Course Schedule F18

Color Coding Legend

The following schedule is color coded to help you keep track of assignments and easily see what is expected of you. A color-coding legend is below. If you have vision or screen reader issues with the color coding, please do not hesitate to let me know and we can adjust the schedule as needed.

Light GREEN = Assignment, Due date
Light Red = Posts
MAGENTA = Twitter #PNMF18
ORANGE = CLASS day: Information will provide a preview of what we are doing in class
BLUE = Links out to articles, readings, and other resources
PURPLE = MIDTERM: Assignments related to midterm “Short Guide”
GREEN = FINAL WEBSITE PROJECT: Assignments and steps that build to the final project
(I later learned that color coding is not accessible so I no longer use this legend)

WEEK 1 | Defining New Media

TUESDAY: CLICK HERE to see what to do before our first class!

CLASS | Thursday, August 30: Introduction to the class, Blogs@baruch, Twitter. Discussion of “media” and “5Cs: The New Media Technologies: Overview and Research Framework” by Linda & Hershey Freidman (2008)

By Sunday, September 2nd:

1. Join Twitter and post your first tweet with the hashtag. You first tweet should contain a link to an article on a topic that you would like to learn more about. More Twitter Information here.

Make sure to use our class hashtag to get credit! Our class hashtag is #PNMF18 Please also @ me in your first tweet by adding @laurhur since twitter may not show me your contribution since your account is new.

2. Join this site (directions here) and create your first post. In Post #1, expand what we did in class. Choose a New Media example(does not have to be one mentioned in class) and write about how it displays 3 or more of the 5 Cs. Categorize this post as “5Cs”. For direction on how to post see here: How to Post

WEEK 2 | The Digital

By Tuesday, September 4:

1) READ Chapter 1: Digital Explosion of Blown to Bits

2) Create POST #2: Pick one of the “koans” mentioned in the reading. In 1-2 sentences summarize what this “koan” means. Then, give a real world example from your own life of this koan in action. Finally, pick a quote that stands out or term(s) that you do not understand and ask a question about it. Categorize this post as “Digital Explosion”.

Wednesday 9/5 Twitter: Read through your peers’ posts in the #PNMF18 hashtag. Read one of the articles posted and “Reply” to their tweet and comment on how the article relates to either the 5Cs or the koan you posted about. Make sure to use our class hashtag to get credit! #PNMF18

CLASS | September 6: What is the nature of New Media? What are bits? What do we mean by “digital”? What are 5 characteristics of the digital? How do “digital” devices work? Where is “the digital”? What is the cloud? When did digital computing begin?

“Digital” By Tara McPherson, Keywords for American Cultural Studies. NYU Press (2014).

Sunday: WATCH selected videos about The History of the Internet: 1…..   2…….    3……      4…..

READ Rosenzweig’s “Wizards, Bureaucrats, Warriors and Hackers: Writing the History of the Internet”

 

WEEK 3 | Past to Present: The Rise of Digital Computers & the Internet

By Tuesday, September 11:

1) WATCH selected videos about The History of the Internet: 1…..   2…….    3……      4…..

2) READ “Wizards, Bureaucrats, Warriors and Hackers: Writing the History of the Internet” by Roy Rosenzweig , American Historical Review (December, 1998) This is a long read but a very important one. My students last semester urged me to keep it on the syllabus so, here it is.

3) Create Post #3: In your own words, provide a short (~250-word) history of the development of the internet. Categorize this post as “History of New Media”.

Wednesday 9/12 Twitter: Create a “thread” on twitter that connect the reading and the videos. The thread will contain 3 tweets about the historical development of the internet. You create a “thread” on Twitter by replying to your own quote. Remember to use our #PNMF18 hashtag!

Thread should include:

  1. A tweet providing historical context for your quote and question, AKA something you learned from the readings and videos
  2. A quote that you found interesting or confusing from the Rosenzweig reading
  3. Your explanation of the quote. This can be a question about the quote or explanation of why you chose that quote

CLASS | Thursday, September 6: The Cold War, Technological development, development of “the internet”

Sunday: READ “Introduction to the Information Age” by Manuel Castells. City 2, 7 : 6–16.

WEEK 4 | The Rise of the Network Society

By Tuesday, September 18:

1) READ “Introduction to the Information Age” by Manuel Castells. City 2, 7 : 6–16

2) Create POST #4. Pick one of the characteristics of Castells “network society”. Explain this characteristic in your own words and give one real world example, with details about how this example demonstrates the “network society”. Categorize this post as “Network Society”.

Wednesday 9/19 Twitter: Where do we see the network society in action? Tweet a question you have about one of the characteristics of the network society that Castells outlined. The question can focus on an aspect of the article you didn’t understand, something you want to explore more in class, or a question about how we might see the network society operating in the real world. #PNMF18

CLASS | Thursday, September 20: Network society, Architecture of the internet, Hyperlinks, old versus new web; Web 2.0 characteristics, Introduce Midterm Project

By Sunday, September 17:

Create POST #5 to present you proposal for your Midterm “Short Guide”. This Proposal Post (#5) should tell us give us a quick introduction to platform/tool and why you choose it. Click here for Midterm Project Directions. Categorize this post as “Midterm Proposal”.

WEEK 5 | The Business of Web 2.0

From Sunday: Create POST #5 to present you plan for your Midterm “Short Guide”. This post should tell us give us a quick introduction to platform/tool and why you choose it. Categorize this post as “Midterm Proposal”. Click here for Midterm Project Directions.

By Tuesday, September 25:

  1. READ Tech’s Frightful Five: They’ve Got Us (NY Times) and

Choose 1 more article from the list below:

  1. Cambridge Analytica, the shady data firm that might be a key Trump-Russia link, explained (Vox)
  2. Apple’s Value Hit $1 Trillion. Add Disney to Bank of America and … You’re Halfway There (NY Times)
  3. How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did (Forbes)

  4. Is Alexa Listening? Amazon Echo Sent Out Recording of Couple’s Conversation

  5. The Long Tail (WIRED)

Create Post #6 on our class website to provide a 200-250 word summary of the article you read from the list above. How does this demonstrate the pervasiveness of tech? What are positive/negative consequences of technological ubiquity? Categorize this post as “Business of Web 2.0”.

Wednesday 9/26 Twitter: Tweet a thought/article/observation that demonstrates the pervasiveness of tech. For example: are you reliant on any of the frightful 5? Why?

CLASS| Thursday, September 27: What do these companies tell us about our new media and tech landscape? “What-is-Web-2.0” by Tim O’Reilly.

Sunday:

WEEK 6 | Search, Bias, & Information Architecture

By Tuesday, October 2:

    1. READ: Chapter 4: Needles in the Haystack from Blown to Bits (only pages 109-113 and 120-140)
    2. WATCH: Safiya Noble | Challenging the Algorithms of Oppression
    3. OPTIONAL READ: Bias already exists in search engine results, and it’s only going to get worse (MIT Technology Review)

Create POST #7. Based on the readings and videos, explain 3 ways that search engines might be problematic. Categorize your post as “Search: Error”.

Wednesday 10/3 Twitter: Based on the readings and video, search something online. Provide 140 character analysis of the results including an analysis of how these results be problematic. Use a thread if needed to fit 140+ characters. #PNMF18

CLASS | Thursday, October 4: Bias in search, how the internet is organized

WEEK 7 |The Internet of Things

By Tuesday, October 9: READ “What is the Internet of Things? WIRED Explains

Create Post #8 to answer the following questions:

  • What is the Internet of Things?
  • What kinds of of “things” are in this network?
  • What types of data are produced and collected?
  • Who has access to this data?
  • Categorize this post as “Internet of Things”

Wednesday 10/10 Twitter: Are you for or against “the internet of things”? Should everything be connected? Should there be rules? Tweet your stance on the “Internet of Things” #PNMF18

CLASS | Thursday, October 11: IOT Debate, Discussion Hudson Yards

WEEK 8 | Big Data & Free Will

By Tuesday, October 16: READ “When Tech Knows You Better Than You Know Yourself” from WIRED

Create Post #9: Provide a 250 summary of the ideas put forth by ONE of the men in this article, Yuval Harari or Tristan Harris. This means you will need to read the whole transcript and analyze the ideas and arguments of one of the speakers. Who is he? What ideas and possibilities does he present? What is one quote that stood out to you? What questions would you ask him if you could chat with him? Categorize your post as “Philosophy of Technology”.

Wednesday 1o/17 Twitter: Follow the person (@harari_yuval or @tristanharris) you wrote about in your post. RT one of their tweets.

CLASS | October 18: Review philosophical approaches to tech, discuss article, develop personal stance. Discuss Hudson Yards trip.

WEEK 9 |Big Data and Social Inequality

By Tuesday 1o/24: READ “The Commodification of Information and Social Inequality.” by Adair, Stephen (2010) from Critical Sociology 36 (2): 243–63.

Create Post #10: In your own words, summarize one of the numbered points Adiar uses to describe how commodified information promote inequality. After your summary, provide a real life of example that demonstrates this point. Categorize this post as Tech & Social Inequality

Wednesday 1o/25 Twitter: How might Tim Berners Lee’s new project, a decentralized internet called Solid, help alleviate the issues mentioned in the reading? Read bout his project and tweet your answer. References below. #PNMF18

CLASS | October 25: Midterm review? Discuss of Hudson Yards Development; Discuss of Midterm “Short Guide”

MIDTERM DUE on SUNDAY October 28 Categorize your Midterm Post as “Short Guides”

WEEK 10 |Moving outwards: The Digital and Material

Before class: Visit Hudson Yards! During your visit, attempt to find the answer to these questions.

By Wednesday, October 31st: READ “Instrumental City: The View from Hudson Yards, circa 2019.” by Shannon Mattern in Places Journal (2016)

Create Post #11: Answer the questions below and reflect on your visit to Hudson yards

  • What are two things you notice in the park that connect to the reading?
  • What is the environment like at Hudson Yards? Who is there? What are people doing?
  • What kinds of stores and amenities are there? What does that say about the people who might go there?
  • What are 1 or 2 instances of the digital world intersecting with the material/physical environment?

By Wednesday on Twitter: Tweet a picture from your visit to Hudson Yards. Tell your followers something about this place that you learned from your visit. Reference the Mattern article (or something you learned from it). #PNMF18

CLASS | November 1: Discuss website building and final

WEEK 11 |WordPress and Website Architecture (Lab Day)

By Tuesday, November 6: Create Post #12 to answer the following questions about WordPress. Categorize the post as WordPress.

  • What is WordPress?
  • What is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
  • What coding languages are used to build WordPress?
  • What is the WordPress Codex?
  • What is a plugin? What is a theme?
  • What does it mean that WordPress is “open-source”?

CLASS |November 8: Discuss web design and architecture, begin Final Project

WEEK 12 | Open Source and the Open Web

By Tuesday, November 13: Listen to Anil Dash discuss (or read the transcript of) Tech’s Moral Reckoning with Krista Tippett in the On Being podcast series. Create Post #13 to provide short answers in response to the questions below. Categorize the post as Tech’s Moral Reckoning.

  • How was Dash introduced to technology? How did this shape his approach to technology?
  • According to Dash, what kinds of training are missing in technology industry?
  • Does Dash think technology is neutral? Why or why not? Do you agree?
  • What does Dash think about Google? How does this relate to other topics we have covered in class?
  • When it comes to incorporating technology into our lives, what questions does Dash suggest we ask ourselves?
  • What sort of “reckoning” does Dash think we are going to face in the near future?

About Anil Dash: “Dash is an entrepreneur, activist and writer recognized as one of the most prominent voices advocating for a more humane, inclusive and ethical technology industry….Dash was an advisor to the Obama White House’s Office of Digital Strategy, and today advises major startups and non-profits…Described as a “blogging pioneer” by the New Yorker, Dash has a unique presence on social media…In 2013, Time named @anildash one of the best accounts on Twitter, and he is the only person ever retweeted by both Bill Gates and Prince, a succinct summarization of Dash’s interests.” (more here)

Wednesday 11/14 Twitter: Check out the Open Source Initiative. “Open source doesn’t just mean access to the source code. The distribution terms of open-source software must comply with the following criteria” In a tweet, describe one of the criteria for open source software distribution in your own words.

CLASS |November 15:

WEEK 13 | Work on Final!

By Tuesday, November 20:Create Post #14 to propose the focus of your final website project. What will your website be about? What will you main menu include? What outside sources will you link to? Categorize it as Final Project Proposal

NO CLASS | November 22 | THANKSGIVING

WEEK 14 | Open Web (rescheduled from wk 12)

Wednesday blog post: Search the internet to find and link to another example of a platform, network, or piece of software that is open source that you, personally, might find useful. Create Post #15 to answer the questions below. Categorize this post as Open Source

  • What is the platform/software? How is it commonly used?
  • How is it open source? (Remember: open source is more than just “free”)
  • What is an example of a similar platform that is not “open”?
  • What would be the benefit of using the open source tool over another tool/platform?

CLASS | November 29: Discussion of open source and FOSS

WEEK 15 | Future of New Media

By Wednesday, December 5: READ A Digital Declaration by Zuboff, Shoshana in Frankfurter Allgemeine (2014)

PDF of Zuboff’s Digital Declaration

Create Post #16 on our course website to answer the following questions:

  • What are “institutional facts”? How are they established?
  • What kind of declaration does Zuboff believe we should adopt to resist surveillance capitalism?
  • Do your best to define “collective intentionality”. Why might this be important for our digital future?
  • What is the difference between a synthetic and counter declaration?
  • How does a declaration change the world?

CLASS | December 6: Return to Bill of Digital Rights

WEEK 16 | Final Project Workshop

By Wednesday, December 12: Create your final post(!), Post #17 to state one of your “declarations for new media”. This declaration should imagine a world where our digital Bill of Rights is the rule of law. Then, identify an organization or social movement that you, personally, could get involved with to fulfill or work towards making your declaration a reality.

  • What is your declaration for (the future of) New media?
  • What is a current organization/social movement that does work related to this cause?
  • What aspect of your declaration do they address? What do they do to address this?
  • How could you get involved?

Reading Day December 13th Meet me in our regular classroom for office hours. You can to receive feedback or help with your blog and/or to ask questions about the final exam.

FINAL EXAM

Thursday December 20th 6-8pm, H-125 (our regular room)

Comprehensive Short answer and essay exam covering the semester’s content.

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International

This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.