Course description

They are everywhere. In our homes, offices, and classrooms and in less obvious places like telephones, televisions, and kitchen appliances. Some may already be in our wallets and soon, perhaps, in our brains. In this course we will consider different, but overlapping ways in which information-processing devices, and specifically networked computers, affect society. Questions we will address include, How do computers alter our quality of life through the use of electronic mail, Web searching, and electronic commerce? What is the economic impact of computer networks - not just the price of Microsoft stock - but also in terms of the dot-com mania, the open-source revolution, and the ideal of a cashless society? What are the ethical and legal ramifications of the Internet's facilitation of music and video piracy, distribution of pornography, and cyberterrorism? How are privacy and First Amendment rights intertwined with these concerns? What effect do computers have on our culture, in terms of both content (e.g., book and movie plots) and process (e.g., digital film)? In part, to address this question, we will read cyberpunk fiction of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson. Finally, we will attempt to tie together these questions by considering the future of ubiquitous networked computing including Internet 2, tele-immersion, and virtual reality.

Breaking news

(12/09) Read the following for class on 12/12:

1. "Into the Fibersphere by George Gilder.
2. Jaron Lanier's "Why Virtual Reality Has Not (Yet) Become a Widespread".
3. "The Net's Next 10 Years" by Sebastian Rupley.

(11/28) The third (and final) writing assignment has been posted here, and is due 12/8.