CyberpoliticsWeek One: Introduction to the course (Sep 7)

Ms.Lam Oi Wan林藹雲www.inmediahk.net

www.globalvoicesonline.orgoiwan.lam@gmail.com

Twitter & facebook: oiwan

Course description (note1):The course explores the relation between cyberspace and politics, in particular, the relation and the development of the Internet, democracy and civil society. The course examines how practices in the Internet generate a contesting terrain among dissident and state power, citizen and sub-citizen, new labour and global corporate by 1. employing theories around network society, public sphere, social movement and media studies; 2. by researching on or practicing online tools. Students will be guided to observe and analyze Internet culture and practices under the context of knowledge production of the global information society. 

Theoretical Framework:1. The development of Internet technology and network society - Castells' network society framework

2. Internet technology, public sphere and democracy - Habermas’ theory on public sphere

3. Beyond technological determinism - critical theory and political process

4. The virtual and the real - identity and subjectivity issue

Practices

1. Culture and economy of sharing vs knowledge monopoly

2. Copyrights, Copyleft and Creative Commons

3. Free software movement and open source community

4. Grassroots media

5. Social mobilization

Internet governance

1. Internet governance and censorship debate

2. Development of the Internet in China

Project topics:

1. Internet (self)censorship practice in Hong Kong forumA research on the moderation of information by webmaster.

2. Social network mobilizationThe students are to identify characters and factors that contribute to the success and failure of a social network mobilization.

3. New media culture and actors in Hong KongStudents have to observe major social gatherings and interview participants in order to sketch the culture of local new media peers.

4. Comparative study on Internet censorship against indecencyAustralia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Germany, Japan and the U.S

5. New media citizen reporting projectThe students have to reflect upon a citizen reporting experience.

Assessment scheme

1. Small Quiz - 30% M.C or short questions

2. Project presentation and report- 30%

3. Big Quiz - 20%

4. Participation and discussion - 20%

Weekly Schedule

New on this year

- more stress on participation and interaction- reading and quiz- workshop - some technical skills and practices- project topics rather than free choices- open book class exam- powerpoint and guest :)- interactive class - please ask question, give suggestion and feedback (what do you want to learn?)

Cyber and cybernetics

Greek prefix: Kuber

MIT professor: Norbert Wiener

A note on politics

Cyberpolitics -

Relation and interaction between techno-political space, actors and social-political structure

Internet History

1958: Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA)

1964: Paul Baran and the Packet-switched network system

1969: APRANET -the First LOGs: UCLA--Stanford

Multics and Unix

1970: Network Control Program (NCP) finalized1972: First demonstration at an international conference on computer communication

1973: Oil Crisis

Feb 1978: Computerized Bulletin Board System (CBBS) by Ward Christensen in Chicago.

1978: the International Packet Switched Service (IPSS) established by UK based consortium (British post office and Telnet, etc)

1981: Networks grow from Europe, the U.S, Canada, Hong Kong and Australia

1983: TCP/IP replaced NCP

1985: National Science Foundation commissioned - 56Kb/S - 1.5Mb/S network

1988: Opening of the network to commercial interest - OS based on UNIX and Usernet

1989: World Wide Web - Tim Berners-Lee1991: CERN publicized first website

What do we learn from the history of Internet?

1. What are the forces behind the development?2. Who are the main actors in shaping the Internet?3. What changes does the new technology bring to the existing structure and the actors?

Next week: Prepare discussion for reading

An anthropological introduction to youtubeby Michael Wesch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPAO-lZ4_hU