CS 480: Computers and Society

Topics

• Security and Encryption
  Readings: Stallings: Ch 2,3 Baase: 101-103, 127-129.
  Slides: Slides on encryption
  
  More on encryption
  
  
• Privacy
  Readings: Baase, Ch 2.
  Slides: Privacy
  
  
• Net Neutrality
  Readings: Baase, 3.6
  Slides: Introduction to TCP/IP
  Net Neutrality
  Background on TCP/IP and Internet structure:
  • Overview of TCP/IP and the Internet Gary Kessler.
  • An overview of the TCP/IP protocol stack ACM Crossroads.
  • A Technical Overview of TCP/IP IBM Redbooks
  • Another free guide to TCP/IP



• Intellectual Property
  Readings:
  Slides: Copyright, Patent, and Trademark
  File Sharing
  
  
• Reliability and Risk
  Readings: Baase, Chapter 8
  Slides: Reliability
  
  


• ACM Code of Ethics
  Readings: Baase, Chapter 9
  ACM Code of Ethics
  Slides: Professional Ethics
  
  


• Evaluating the Impact of Technology
  Readings: Baase, Chapter 7
  Slides: Evaluating the Impact of Technology
  
  
• Python

  Sample Python Code

  • FileProcessor- examples of inheritance and list comprehensions
  • Hello World.
  • Reversing the contents of a file.
  • Factorial.
  • A simple phonebook.
  • Temperature conversion.
  Python links
  • The Python Home Page A wealth of information.
  • A Python tutorial, written by Guido van Rossum, the original developer of Python.
  • Another Python Intro
  • Safari: O'Reilly's online library. Online access to all of O'Reilly's books, including their Python books. (Note: this is a subscription service, but well worth the $10/month, IMHO)
  • A Python Quick Reference
  • A free online Python book.
  • Data Structures and Algorithms in Python.
  • How to Think Like a Computer Scientist: Learning with Python An introductory book on python.
  • Vaults of Parnassus LOTS of online Python resources.
  • Python Idioms and Efficiency Issues. How to do common tasks quickly and easily in Python.
  • Python Challenge Lots of fun puzzles to test your Python skills.
  • Python Online. This one's about Monty Python, rather than Python the language, but it's fun, and might explain why you see so many "spam" examples in Python tutorials.
  • Python idioms and efficiency suggestions. A nice article discussing ways to make your python code run faster.
  
  
  
• Social justice, political engagement, and technology
• Digital Divide (Baase, 7.3)
• Electronic Voting
• Outsourcing and Insourcing (Baase, Ch 6)
• Intellectual Property (Baase, Ch 4)
• Electronic Waste
• Online Communities
• Liability
• Reliability and Dependence on Technology (Baase, Ch 8)
• Social Impact of Technology
• Content and Censorship (Baase, Ch 3)
• Crime, Hacking and Cracking (Baase, Ch 5)
• Professional Ethics (Baase, Ch 9)
• I will also provide online resources each week on the class blog.
• I will also assign readings from Learning Through Serving throughout the semester.