Class Meeting	Topics and Reading for the Meeting
Wednesday, January 19	Course Introduction Overview
Friday, January 21	"That's not writing; that's only typing" (Truman Capote) What constitutes "writing"? What is "technology"? Exploring the history of the written word Look at the History of Writing Timeline Lottery selection for longer paper dates Read Postman, chapter 1, "The Judgment of Thamus"
Monday, January 24	Brief History of the Book Read Henri Petroski, chapters 1 and 11 (on reserve)
Wednesday, January 26	A Brief History of Technology Read Hughes, chapter 1
Friday, January 28	The Internet and Online Discussion A Brief History: What is a computer, and what is the Internet? Look at the basic terminology on the links page
Monday, January 31	Discussion of Longer Papers, Basic Research Issues, Wrangles, and Other Issues
Wednesday, February 2	Discussion of the Special Collections and Storage "Problem"  Reread Henri Petroski, chapters 1 and 11 (in packet)
Friday, February 4	Continue Discussion of Storage/Special Collections Issues Have a look at the Yale University Special Collections Page Read Nicholson Baker materials from Double Fold (handout to come)
Monday, February 7	WWW and Other Banal Acronyms Brief Introduction to Literary Theory (purchase Terry Eagleton's book if needed) History of the World Wide Web and the Internet Read Postman, chapter 2, "From Tools to Technocracy"
Wednesday, February 9	What is reading? Read Douglas, chapter 1
Friday, February 11	Hypertext Basics Read Landow, chapter 1, "Hypertext: An Introduction" (on reserve)
Monday, February 14	"You want me to find it where?": Web Spiders and Other Interesting Online Insects Research on the Internet Basic Searching Read through "How to Search the Web" Essay 1 Due
Wednesday, February 16	A Paradigmatic Shift in Thinking? Read Vannevar Bush, "As We May Think" (please read all sections and print, if necessary)
Friday, February 18	Using Electronic Databases--Online MLA, ProQuest, and others
Monday, February 21	The "Dangers" of "Modern Times" and Artificial Intelligence No Reading
Wednesday, February 23	Don't Move Those Books to the "Antiques" Section Just Yet Online Editions vs. Traditional Hardcopy Books Read Postman, chapter 4, "The Improbable World" Read Douglas, chapter 3 Read "The Birth and Death of Memory"
Friday, February 25	Can the text speak, and if so, what is it saying? Read Douglas, chapter 2 Read Postman, chapter 3, "From Technocracy to Technopoly" ROOM CONFLICT: Meet in French House Classroom
Monday, February 28	What is an author? Read Roland Barthes, "Death of the Author" (in packet) Read Robert Coover, "The End of Books"
Wednesday, March 2	Using Library Catalogues: Near and Far Discussion of the Russell Sage College Library and Use of Remote Connections
Friday, March 4	Introduction to Voice Read Choosing and Writing for an Audience
Monday, March 7	Longer Paper Discussion:  Jennifer Harris Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
Wednesday, March 9	Daniel Carlin and Long Distance Medical Care Read "Do-It-Yourself Surgery" Look at Carlin's World Clinic
Friday, March 11	Copyright Issues--and Napster Look at U.S. Copyright Office Look at Fair Use Page Look at Copyright and Multimedia Law Look at Napster
March 13-18	No Classes: Spring Break
Monday, March 21	Information Overload In-class video clip, "Data Smog" (book is by David Shenks) Read a review of Shenks' book Read Hughes, chapter 5
Wednesday, March 23	Longer Paper Discussion:  Kim Lyday Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
Friday, March 25	Technology and Control Read Hughes, chapter 2 Essay 2 Due
Monday, March 28	Censorship and Pornography Look at the Electronic Frontier Foundation Look at "Can Congress Censor the Internet?" Look at John Barlow's Cyberspace Declaration of Independence  Look at Sex and the Internet
Wednesday, March 30	The Sense of an Ending and Film Read Douglas, chapter 4
Friday, April 1	Longer Paper Discussion:  Briana Dolan Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
Monday, April 4	"Exactly what kind of book is this?" Bring Eggers, Calvino, and Queneau to class for discussion Also read Douglas, chapter 7
Wednesday, April 6	Longer Paper Discussion:  Cara Baummer Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
Friday, April 8	Whose Grammar? Read "Tense Present," David Foster Wallace (handout)
Monday, April 11	Longer Paper Discussion:  Julie Cunningham Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
Wednesday, April 13	Longer Paper Discussion:  Amelia Schubmehl Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
Friday, April 15	Longer Paper Discussion:  Danielle Jenkins Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
Monday, April 18	Longer Paper Discussion:  Aimee Passineau Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
Wednesday, April 20	"Synthetic Pleasures" Film--meet in French House Essay 3 Due
Friday, April 22	"Synthetic Pleasures" Film--meet in French House
Monday, April 25	What about the future? Read Postman, chapter 11 Read Hughes, chapter 6