Assignments | Communication Technology & Society

Weekly blog assignments are listed here, most recent first.

5/11 BLOG POST 11: Amish Technology

The complete details for the Amish Technology blog post assignment are available on a separate page.

5/4 BLOG POST 10: Dystopian Technology?

George Orwell in 1984 presents a dystopian portrait of society where people are controlled by the state to serve its own purpose. In many popular films, TV shows, and books specific technologies (like nuclear weapons, chemical toxins, genetic manipulation, and surveillance satellites) are often shown to cause dystopia, oppression, and terror. In this blog assignment, please consider: Are there communication technologies that are essentially dystopian or dangerous? Or communication technologies that have some inherently negative consequences that must be managed or controlled?

Part I. Dystopian Technology. For Part I of this assignment, choose a communication technology that currently exists. You might consider an example from earlier in the course (e.g., from the communication infrastructure treasure hunt). For instance:

RFID microchips

Peer-to-peer file-sharing

Social networking sites (facebook, myspace, etc.)

Facial recognition technology

Surveillance satellites

Cryptography / encryption techniques

Digital rights management (DRM) technology

Text messaging (SMS)

Internet radio stations (LastFM)

Internet-based applications (Gmail)

(...or some other modern technology of your choice.)

State which technology you chose and explain the possible negative or dystopian consequences of the technology. Particularly creative or unexpected choices of a communication technology (or a possible negative consequence) are especially encouraged!

Part II. 1984 vs. today. Next, relate your technology to a technology discussed in 1984. You might consider the surveillance camera, surveillance microphone, speakwrite, telescreen, versificator, novel-writing machines, memory holes, or another technological system. For instance, you could analyze a passage, a scene, a chapter, a character, or a sub-plot that relates to your particular technology. In what ways is the dystopian usage of the technology you chose similar to (or different from) the way technology is used by the state in 1984, or Orwell's use of technology in the plot?

To receive full credit for this assignment, you must demonstrate that you have read the text. Citing a short passage from the first few pages or discussing only plot details listed on the back cover of the book (or in the Spark Notes) will not count as "in depth."

Part III. The Big Picture. Finally, using your examples, answer the larger question: Are there communication technologies that are essentially dystopian or dangerous? (Or: communication technologies that have some inherently negative consequences?) Use your examples or other evidence to justify your answer.

To improve your answer, please reflect on some of the material covered this semester. The lecture on dystopia may be helpful, and for instance, the chapter on "progress" in the Culture & Technology book relates very well to this topic.

Post an answer of at least 300 words to your blog.

DEADLINE: your blog post should be online at 11 a.m. -- one hour before class begins. Both 1984 blog posts must be submitted for grading at the end of the semester.

4/27 BLOG POST 9: 1984 and Today

Communication technologies (such as the "telescreen" and "speakwrite") play an important role in George Orwell's novel 1984, especially when we think about the invented language "newspeak" as a technology.

In 1949, shortly after the novel was first released, the New York Times reviewed George Orwell's novel 1984 and noted that the book was a "great work" but that "its greatness is only immediate, its power for us alone, now, in this generation, this decade, this year...it is doomed to be the pawn of time."

In this blog entry, imagine you are a well-read journalist or book reviewer who has decided to put the New York Times book review in its place. You have decided to DISAGREE by carefully considering the question: In what way is the communication technology of 1984 relevant today, 60 years after it was written?

To support your argument, discuss a single section in depth from the portion of the book assigned so far. For instance, you could analyze a passage, a scene, a chapter, a character, or a sub-plot and relate it to a contemporary concern or problem. (Properly cite quotes, examples, and ideas that you reference.)

Suggestions:

There are many, many ways to successfully answer this question. Here are a few examples of technology in 1984 you might relate to today:

the use of communication technology for surveillance
the role of communication technology in politics
the use of communication technology to manipulate history or memory
legal controls on communication technology in 1984 and the present
the intentional manipulation of language
technological determinism (Did the technologies of 1984 cause the society of 1984? Do today's technologies cause social consequences in the same way?)
the relationship between dissent/resistance and communication technology
and many more...

Post an answer of at least 300 words to your blog.

DEADLINE: your blog post should be online at 11 a.m. -- one hour before class begins. Both 1984 blog posts must be submitted for grading at the end of the semester.

4/20 BLOG POST 8:

Your Generative Technology, Your Technology of Self

The readings and lectures this week and last week have been focusing on generativity, expression, and advertising. For this assignment, you will be analyzing a communication technology as part of a generative system and as a technology of the self.

Part I: Generativity. Pick a brand specific communication technology which you own (e.g. Palm Pre, Apple iPad, BIC pen). In a short phrase or at most one sentence each, briefly describe how that technology fits Zittrain's five factors of generativity:

Leverage
Adaptability
Ease of Mastery
Accessibility
Transferability

Based on your brief descriptions, do you consider consider your chosen technology to be a tool that is more or less generative than other tools?

Part II: Find an Advertisement. Find an advertisement for your chosen technology and include a linked citation to it in your post. Describe how the advertisement prescribes answers to the following questions of identity from the Gauntlett reading:

How should I live?
Who shall I be?
Who should I relate to?

Part III: Your Own Identity. Compare the identity prescribed by the communication technology to your own perceptions and use of the technology. How does the technology help you to create or produce a new identity related to the technology?

Post an answer of at least 300 words to your blog.

DEADLINE: your blog post should be online at 11 a.m. -- one hour before class begins.

4/13 BLOG POST 7: Search The Search Engine

This assignment uses Google Trends, a service that allows you to see the relative popularity of search terms typed into google. It also allows you to track search terms and traffic to different web sites by region. In this post you will use Google Trends to investigate the Bartelle reading.

Part I. Get Used to Google Trends.

First, try out google trends to get used to it. Go to http://trends.google.com/ and try the sample search "boots, shoes" (be sure to use the comma). You'll see that the keyword "boots" is less popular than "shoes." Also notice that people look for "boots" in more in the winter. If you look carefully, you'll see there is a small spike of interest in "shoes" when an Iraqi journalist threw a shoe at President Bush in December, 2008.

Next, change the region box (in the upper-right) to "United Arab Emirates." You'll see that boots are not searched for very often at all there (it is flat and hot), and the interest in "shoes" after the President Bush shoe-throwing incident was much more pronounced. There are many other things you can notice as well. Feel free to experiment.

Then, try out google trends for Websites by clicking "Websites" or visiting http://trends.google.com/websites. This compares traffic to different web addresses. Try the search: "uiuc.edu, illinois.edu". You'll notice that most people who visit these sites also visit a few other interesting sites related to life in Champaign-Urbana. Also the university's new domain name is gaining in popularity and the older domain name is declining.

Experiment with keyword searches at http://trends.google.com/ and website searches at http://trends.google.com/websites until you are comfortable using them. For instance, try comparing the keywords for two similar bands, celebrities, products, or politicians (facebook, myspace). Try comparing the websites for two similar companies or services (facebook.com, myspace.com).

Part II. Choose a Claim to Investigate

Use google trends to find support for an argument from the Bartelle reading. (You may have to experiment for a while until you find results that make sense.) Choose ONE of the following options and paste the text into your blog:

Google has decided to emphasize product review sites over businesses (p. 157). How often do people use product review web sites vs. sites for stores that directly sell products? Identify several product review web sites that review the same product. Then investigate those web addresses using Google Trends website searches at http://trends.google.com/websites and use the also visited section to see what other sites people visit when they start at each URL. (For instance, are they trying to buy things? Or just read about things?)
Some web searchers are looking for a particular web site that they already have in mind (last page of Bartelle). That is, they don't search for "social networking service," they search for "facebook." Use google trends to investigate website names (like brands) that people use as keywords. Try to compare prominent web sites or brands that do similar things (popular music sites, television networks, etc.). How do these compare to generic words and phrases that mean the same thing?
Extra credit: Illustrate an argument of your choice that relates to Web searching and the Bartelle reading. You might use the keyword graphs to illustrate how searching works, or give some insight about search behavior from Bartelle. However, you must use evidence from Google Trends to support your argument and make a link to the reading. Feel free to email an instructor with your idea to see if you are on the right track.

Part III. Write up your results

Write up your results, explaining how they support the argument you chose from the Bartelle reading. You may also want to reflect on other parts of the Bartelle reading where your results might be relevant.

Two important requirements:

You must include one or more screenshots to illustrate your findings (on some web browsers you can right-click or ctrl-click and select "view image" to select just the graph from Google Trends).
Refer to and properly cite at least one concept or phrase from the Bartelle reading in your write up. The quotes given in the assignment prompt do not count.

TIP: If you get stuck, use the thesaurus, dictionary, or Google Hot Trends to get you thinking about what people search for. On some web browsers you can also look through a list of things you've searched for in the past.

Post an answer of at least 300 words to your blog. Stating which option you chose does not count toward the word limit.

DEADLINE: your blog post should be online at 11 a.m. -- one hour before class begins.

4/6 BLOG POST 6: New Media Fast

Part I: Select your fast time. The word "fast" used in this context means "to abstain." Choose a time frame between now and this assignment's due date when you will be able to spend 24 consecutive hours without new media. State the time period that you chose. Be sure that the time period requires some adjustment to your lifestyle, but it should not make you lose your job or harm your work in another class. For instance, you might choose one evening and the following morning so that you are not offline for an entire day. (No fair choosing 24 hours when you would already not be using new media.)

Part II: Fast. For the purpose of this assignment, new media technology is being defined as anything that has become common among consumers since 1980. During your "media fast," do not use these technologies. Keep notes (with paper!) about the adjustments that you needed to make in order to stay honest to your fast.

Part III: Reflect. After the end of your fast, write a blog post reflecting on this experience. Make specific reference to at least one quote or concept discussed in lecture on 3/30 (on Technology Resistance) or in the C&T book, Ch. 5 or Ch. 6 in a way that demonstrates that you understand them. Please explain:

What you gave up.
How you did it.
What you did instead.
What was easiest and what was most difficult to forsake.
If you failed (i.e., used new media), what you did when you failed and why.
Your thoughts, emotions and feelings about the assignment as it began and evolved.
What you learned about your own media consumption habits.

This assignment must be at least 300 words (about 1 page).

DEADLINE: Post your blog entry by 11 a.m. -- one hour before class begins.

3/30 BLOG POST 5: My Obsolete Technology

The readings and lectures this week and last week focus on a variety of social problems related to technological production and consumption. Some have argued that more personal responsibility among users is the solution for problems like e-waste. This week we'll try to figure that out by analyzing your own consumption behavior.

Part I. Products and Lifespans.

Make a list of all of the communication technologies you have owned over your entire life, as best you can remember. (Think hard!) E.g., list all of the computers, cell phones, laptops, gaming consoles, televisions and other items mentioned in the class generally and in the Slade reading for last week.

(a.) Calculate the lifespan for each object you owned. For things you haven't replaced yet, estimate the lifespan (that means: guess how long you will have it before replacing it or throwing it away.)

(b.) State which kind of obsolescence forced you to abandon each product: technological, psychological, or planned? (See Slade p. 5-7.) Provide a phrase or sentence of detail to justify your answer for each device. Example: "The inverter broke and was cheaper to buy a new one than to fix it."

Part II. Trends and Patterns

Answer the question: What are the trends and patterns in your list?

For example: Are certain lifespans associated with certain kinds of devices? Are lifespans increasing or decreasing? If there are not any patterns or you aren't sure how to do this part, you might compare your results to those on other blogs or search for "product lifespan" on the Web and see how your experiences compare to other reports.

Part III. Personal Responsibility

As it said at the beginning of the assignment, some have argued that more personal responsibility among users is the solution for social problems related to communication technology. This post concerned e-waste and toxics related to product lifespans. Do you think there is a realistic personal solution to the e-waste problem? Please provide specific reasons for your conclusion, linking them to your own experience in Parts I-II. For example: Is it likely that everyone will behave the way you just did? Are personal choices likely to affect waste in this area? Or is the problem best addressed in some other way (government regulation, by manufacturers, by engineers...)?

IMPORTANT: At some point in this post you must quote or refer to either the Cox or Slade reading (or both). C&T Ch. 16 may also be helpful.

This assignment must be at least 300 words (about 1 page).

DEADLINE: Post your blog entry by 11 a.m. -- one hour before class begins. (You may want to select your topic as soon as you can.)

3/16 BLOG POST 4: The Norm Breaching Experiment

According to the dictionary, a norm is "behavior that is expected" (OED). For this assignment, you are a social scientist trying to discover norms related to communication technology.

Part I: Sign-Up for one of the norm experiments from the Password Protected norm experiment sign-up sheet on moodle [Get Password Help]. Include the text of the experiment description at the beginning of your blog post (e.g., copy and paste it). To receive credit for the assignment, you must sign up for an experiment that is not full.

Part II: Conduct the experiment as it is described and observe the reactions of witnesses as carefully as possible. To successfully complete the assignment, you may not explain that you are conducting an experiment for a class until after the experiment has been completed. (For some experiments, you may never have to explain it.) You may not let anyone else in on the secret. Do not perform this assignment with other people from this class. If you are challenged during the experiment, act as if the way you are behaving is normal. Do not explain yourself.

In part II, write what happened. First, describe the reactions to your efforts, keeping your witnesses anonymous. If someone spoke to you, write as accurate a transcript of what they said as you can. If body language or facial expressions were important, describe them. If portions of text messages or emails are part of a reaction, include them. Describe any norms that you think your results may illustrate. Use the reactions you described to discuss the strength of the norms and how they might work.

Part III. Using specific examples from what you found out, state a norm related to your experiment (or if you like you can state more than one). Then, explain one way that the design of communication technologies and this norm are related.

There are many ways to answer this question. For instance, you might explain how a particular feature of a communication technology confirms or violates a norm. Or you might explain how some communication technology requires new norms to be created for it. Or you might explain how new communication technology has led to a change in norms. Or you could explain how a potential new communication technology failed because it didn't conform to norms. Please use specific examples (from your experiment, from class, or both) to illustrate your answer.

IMPORTANT: You will automatically receive a zero for this assignment if you break either of these two rules:

No information that could personally identify one of your witnesses can appear in your blog post. (No names, no photos, no recordings! Make it clear you are using pseudonyms so that you don't have a problem with this requirement. Example: you could write "Person A" or "I will call the first witness 'Jane Doe'.")
You must write about your witnesses in a manner and tone that is respectful. For instance, your description of a reaction must not sound like you are making fun of the witness.

Tips and Advice:

Your choice of experiments may range from 15 minutes of concentrated effort, to sporadic effort over a few days. Plan ahead!
Conduct yourself in a professional manner at all times.
Be polite and treat others respectfully.
Although some of these experiments might be embarrassing, you should not scare anyone and you should not place anyone at risk.
Do not use recording devices or photographs in this assignment.
Do not write notes during the experiment if you can be observed writing them.
You don't have to attach a photograph or picture for this assignment. (Optionally, you could attach a diagram if it is helpful and it does not reveal the identity of your witnesses - example: a diagram of body language or the scene of your experiment.)

This assignment must be at least 300 words (about 1 page). Part I -- restating the assignment -- does not count toward the word limit.

DEADLINE: Post your blog entry by 11 a.m. -- one hour before class begins. (You may want to select your topic as soon as you can.)

3/9 BLOG POST 3: Do-it-Yourself Digitization

Imagine you are an inventor who has created a new process for digitization. In this post, write up your process to share it with your investors.

Part I. Choose something analog that fits one description from the following list: a picture, a song, a sculpture, the weather, an experience from your senses. State what you chose in your blog post. Before you go on, be absolutely sure that you chose something that is analog!

Part II. Invent your own process for digitizing it. It is perfectly OK to adapt one of the many methods covered in lecture or in the discussion/lab sections. But: You can also use your creativity! We will award a +10% bonus if you come up with your own creative way to digitize something that does not repeat something already mentioned in class. Write up your process in a blog post, and illustrate it with at least one picture, photograph, or diagram.

A "process" for digitization means directions that the reader can follow to digitize something. Please don't just say what you did in a way that can't be repeated. It might help you to write numbered directions or "rules" for your process. Before you go on, be sure that your process changes something that is analog into something that is digital and that this is clear to the reader. (Otherwise, it's not digitization.)

Part III. Briefly discuss at least one consequence that might happen if your digitization process became very popular. (You could also think of this as a benefit or drawback of your process.) Would it be easier or harder to digitize some things vs. other things? Would some kinds of information be lost, transformed, or even added? For example, you could write: "If this process becomes popular, ____ will be harder/easier to watch/listen to/understand because my process _____." In your write-up, use at least two words from the following vocabulary list. (Tip: To "use" one of these words, it must be clear to the reader that you know what it means, and you should use it to refer to YOUR process, not just stick it in.)

Vocabulary List:

(These terms are from the Manovich reading and lecture. The definitions are from the dictionary.).

Discrete. (a., n.) separate; individually distinct (the opposite of continuous)
Quantization. (n.) to assign a numeric value to
Sampling. (vbl. n.) testing at regular intervals
Resolution. (n.) the frequency of sampling (e.g., a "high-resolution" vs. "low-resolution" digital image)
Fidelity. (n.) the degree to which what comes out of a system resembles what went in (as in a "high-fidelity" or "hi-fi" stereo system)

Tips and Advice:

Your process does not have to be technical in any way or involve devices. A drawing with pen and paper will be great!
Your process does not have to work very well, or to be useful. It just has to be a way to digitize something that is analog. That will help to show that you know what "digital" and "analog" mean.
If you want to get the +10% bonus and come up with a process not copied from material we already covered, it is perfectly OK to email your TA or the instructor to be sure you are on the right track.
If you get stuck on Part III, use (or pretend to use) your process to digitize more than one thing and look for differences between the results.

Post an answer of at least 300 words to your blog. DEADLINE: 11 a.m. -- one hour before class begins.

2/23 BLOG POST 2: The Misguided Archaeologist

Part I. First, find a piece of old communication technology that you don't want. Good junk might come from the closet, the Goodwill store, or by asking friends. Choose something of little value like an old or broken consumer product. Feel free to be creative about what counts as a "communication technology" -- use the broadest definition given in Ch. 8 of Culture & Technology, but be sure you settle on an object. State what you chose in your blog entry.

Part II. Next, pretend you are a misguided archaeologist who has discovered a piece of technology from another civilization. That is, pretend that you have never seen this object before and you have only vague ideas about what it might be used for. Carefully examine the technology and write up your notes in your blog entry. Take your technology apart (if possible) as part of your examination. Include one or more photographs in your entry to illustrate your investigation.

Part III. Finally, in your write up, make a misguided guess about what this device might do for the civilization that invented it. "Misguided" means: for fun, you do not need to make the obvious (or correct) conclusion -- e.g., cell phones are for telephoning. Use a quotation or concept from the second Berkun chapter (Myth: People Love New Ideas) to justify your misguided guess about the technology. For instance, you might use Rogers' five factors that explain innovation.

Important notes:

To receive full credit, your reference to the reading must demonstrate that you understand what you are quoting -- be sure you include enough detail. (For instance, you might discuss two theories about your device and then decide one is correct and explain why, or you could discuss how some of the things you see inside the device (reference your photos) relate to the concepts you use.
Your "misguided guess" only has to be based on your examination of the object, it does not have to be correct.
This assignment is meant to be fun, but please use good judgment at all times.
Do not take something owned by someone else without permission.
In the past, some students have used force to break their device open, but you may only do this if it can be done safely and you clean up the mess.

DEADLINE: Post your blog entry by 11 a.m. -- one hour before class begins.

2/16 BLOG POST 1: Infrastructure Treasure Hunt

Part I: First, use...

The Assignment Sign-Up Sheet on Moodle

...to sign-up for an item to find. Put the text of the item you're supposed to find at the beginning of your blog post (e.g., copy and paste it). The sign-up sheet is on moodle and uses the same password as our online readings (Get Password Help).

Part II: After you find the item, briefly describe what you did and what you found, including a photograph or picture (as indicated by the item you chose). Some items require more explanation than others! When the item requires a photograph, you must take one. Using a Web photograph or someone else's photograph is not allowed unless the item specifically allows it or there is an amazingly convincing reason why you can't take a photo.

Part III: Clearly explain how your infrastructure example demonstrates or relates to three (or more) of the characteristics of infrastructure introduced in lecture: embedded, normally invisible, path dependent, durable, learned, based on standards.

Some important notes:

Use good judgement during this assignment and behave in an adult manner.
The write-up must be your own work. However, it is OK to work together with other people to find the item.
This assignment usually requires calling people on the phone or going somewhere
Anticipate that the assignment will take time to complete and don't wait until the last minute
This assignment requires a digital camera (or cell phone camera). If you don't have one, these are available from the Undergraduate Library.
If your topic turns out to be impossible, switch topics! Don't modify the treasure hunt items yourself without checking with an instructor.
Extra credit will be given for successfully completing a topic that turns out to be very difficult, if you tell us about your difficulties.
Creativity and ingenuity are encouraged and will be rewarded!

This assignment must be at least 300 words (about 1 page). Part I -- pasting in the item -- does not count toward the word limit.

DEADLINE: Post your blog entry by 11 a.m. -- one hour before class begins. (You may want to select your topic as soon as you can.)