CSCI 102T

The Socio-Techno Web

Home | Schedule | Labs | CS@Williams

Week 4: Electronic File Formats

In this fourth assignment we will continue to use the main writer / main responder format, but we will switch roles from last week (if you were a main writer last week, this week you will be a main responder and vice versa).
This week we all will:
• format our essays as HTML documents on our personal webpage.
• distribute our work by committing our documents to our own personal git repository.
• clone our partner's repository (after you are notified) and read their document on the web.

Goals

• Understand ways that data is represented and how computers interact with data.
• At the start of our meeting, you should be able to communicate confidently about the following concepts:
• File formats and file metadata
• File extensions
• Modeling and rendering images
• Compression: lossless and lossy
• Encryption
• Storage Media and data retention
• Understand more technical details about the Internet:
• Packets and packet switching
• IP addresses
• The Internet as a system of layers
• Be able to identify and clearly articulate positions argued by texts
• Clearly articulate your own stance on mass data collection
• Utilize the web in our writing responses

Readings

Required Readings:

• BITS Chapter 3
• BITS Appendix (not available as a separate pdf)
• Supreme Court strikes down ban on 'virtual child porn' (2002) (PDF)
• 'Virtual' Child Pornography Ban Overturned (2002) (PDF)
• Lawmakers Consider Ban on Computer-Generated Child Porn (2012) (PDF)
• Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996

Optional Readings:

• U.S. Is Tightening Web Privacy Rule to Shield Young (2012) (PDF)
• Facebook Says Child Privacy Laws Should Not Apply to 'Like' Buttons (2012) (PDF)

Assignment

• This week's readings are long, and at times they are technical. I encourage you to discuss the content of the readings with a classmate who is not your tutorial partner. Please do all writing independently. In other words, as soon as you begin writing, you may not consult with classmates until all parties involved have submitted their work.


• Writing Prompt: According to the authors of BITS, "in the world of exploded assumptions about reality and artifice, laws that combat society's problems may also compromise rights of free expression" (pg 84). Consider the case described in BITS about "virtual child pornography" on the Web. Do you agree with the authors of BITS? Do you agree with the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the 1996 law that prohibited virtual child pornography?


• Ongoing: As you read, please keep a list of questions that come to your mind that you want to revisit. This list may include things you wish the authors explored in more detail, open questions, confusing passages, vocab, etc.