Difference between revisions of "Soctech seminar, Spring 2006"
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| − | '''[[Society and technology]] seminar: [http://www.washington.edu/students/timeschd/SPR2006/cse.html SLN 2932] CSE 590 | + | '''[[Society and technology]] seminar: [http://www.washington.edu/students/timeschd/SPR2006/cse.html SLN 2932] CSE 590 T, Tue 12:30-1:20, [http://www.washington.edu/students/maps/map.cgi?CSE CSE] 403'''<br> |
| + | (Law students should register for CSE 590 X - sln 2936, everything else is identical) | ||
'''Spring 2006: The Social Ramifications of Search Technologies''' | '''Spring 2006: The Social Ramifications of Search Technologies''' | ||
| − | |||
| − | + | As the cliché goes, in today’s “information society” there is no shortage of information, but rather an inability to process information in meaningful ways. The primary contemporary response to this information inundation has been the Search. As a consequence, the search engine has become one of the most important transformative social institutions of our time. | |
| − | + | Because the heart of search is a mechanical ordering of results by relevance to a query, search algorithms are a new way of judging quality. This extends perhaps most importantly to the ranking of the quality of cultural content, something which in the past has been a human task. What does this mean for the distribution of power in society? How might the search algorithms themselves open up new avenues of political participation and expression? How might they work toward social exclusion? | |
| − | Google in particular has been in the news recently for a variety of essential topics which demonstrate that search engines are raising many questions about the organization of content and access to it | + | Google in particular has been in the news recently for a variety of essential topics which demonstrate that search engines are raising many questions about the organization of content and access to it. And in the process, they are clashing with many different social institutions. With regard to privacy: should the US government have access to privately held information about the search habits of its citizens? With regard to political change and censorship: what role should search engines play in China in regards to dissidence and freedom of information? With regard to the current copyright institution: what content should be searchable? |
| − | In this seminar, we will | + | In this seminar, we will explore a wide range of topics related to the search engine, drawing on sources as varied as current news stories, social science research, and algorithm design. Although we don't want to focus on Google, let's be honest, it will be difficult to not center on the company whose name, in our vernacular, has become synonomous with the verbs "to search" and "to discover". |
| − | Contact information: This course is being organized by Travis Kriplean (travis at cs) | + | Contact information: This course is being organized by Travis Kriplean (travis at cs) and David Orange (dborange at gmail). |
If you would like to continue to receive news about ongoing soctech activities, then subscribe to the [https://mailman.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/soctech soctech@cs mailing list]. | If you would like to continue to receive news about ongoing soctech activities, then subscribe to the [https://mailman.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/soctech soctech@cs mailing list]. | ||
| − | == | + | ==Topics (with tentative dates)== |
| − | + | Suggestions are welcome about additional topics, improved organization, how to refine the existing topics, and relevant readings for each. Please send an email to travis (@cs) if you have such suggestions! Note that the readings will be pared down to be manageable for a seminar. | |
| − | *''' | + | *'''28 March''' Introduction and The Search Engine as a Social Institution |
| − | *''' | + | *'''4 April''' [[Social Aspects of Search: A History]] |
| + | ::Presented by Prof. Terry Brooks (i-School) - [http://www.ischool.washington.edu/people/personnel.aspx?id=3113&mode=pics homepage] | ||
| − | *''' | + | *'''11 April''' [[Basics of Search Engines and their History]] |
| + | ::Presented by Mike Cafarella | ||
| − | *''' | + | *'''18 April''' [[Basic Legal Concepts]] |
| + | ::Presented by Jonathan Claypool and David Orange | ||
| − | + | *'''25 April''' [[Fair Use of Content]] | |
| − | ::: | + | ::Presented by Prof. Dan Laster (Law) - [http://www.law.washington.edu/Faculty/Laster/ homepage] |
| − | + | *'''2 May''' [[Open Source and Search]] | |
| + | ::Presented by Paul Pham | ||
| − | ::::[[http://www. | + | *'''9 May''' [[Privacy and the Internet I]]: Technology primer |
| + | ::Presented by Keunwoo Lee; slides: [http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/courses/cse590t/06sp/networks-privacy.ppt PowerPoint], [http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/courses/cse590t/06sp/networks-privacy.pdf PDF handouts (color)], [http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/courses/cse590t/06sp/networks-privacy-bw.pdf PDF handouts (grayscale)] | ||
| − | + | *'''16 May''' [[Privacy and the Internet II]]: Privacy law primer | |
| + | ::Presented by Joe Shaughnessy | ||
| − | *''' | + | *'''23 May''' [[Dissidents in China: Google, Freedom and Information]] |
| + | ::Presented by Kaye Reiter and Colin Dixon | ||
| − | *''' | + | *'''30 May''' [[Political Ramifications of Search]] |
| + | ::Presented by Allison Demeritt and Travis Kriplean | ||
| − | |||
| − | *''' | + | *'''Other Possible Topics''' |
| + | ::* How other communication technologies (e.g. radio, TV, printing press) have transformed society in the past and how these transformations may be similar or different to the ones we're seeing with search. | ||
| + | ::* Money continues to play a large role in political communications. Is the role amplified by search, and how has it changed. Should we be concerned? | ||
| + | ::* Is the internet becoming mature enough that it ought to be regulated? If we, for instance, give certain data priority, how should speech be treated? | ||
| + | ::* [[Strengths and Weaknesses of Search]] | ||
| + | *'''Other Resources''' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ::*John Battelle. <u>The Search</u>. 2005. New York, Portfolio Hardcover. | ||
| + | ::*Eszter Hargittai. 2000. <i>Radio’s Lessons for the Internet</i>. Communications of the ACM v. 43(1). http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=323830.323844. | ||
==Mailing list== | ==Mailing list== | ||
Visit | Visit | ||
| − | :https://mailman.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/ | + | :https://mailman.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/cse590t |
| − | to sign up for the course mailing list | + | to sign up for the course mailing list. Contact Keunwoo if you have any difficulty signing up. |
==Administrative info== | ==Administrative info== | ||
| Line 54: | Line 69: | ||
Course grading and credit-load policies: Subject to change, but variable credits are available to meet differing levels of participation: | Course grading and credit-load policies: Subject to change, but variable credits are available to meet differing levels of participation: | ||
*Sign up for 1 credit if you plan to attend, do the readings, and participate in discussions. | *Sign up for 1 credit if you plan to attend, do the readings, and participate in discussions. | ||
| − | *Sign up for 2 credits if you wish to lead a discussion/present | + | *Sign up for 2 credits if you wish to lead a discussion/present OR write a paper (four pages). |
| − | *Sign up for 3 credits if you wish to | + | *Sign up for 3 credits if you wish to lead a discussion/present AND write two short papers (four pages each) (''Note: you must contact the course organizers in advance if you plan to take this course for 3 credits.'') |
==Past seminars== | ==Past seminars== | ||
*[[Soctech seminar, Spring 2005]] | *[[Soctech seminar, Spring 2005]] | ||
*[[Soctech seminar, Winter 2005]] | *[[Soctech seminar, Winter 2005]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Other Relevant Class Pages== | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Fall 2005 CSE522 http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/courses/cse522/CurrentQtr/ | ||
| + | *Fall 2005 Berkeley I-School seminar http://www.sims.berkeley.edu:8000/courses/is290-2/f05/index.html | ||
Latest revision as of 20:57, 9 May 2006
Society and technology seminar: SLN 2932 CSE 590 T, Tue 12:30-1:20, CSE 403
(Law students should register for CSE 590 X - sln 2936, everything else is identical)
Spring 2006: The Social Ramifications of Search Technologies
As the cliché goes, in today’s “information society” there is no shortage of information, but rather an inability to process information in meaningful ways. The primary contemporary response to this information inundation has been the Search. As a consequence, the search engine has become one of the most important transformative social institutions of our time.
Because the heart of search is a mechanical ordering of results by relevance to a query, search algorithms are a new way of judging quality. This extends perhaps most importantly to the ranking of the quality of cultural content, something which in the past has been a human task. What does this mean for the distribution of power in society? How might the search algorithms themselves open up new avenues of political participation and expression? How might they work toward social exclusion?
Google in particular has been in the news recently for a variety of essential topics which demonstrate that search engines are raising many questions about the organization of content and access to it. And in the process, they are clashing with many different social institutions. With regard to privacy: should the US government have access to privately held information about the search habits of its citizens? With regard to political change and censorship: what role should search engines play in China in regards to dissidence and freedom of information? With regard to the current copyright institution: what content should be searchable?
In this seminar, we will explore a wide range of topics related to the search engine, drawing on sources as varied as current news stories, social science research, and algorithm design. Although we don't want to focus on Google, let's be honest, it will be difficult to not center on the company whose name, in our vernacular, has become synonomous with the verbs "to search" and "to discover".
Contact information: This course is being organized by Travis Kriplean (travis at cs) and David Orange (dborange at gmail).
If you would like to continue to receive news about ongoing soctech activities, then subscribe to the soctech@cs mailing list.
Contents
Topics (with tentative dates)
Suggestions are welcome about additional topics, improved organization, how to refine the existing topics, and relevant readings for each. Please send an email to travis (@cs) if you have such suggestions! Note that the readings will be pared down to be manageable for a seminar.
- 28 March Introduction and The Search Engine as a Social Institution
- Presented by Prof. Terry Brooks (i-School) - homepage
- Presented by Mike Cafarella
- 18 April Basic Legal Concepts
- Presented by Jonathan Claypool and David Orange
- 25 April Fair Use of Content
- Presented by Prof. Dan Laster (Law) - homepage
- 2 May Open Source and Search
- Presented by Paul Pham
- 9 May Privacy and the Internet I: Technology primer
- Presented by Keunwoo Lee; slides: PowerPoint, PDF handouts (color), PDF handouts (grayscale)
- 16 May Privacy and the Internet II: Privacy law primer
- Presented by Joe Shaughnessy
- Presented by Kaye Reiter and Colin Dixon
- Presented by Allison Demeritt and Travis Kriplean
- Other Possible Topics
- How other communication technologies (e.g. radio, TV, printing press) have transformed society in the past and how these transformations may be similar or different to the ones we're seeing with search.
- Money continues to play a large role in political communications. Is the role amplified by search, and how has it changed. Should we be concerned?
- Is the internet becoming mature enough that it ought to be regulated? If we, for instance, give certain data priority, how should speech be treated?
- Strengths and Weaknesses of Search
- Other Resources
- John Battelle. The Search. 2005. New York, Portfolio Hardcover.
- Eszter Hargittai. 2000. Radio’s Lessons for the Internet. Communications of the ACM v. 43(1). http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=323830.323844.
Mailing list
Visit
to sign up for the course mailing list. Contact Keunwoo if you have any difficulty signing up.
Administrative info
Course grading and credit-load policies: Subject to change, but variable credits are available to meet differing levels of participation:
- Sign up for 1 credit if you plan to attend, do the readings, and participate in discussions.
- Sign up for 2 credits if you wish to lead a discussion/present OR write a paper (four pages).
- Sign up for 3 credits if you wish to lead a discussion/present AND write two short papers (four pages each) (Note: you must contact the course organizers in advance if you plan to take this course for 3 credits.)
Past seminars
Other Relevant Class Pages
- Fall 2005 CSE522 http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/courses/cse522/CurrentQtr/
- Fall 2005 Berkeley I-School seminar http://www.sims.berkeley.edu:8000/courses/is290-2/f05/index.html
