facebook and Twitter, one can access a whole world that was previously unknown to them.

Internet has changed the way in which commerce works; economically speaking industries are not the same. If someone wished to buy or sell commodities they would need to travel to a store, but with internet an individual from New York can make a purchase from a store in China and then sell that same item to someone in California and never even touch the product. The world has been drawn together since the advent of the Internet, and because of the changes society has benefited as a whole. It’s a powerful tool that all should learn about!

[[User:Emmanuelsurillo|Emmanuelsurillo]] 15:52, 28 January 2014 (EST)

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The internet and digital technology has changed the way we live. The power to have access to the collective information of the world cannot be understated. A person can take out there phone and "google" the answer to any question that pops up. Books and libraries are now all in one location online. The internet is a massive, evolving resource that everyone has access to.

The internet has changed the way people interact socially. Social media has created ways for people to broadcast their lives online. People upload events and pictures from their lives instantly, updating friends and family as things happen. There is the question too whether our digital lives online distract us or remove us from our relationships in the real world.

The internet and digital technology has permeated every aspect of our lives. It is impossible to walk down the street and not see someone engrossed in their phone. Companies all over the world rely on the internet to do business. The world is more connected than ever, and the internet's impact is reshaping the world very quickly.

[[User:Patcorrigan|Patcorrigan]]

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Geolocation: It is now possible to locate nearly anyone anywhere, including 6'4" bogeyman.

Manipulation of Media: Photoshop your face into a self-portrait of/by Vincent van Gogh. Conduct an interview and edit the outcome to suit your favor. Watch protests, view "Tank Man" from Tiananmen Square, and watch his real-life counterparts in near real-time be shot in the streets of Egypt by Egyptian soldiers and tanks brought to you in part by the U.S. Government.

Navigation: Deciphering actionable intellignece v. information glut will be the only way to "break on through" to the otherside of the revolution. Alas, it is not being televised.[[User:A. Tom Anteus|A. Tom Anteus]] 16:26, 28 January 2014 (EST) --[[User:A. Tom Anteus|A. Tom Anteus]] 16:26, 28 January 2014 (EST)[[User:A. Tom Anteus|A. Tom Anteus]] 16:37, 28 January 2014 (EST)