Digital Communication Technologies

Schedule and readings are subject to change. Reading assignments appear below the schedule.

Schedule

week 1 – introductions and context (we 30 sep)

• Who are we and why are we in this class?
• What does the world of communication look like in an digital age?
• Technologies: WordPress

week 2 – social and technological context (mo 5 oct, we 7 oct)

• From Thomas Paine to Blogs (and points in-between)
• A brief history of the Internet and blogging.
• Blogging: definition, features and forms.
• Technologies: RSS, Bloglines, GoogleReader

week 3 – journalism in a digital world (mo 12 oct, we 14 oct)

• Why are newspapers and broadcast outlets on the Web?
• How are digital technologies changing how consumers get news and opinion?
• Technologies: GoogleMaps, Flash

week 4 – organizational communication in a digital world (mo 19 oct, we 21 oct)

• Why are politicians and governments on the Web?
• Why are businesses and non-profit organizations on the Web?
• How are digital publics different from traditional media publics?
• Technologies: “tags” (folksonomy), Twitter

week 5 – social networking (mo 26 oct, we 28 oct)

• Why networks matter
• Open versus closed communities
• Technologies: Twitter

week 6 – the legal environment (mo 2 nov, we 4 nov)

• Ethics, copyright and other laws
• Should bloggers adhere to a code of ethics?
• Technologies: Facebook, Creative Commons License

week 7 – moving beyond the blog: flickr (mo 9 nov, we 11 nov – holiday)

• Using and images (yours and those produced by others)
• Technologies: flickr

week 8 – moving beyond the blog: podcasting and YouTube (mo 16 nov, we 18 nov)

• What is the impact of NetVideo on entertainment and mainstream newspapers?
• Technologies: YouTube, Blip.tv, Current.tv

week 9 – a culture of sharing (mo 23 nov, we 25 nov)

• User-generated content: why, what and how?
• Technologies: wikis, delicious, Diigo

week 10 – how technology shapes the world (mo 30 nov, we 2 dec)

• What is the role of computer code in shaping social processes?
• Crowdsourcing
• Technologies: Smart Phones, ubiquitous wifi, GoogleWave
  

week 11 – convergence and the future of communication (mo 7 dec, we 9 dec)

• Show and tell (projects)

Readings

The reading reflection is not a summary or abstract of the readings. Rather, it is a reflection on the ideas and concepts raised in the pieces. Use this post (one post per week) to explore the materials for the week and think about how they might contribute to your future work or outlook. Your post should convince me that you have read the material! Length: 300-450 words + two open-ended questions at the end of the post. Reading posts are due at 9 am Monday. Details on the assignment.

Week Two: Read before Monday 5 October

• Mediamorphosis, Ch 4 (eReserve)
• What is Web 2.0. O’Reilly (2005)
• 10 Tips On Writing the Living Web. A List Apart.

Week Three: Read before Monday 12 October

• We The Media, Chapter 1: From Tom Paine to Blogs and Beyond (pdf)
• From Blog to Narrative, Poynter (2008)
• Ours, Theirs and The Bloggers’ Zones: Compatible Yet Different, Nieman Reports (2009)
• Optional Resources:* The BBC’s 15 Web Principles (2007)* The Washington Post’s 10 Web “Principles” (2007)

Week Four: Read before Monday 19 October

• We The Media, Chapter 2: The Read-Write Web (pdf)
• The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual, Chapter 4: Markets are Conversations (Ch 4) via cluetrain.org
• Bloggers and The 2008 Presidential Campaign, Nieman Reports (2009)

Week Five: Read before Monday 26 October

• Here Comes Everybody, Ch 3 (eReserve)
• There are Over a Million People Actively Using Facebook Right Now, O’Reilly Radar (2009)
• Optional: Social networking will become a ubiquitous feature of online life, The Economist (2008, eReserve)

Week Six: Read before Monday 2 November

• The Weblog Handbook, Weblog Ethics from Chapter Six
• 10 big myths about copyright explained
• Optional: We The Media, Chapter 10: Here Come the Judges (and Lawyers) – pdf

Week Seven: Read before Monday 9 November

• Newspapers Use YouTube Video Previews To Attract Readers. Online Journalism Review.
• Optional: Exploring Consumer Motivations for Creating UGC. Journal of Interactive Advertising (2008)

Week Eight: Read before Monday 16 November

• Newbie Guide To Flickr
• Optional: How Companies Can Make The Most of User-Generated Content (pdf – 2007)

Week Nine: Read before Monday 23 November

• Social Media: The Ground Shifts
• Web Mashups Turn Citizens Into Washington’s Newest Watchdogs. Wired.

Week Ten: Read before Monday 30 November

• The Media Monopoly, Afterword (1997)
• Eight Traits of the New Media Landscape, Henry Jenkins (2006)
• Why The News Media Became Irrelevant, Nieman Reports (2009)

Week Eleven: Read before Monday 7 December

• Your Television is Ringing. The Economist (2006, eReserve)
• Optional: Blogging as Social Action: A Genre Analysis of the Webblog