Info Society: Assignments            Fall 2002            Michael Siff      

assigned due read write/do
12/16 Cryptonomicon finish it for real
for discussion, focus on:
"Origin" (pp. 620-633)
"The Most Cigarettes" (pp. 663-675)
"Pulse" (pp. 684-693)
"Wisdom" (pp. 776-785)
"Metis" (pp. 790-810)
12/19 Final paper
12/12 Cryptonomicon try to get through 700 pages
for discussion, focus on:
"Cycles" (pp. 162-175)
"Phreaking" (pp. 347-365)
12/05 12/09 McChesney handout Review Sunstein and Rushkoff
Make headway with Cryptonomicon
12/02 12/05 L, Chs. 4-6 Find an article about identity theft
Think more about Neuromancer
Make headway with Cryptonomicon
11/18 11/21 L, Chs. 1-3 Think about computer viruses
11/04 12/02 Neuromancer
11/04 11/25 Draft of term paper
11/11 11/18 S, Chs. 5-9 (finish) Get Lessig (L) from bookstore
Look at least one of the Web sites mentioned in this Rushkoff article from last time
11/04 11/11 Choose an obscure Internet company (i.e. one that we have not discussed in class and, ideally, one different from any we have discussed in class): describe what they offer, and how they plan on making a profit. Do you think the service they offer is useful? Explain why or why not. Do you think they are likely to stick around? Explain why or why not. Keep your paper compact (aim for one or one and a half pages).
11/07 11/11 S, Ch. 4,
this, this, and this
11/04 11/07 S, Ch. 3
10/31 11/04 S, Chs. 1-2 Get Sunstein (S) from bookstore if you do not already have it.
10/21 10/24 Read this, this, and this. remember your cookie paper and your second outline
10/17 10/21 Find an read an article about the economics of the Internet Bring the article to class and be prepared to discuss it
10/14 10/21 Write a short paper entitled: "The Pros and Cons of Cookies".
10/10 10/24 Written outline: second draft
10/14 10/17
BL Chs. 12-14, Appendix
N Chs. 16, Epilogue
10/10 10/14
BL Chs. 9-11
N Ch. 15
10/07 10/10
BL Chs. 5-8
N Ch. 14
10/03 10/07 N Chs. 9-13 Write a short (1-2 page) paper introducing Richard Stallman and the philosophy behind the GNU Project. Do you think the project has long-term practical significance? Explain.
09/30 10/03
BL Chs. 3-4
N Chs. 7-8
remember that outline
09/23 10/03 paper topics Written outline
09/26 09/30 N, Chs. 3-6
09/23 09/26
G 238-287
N Ch. 1-2
BL Ch. 1-2
Get Naughton (N) and Berners-Lee (BL)from bookstore.
09/16 09/23 Write a short paper that explains what Coordinated Universal Time is and argues either for or against adopting it. Distinguish between proposals for universal time systems and metric time systems.
09/19 09/23 G, 173-238
09/16 09/19 G, 101-172
09/12 09/16 G, 57-100 Also read the Scientific American article Real Time
09/9 09/12 G, 3-56 Get Gleick (G) from bookstore.
Write a one-page essay entitled "Confessions of a Time-Saver"

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