Wednesday, February 20, 2008

What is LAMP?

One of our projects in this semester's class will be to collect data for San Francisco's TechConnect
database and upgrade their website. (you can see the old one here). We'll talk more about the details on Monday - in preparation for that, I'd like you all to become familiar with the ideas behind LAMP. A good place to start is OnLAMP.

Write a blog entry that explains what LAMP is. What do each of the letters stand for? Why do people think this approach is so interesting and effective for building applications?

Monday, February 11, 2008

Feb 11 Writing Assignment

1. More Privacy. (From Baase, 2.36). Philosophers and ethicists often distinguish between positive and negative rights. A positive right is the right to be allowed to do something (for example, the right to vote). A negative right is the right to be protected from something (for example, the right not to be convicted without a trial). Baase provides a longer description on page 35.

Consider privacy, particularly digital privacy, from each point of view and give some examples and/or analogies of what it would mean for privacy to be either a positive right or a negative right. In your opinion, which formulation of privacy is more appropriate and why?


2. Read Chapter 3 of Cress and write a blog entry corresponding to the first two bullet points in Exercise 3.4 (p38). (you may skip the part about ALPs)

Monday, February 4, 2008

Feb 4 Writing Assignment

Due Feb 10 at 11:59 pm.

Please prepare a blog entry on each of the two following topics:

1. Privacy. (From Baase, 2.42, p 133). Last year, Google released Street View. Among other features, there are quite a few photos of people in places or circumstances that they might prefer not to be public. (you can see a few examples here) Many people felt that this was a privacy violation. How did Google address potential privacy concerns? Do you feel that their response was adequate?
(Note: you will need to do a little research to answer this question.)

2. Service Learning. Please read Chapter 1 of Learning Through Serving. One theme that's addressed in the book in the concept of educating students to be responsible citizens. What do you think this means? (You may find exercise 1.2 helpful in thinking about this.) Do you think it is reasonable and appropriate for colleges to educate their students about engaged citizenship, or should college focus solely on academics?