Reflection

After a series of related readings from the lectures, you will be given the opportunity to reflect on the readings and discussions for each week by writing a few short responses to given prompts. In this course, the reading responses are typically due by 5pm on Tuesdays of the following week they are assigned, after we have discussed the issues and explored the topics in class. This reflection is due on 3/24 at 5pm.

Note that the course staff are looking for your own thoughts on these topics. Writing in the first person, taking divergent viewpoints, and bringing in ideas from outside of class are what we are looking for. Write as if you are targeting a public audience. Particularly insightful or convincingly contrarian statements might be shared with the entire class in lecture or in the course slack.

For this week, you are to consider the following questions related to the ideas from the lectures Big Data Business Plan and Internet Slop:

1. Do you currently take any countermeasures against pervasive corporate surveillance of your life? If so, what are you doing and why? If not, is there anything you want to do but aren't right now in this regard? If you are fine with the current surveillance apparatus, we may need to chat in office hours...

2. Name one hypothetical feature of the Internet that you would like to have access to, which could be easily implemented in a technical sense, but does not currently exist. Why is this feature attractive to you? Why do you think that this specific feature is missing right now?

Grading

Each reflection should be between 500 - 1000 words. It will be graded in terms of:

• Does the reflection address the prompt?

• Does the reflection reference the readings, videos, and/or class discussions to support the writing?

• Does the reflection exhibit thoughtfulness, creative expression, and an authentic voice?

• Does the reflection utilize proper grammar and a concise style?

• Is the reflection an appropriate length?

Review the grading criteria in the rubric for this assignment.

Submission Instructions

1. (For this first submission) Share a Google drive folder for this class with our TA Louisa (lconwill@nd.edu) and give her editor privileges.

2. Prepare a doc in that folder named using this convention: lastname_firstname_duedate. Example: Conwill_Louisa_032426

3. Submit the link to your google document in Canvas.