slimick@unix.cis.pitt.edu (John C Slimick) (09/22/90)
This year, for the first time, we are offering a course on social implications of computing. Part of the assigned work is to read the newsgroups comp.edu, comp.risks, comp.society, and comp.society.futures. Each Friday I have set aside for discussion of what has been happening on these news groups. The problem is that the response is meagre--today we had 20% absences and the other 80% had something to say, but little enthusiasm. Previous Fridays have been even quieter. I am shopping for suggestions on what to do to make the network news more interesting. Can anyone help? Please post responses to the comp.edu since my class will (hopefully) still be reading the group. john slimick university of pittsburgh at bradford bradford pa .... just four miles from NY and high taxes slimick@unix.cis.pitt.edu
thom@dewey.soe.berkeley.edu (Thom Gillespie) (09/22/90)
In article <40553@unix.cis.pitt.edu> slimick@unix.cis.pitt.edu (John C Slimick) writes: > >This year, for the first time, we are offering >a course on social implications of computing. >Part of the assigned work is to read the newsgroups >comp.edu, comp.risks, comp.society, and comp.society.futures. >Each Friday I have set aside for discussion of what has >been happening on these news groups. The problem is >that the response is meagre--today we had 20% absences >and the other 80% had something to say, but little >enthusiasm. Previous Fridays have been even quieter. > >I am shopping for suggestions on what to do to make >the network news more interesting. Can anyone help? > >Please post responses to the comp.edu since my class >will (hopefully) still be reading the group. > >john slimick I don't think that you can 'make' network news more interesting. The is no interest 'in' the news. The interest is 'in' the readers. I've used postings from netnews printed out for things like software piracy, computers in war, etc., but they have been print outs so people can read them in their leisure. It is easier to read 'anything' in print rather than on screen, particularly net news. Netnews assumes a certain obsession with the medium. soc.china was amazing during the uprising awhile back, but if you aren't interested, you aren't interested -- even if it is going to be on an exam. A few years back there was a book called "Hooked on Books" by Daniel Fader. His premise was that if you wanted kids to read, you had to give them what they wanted to read. There are hundreds of disscusion groups, why not let your students decide what is important for themselves. I think the groups you've limited them to are the most boring groups going -- nice titles but no substance. The best discussion of software piracy was in comp.sys.mac.misc. It did not pop up in comp.society or where you would expect. Give 'em room and they'll grow. Marshall McLuhan (and Alan Kay) talk about the communication effect of a medium, you have to become like the medium to use the medium: speech, print, software. The real question with the social implications of computing is what is do to us when we use the medium, not what is discussed, that's a left over print thought. --Some thoughts Thom Gillespie
henry@GARP.MIT.EDU (Henry Mensch) (09/23/90)
You wrote: ->I am shopping for suggestions on what to do to make ->the network news more interesting. Can anyone help? using the network is an exposure to a new culture just like visiting france is (for usans) visiting a new culture. if i just turn up there without clues, i'm likely to be bored. what context have you given the students wrt usage of the network? are they just reading, or are they encouraged to participate (by posting articles)? -- # Henry Mensch / <henry@garp.mit.edu> / E40-379 MIT, Cambridge, MA # <hmensch@uk.ac.nsfnet-relay> / <henry@tts.lth.se> / <mensch@munnari.oz.au> # via X.400: S=mensch; OU=informatik; P=tu-muenchen; A=dbp; C=de
jimf@idayton.intel.com (Jim Fister) (09/26/90)
> This year, for the first time, we are offering > a course on social implications of computing. > Part of the assigned work is to read the newsgroups > comp.edu, comp.risks, comp.society, and comp.society.futures. > Each Friday I have set aside for discussion of what has > been happening on these news groups. The problem is > that the response is meagre--today we had 20% absences > and the other 80% had something to say, but little > enthusiasm. Previous Fridays have been even quieter. Wow, only 20% absent. That sounds fairly good if the class is before 10:00. Being a student myself (at times) I can't say that I always happily throw myself into my class assignments wholehartedly. Therefore, I could understand how your discussions might not be going so well. Of course the assignment sounds better than most that I get (no more Laplace transforms, please!)... Perhaps your students just don't find the topics interesting enough to discuss. Or they could just be too confused by the normal net talk to care. I'd say that the best bet would be to have them read the whole shebang (a twenty hour assignment if I've ever seen one) and comment on something that interested them. Even the most jaded of students should find something remarkable on the net (alt.sex ?) Good luck and greetings from the Rocking Metropolis. JimF
harrison@necssd.NEC.COM (Mark Harrison) (09/28/90)
In article <40553@unix.cis.pitt.edu>, slimick@unix.cis.pitt.edu (John C Slimick) writes: > Part of the assigned work is to read the newsgroups > comp.edu, comp.risks, comp.society, and comp.society.futures. > I am shopping for suggestions on what to do to make > the network news more interesting. Can anyone help? Ask them to read some of the more controversial newsgroups. -- Mark Harrison harrison@necssd.NEC.COM (214)518-5050 {necntc, cs.utexas.edu}!necssd!harrison standard disclaimers apply...