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Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control

LSTU–E–120 - Harvard Extension School - Spring 2008 - Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST

Berkman Center for Internet and Society - 23 Everett Street - Conference room, 2nd floor


The Internet has taken on an ever-widening role not only in the production and sharing of information, but also in the political, social, and economic processes of everyday life around the world. The Net has been heralded by many as nothing less than a means of fundamentally transforming our world into one that is more just, more democratic, and more affluent, while redrawing the boundaries of political and economic power. However, the frontierism of the early Internet provoked regulatory responses, followed by various attempts to develop collective control via emergent structure. This course asks: what now is the balance between these forces, and what, if anything, should be done? continued...

During Class (Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 pm EST)

  • Live Quicktime stream during class (open this URL in Quicktime Player):
    • rtsp://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp
    • The best option is generally to copy this URL into QuickTime Player
    • You can also watch via http (http://harmony.law.harvard.edu/ptc.sdp). This is typically not as clear.


Syllabus at a glance:

Jan 29 Politics and Technology of Control I: Introduction
Feb 5 The Individual and the State I: Regulating Speech Online
Feb 12 Internet Economics I: New Business Models / Entrepreneurship (Assignment 1 due)
Feb 19 The Cultural Commons I: Peer Production and Collaboration
Feb 26 Control and Code I: Regulation Through Technology (Assignment 2 due)
Mar 4 Digital Civil Society I: Online Politics
Mar 11 Technology and Development I: Internet & Democracy (Assignment 3 due)
Mar 18 The Individual and the State II: International Censorship and Filtering (Group Presentations)
Apr 1 The Cultural Commons II: Copyright in Cyberspace (Group Presentations)
Apr 8 Internet Economics and Politics II: Collaborative Business Models and Collective Decision-making (Group Presentations)
Apr 15 Control and Code II: Regulation of Technology (Group Presentations)
Apr 22 Digital Civil Society II: Citizen Media (Group Presentations)
Apr 29 Technology and Development II: New Opportunities for Education (Group Presentations)
May 6 Politics and Technology of Control II: Summing Up
May 13 Final Project due (no class)
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