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Description

What are we talking about when we talk about the internet? How does language structure our opinions of the internet and its relationship to culture? This class surveys current discourse (utopic, dystopic, and other strands) about the internet as it shapes and is shaped by a variety of competing forces.

The first part of the course will focus on recent digitally-inflected notions of narrative and interactivity (with a special interest in"materiality" in relation to a conference being held on campus in October). The second part of the course will pay special attention to issues of and interdisciplinary arguments about governance,
identity, and community. While we will attend to the historical specificity of the internet, we will also reach back, as needed, to consider the critical reception of the telegraph, the telephone, radio, and so on.

The readings for the course will mix theoretical texts with print-and Web-based cultural journalism and videos from fields such associology, computer science, art, film, and literature.

Course work will include regular responses to the readings, a collaborative project, and a significant paper on a topic of interest.

Requirements

Books:

Available at Prairie Lights on Dubuque--

+ Multimedia, Packer and Jordan. (MM)

+ The World Wide Web and Contemporary Cultural Theory, Herman and Swiss. (WWW)

+ Unspun: Key Concepts for Understanding the Web, Swiss. (UNS)

Internet Access:

You will need twice weekly access to the Web for 2-3 hours of reading/viewing.

You will need to check your email and be in contact with this class 2-3 times a week.

Grading

class participation (25%)
discussion leader/collaborative project (25%)
short papers (25%)
longer project (25%)

Additional information regarding class expectations, requirements, and assignments will be discussed in class.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE: Week One

READINGS

+"Overture" (MM)

+ "Introduction: The Web, Language, and Society" (UNS)

+"Introduction: The World Wide Web as Magic, Metaphor, and Power" (WWW)

WEB SITES AS POSSIBLE RESOURCES:

+Web site for Multimedia book: <http://www.artmuseum.net/w2vr/index.html>

+History of the internet and Web (online at http://LivingInternet.com/)

+Web Archives at: <www.archive.org/index.html>

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COMMUNITIES AND IDENTITIES: Weeks Two and Three

READINGS

+ Sloop, "Ideology" (UNS)

+Cass R. Sunstein, The Daily We (Handout)

+Berland, Chapt 12 in WWW.

+ Jodi Dean, "Community" (UNS)

+Jay Bolter, "Identity" (UNS)

+Theresa Senft, "Baud Girls and Cargo Cults" (WWW)

WEB SITES:

+Julian Dibbell, "A Rape in Cyberspace" (online at <http://www.levity.com/julian/bungle.html>)

+ Howard Rheingold, "The Heart of the WELL" (online at http://www.rheingold.com/vc/book/1.html)

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MULTIMEDIA: Weeks Four & Five

READINGS:

+ V. Bush, "As We May Think" (MM)

+ George Landow, "Hypertext, Hypermedia" (MM)

+Sean Cubitt, "Multimedia" (UNS)

+Joseph Tabbi, "Narrative" (UNS)

+Matthew Kirschenbaum, "Hypertext" (UNS)

+Nancy Kaplan," Beyond Books" (WWW)

+Richard Higgins, "Intermedia" (MM)

+Norbert Wiener, "Cybernetics" (MM)

WEB SITES

Hypermedia work http://www.eastgate.com/hypertext/WebHypertext.html

October Conference at UI <http://www.uiowa.edu/~iwp/newmedia/>

Conference Gallery <http://www.uiowa.edu/~iwp/newmedia/gallery.html>

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PLACE AND POLITICS, RACE AND GENDER IN CYBERSPACE: Weeks Seven and Eight

READINGS:

+ Timothy Luke, "Governance" (UNS)

+Vincent Mosco, "Webs of Myth and Power: Connectivity and the New
Computer Technopolis" (WWW)

+ Robert McChesney, "So Much for the Magic." (WWW)

+Herman and Sloop, " Red Alert" (WWW)

+Lisa Nakamura, "Race" (UNS)

+Cynthia Fuchs, "Gender" (UNS)

WEB SITES

Heaven's Gate: <http://www.wave.net/upg/gate/heavensgate.html>

WORKING ON AND TEACHING US ABOUT YOUR OWN PROJECTS: Weeks Nine - Fourteen