This schedule is tentative and subject to change. Please review it frequently. Changes will be discussed in class.
Week 1: August 29 and 31: Codes and Information
- Gleick, James. The Information: a History, a Theory, a Flood. New York: Pantheon Books, 2011. Prologue and Chapter 1 (1-27).
- Ceruzzi, Paul E. Computing: a Concise History. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012. ix-xvi.
In-class
Week 2: September 5 and 7, (No Class September 3): Early Computing Machines, Part I
- Ceruzzi, Computing, Chapter 1 (1-22).
- Gleick, The Information, Chapter 4 (78-124)
In-class
Primary Sources/Supplements
- The Babbage Engine, Computer History Museum, http://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/
- Ada Lovelace Obituary, New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked-ada-lovelace.html
- Caleb McDaniel, “How to Read for History” (August 2008).
Assessment: Quiz I in D2L due on Friday
Week 3: September 10, 12, and 14: Early Computing Machines, Part II
- Ceruzzi, Computing, Chapter 2 (23-48).
- Hicks, Marie. Programmed Inequality: How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost Its Edge in Computing. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2017. Intro and Chapter I (1-58). (ebook available from the library)
In-class
- Slides
- WRNS Brainstorming Document
- Exhibit Planning on Women and Computing in WWII:Good exhibits introduce visitors to a topic about which they may have very little knowledge. The materials in the exhibit work together not only to share historical information, but also to help visitors begin to ask their own questions about the topic at hand and their own experience of the larger world. As such, each section of the exhibit needs to support the argument of the whole by asking, and trying to answer, related questions and showcasing artifacts, documents, stories, and biographical sketches to highlight multiple perspectives.Each member of the group is responsible for planning one section–think of it as a room dedicated to addressing one sub-question or sub-topic of the larger exhibit. Each section should be introduced by a tightly written paragraph that frames the questions that the section is hoping to answer and the argument that the materials combine to support. Each element in the section (artifact, person, document, etc.) should be carefully chosen and accompanied by a label that describes the element and its relevance to the section and the exhibit. Labels should be no more than 100 words. Each section should contain at least five elements.Elements should only appear once in the entire exhibit, so work with your group-mates to make your selections.
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- Groups:
- Group 1: Almani, Case, Flack, Jankelovitz, Maksimovic, Regoni, Tilley, Wilson
- Group 2: Avitia, Catcorarios, Gregor, Jasmin, Malkowicz, Renicker, Vacante
- Group 3: Bakos, Culp, Harrington, Kim, Meston, Schwartz, Vincent
- Group 4: Barton, Eurdekian, Heinemann, Koby, Mulcahy, Seydi, Walker
- Group 5: Beck, Fazio, Hirons, Lambouris, Muradov, Smith, Weincek
- Group 6: Bres, Felster, Phillips, Swanson, Wierda, Wooten
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Primary Sources/Supplements
- Turing Machine (Stanford): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/turing-machine/
- Bletchley Park: Hut11A, the Bombe Breakthrough
- Enigma machine simulator: http://enigma.louisedade.co.uk/
Assessment: Reading Reflection 1 due on Friday
Consider Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace’s work on calculating machines. Are their plans and discussions about the Analytical Engine justifiably identified by historians as clearly foreshadowing the potential of the electronic computer in the 20th Century? Why or Why not?
Week 4: September 17, 19, and 21: Who Computes?
- Hicks, Programmed Inequality, Chapter 2 (59-98). (ebook available from the library)
- Nelsen, R. A. “Race and Computing: The Problem of Sources, the Potential of Prosopography, and the Lesson of Ebony Magazine.” IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 39, no. 1 (January 2017): 29–51. https://doi.org/10.1109/MAHC.2016.11.
In Class
- Slides
- Representation and Computing: Wikipedia:
- In groups of two, select a prominent man from our readings who has been a key figure in the history of computing. Go to the notes document for the day and add your selection and the names of the people in your group.
- Look up that person on Wikipedia.
- In the notes document, evaluate the quality of the entry: How extensive is it? What sources does it use? What does the editing history show you?
- Select a person from and underrepresented group to evaluate: (Women in Computing or African American Women in Computer Science or someone from the Nelson article list). Look up that person on Wikipedia.
- In the notes document, evaluate the quality of the entry: How extensive is it? What sources does it use? What does the editing history show you?
- Compare the two entries, and make research plan for improving the representation on Wikipedia of underrepresented groups in computing.
Assessment: Quiz II in D2L due on Friday
Week 5: September 24 and 26 (No class September 28): Software
- Ceruzzi, Computing, 49-80.
- Reimer, Jeremy. “A History of the GUI.” Ars Technica, May 5, 2005. https://arstechnica.com/features/2005/05/gui/.
- Lasar, Matthew. “25 Years of HyperCard—the Missing Link to the Web.” Ars Technica, May 31, 2012. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/05/25-years-of-hypercard-the-missing-link-to-the-web/.
- Ford, Paul. “What is Code?”
Primary Sources/Supplements
- http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/software-languages/
- “Software History – Insuring The Future By Preserving The Past.” http://www.softwarehistory.org/.
- https://archive.org/details/software
In Class
Assessment: Reading Reflection 2 due on Friday
Who computes? How does considering this question change our understanding of the history of computing?
Week 6: October 1, 3, and 5: Personal Computers
- Ceruzzi, Computing, 81-119.
- Eglash, Ron. “Broken Metaphor: The Master-Slave Analogy in Technical Literature.” Technology and Culture 48, no. 2 (May 21, 2007): 360–69. https://doi.org/10.1353/tech.2007.0066.
- Vaidhyanathan, Siva. “Apple, Demystified.” The Chronicle of Higher Education (October 11, 2011). http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A270751176/AONE?u=msu_main&sid=AONE&xid=71ec6484
In Class
- Slides
- Gordon Moore, “Cramming More Circuits into Integrated Circuits,” Electronics (1965). Reprint
- BASIC Tutor: Complete the BASIC tutorial, beginning with lesson 1, not the keyboard tour. Take field notes using this form.
Primary Sources/Supplements
- The Silicon Engine, Computer History Museum
- Microprocessors, 1971-1996, Computer History Museum
- Memory and Storage, Computer History Museum
- Minicomputers, Computer History Museum
- Personal Computers, Computer History Museum
- National Museum of American History’s Computer and Business Machine Collection: http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/subjects/computers-business-machines
Assessment: Quiz III in D2L due on Friday
Week 7: October 8, 10, and 12: The Internet and Browser Wars
- Ceruzzi, Computing, 121-159.
- Bush, Vannevar. “As we may think.” The Atlantic (July 1945). https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1945/07/as-we-may-think/303881/ (Primary Source)
- Abbate, Janet. Privatizing the Internet: Competing Visions and Chaotic Events, 1987-1995. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing Volume 32, Number 1, January-March 2010.
- Rodrigo Maluf. Discovery The True Story of the Internet 1 of 4. Browser Wars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQwCx-Ey6x8.
Primary Sources/Supplements
- Licklider, J. C. R., and R. W. Taylor. (1968). “The Computer as a Communication Device,” Science and Technology. (Starts on page 21.)
In Class
- Slides
- Mid-Term Review Document
- October 9: Ada Lovelace Day: https://findingada.com/
Week 8: October 15 and 17 (No class on October 19): Mid-term Exam
- Mid-term Review (Monday): In groups, build a mid-term: 10 multiple choice questions and 7 short identifications.
- Group A: Almani, Avitia, Bakos, Eurdekian, Beck, Bres
- Group B: Case, Catecorarios, Culp, Heinemann, Fazio, Felster
- Group C: Flack, Gregor, Harrington, Koby, Hirons, Phillips
- Group D: Jankelovitz, Jasmin, Kim, Mulcahy, Lambouris, Swanson
- Group E: Maksimovic, Malkowicz, Meston, Seydi, Muradov, Wierda
- Group F: Regoni, Renicker, Schwartz, Walker, Smith, Wooten
- Group G: Tilley, Vacante, Vincent, Weincek, Wilson, Hopkins
- Mid-term (Wednesday, October 17)
Week 9: October 22 and 24 (No class on October 26): Open Access, Open Source
- Barlow, John Perry, “A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace,” (1996) https://www.eff.org/cyberspace-independence
- Wales, Jimmy (2005) How a Ragtag Band Created Wikipedia (TED Talk)
- Swartz, Aaron “Guerilla Open Access Manifesto,” (2008) https://archive.org/details/GuerillaOpenAccessManifesto
- Benkler, Yochai (2008) Open Source Economics (TED Talk)
- Berners-Lee, Tim (2009) The Next Web of Open, Linked Data (TED Talk)
- Zittrain, Jonathan. “Everything You Need to Know About Wikileaks.” MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/421949/everything-you-need-to-know-about-wikileaks/.
In Class
Assessment: Quiz IV in D2L due on Friday
Week 10: October 29, 31, and November 2: Copyright, Music, Media, and Regulation
- Good Copy, Bad Copy
- The MP3 and the transformation of music access, http://www.computerhistory.org/makesoftware/exhibit/mp3/
- EFF: CDA230, https://www.eff.org/issues/cda230
- Downes, Larry (2017). “The Tangled Web of Net Neutrality and Regulation.” Harvard Business Review.
In Class
- Slides
- Some additional resources on Net Neutrality:
- Positions on Net Neutrality Regulations: Spend some time in your groups researching and developing a coherent statement of the position most likely to be held by your entity. (20 minutes)
- Comcast: Almani, Avitia, Bakos, Eurdekian, Beck, Bres
- Netflix: Case, Catacora Rios, Culp, Heinemann, Fazio, Felster
- Local ISP: Flack, Gregor, Harrington, Koby, Hirons, Phillips
- Independent Newspaper: Jankelovitz, Jasmin, Kim, Mulcahy, Lambouris, Swanson
- Internet startup: Maksimovic, Malkowicz, Meston, Seydi, Muradov, Wierda
- Federal Communications Commission: Regoni, Renicker, Schwartz, Walker, Smith, Wooten
- Wikileaks: Tilley, Vacante, Vincent, Weincek, Wilson, Hopkins
- Debate: Share your positions based on your entities (1 minute pitch) and debate a bit with one another about the merits of your points of view. (15 minutes)
- Group A: Almani, Case, Flack, Jankelovitz, Maksimovic, Regoni, Tilley, Wilson
- Group B: Avitia, Catacora Rios, Gregor, Jasmin, Malkowicz, Renicker, Vacante
- Group C: Bakos, Culp, Harrington, Kim, Meston, Schwartz, Vincent
- Group D: Barton, Eurdekian, Heinemann, Koby, Mulcahy, Seydi, Walker
- Group E: Beck, Fazio, Hirons, Lambouris, Muradov, Smith, Weincek
- Group F: Bres, Felster, Phillips, Swanson, Wierda, Wooten
Assessment: Reading Reflection 3 due on Friday
Make a case in favor of or against open access, open source software, or net neutrality, based on historical precedent.
Week 11: November 5, 7, and 9: Corporate Control; Search and Access
- Vaidhyanathan, Siva, The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry) Updated Edition (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011) Introduction and Chapter I (1-50). (ebook available from the library)
- Noble, Safiya U. Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism (New York: NYU Press, 2018) Introduction and Chapter I (1-63). (ebook available from the library)
Primary Sources/Supplements
- Google, Don’t be Evil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_be_evil
- Google Code of Conduct, April 19, 2010: https://web.archive.org/web/20100419172019/https://investor.google.com/corporate/code-of-conduct.html
In Class
Assessment: Quiz V in D2L due on Friday
Week 12: November 12, 14, and 16: Social Media and Privacy
- The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. Sarah Jeong on The Internet of Garbage.
- Buni, Catherine and Soraya Chemaly. “The Secret Rules of the Internet“
- boyd, d. (2014). It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teenagers (2014) Chapter 5 (128-152). See – full text of It’s Complicated
- Confessore, Nicholas. “The Unlikely Activists Who Took on Silicon Valley and Won,” New York Times (August 14, 2018) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/14/magazine/facebook-google-privacy-data.html.
- Rainie, Lee. “Americans’ Complicated Feelings about Social Media in an Era of Privacy Concerns.” Pew Research Center (blog), March 27, 2018. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/27/americans-complicated-feelings-about-social-media-in-an-era-of-privacy-concerns/.
- EFF: Privacy: https://www.eff.org/issues/privacy
In Class
- The Internet of Garbage. Sarah Jeong at the Berkman Center, October 2015 (YouTube)
- What Stays and What Goes? Why?
Assessment: Reading Reflection 4 due on Friday
How do historically established stereotypes infuse the ways that commercial services organize information on the web? Are there parallel historical events that might provide some guidance on how to frame this issue for a public user? How? What steps would you council to make these perspectives more clear to a casual user who may see digital technologies as objective and value neutral? Draw on your group search experiment from Week 11 to shape your reflection.
Week 13: November 19 (No Class November 21 and 23): Expansion joint
Week 14: November 26, 28, and 30: Video Games
- Wolf, Mark J.P., Before the Crash: Early Video Game History (2012), Introduction (p 1-8) and The Video Game Crash of 1977 (p 81-89).
- Playing the Past: http://www.playthepast.org/
- https://www.filfre.net/ — a history of computer entertainment (Read the Oregon Trail series listed in the Table of Contents, and some other selections of your own)
- Dewey, Caitlin. “The Only Guide to Gamergate You Will Ever Need to Read.” Washington Post, October 14, 2014, sec. The Intersect. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2014/10/14/the-only-guide-to-gamergate-you-will-ever-need-to-read/.
Primary Sources/Supplements
- Internet Archive: Classic PC Games: https://archive.org/details/classicpcgames
- Internet Archive: MS-DOS Games: https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games
In Class
- Slides
- Historical simulation games: The Oregon Trail
Week 15: December 3, 5, and 7: Digital Preservation (No Class Monday)
- Gitelman, Lisa. Paper Knowledge: Toward a Media History of Documents. Durham: Duke University Press, 2014. Chapter 4 (111-135).
- The Internet Archive: https://archive.org/about/
- Our Cultural Commonwealth (2006): http://www.acls.org/programs/Default.aspx?id=644
- Osterberg, Gayle. “Update on the Twitter Archive at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress Blog.” Webpage, December 26, 2017. http://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2017/12/update-on-the-twitter-archive-at-the-library-of-congress-2/.
- LOC, Digital Preservation: http://digitalpreservation.gov/
In Class
- Monday on your own: Submit one candidate essay questions each for the final. Think about questions that you would like to think more deeply about that brings together themes from the semester.
- Slides