Course: Technologies of societal self-organization

General

Lectures in-person: every Thu 14:15-16:00 in INR113

Lectures online: see Zoom and SpeakUp links below

Contact: cs234@groupes.epfl.ch

How we include both local and remote students in discussion: Lectures in this class include significant amounts of discussion, where students have an opportunity to answer questions posed by Prof Ford. In order to include local and remote students equally, please keep the following in mind. Local students should join the Zoom meeting, with their speakers silent (to avoid feedback) and not sending video (in order to not overload the wifi in the room). Remote students are encouraged but not required to send video. Use the “Raise Hand” feature of Zoom at any time to get attention. When you are recognised, unmute yourself and ask your question or give your opinion. Local students should do the same, so the remote students can hear them. When asking a question or giving your ideas in writing, use only the SpeakUp forum, so that Prof Ford need only look in one place. In SpeakUp, please do not use “comments”, because Prof Ford will not be opening and reading individual items. Please use voting to “add weight” to things you wanted to say as well; this will push them to the top, where Prof Ford can see them more easily.

Announcements Forum
Discussion Forum
Zoom link for online sessions URL

Not available unless: Your Institution is EPFL
SpeakUp link for online sessions URL

Not available unless: Your Institution is EPFL
SWITCHtube channel for recordings of past lectures URL

Not available unless: Your Institution is EPFL

14 September - 20 September

This week: 1. course introduction

Next week: 2. UseNet, Internet, and "Democratization"

Recorded Lecture: https://tube.switch.ch/videos/2592a84c

Instructor's lecture notes: https://moodlearchive.epfl.ch/2020-2021/pluginfile.php/2246914/course/section/239128/CS234%20Week%201_Notes.pdf

Instructor's notes - before lecture Page
Instructor's notes - during lecture File
Assigned reading: "The Computer as a Communication Device" File

By J.C.R. Licklider and Robert W. Taylor, April 1968.
Assigned reading: "A Theory of the Democratic Process" File

Excerpt: Chapter 8 from "Democracy and its Critics", Robert Dahl, 1989
Assigned reading: "Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet" URL

By Michael and Ronda Hauben, April 1997.
Online versions: plaintext and PDF. Print edition: Wiley.
Reading assignment: chapters 1-4 and 18

21 September - 27 September

This week: 2. UseNet, Internet, and "Democratization"

Next week: 3. Social influence and choice

28 September - 4 October

This week: 3. Social influence and choice

Next week: 4. Online trust networks and reputation systems

5 October - 11 October

This week: 4. Online trust networks and reputation systems

Next week: 5. Election methods

12 October - 18 October

This week: 5. Election methods

Next week: 6. Scaling participation through delegation

19 October - 25 October

This week: 6. Scaling participation through delegation

Next week: 7. Deliberative representation by lottery

26 October - 1 November

This week: 7. deliberative representation by lottery

Next week: 8. online social bots and Sybil attacks

2 November - 8 November

This week: 8. online social bots and Sybil attacks

Next week: 9. identity and anonymity online

9 November - 15 November

This week: 9. identity and anonymity online

Next week: 10. identity and anonymity technologies

16 November - 22 November

This week: 10. identity and anonymity technologies

Next week: 11. polarization

23 November - 29 November

This week: 11. polarization

Next week: 12. market-based mechanisms

30 November - 6 December

This week: 12. market-based mechanisms

Next week: 13. decentralized finance and DAOs

7 December - 13 December

This week: 13.decentralized finance and DAOs

Next week: 14. E-voting and E-democracy

14 December - 20 December

This week: 14. E-voting and E-democracy

Instructor's notes - during lecture File

Weekly outline