Hal Berghel: Computers and Society

(online readings to accompany CS301, F24, UNLV)

Notes concerning the Readings:

  1. You will be assigned a total of approximately 90 pages of required readings this semester.
  2. The reading assignment for each applicable class period will be clearly identified in the course syllabus.
  3. Links to all readings appear below. Note that most of the assigned readings are available to UNLV students without charge through UNLV licensing agreements with the publishers. However, the terms the license agreements determine the degree of openess of the access. Since IEEE Xplore and the ACM Digital Library are behind paywalls, open (free) access is restricted to UNLV IP addresses. Thus, if you're off-campus, you will need to first connect to a UNLV server (e.g., through the Lied Library VPN) in order to avoid the paywalls. Should any link be broken, simply search for the title on the corresponding digital library portals. Publications by the IEEE Computer Society may also be reached through the IEEE Computer Society Digital Library.
  4. For those publishers who do not have a license agreement with UNLV, I will provide alternative access through my offprint server.
  5. A STUDY GUIDE accompanies the readings. All exam questions relating to the assigned readings will come from this study guide. (note: this may be updated during the semester, so prior to any exam, check the last revision date to ensure that the copy you have is current.)

Week 1: Technology, Information, and Innovation (23 pages of readings)

  1. Fatal Flaws in ChatAI as a Content Generator IEEE Computer, 56:9, pp. 78-82, Sept. 2023. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2023.3287035
  2. "Free" Online Services and Gonzo Capitalism, IEEE Computer, 56:7, pp. 86-92, July, 2023. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2023.3271449
  3. Social Media and the Banality of (Online) Crowds, IEEE Computer, 55:11, pp. 100-105, October, 2022. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2022.3198128
  4. Vehicle Telematics: The Good, Bad, and Ugly, IEEE Computer, 52:1, pp. 62-70, 2019. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2019.2891334

Week 2: Disinformatics (18 pages)

  1. Disinformatics: The Discipline behind Grand Deceptions, IEEE Computer, 51:1, pp. 89-93, January, 2018. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2018.1151023
  2. Trolling Pathologies, IEEE Computer, 51:3, pp. 66-69, 2018. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2018.1731067
  3. Social Media, Cognitive Dysfunction, and Social Disruption, IEEE Computer, 57:5, pp. 118-124, May, 2024. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2024.3375650
  4. Lies, Damn Lies, and Fake News, IEEE Computer, 50:2, pp. 80-85, 2017. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2017.56

Week 3: Information Technology and Democracy (28 pages)

  1. Generative Artificial Intelligence, Semantic Entropy, and the Big Sort. IEEE Computer, 57:1, January, 2024, pp. 130-135. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2023.3331594
  2. The QAnon Phenomenon: The Storm Has Always Been Among Us, IEEE Computer, 55:5, pp. 93-100, May, 2022. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2022.3154125
  3. Coda in the Key of F2654hD4, IEEE Computer, 49:9, pp. 104-109, September, 2016. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2016.273
  4. Malice Domestic: The Cambridge Analytica Dystopia, IEEE Computer, 51:5, pp. 84-89, 2018, DOI: 10.1109/MC.2018.2381135
  5. Legislating Technology (Badly), IEEE Computer, 48:10, pp. 72-78, October, 2015. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2015.304

Week 4: Computing Crime, Education, and Professional Ethics (19 pages)

  1. 911 Swatting, VoIP, and Doxxing IEEE Computer, 56:3, March, 2023, pp. 135-139. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2023.3239267
  2. Equifax and the Latest Round of Identity Theft Roulette, IEEE Computer, 50:12, pp. 72-76, 2017. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2017.4451227
  3. Codes of Ethics in a Post-Truth World, IEEE Computer, 52:3, pp. 76-80, 2019. DOI: 10.1109/MC.2019.2897496
  4. The Thousand Talents Program Prosecutions in Context IEEE Computer, 56:11, November, 2023, pp. 95-102, DOI: 10.1109/MC.2023.3303665