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

CS 6470: Design of Online Communities

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Due:
Date Topic Readings & Online Sites
8/20 Introduction  
8/22 Community: Face to Face and Online Reading: Optional:
  • asb book, Intro and Chapter One: "Are online 'communities' really communities?" (on Canvas)
Online Site:  
8/27 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:
8/29 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).
9/3 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.
9/5 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.

9/10 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:
    9/12 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.
    Due:
    Please bring your laptop to this class.
    9/17 Identity Online (including Gender) Reading: Online Sites:
    9/19 Identity Online Continued: Gender Continued and Anonymity Reading: Online Sites: Optional:
    9/24 Collaboration Reading:
    • asb book, Chapter Two: "What can online collaboration accomplish?" (on Canvas)
    Online Sites: Due:
    9/26 Midterm Review
    10/1 First Test On paper, in person
    Covers through class content on 9/24
    10/3 Social Roles
    Guest lecturer: Ciabhan Connell     		Reading: Online Site:
    10/8 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: Due:
    10/10 Qualitative Data Analysis
    Special Guest: Sanjay Kairam, Reddit    		 Reading: Due:
    10/15 Fall break--no class  
    10/17 Online Privacy
    Guest lecturer: Aaron Jiang, Meta    		 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:
    10/22 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:
    10/24 Changes in Social Media Listening: Online Site: 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.
    In class, I will give a short talk on how to give a talk, in preparation for your community study and design talks.

    This is the last day to hand in late interview transcripts.
    10/29 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.)
    10/31 Business Models are Everything
    Guest lecturer: Ciabhan Connelly    		 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.
    11/5 Presentations Due:
    11/7 Presentations, Continued  
    11/12 Misogyny and Mens Rights Online
    Guest lecturer: Ciabhan Connelly    		  
    11/14 Final Exam Review and Design Input We will review for the final, and also save time for feedback on your design projects in progress.
    11/19 Design Presentations Due:
    11/21 Design Presentations, continued  
    11/26 Highlights of CSCW 2024 (optional class) I will attend CSCW in Costa Rica in early November. In this lecture, I will present highlights of papers presented. This class is optional--if you need to miss it for Thanksgiving travel, no worries. But please don't forget the assignment (which is not optional).

    Due:
    11/28 No class--Happy Thanksgiving!
    12/3 Looking Forwards Reading:
    • asb book, Chapter Eight: "How can we help the internet bring out the best in us all?"

    Readings and assignments are subject to change.

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