Course Syllabus

Course Goals: CS408 (Living in a Networked World) is an introductory course that explores the implications of living in a networked world. The course surveys the fundamental technologies and practices that make up the Internet and then asks the students to examine the ramifications of using the technologies. Users of the technologies should understand the technology in order to make educated decisions about how to use it safely and effectively. Students have the opportunity to self-publish by using various current technologies including blogs, discussion boards, email and by creating web pages using Drupal.

Class Times: Except on days noted below, feel free to attend one of my other sections of CS408 if you can not make it to your assigned section. On the days of the Assignment 6/Assignment 7 discussions, the Final Project peer review session, and the Final Project Presentations, you must attend your assigned section.

  • Section 01: TR 11:10 am - 12:30 pm in Kingsbury N111.
  • Section 02: TR 2:10 pm - 3:30 pm in Kingsbury N113.
  • Section 03: TR 3:40 pm - 5:00 pm in Kingsbury N113.

Students with Disabilities: The University is committed to providing students with documented disabilities equal access to all university programs and facilities. If you think you have a disability requiring accommodations, you must register with Disability Services for Students (DSS) (http://www.unh.edu/disabilityservices/clockwork). If you have received an accommodation letter for this class, please contact me immediately so we can discuss the necessary arrangements. Contact DSS at (603) 862-2607 or send an email to disability.office@unh.edu.

Students Experiencing Emotional or Mental Health Distress: Your academic success in this course is very important to me. If, during the semester, you find emotional or mental health issues are affecting that success, please contact the University’s Counseling Center (http://www.unh.edu/pacs/). They are located on the 3rd floor of Smith Hall and can be contacted at (603) 862-2090/TTY: 7-1-1. They provide counseling appointments and other mental health services.

Classroom Behavior Expectations: To ensure a climate of learning for all, disruptive or inappropriate behavior (repeated outbursts, disrespect for the ideas of others, etc) may result in exclusion (removal) from this class. As a reminder, cell phone/pda, etc. use, including text messaging, is not permitted in this class by Faculty Senate rule unless by instructor permission. (2009, Behavioral Intervention Team)

Grading: You can check your current grades for the course on Canvas. Attendance/participation grades will be updated at least once every 2 weeks. Other assignments will have grades and feedback entered within 3 weeks after the deadline, though many will be entered much sooner. To see and discuss quizzes once they are graded, please come to office hours or arrange an appointment. Your final grade will be assigned according to the following weights/categories:

Participation (25%)
Quizzes (25%)
Homework (30%)
Final Project (20%)

Text Book: (required, but both available free digitally)

Living in a Networked World
Compiled/Edited by: Sofia Lemons
Available in HTML format. Other formats upon request.

Drupal 7: The Essentials, First EditionD7BookCover 280.jpg

By: Johan Falk
Published by: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2011
ISBN: 978-1463659714
Available at the UNH bookstore, Durham Book Exchange, Amazon, and online free via the Drupal Community Documentation.

Instructors:

  • Office: Kingsbury W235
  • Office Phone: 862-2617
    Note: The best way to leave a message is e-mail; you can use the office phone to determine if I am in my office.
  • Computer Science Office: Kingsbury N229
  • Computer Science Office Phone: 862-3778
  • Office Hours:
    • Tues/Thurs 10:00-11:00AM
    • Wednesday by appointment

Discussion:

Make sure to review the course Discussion Page to learn the discussion guidelines and find information about our online Q&A site.

Course Schedule (subject to change):

WEEK 1
Tuesday
08/29/17
Welcome
  Slides: Introduction
  Reference: Good:
Bad: Ugly:
Thursday
08/31/17
View in-class: Frontline: digital_nation (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/)
Reference:
  • Is Google Making Us Stupid? (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/)
  • Get Smarter (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/07/get-smarter/307548/)
WEEK 2
Tuesday
09/05/17
Slides: Chapter 1 Slides
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What kinds of people created and used the early Internet?
  • What were the values and goals behind the creation of the Internet?
Reference:
Thursday
09/07/17
Internet History - cont.
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What is the difference between the Web and the Internet, in terms of function? In terms of values?
  • Why did the Web win out over other similar technologies?
  • What were the major events and results of the "browser wars"?
  Reference:
Friday
09/08/17
Due: Assignment 1 due
WEEK 3
Tuesday
09/12/17
Internet History - cont.
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • How did the Internet's physical infrastructure grow to span the country/world?
  • What was the impact of social media on the Internet?
Reference:
Thursday
09/14/17
Web Overview
Community & Identity
  Slides: Web Overview
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What are some guidelines for ensuring web accessibility?
  • What are some benefits of web accessibility for people without disabilities?
  Due:

Quiz 1 available 09/12/17 5:00PM - 09/14/17 11:00AM (study guide)

Friday
09/15/17
Due:

Final Project book selection due

WEEK 4
Tuesday
09/19/17
Community & Identity - cont.
Slides: Chapter 2 Slides
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What are the impacts of the digital divide on people with lower access? What are the impacts on people with higher access?
  • What are the causes behind the digital divide, and how can they be dealt with?
  Reference:
Wednesday
09/20/17
Due: Assignment 2 due
Thursday
09/21/17
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What defines a community on the Internet?
  • What are communities that you belong to online, and how have they impacted you?
  • How does the creation or expression of community online differ from offline, and how is it the same?
Reference:
Friday
09/22/17
Due: Blog Roundup 1 due
WEEK 5
Tuesday
09/26/17
Community & Identity - cont.
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What are ways you or people you know have been impacted by trolling?
  • What are some acceptable/useful responses to deal with trolling and harassment online? What are the limits on how to respond to/deal with trolling?
  • What kinds of trolling or harassment should people have to deal with online, and what kinds should they not?
  Reference:
Thursday
09/28/17
Privacy
Slides: Chapter 3 slides
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • When is it acceptable to doxx someone?
  • What can you do to prevent being doxxed, and what can you do if it's already happened?
  Reference:
Due: Quiz 2 available 09/26/17 5:00PM - 09/28/17 11:00AM (study guide)
Friday
09/29/17
Due: Assignment 3 due
WEEK 6
Tuesday
10/03/17
Privacy - cont.
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What kinds of transactional data are gathered about individuals online, and how?
  • What is transactional data about internet users used for?
  Reference:
Thursday
10/05/17
Privacy - cont.
View in-class: "Terms and Conditions May Apply"
Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • How does bias get introduced into data mining algorithms?
  • What can be the results of bias in data mining algorithms?
  Reference:
Friday
10/06/17
Due: Blog Roundup 2 due
Final Project Kick-off due
WEEK 7
Tuesday
10/10/17
Privacy - cont.
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • Which kinds of communications should users encrypt, and which should they not?
  • Should governments be given "back doors" into encryption algorithms to allow for "wire taps" of encrypted data?
  • What are the positives and negatives of anonymity online?
Reference:
Thursday
10/12/17
Freedom of Speech
Slides: Chapter 4 slides
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What kinds of speech online should be protected from government suppression, and what kinds should not?
  • What limits, if any, should there be on censorship of internet users by private service providers?
Reference:
Due: Quiz 3 available 10/10/17 5:00PM - 10/12/17 11:00AM (study guide)
 Friday
10/13/17
Due: Assignment 4 due
WEEK 8
Tuesday
10/17/17
Freedom of Speech - cont.
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What methods are used by governments for internet censorship?
  • What benefit can social media offer to organizing? What are the down-sides?
  Reference:
Thursday
10/19/17
Freedom of Speech - cont.
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What companies/organizations are necessary for you to broadcast your speech online?
  • What aspects of a person's speech online should be used to decide whether that speech is a threat?
  Reference:
Friday
10/20/17
Due: Blog Roundup 3 due
WEEK 9
Tuesday
10/24/17
Freedom of Speech - cont.
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What kinds of leaks are ethical, and which are unethical? Who should get to decide this?
  • What impact could a neutral (or non-neutral) internet have on free speech? On business?
  Reference:
Thursday
10/26/17
Intellectual Property
Slides: Chapter 5 slides
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What is a fair length for copyrights? For patents? Why?
  • Are file sharing technologies more harmful or more beneficial to society?
  Reference:
Due: Quiz 4 available 10/24/17 5:00PM - 10/26/17 11:00AM (study guide)
Friday
10/27/17
Due: Assignment 5
WEEK 10
Tuesday
10/31/17
Intellectual Property - cont .
Group Discussion for Assignment 6
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What rights do open source licenses grant to users? What rights do they deny users?
  • What limits, if any, should there be on how restrictive DRM can be on purchased products?
  • What are the benefits of copyright versus patents for software? What are the benefits of patents over copyright?
Due: Draft of final project papers
Thursday
11/02/17
Intellectual Property - cont.
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • Why would for-profit companies encourage or engage in open source development?
  • What are the goals of patent trolls, and how do they achieve them?
Reference:
Friday
11/03/17
Due: Blog Roundup 4 due
WEEK 11
Tuesday
11/07/17
NO CLASS (Election Day)
Thursday
11/09/17
Intellectual Property - cont.
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What rights do Creative Commons licenses grant to users? What rights do they deny users?
  • What are some ways that content creators can profit from releasing work with Creative Commons licenses? Are these effective enough to be worth it?
  Reference:
 Friday
11/10/17
Due: Assignment 6
WEEK 12
Tuesday
11/14/17
Crime
Slides: Chapter 6 slides
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What are common ways that hackers get access to people's accounts?
  • What are some ways you can protect your online accounts?
Reference:
Due: Quiz 5 available 11/09/17 5:00PM - 11/14/17 11:00AM (study guide)
Thursday
11/16/17
Crime - cont.
Group Discussion for Assignment 7
  Reading:

Read/view the following for HW7 Discussion:

Guiding Questions:
  • What are some common goals of phishing? How are they achieved?
  • What are some steps you can take to avoid phishing attacks?
Friday 11/17/17 Due: Final Project Peer Review
WEEK 13
Tuesday
11/21/17
Crime - cont.
In-class discussion of peer reviews
  Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • Which kinds of hacking should be punished? Which kinds should be rewarded?
  • What kinds of roles should hacktivists play in modern political activism?
Reference:
Thursday
11/23/17
NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Break)
Friday
11/24/17
Due: Blog Roundup 5 due
WEEK 14
Tuesday
11/28/17
Crime - cont.
Reading:
Guiding Questions:
  • What are some of the ways that nations engage in cyber-warfare against each other?
  • What should be done to limit the kind of harm that could be done by large-scale cyber-warfare?
  Reference:
Thursday
11/30/17
Misc. Topics - TBA
  Due: Quiz 6 available 11/28/17 5:00PM - 11/30/17 11:00AM (study guide)
Friday
12/01/17
Due: Assignment 7
WEEK 15
Tuesday
12/05/17
Project Presentations
See schedule for which day you present
  Due: Final Project Report
Thursday
12/07/17
Project Presentations
See schedule for which day you present
  Due: Presentation Evaluations
Friday
12/08/17
Due: Blog Roundup 6 due
FINALS WEEK:
Friday
12/15/17
Due: Optional:
Assignment 8 due

Course Summary:

Date Details Due