Readings and assignments are subject to change. Please always check the online syllabus.

CS 4472: Design of Online Communities

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Date Topic Readings & Online Sites
1/10 Introduction  
1/12 Community: Face to Face and Online Reading: Online Site:  
1/17 Third Places Reading: Online Site: Due:
1/19 Research Methods Reading: Optional, for further reading: Online Site: Due:
  • Post an idea for an online site that you think is worth discussing in class on the T-square wiki. Describe why briefly (a sentence or a short paragraph).
1/24 Research Ethics Reading: For further reference: Online Site: Due:
  • Obtain ethics certification via the online basic course, if you do not already have certification. (Group 2 Social / Behavioral Research Investigators and Key Personnel - Basic Course)
Please do not miss this class. If you do miss this lecture, you must watch a video of class and meet with the TA.
1/26 Ethics Continued:
Disguising Subjects in Published Accounts
Reading: Online site: Please do not miss this class. If you do miss this lecture, you must watch a video of class and meet with the TA.

1/31 Design Factors Reading: Online Site:
  • Quora
    Due:
    2/2 Theory of Identity Reading:
    • The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, by Erving Goffman. Pages 1-58, intro & most of chapter 1.
    Online Sites:
    2/7 Identity Online Reading: Due:
    2/9 Gender Online Reading: Online Sites:
    2/14 Anonymity Reading: Optional, for further reading: Online site (app for Android or iOS; please borrow a friend's phone if necessary):
    Warning: adult content. Due:
    2/16 The Social, the Technical, the Political Reading:
    • Do Artifacts Have Politics? (Use library web localizer to get free access). by Langdon Winner. (in The Whale and The Reactor)
    • Code v2.0 by Lawrence Lessig. Chapters 3& 7. (Available free online, but you may wish to buy it anyway.)
    Online Site:
    2/21 Social Roles Reading: Due:
    • HW: First interview transcript
    2/23 Deviant Behavior Reading: Optional, for further reading: Online Site:
    2/28 No Class (CSCW)
    3/2 Internet Censhorship in China Guest lecturer: Chaya Hiruncharoenvate
    Students from CS6470 will join us.

    Reading: Due:
    • HW: Second interview transcript
    3/7 Moderation Reading: Online Sites: Due:
    • HW: Third interview transcript
    3/9 Participation and Lurking Reading:

    Optional, for further reading:

    Online Site:
    3/14 Online Privacy Reading: Optional, for further reading: Online Site:
    • Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on Privacy (browse)
    • Read the privacy policy of one online site you use. List your site on the wiki, making sure no one else in the class has picked your site. Come to class prepared to discuss the policy.
    3/16 Online Public Shaming Reading: Optional, for further reading: Online Site:
    3/21 & 3/23 Spring break--no class  
    3/28 Constructionism & Citizen Science Reading: Optional, for further reading: Online Sites:
    • Scratch
    • Zooniverse (Pick a project (like Galaxy Zoo) and label at least two items).
    3/30 Community Study Presentations Due:
    4/4 The Internet in Cuba
    Guest Lecturer: Michaelanne Dye
    Reading:
    4/6 No Class  
    4/11 Class Presentations, Continued  
    4/13 Wikipedia and the nature of "truth" Reading: Online Sites:
    • Everything2 (Pick an article and compare it to Wikipedia on the same topic.)
    4/18 Design Presentations Due:
    4/20 Online Cooperation and the Open Source Movement Reading: Online Site:
    4/25 TBD

    Readings and assignments are subject to change.

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