Internet Metaphors

We are accustomed to using metaphors to describe things to others. But the specific metaphors we use have a way of shaping others' understanding and expectations of a given phenomena as well as their approaches to it. Thus, if one defines 'international terrorism' as any act of violence against the United States, this definition will have different implications for our behavior than one based upon a narrower definition. It will also have a major impact on the way we view our options.

Similarly, our views of the Internet are shaped by the metaphors that are used to describe it. Although it is not always apparent, the experience of exploring or 'surfing' the Internet has been captured in many different ways, some of them mutually exclusive.

Read the following essays in your Reader:

Jonathan Katz, "Birth of a Digital Nation," WIRED , Issue 5.04, April 1997

Alfred C. Yen, "Western Frontier or Feudal Society?: Metaphors and Perceptions in Cyberspace," Berkeley Tech. L. J. , 2002

Jonathan Rosen, The Talmud and the Internet (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), selections

As you read these essays, ask yourself the following questions: 1) What Net metaphors are the authors using and how do they differ?; 2) Which of these metaphors corresponds most directly to your own use of the Net? It's conceivable that you experience combinations of these descriptions. But is it possible that you could experience all of them simultaneously? Finally, 4) What are the implications of each of these metaphors for our understanding of the world we live in. Does our choice of metaphors actually matter?

Practical assignment: Visit Google's Website . Ask yourself which of the three metaphors best describes your Google experience. Second, go to Google's Services page and determine which metaphor Google would most like to use to define itself.

 

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

The American Idea of Privacy

Read the Fourth Amendment closely (in your Reader). What does this amendment have to do with privacy? What guidance does it give to public officials? To what extent do citizens have privacy? What word is missing in this amendment?

Robert Ellis Smith's book, Ben Franklin's Website (see reviews on this link), will give you some ideas about both the evolution and the content of the American concept of privacy. Read the following chapters in the book: " Watchfulness " " Serenity ," and--for ways of understanding the concept of privacy in American Constitutional interpretation, " Brandeis ."

For Smith's views on the 'top ten myths about privacy', watch this video (30+ mins.) In this talk, Smith frequently refers to a top privacy site, epic.org . Smith himself is the publisher of a similar site, Privacy Journal .

Why is personal privacy such an important part of American culture? At the same time, why are we still inclined, arguably more than most liberal societies, to place limits on personal privacy (e.g., what we read, what we look at)? Or is it just a matter of other societies placing different limits on personal privacy? How does any liberal society maintain an appropriate balance between the basic right to privacy and behavior that is purportedly excessive or corrupting? Or should we be able to do absolutely anything we want in the 'privacy' of our own home?

Group Assignment: Contact Smith and ask him a question about the readings above. ellis84e@ma.ultranet.com .

 

Thursday, January 29, 2004

Digital Paranoia: Am I Being Watched?

In this section, we will consider some well-known threats to our privacy that emerge from the Internet. There are two questions I wish to consider: 1) Whether or to what extent our privacy is actually being threatened; and 2) If our privacy is being threatened, how this condition has come to pass. Is the loss of privacy something that is being done to us? Or have we somehow acquiesced to our loss of privacy?

A Three-Part Assignment:

1. For background Reading , read "Cyberspace" in Robert Ellis Smith, Ben Franklin's Website (which you own).

Then, contrast Karen Coyle's argument about the loss of privacy, "Privacy or Paranoia," with Amitai Etzioni's reasoning about the same subject in "The Hyper-hyping of Privacy." Both of these articles are in your reader.

2. How much of a threat to my privacy is represented by the Internet? Reflect upon possible answers to this question by considering each of the following topics:

a. The threat from 'cookies':

What are cookies anyway?

Why are advertisers interested in me?

Why are cookies not as bad as they seem (or, so say some people)?

What can these people learn about me?

Do I have no say in all of this?

b. The threat from 'spam':

Spam Predictions

What can pop-ups do for you (or, so we are told)?

Will the Can-Spam Act of 2003 work?: Yes! versus No!

The Spammers from Cydoor : go to 'Support,' then 'FAQ'

c. Contact the spammers at Cydoor or Gator/Claria , and ask them a challenging question about what the Cam-Spam Act means for them. For example, does the Act help them more than it hurts them?

(The Cydoor links worked on one of my computers but not on the other; I don't know why. Interestingly, if you go to the most notorious spammer, CommonName, you will see that ND has blocked it).

Thursday, February 5, 2004

The Democratic Shortcomings of Internet Privacy

In this section, I want us to begin addressing the potentially negative aspects of life on the Net. Enthusiasts of Internet surfing like to portray the experience as a new form of enlightenment. One is exposed to new sources of information and opinion and, as a result, one is challenged to rethink one's own beliefs and perspectives. But is this proposition accurate? Once again, we return to our choice of metaphors to capture the Net experience. But in addition, we also want to ask whether the assertion of Net privacy does not become a sorry excuse for maintaining old prejudices and avoid change.

For two perspectives on the Internet's limitations, read:

1. Paulina Borsook, "Cyberselfish," in your Reader.

2. Cass Sunstein, Republic.com (which you own) , pp. 3-88.

Sunstein's book has been the subject of enormous controversy. Like all of his books, it is provocative.

Read each of these accounts with a critical mind. Which aspects of each argument make sense to you? Where could their arguments have used more substantiation? When you look closely, in which respects do they seem totally wrong? Note: each writer has a political axe to grind. What is the axe for each of them and how does it show up in the two arguments?

For a useful critique of the foundations of Sunstein's argument, read " Mathematics of Growth ," by Simson Garfinkel.

Group Assignments (2): Contact Borsook ( loris@well.com ) and Sunstein ( csunstei@midway.uchicago.edu ), and ask them questions they'll have difficulty answering.

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Solving the Problem of Internet Privacy?

Can we solve the problems associated with internet privacy. Assuming Sunstein is correct about the nature of this problem, we need to determine whether the solutions he offers will work. We also need to determine whether we can bear the costs of the solutions. What exactly does he propose? What are the social and political costs of his recommendations?

Complete your reading of Cass Sunstein, Republic.com , pp. 89-202.

But is Sunstein right, both in his description of the Internet's effect on political activity and in his prescriptions about the state's role in addressing this issue? For a concrete example of the disadvantages and advantages of the Net in a democracy, consider the case of Howard Dean's cyberspace campaign for the Presidency. Is the Dean campaign a good example of the shortcomings of the Net? Or does it call into question some of Sunstein's presuppositions. Look at the evidence closely before coming to any conclusions.

Read "How the Internet Invented Howard Dean" in your Reader. Also, for strategic information about Dean's Net Advisory team, go to the NAN page on the Dean for America site.

David Weinberger, a regular commentator for National Public Radio, is a senior internet advisor for the Dean campaign. Read the chapter from his Small Pieces Loosely Joined (in your Reader) to get a different perspective of the Net's potential. Then, write to him at self@evident.com and pose a specific question about the Dean campaign's use of the Internet.

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Democracy, Education, and the Digital Divide

Can technology alone be counted upon to solve the problems associated with democracy and the Internet? Even if the technology works, a frequent criticism of democratic politics in the Internet age is that all citizens, both in the US and internationally, do not have equal access to the Net. If this technology is as revolutionary and as important as most people argue, what are the real-world consequences for those people who do not own computers or modems, let alone enjoy the advantage of a T-I connection?

There is no dispute about the existence of a digital divide in the US . But how large is this divide and to what extent is it decreasing?

For two analyses and tables of statistics, look at 1) The Pew Internet Project: Summary (Sept. 2000); and the Department of Commerce's study, " A Nation Online " (Census Bureau, Sept. 2001). In which cases has computer- and Internet-access improved? How would you define 'sufficient' access, as opposed to merely quantitative indices of access? To what extent do significant disparities exist across different socio-economic and racial groups?

Once you have reflected upon these findings, compare them with Mick Brady's argument, " The Digital Divide Myth ." Whether you agree or not, think critically.

Then, apply the findings and Brady's argument to the stories in Chapter 7 (pp. 59-70) of Alex Kotlowitz's book about poverty in Chicago, There Are No Children Here . This short chapter is in your Reader. How would Brady's argument correspond to Pharoah's needs? Would Pharoah be reassured after reading Brady's account? What effect, if any, could access to the Internet have on Pharoah's life?

Additional subject for reflection: The digital divide is much more profound on an international scale. For example, large sections of the African continent are not wired at all. Should this matter to us? What effect would greater connectivity have on these sections of the world? Is there anything we can do about the challenge?

The following four classes deal with the efforts of corporate entities--the state, social groups, and private industry--to regulate the individual's sphere of privacy. Because there is no completely private sphere in any aspect of life, including the Internet, we can take the presence of some form of control, regulation, or social pressure for granted. But how much intrusion into the private sphere is legitimate? Political debates in democracies frequently center on this question.

The State and the Individual

Many of the recent debates over the violation of privacy on the Internet have centered upon the state's role in surveilling email traffic and Web surfing. This is not surprising given the effect of the attacks of September 11, 2001 on American culture. But, there are also constitutional limits on the steps law-enforcement agencies can take in, among other things, intercepting communications between private persons. In your reading, ask yourself three questions: 1) Where have these limits been? 2) How might they have been expanded or changed? and 3) What kind of a society do I prefer?

For background, read "Wiretaps" in Robert Ellis Smith, Ben Franklin's Website . Also, reread the "Fourth Amendment" (in your Reader).

On this basis, read pp. 29-48 in Schulhofer's The Enemy Within for an assessment of the changes that took place with regard to Internet surveillance after the passage of the USA Patriot Act of 2001.

Read what Senator John Ashcroft had to say about wire-tap authority in 1997 , and then compare it with what he had to say about the Patriot Act in his new capacity as Attorney General. . Speech of October 18, 2001

Then, ask yourself whether we are now sliding down a slippery slope that will lead to the weakening of basic freedoms and our civil liberties. You can do this by reading the following draft of an internal Department of Justice about a proposed Patriot II act , known as the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003.

Finally, what do many Americans think about the tradeoff between national security and the preservation of civil liberties? Think critically. Is it possible to maintain such a tradeoff? Or does the word 'tradeoff' even make sense in this context?

Thursday, February 19, 2004

Class Debate

On this date, we will have a class debate about the 'tradeoff' between the safeguarding of national security and the preservation of civil liberties. At a later date, I will advise you about the content and structure of this debate.

For background,

Read Schulhofer, The Enemy Within , pp. 29-48, to get a sense for the changing relationship between national-security policy and our civil liberties since September 11, 2001 .

For ideas,

Look closely at the following Pakistani site of an earlier radical muslim site, Islamic Fatwas , that was apparently blocked by US law enforcement. Also, consider " Martyrdom Operations ." Or, if you like weaponry, consider cruise missiles , or if you want to have more options among your bombs (thermite, pipe, paint, fertilizer, or even napalm) consult the infamous Anarchist's Cookbook .

Should we allow these sites in the U.S? What can we do about such sites anyway? Read what one designer found out.

To get you in the mood for this debate, watch: Joe McCarthy and Paranoia

Thursday, February 26, 2004

The Corporation and the Individual

There is something ironic about raising questions about the private sphere that involve both corporations and individuals. In a capitalist economy, corporations too are in the business of pursuing private interests, albeit interests involving the aggrandizement of personal wealth by one group at the (seeming) expense of others. Thus if one asks whether the state should become involved in addressing private matters in the free market, the first question may be: Whose private interests?

In this session, we will consider an issue--intellectual property--that captures the tension between the interests of the private corporation and the interests of the individual. Will one always need to draw a balance these two sets of interests? Are there some government policies which, if implemented, are likely to endanger this balance? Or will other steps stifle the innovation that makes new forms of property possible in the fri st place?

1. The Issue of Intellectual Property . Read the following articles (both are in your Reader) to get a sense for the contemporary debate over the protection of intellectual property. Which argument do you find the most persuasive?

Lawrence Lessig, "May the Source be with You"

Doug Isenberg, "In Defense of Copyright Law"

2. The Debate over File-Sharing . The following articles (also in your Reader) outline the Napster controversy and subsequent developments. What experience have you had with file-sharing? What stand do you take on the issue? Or does your answer depend upon which file-sharing program you are using? For example, does the difference between Napster and Kazaa make a difference, or is this just semantics?

Jack Valenti, "A Clear Present and Future Danger"

John and Ben Snyder, "Embrace File-Sharing, or Die"

Jonathan Krim, "File-Sharing Forfeits Right to Privcacy"

If you like, you are welcome to watch the optional video, " Sue the World " (Warning: Contains Profanity)

UTOPIA / DYSTOPIA

For the final two regular sections of this course, we will consider some of the potentially stupendous benefits of the World Wide Web (utopia) as well as some of the most worrisome and threatening (dystopia). For each of the two--Hyperprivacy and Hyperpublicity--I am juxtaposing potential 'virtues' against possible 'vices.'

Tuesday, March 2, 2004

The Realm of Hyperprivacy

We have already encountered romantic notions about the Internet's capacity to liberate people. It provides them with the ultimate privacy tool---the desktop computer. But, is this device as liberating as it seems?

The Vision:

John Perry Barlow, " A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace "

Hyperprivacy, Virtue or Vice?

An old story, the hackers versus the crackers

Philip Tellis, "Hackers are not Crackers" (in your Reader)

Jonathan Littman, excerpts from The Fugitive Game (in your Reader), and also surf through:

On Kevin Mitnick, by Kevin Mitnick

The Cult of Kevin Mitnick (simply unbelievable)

Bruce Gottlieb, "Hack CouNterHaCk" (Reader)

Optional: If you get the time, this Frontline site has scores of interesting tips, recommendations, stories, and explanations about the whole topic of hacking.

Thursday, March 4, 2004

Realm of Hyperpublicity

Guiding Issues :

Now we go back to where we began the course. Compare and contrast the first half of Sunstein's Republic.com with Chapter 7 of Howard Rheingold's Smart Mobs . How is the utopia/dystopia theme foreshadowed in these accounts? Could both authors be correct simultaneously? Remember: They are speaking abstractly. But after the material we have covered, you are analyzing concretely.

Hyperpublicity, Virtue or Vice :

In much of what we've read, the idea of the 'public realm' has been treated as a good in itself. When people join to pursue a common cause, there is supposedly the potential for creating something that transcends the narrow interests of the individual. But certainly, this can't always be true.

In this section, we will examine both positive and negative examples of hyperpublicity , or hyperpublic-ness (if there were such a word), to speculate about the Internet's capacity for bringing people together. In particular, I have selected cases of radical movements that thrive on the resources provided by the Internet.

As you reflect upon the positive and the negative aspects of such movements, think about America 's experience, What role have protest movements played in American history? Why do these protest movements seem to recur? Note: The US was founded on a tradition of radical protest. Why do most Americans today have such a marked aversion to political protest?

The most prominent political protests of your generation have been represented by the very diverse groups--left-wing radicals, skinheads, anarchists, trade unions, minorities, libertarians, computer nerds, environmentalists--that have come together to campaign against global organizations such as the WTO, IMF, and World Bank. These protests, which began in Seattle 1999, came out of nowhere. They will likely recur.

Surf through the first two sites below: 1) What role does the Internet play in sustaining these protests? 2) Why would many Americans feel uncomfortable about these sites?

The Ruckus Society (especially "Gallery" and "Training," their links)

Net Action , especially Virtual Activist Training Reader

Then, surf some of the largely offensive sites below. Caution: Some of them contain disturbing images, especially The Nuremberg Files, so be careful. Read as much as you like.

Question: Should Web Sites or Internet Service Providers be allowed to promote violence about any or all of the following. . . .?

. . . sports: Mob Handed ; Hooligans.cz ; Terrace Links ; Midwest Skins .

. . . controversial policies : The Nuremberg Files ; Police Powers ;

. . . political opinions: Blood and Honour

. . . religion: Resistance , Who Runs USA?

. . . or, for that matter, whatever forms of hatred appeal to somebody: Hate Directory ?

Even if we don't like these sites, is there anything we can do about them? Can we use them to monitor the groups who run them? Can we get rid of these sites?

Saturday, March 6, 2004 to Sunday, March 14, 2004

Spring Break