January 30, 2008

Lecture: How do comm techs shape society?

Key concepts: fallacy of technological neutrality, technological determinism, , shaping, sociotechnical system
Examples: Oral Cultures (Homer's Iliad clip 1 and clip 2), Moses's Bridge, Dr. Strangelove, the Therac-25 Disaster

Class Reader: Case Study: The Judgment of Thamus

Postman, Neil. (1992). The Judgment of Thamus. FROM: Technopoly. New York: Vintage. pp. 3-20. Password Protected Online Full-Text (PDF) [Get Password Help]

NOTE: To access the password-protected online class reader, use your active directory password as discussed in last week's discussion section. Click [Get Password Help] for more help.

Announcement: Our first assignment is due 2/6

Help/Handout: An Illustrated Guide to Blogging

280Blogging.pdf (PDF, 2 pages) (Passed out in this week's discussion sections.)

Help/Handout: How to Post an Image in a Blog Entry

280PostImage.pdf (PDF, 2 pages) (Passed out in this week's discussion sections.)