4/17: The Web and (Mis)Information

Image from MIT Technology Review for
"Bias already exists in search engine results, and it’s only going to get worse"

Class

1. Completing our understanding of Snowden's revelations

2. Quick report by Dr. X: Cadwalladr, “Google, democracy and the truth about internet search.”

• "The Great Brexit Robbery" https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/07/the-great-british-brexit-robbery-hijacked-democracy
• How Cambridge Analytica Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions: https://www.nytimes.com/video/technology/100000005806669/cambridge-analytica-facebook-profiles.html
• "Cambridge Analytica whistleblower: 'We spent $1m harvesting millions of Facebook profiles' – video": https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2018/mar/17/cambridge-analytica-whistleblower-we-spent-1m-harvesting-millions-of-facebook-profiles-video

3. Ekström, “Can We Solve For Bias In Tech?” https://www.npr.org/2019/02/15/694292327/andreas-ekstr-m-can-we-solve-for-bias-in-tech

For next class

• Read: Shane, “From Headline to Photograph, a Fake News Masterpiece.”
• Write: Draft two of the Wikipedia reflection, adding specific examples.   https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/127g0Z2LaNVPszFkgNrfuJdU5JOYdNWcIoD1GefKABu4/edit?usp=sharing
• Start thinking about a topic and an angle for your major paper:  https://forms.gle/H4Mq8mVk31S3L3Ee9     Responses here:   https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1opexnHRm9hxcNap8U9MOdsPojeV5GkWiAxdZBKGn8gE/edit?usp=sharing

4/15: Mass and Targeted Surveillance

Class

1. Report on the documentary Terms and Conditions May Apply

• Vocabulary: 
• The Onion, Stasi; 
• Pre crime, Minority Report, The Royal Wedding; 
• loophole, gag order, 4th Amendment, Third-party doctrine

• If you have not watched  Terms and Conditions, you must do so now.

2. Lecture on The Guardian's "The NSA Files: Decoded"

3. Snowden, “Here’s how we take back the Internet”:   https://www.ted.com/talks/edward_snowden_here_s_how_we_take_back_the_internet

For next class

• Read: Shane, “From Headline to Photograph, a Fake News Masterpiece.”
• Write: Draft two of the Wikipedia reflection, adding specific examples. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/127g0Z2LaNVPszFkgNrfuJdU5JOYdNWcIoD1GefKABu4/edit?usp=sharing

Wikipedia Reflection

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/127g0Z2LaNVPszFkgNrfuJdU5JOYdNWcIoD1GefKABu4/edit?usp=sharing

4/10: Algorithms, Data Mining, Profiling, and Rateocracy

Class

1. Report on Andrews and Silverman

2. How bad is it? Check:

• This advertising from data-aggregator Acxiom: https://vimeo.com/166527182 and its accompanying handout: https://www.acxiom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/BRO-AbiliTec_web.pdf

• "Big data meets Big Brother as China moves to rate its citizens"

3. Watch/Discuss: Zeynep Tufekci,  “We're Building a Dystopia Just to Make People Click on Ads” (TED Talk and transcript) https://www.ted.com/talks/zeynep_tufekci_we_re_building_a_dystopia_just_to_make_people_click_on_ads?language=en

4. Midterm Review, or How Well Am I Doing in this Class?

For next class

• Watch the documentary Terms and Conditions http://laguardia.kanopystreaming.com/video/terms-and-conditions-may-apply-1

If that link does not work, here is the YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIiLoT4Po-c

• Browse: “The NSA Files.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/the-nsa-files

4/8: Presenting to an audience

Class

Today our class will present at the Latinx Symposium from 1:20 to 2:pm. We will leave a bit before 1pm for E-242 so we have less than one hour to complete our work.

1.  Get into your Wikipedia team. One person take notes. Read the section or article your team worked on, and discuss how it's changed, whether the change is for the better, and what work could still be done on it (if anything). (10 minutes)

• Jackson Heights before we worked on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jackson_Heights,_Queens&oldid=888090102
• Jackson Heights as it is today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Heights,_Queens
• Queens Pride Parade: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queens_Pride_Parade

2. Switch your work with another team. Read their section and give them some feedback. (5 minutes)

3. One of the Wikipedians who worked along us in the Jackson Heights article is Epigenius. He was featured in the New York Times. Read a bit about him, and choose one person in the team to send him some WikiLove (5-7 minutes):   https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/nyregion/if-you-see-something-write-something.html

4. Now fill out this reflection (15-20 minutes): https://forms.gle/yWyUveTio1jshU8N9

5. Choose a representative from your team to present to the Symposium. During the Symposium expect to be asked to stand up and be recognized.

For next class
Read and take notes of

• Andrews, “George Orwell...Meet Mark Zuckerberg”
• Silverman, “The Reputation Racket”

4/3: The Web and Privacy

Essential Question:  How has the current version of the World Wide Web changed our relationship with the establishment, particularly in terms of personal information?

Class

1. Report on George Orwell's Nineteen eighty-four. 

2. Hill, “Do Your Smart Devices Know Too Much?” Ted Radio Hour.  https://www.npr.org/2018/11/02/662631773/kashmir-hill-do-your-smart-devices-know-too-much

3. Greenwald, “Why privacy matters.” https://www.ted.com/talks/glenn_greenwald_why_privacy_matters

• See the definition of Panopticon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon 
• Read about Edward Snowden: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden

For next class
Read and take notes of

• Andrews, “George Orwell...Meet Mark Zuckerberg”
• Silverman, “The Reputation Racket”

LaGuardia Wikipedia Translatathon Program for April 4 and April 5

--Food will be provided both days-- 

Thursday, April 4th 4:00-8:00pm

At all hours: Wikipedia editing and translating (E-111)

4:30pm: Wikipedia Principles and ‘How To’ Introduction on editing Wikipedia for new editors (E-106)
6:00pm: Wikipedia Principles and ‘How To’ Introduction on editing Wikipedia for new editors (E-106)
7:00pm: Wikimedia NYC Lightning Talk (E-111)

Friday, April 5th 11:00am - 5:00 pm

At all hours: Wikipedia editing and translating (E-111)

11:30am: Wikipedia Principles and ‘How To’ Introduction on editing Wikipedia for new editors (E-106)
12:00pm: #RadicalLegacyBuilding: Historically Undervalued Languages & Wikipedia as a Tool for Language Advocacy. Presentation by Wynnie Lamour (E-111).
2:00pm: How the Internet Helps Keep Languages Alive. Presentation by Daniel Bogre Udell of WikiTongues (E-111)
3:00pm: Wikipedia Principles and ‘How To’ Introduction on editing Wikipedia for new editors (E-106)
4:30pm: Beyond Wikipedia is...Wikidata. Presentation by Loren Koenig (E-111)

For more details and to register (you will need to get a Wikipedia account): https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Translat-a-thon/NYC/2019

Note: Dr. X's students who participate in the translatathon will earn one token to use as described in the syllabus.