CSCI 102T

The Socio-Techno Web

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Week 1: Data and the World Wide Web

Since this first assignment comes on a short week, we will not use the traditional primary writer/primary responder format.

Instead, all students will:
• write a short (1-2 page) paper on the prompt below.
• select 7 quotations from the required texts or from sources that you find on your own

A detailed description of the assignment can be found below.

Goals

• Explore techniques for reading documents
• Understand the Internet and the World Wide Web
• Explore Tim Berners-Lee's vision for the world wide web and the process that let to its inception
• Be able to articulate how the original vision for the web matches the realities of our current Internet-enabled society

Readings

Required Readings:

• TBL Chapters 1-2
• DaG Intro

Optional readings:

• TBL appendix (the original proposal for the World Wide Web). Depending on your version of the book, it might not have an appendix! Here the same content, but as an html document
• BITS appendix (a rather technical description of the Internet. We will explore this in later weeks)
• I encourage you to search out resources on your own

Assignment

• Do this week's readings out loud with a parter (you may choose any classmate who is not your tutorial partner). Take turns reading passages and stop to discuss things that resonate as they come up in the readings (questions you have, ideas, meaningful passages, etc.). The purpose of this exercise is to explore different reading styles and figure out what works best for you. I also expect this text to be mostly new material, and I hope that you can work together to build understandings. Practice processing and communicating technical ideas.
• Writing Prompt: What do you find inspiring about the Tim Berners-Lee's vision for the web? What do you find worrisome about the realities of today's Internet? How have your understandings of the Internet and of the World Wide Web changed since the first meeting? Please justify your responses using evidence from the text where appropriate.
• In addition to your short writing assignment, please select a total of 7 quotes from TBL or DaG (the quotes may be similar to or different from your reading partner's selections) and note them. Be prepared to discuss your choices in our meeting.