Author Archives: Anne Leonard

Notes from today, and reminder about tomorrow’s reading & assignments

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Today we discussed the mechanics of searching, databases, and Boolean searching. Continue to use the search strategies we discussed — AND, OR, and NOT, “phrase searching,” truncation using the * symbol, and nested searching using parentheses around synonyms–and consider if your search results are different, better, worse, unexpected, etc. Slides from today are available here.

We meet tomorrow–Wednesday–as usual. On Wednesday, we will begin our discussion of the research process: assessing your research needs, preliminary strategies, and topic development. Please read Badke, chapter 2 and comment on one or 2 classmates’ blog posts for Wednesday. The DRAFT of your research topic proposal is due by 10 am as an email attachment to me, or turned in at the beginning of class.

~Prof. Leonard

Summary of today, and assignments/reading/blogging for Tuesday 10/15 and Wednesday 10/16

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Today we discussed metadata — data about data, including folksonomies and tagging, which we use on the course site, and taxonomies and controlled vocabularies (such as the Library of Congress subject headings). Slides from today are available here.

We meet on Tuesday, 10/15 and Wednesday, 10/16 of next week. On Tuesday, we will discuss search engine mechanics. Please read the following:

Badke, chapter 3
Liddy, How a Search Engine Works
Agostini, Search Engine Optimization and International Branding

Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post.

Since we meet 2 days in a row next week, I’m posting the reading & other assignments in advance. On Wednesday, we will begin our discussion of the research process: assessing your research needs, preliminary strategies, and topic development. Please read Badke, chapter 2 and comment on one or 2 classmates’ blog posts for Wednesday. The DRAFT of your research topic proposal is due by 10 am as an email attachment to me, or turned in at the beginning of class.

Enjoy the long weekend!

~Prof. Leonard

Today’s summary, and reading/blogging for Wednesday 10/9

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Today we discussed access with some reference to the Martin article and to the case of Aaron Swartz’s activism, described in the Samuelson article (and many other places). Slides from today are available here.

On Wednesday 10/9 we’ll discuss metadata: information about information; taxonomies and folksonomies.

Please read the following: Badke ch. 4; Dye, Folksonomy: A Game of High-Tech (and High-Stakes) Tag; Harrod, Flickr: The World’s Photo Album
Your blogging assignment is one comment of at least 100 words on a classmate’s blog post, or 2 comments totaling 100 words on 2 different blog posts.

Questions about the research topic proposal draft, due 10/16? Refer to the guidelines, review slides of class discussions, and get in touch with your questions! I’m glad to discuss over email, by appointment, or during my office hours, Monday and Wednesday immediately after class.

~Prof. Leonard

Notes from today, and reading/blogging assignments for Monday, October 7

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Today we discussed plagiarism and touched on issues of academic integrity. Slides from today are available here. On Monday, we will discuss access: personal, institutional, as well as the “digital divide.” Please read the following: Martin, The Politics of Research and Samuelson, Aaron Swartz: Opening Access to Knowledge.

Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post.

Be sure to bring the Developing a Research Topic sheet with you Monday; we’ll build in some time to work on it some more. I distributed the Research Topic Proposal guidelines in class; be aware that the first draft of that assignment is due October 16 and the final version is due October 23.Questions about the research topic proposal? Get in touch!

~Prof. Leonard

PS: those of you interested in privacy might be interested in PRISMBreakup, a series of events, workshops, and talks on the topic of surveillance, all taking place this weekend at Eyebeam, a gallery at 540 W. 21st Street in Manhattan.

Notes from today, and reading/blogging homework for Wednesday, October 2

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Today we discussed privacy and how both our expectations of it and our definitions of it are changing in a digital, networked environment. Slides from today are available here.

On Wednesday we’ll continue our discussion of information ethics and focus on plagiarism. Please read Widdicombe, “The Plagiarist’s Tale” and Isserman, “A Lie of the Mind.” Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post.

Check back tomorrow for I posted the Research Topic Proposal guidelines. I’ll post them under Assignments tomorrow and distribute in class on Wednesday. Please get in touch with any questions you have about the research topic proposal.

~Prof. L.

Notes from today, and reading & blogging assignments for Monday 9/30

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Today we discussed copyright and fair use, especially the four factors that guide educational fair use (remember, there is no fair use law — only guidelines). Slides from today are available here.

On Monday, September 30, we will discuss privacy, its changing definitions, and the challenges presented by digital networked media. Please read the following:
Marshall, P. Online privacy. CQ Researcher, 19, 933-956.
Wu, Why Monopolies Make Spying Easier, The New Yorker, 18 June 2013.

Your blogging assignment is one comment on one blog post written by a classmate (NOT written by me!), or two comments on two different posts totaling 100 words. You can comment on a recent post or a post from earlier in the semester. Refer to the blogging guidelines or ask me if you have questions.

Discussion Facilitators: Sara, Livanesa, Moe

~Prof. Leonard

 

Notes from today, and reading & blogging homework for Wednesday, September 25

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Today we discussed social media and social networking, debated new terms for these ideas, and spent some time considering the limits of Wikipedia and the potential of so-called “Big Data.” The TED Talk by Tim Berners-Lee that wouldn’t load during class appears to be working now, so feel free to view it on your own time. Slides from today are available here.

For Wednesday, please read and view the following:
Center for Social Media, Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education, sections “code” and “principles” only
Grey, Copyright: Forever Less One Day
Lessig, Laws that Choke Creativity
Faden, A Fair(y) Use Tale

Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post. Our discussion facilitators are Kimesha, Dimitri, and Steve.

~Prof. Leonard

Notes from today, and reading/blogging assignments for Monday, 9/23

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Today we discussed alternative print and digital media, including alternative news media, blogs and zines. If you are interested in seeing more zines, you should visit the New York Art Book Fair, which takes place this Thursday through Sunday at MoMA PS1 in Queens. It is free and open to the public, and is “the world’s premier event for artists’ books, catalogs, monographs, periodicals, and zines,” according to its website.

Slides from today are available here.

For Monday 9/23 please read the following:

Wikipedia, Web 2.0
Baker, The Charms of Wikipedia
Tufte, Visual and Statistical Thinking (pp. 5-15 only)
Lohr, Sizing Up Big Data

Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post.

The class visit to the Brooklyn College Library zine collection is scheduled for Saturday, September 28 at 2 pm. Please let me know if you plan to attend by Wednesday, September 25! Remember, you are always welcome to visit on your own.

 

Notes from today, and reading/blogging assignments for Wednesday, September 18

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Today we discussed non-text media in its many forms and formats. We spent a good deal of time discussing “content, computing, and communications” (from Meikle & Young): how our use of digital media in networked environments is now interactive, yet we have given up some control of our use of these media. We used iTunes as an example several times. If you are curious about Apple’s approach to selling and distributing music and other media should read Steve Jobs Thoughts on Music, written in 2007. Slides from today are available here.

On Wednesday, we discuss alternative print media, both analog and digital. Please read the following three pieces: Wright, The History and Characteristics of Zines (part I only) ; Eland, “Critical Thinking, Deviant Knowledge, and the Alternative Press,” and Zine World, Zines 101 – A Quick Guide to Zines. Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post.

Tina, Hafsa, and Harold are discussion facilitators.

We’re still on for a visit to the Brooklyn College Library’s zine collection on Saturday, September 28 at 2 pm. I’ll collect RSVPs on Wednesday, and I’ll need a final count of participants by Wednesday, 9/25.

~Prof. Leonard

Notes from today, and readings & blogging homework for Monday, September 16

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Today we discussed the landscape of digital media. The chart of media ownership is worth another look; please review and consider whether these “born digital,” networked, digital media offer alternatives. Do we need alternatives?
Slides from today are available here.

On Monday 9/16 we will discuss non-text media: sound, images, and multimedia. Please read the following:
Meikle & Young, 13-27 (distributed in class or on reserve: HM742 .M45 2012)
Sisario, A Digital Music Option Thrives, Though Quietly,
Brna, Vinyl vs CD/mp3: Insights into Music Formats & the Metaphysics of Our Music
Elton, Love for Labels

(Get help with off-campus access to articles from library databases to access the Elton article.)

Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post. Class discussion facilitators for Monday are Wendy, Ohlynn, and Edwin. Everyone else should visit the course site before class to review the questions they post.

Please let me know if you will be joining us on our visit to the zine collection at the Brooklyn College Library on Saturday, September 28 at 2 pm. I’ll need your RSVP by Wednesday, September 25.

~Prof. L.