The development of technical and social standards governing the Internet
and Information Technology in general. The role of software as it
relates to law, patents, intellectual property, and IETF (Internet
Engineering Task Force) standards. Written analysis of issues from a
technical perspective with an emphasis on the role of software and
on how standards relate to social and ethical issues. Prerequisite:
Computer Science 100 or consent of the instructor. Instructor:
Astrachan. One course.
This course examines how software and IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) standards relate to the development and governance of the internet. For example: Napster and peer-to-peer networking have had a large affect on internet use from a technical perspective as well as a social perspective. Both the IETF and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) have reacted to Napster and its offspring, e.g., KaZaa. The open-source software movement and Microsoft antitrust legislation affect personal and business use of the computer, information, and the internet. Issues of intellectual property, software and algorithmic patents, and censorship are studied from their technical and software foundations, but with an emphasis on how social policy and society are affected by them. This is the central focus of the course, though the technical aspects are emphasized on equal footing (or slightly more) with the societal aspects.
One of principle foci of the course is how software and IETF standards are developed from a technical perspective and how these technical documents affect society via issues of security, privacy, and intellectual property. Students will study how these standards are developed, how the IETF works, and how core computer science research is the backbone of many of the standards. Understanding the standards will require that each student extend her/his background to become conversant with the issues and technology underlying a specific standard, e.g., understanding IPv6 will require a more extensive knowledge of networking than some students have. Understanding how building security into software is a prerequisite for privacy requires research into digital security, formal (mathematical) models, and for many of students research into how social implications of technology are analyzed. In addition to biweekly papers and websites (see below) students will be required to produce a layperson's guide to an IETF standard, a research paper analyzing some aspect of information technology from both a technical and societal viewpoint, and a presentation of this research paper.
Students will produce biweekly 3-4 page papers addressing the topics discussed as part of the course. The basic scenario for turning in these papers with revision/feedback follows.
Students will thus produce 5-7 papers (depending on whether papers are produced during the last weeks of the semester). Each paper will be reviewed by at least one student and the instructor before being submitted the second time. This second submission will be reviewed by the instructor for updating as part of the final website developed and maintained by each student. Thus each paper undergoes two rewrites with three submissions.
In addition to these biweekly papers, each student will produce a final research report [20-30 pages] as part of her/his website. This report, a research survey of one of the issues addressed during the semester, will be in the format of an article from IEEE Computer or the Communications of the ACM (standard professional society publications). This report will be produced during the semester, with the topic identified after the first five weeks have passed. This report will be produced in groups of two. Each group will meet with the instructor three times during the final ten weeks of the course to discuss progress, and receive critiques of the current version of the report.
As part of the project, students may develop software artifacts to illustrate an aspect of the report. For example, a student might show how to install DeCSS/Linux system as part of an investigation of intellectual property, the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act), and encryption. Students will be expected to understand basic software and computer science concepts, e.g., so that the essay Source vs. Object Code: A False Dichotomy, by David Touretzky, would be immediately understandable. However, producing software is not the goal of this course, understanding the role of software in our society from both technical and social viewpoints is the goal.
| area | percentage |
|---|---|
| Biweekly papers/website: | 30% |
| Student comments on papers: | 5% |
| Class participation: | 15% |
| Final paper/project: | 40% |
| Two inclass exams/essays: | 10% |
The syllabus below is based on similar courses offered at MIT (heavily), Harvard, Duke Law school, and Stanford, it is certainly subject to change.
History of the internet, Communications Decency Act (CDA), DMCA, the Human Genome Project.
First wave of student papers in response to readings which include: CDA, DMCA, readings from required books.
RIAA, Napster, Peer-to-Peer networks, Intellectual Property
Second wave of student papers in response to readings including law briefs regarding the Napster case, IETF standards regarding peer-to-peer networks and internet routing/traffic, readings from required books.
Open-source software, software patents, Microsoft and IBM antitrust cases.
Third wave of student papers in response to readings including Apple v Microsoft and US v Microsoft, The Cathedral and the Bazaar (Raymond)
Security, Privacy, CDA, DeCSS, Malicious Hacking, Mitnick compared to Sklyarov, the FBI and Carnivore
Fourth wave of student papers in response to readings from CERT, Schneier's "Secrets and Lies", Law cases regarding privacy
Copyright and intellectual property. Felten case(s), digital watermarks Fair use (revisit Napster)
Fifth wave of student papers in response to readings regarding constitutional issues and changes that the internet/software, shrink-wrap licenses bring
Encryption and Cryptography, internet-shopping, pornography, net-vigilantes.
Sixth wave of student papers in response to readings about case studies, e-commerce, required books.
Student Presentations