Wed, Jan 25

Ch. 1, Preliminary Concepts: Networks and Data

Discussion

1. What are the key terms, arguments, and ideas in this chapter? Which are most important? Why?
2. Which of these key terms, arguments, and ideas did you find most interesting? Why (or how so)?
3. What new things did you learn from this chapter? How did your thinking change (or why didn't it)?
4. In what specific ways did this chapter help you better understand (a) politics and (b) the Internet?
5. Is it possible to objectively study or understand the Internet? Does this matter? Why or why not?
6. What do we need to know (or learn) from this chapter, and why? What can we ignore, and why?

Sections

• Pp. 5-8 (Networks and Their Value; Power: Networks versus Hierarchies)
• Pp. 8-12 (Fragmentation; Many Internets in One)
• Pp. 12-18 (Data versus Information)
• Pp. 18-23 (Power: Data; The Internet's Social Influence: Digital Modernity)