Global History Comps Internet

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Digital technologies have a cultural, political, social, international and global richness investigated, celebrated, and critiqued in this course. Although a great deal of the history of computing, internet and web histories, and new media history are studies of the U.S., computers have always been both global and local. CCT-590 highlights this aspect of computing by looking at the technologies across time (from the 19th century to the present) and space (surveying regions from around the world). The course begins with the origins of commercial computing industry at the turn of the 19th century. It moves into different war eras, covering the role of computers in code breaking in World War II and culture of Cold War computing. Next it covers the transition from mainframes into personal computers and then electronic networks in the U.S., France, Brazil, the Soviet Union, and China. It will also cover Socialist cybernetics in Chile, the technopolitics of Apartheid South Africa, and the challenges presented by character code Asian languages. Finally, the course will cover the origins and technologies of the early web and the history Web 2.0 platforms. Each class will include readings categorized into cultural context, technical material, and primary sources. Assignments will include weekly discussion posts and three essays (or alternative media project). The course is largely based on Paul Edward’s syllabus and design. The course requires four main projects by students: weekly reading logs, class lead, book review, and final commentary, as well as participation, described in more depth on the following pages. Each weekly reading is organized to include a main reading, a historical context reading, some technical content, and a primary source described in detail in the schedule below. Course Objectives: --This course will provide students with substantive knowledge of how computing has mattered to the world over time and across geographies. This knowledge will be a weaving of the historical, cultural, political, technical, and ethical. --Students will gain experience leading a group to achieve a particular goal, highlighting organization, presentation, and knowledge transfer skills. --Students will have the opportunity to improve critical, synthesis, and writing skills, as well as learn how to submit writing for publication.