Vote!

Remember to vote today (11/2) if you are properly registered. The right to vote is indeed one of the greatest expressions of freedom we are granted as American citizens. The results of this midterm election could very well shape the political landscape of our country for years to come. Therefore, exercise this Constitutional right and make your views count.

Update to Schedule

Well, Christmas has come early this year ladies and gents! After speaking with the Department Secretary again today after our class, I learned that we in fact do not meet this Wednesday. I admire your persistence in this matter; it has been rewarded indeed. Know that I, like many others, was confused by the language regarding this change in the academic schedule. I was not going to cancel our class until I knew for sure. 


Please note the important changes below. Primarily, you need to read Westlake as well as Braden for next Monday. Save the next Hacker reading for next Wednesday. The tenth e-journal is still due on the 11/8.


W 11/3:

No class (classes which meet before 4pm are canceled) 

M 11/8:

~ Review of Hempel and Lehman 
~ Discussion of Westlake’s article and Braden’s essay, as well as e-journal #10
~ Handout – Orwell, “Selection from 1984” 

W 11/10:

~ Field Trip: Using the Library the Internet: Vital Academic and Scholarly Resources (Meeting Room TBA)
~ In-class reading of BH, p.482-487
~ Review of how one avoids plagiarism
~ Handout – Proper Citation in a Works Cited Page and Annotated Bibliography 
Reading – BH, p.379-387, 392-400

Hw #10 for 11/8

Below find the prompt for e-journal #10, due Monday 11/8.

After reading Braden, consider any lines of thought presented in the following prompt when responding: Many would argue that the Internet is merely another window through which the public may be spied upon by “big government” or by secret agencies. Do you feel that Braden and Westlake share a similar argument regarding this issue? According to these authors, and in your opinion, what are the weakest points (literally, sites) of the Internet? What are some potential results of the Internet’s ability to replicate and publish information? Do you feel that you participate in citizen-surveillance? Do you contribute to content on the web? If so, what kind? What of the Internet are you most wary about? Use at least two, properly cited textual examples in your response.

Essay #3 Rubric; Westlake, Braden, and Bedford Handbook Readings

This post contains the next round of readings for the upcoming few class periods. So be sure to download and print any relevant materials that you do not yet have in your possession.

But before beginning these readings you should first view the Rubric for Essay #3. You will receive a copy of this document as a handout in class, so there is no need to print a copy unless you lose your original. Remember that it is here for reference.

Here is the link for the Westlake article, to be read for Monday 11/8. VIP -- Read only the following sections, indicated by a bold type heading: News Feed, Understanding Facebook, The Performativity of Social Networking {only pages 25-27 (stop after reading the second-to-last paragraph on p.27), 30f}, Performative Surveillance, Epilogue). This article can be dense at times with its mentioning of philosophy and social theory. Absorb this information through a surface-level reading. I do not expect everyone to understand all the contents of this piece; however, I encourage you to look up information and terms that are foreign to you so that you may better comprehend this text. Our in-class discussion will undoubtedly shed some light as to the meaning and argumentative purpose of Westlake's article.

Here is the link for Braden's essay. Also, have this read for Monday 11/8.

Lastly, here you can find a link for the in-class reading of Hacker's text: BH - p.482-487. Be sure to bring this for Wednesday 11/10.