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

CS 6470: Design of Online Communities

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Date Topic Readings & Online Sites
8/22 Introduction  
8/24 Community: Face to Face and Online Reading: Optional:
  • asb book, Intro and Chapter One: "Are online 'communities' really communities?" (on Canvas)
Online Site:  
8/29 Third Places Reading:
  • The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg, chapters one and two. (in book store)
  • Video: How to Live in a City - 1964 by George C Stoney (18 minutes)
Online Site: Due:
8/31 Research Methods Reading: Optional Reading: Online Site: Due:
  • Optional: Post an idea for an online site that you think is worth discussing in class on the discussion on Canvas. Pick one not already on the syllabus. Is there something interesting about the site's design? Describe why briefly (a sentence or a short paragraph).
9/5 Research Ethics Reading: For further reference: Online Site: Due:
  • Obtain ethics certification via the online 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.
9/7 Ethics Continued:
Disguising Subjects in Published Accounts
Reading: Online Site:
  • Gather.town (link on Canvas)
Please do not miss this class. If you do miss this lecture, you must watch a video of class and meet with the TA.

9/12 Design Factors Reading:
  • Finding One's Own Space in Cyberspace, by Amy Bruckman
  • “Giving a little ‘ayyy, I feel ya’ to someone’s personal post”: Performing Support on Social Media by Danielle Lottridge et. al.
  • Nine Principles of Community Design by Amy Jo Kim

  • Online Site: Due:
    9/14 Theory of Identity Reading:
    • The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, by Erving Goffman. Pages 1-58, intro & most of chapter 1.
      Please select a quote from Goffman that you think is interesting and put it on the discussion thread on Canvas. Pick one that no one else has picked yet. You will read your quote to the class, and explain why you picked it.

    Please bring your laptop to this class.
    9/19 Identity Online Reading: Online Sites: Due:
    9/21 Two Identity Topics: Gender and Anonymity Reading: Online Sites: Optional:
    9/26 Collaboration Reading:
    • asb book, Chapter Two: "What can online collaboration accomplish?" (on Canvas)
    Online Sites: Due:
    9/28 Knowledge Building &
    Sociotechnical Systems and the Politics of Artifacts
    Reading:
    • asb book, Chapter Four: "How does the internet change how we think?" (on Canvas)
    • Do Artifacts Have Politics? by Langdon Winner. (in The Whale and The Reactor)
    Online Site: Due:
    10/3 Social Roles Reading: Online Site:
    10/5 Managing Bad Online Behavior Reading:
    • Ask Not For Whom the Bell Trolls, This American Life Podcast (21 minutes) (Warning: strong language. Bleeped version available.)
    • asb book, Chapter Six: "What is bad online behavior, and what we can do about it?" Book chapter draft, on Canvas.
    Optional further reading:
    10/10 Fall break--no class  
    10/12 Qualitative Data Analysis Reading: Due:
    10/17 Wikipedia and the Nature of "Truth"
    (No class--watch video)
    Video: Reading: Optional further reading: Online Sites:
    • Everything2 (Pick an article and compare it to Wikipedia on the same topic.)
    Due:
    10/19 Online Privacy Special guest: Simson Garfinkel
    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 thread on Canvas, making sure no one else in the class has picked your site. Come to class prepared to discuss the policy.
    Due:
    10/24 AI Content Generation Reading: Due:
    • Find an article about the impact of AI on the internet and online communities, or about related topics. Post it to the thread on Canvas, making sure no one else has picked the same one. Come to class prepared to tell everyone about your article.
    • HW: Third interview transcript
    10/26 Business Models are Everything Reading: To do:
    • Figure out what the business model of your project site is.
    • See if you can figure out how well they are doing financially. ("Can't tell" is a fine answer, if the info isn't public.)
    • Come to class prepared to briefly summarize this as a team, for the class.

    I'll give my short talk on how to give a short talk.
    This is the last date to hand in interview transcripts.
    10/31 Changes in Social Media Listening: Online Sites (pick 2): To do:
    • Pick an article about changes in social media, and add it to the discussion on Canvas, making sure no one else has picked the same one.
    • As part of your reflection for this week, comment on how the sites you chose are alike and different. Who goes there? How do different people use the site in different ways? For X (formerly Twitter), how has it changed over time, and why?

    • To volunteer to give a talk about your community study, email the professor and head TA before start of this class.
    11/2 Community Study Presentations Due:
    11/7 Presentations, Continued  
    11/9 Short Research Talks & Design Idea Clinic First half of class: PhD students in my lab will give short presentations about their current work.
    Second half of class: we will have a design idea 'clinic' where people offer feedback on others' design project ideas.
    No reflection due.
    11/14 Guest lecture: Sanjay Kairam, Reddit (formerly Twitch) Reading:
  • From Virtual Strangers to IRL Friends: Relationship Development in Livestreaming Communities on Twitch (Sheng & Kairam 2020)

  • Optional, for further reading:
    11/16 Design Presentations Due:
    11/21 and 11/23 No class--Happy Thanksgiving!  
    11/28 Design Presentations, continued  
    11/30 Guest Lectures: Aaron Halfaker (Microsoft Research, formerly Wikimedia Foundation), and Michael Swenson (formerly Meta, Discord)  
    12/5 Looking Forwards Reading:
    • asb book, Chapter Eight: "How can we help the internet bring out the best in us all?"
    Reading reflection is due early: Monday at 12:15 pm
    As your "reading reflection," in addition to reflecting on the book chapter, please submit one to two pages on how you think online communities, social media, and the internet, will be different ten years from now. Come to class prepared to discuss your predictions.

    Readings and assignments are subject to change.

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