Web Exercises

Ferguson and social media

The Internet, especially social media, had a role in sharing the aftermath of the shooting of Michael Brown on an international scale. The lead  prosecutor in the case called social media a “challenge.” What does the article say are the benefits to social media in cases like Ferguson?

 

GamerGate and online communities

This article discusses the history of the GamerGate hashtag and subsequent controversy, where tensions between online communities’ critics resulted in threats to several critics of the gamer culture. Discuss what role anonymity played in this event.

 

Aaron Swartz and the hacker ethic

This article discusses the work of Internet activist Aaron Swartz. Discuss the conflict between the goal of “open access” and the restrictions placed on archival sites like JSTOR.