CS 567
Social Spaces on the Internet
The Rise of Algorithmic Society
Course Topic
The Internet is home to a panoply of varieties of human interaction. Social media, interactive games, telepresence, online environments, and simple text e-mails now mediate our normal experiences of education, medicine, politics, business, sociality, collective action, and more. Unbeknownst to many users, these systems incorporate algorithmic interventions that alter prior expectations. As the Internet has become an infrastructure for social life and society itself, our ability to measure and represent that society is transforming. This class explores the presentation of self, the presentation of collectives, the presentation of news, and social dynamics in these online spaces--and how algorithmic intervention shapes them from the perspective of social signalling theory. Topics covered include: signals of skills/education, why people share misinformation, the mitigation of trolling, ethics, and bias in social media systems.
Upon completion of this course, students will have an up-to-date understanding of the design of social media interfaces with incentive structures from social signaling theory.
Texts
There are no required texts for this course. Recommended reading is listed below for additional information.
1. Race after Technology by Ruha Benjamin
2. Animal Signals by John Maynard Smith and David Harper
3. Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Noble
4. On Individuality and Social Forms by Georg Simmel
Logistics
MW 9:30-10:45 am
1302 Siebel Center
Karrie Karahalios <kkarahal@illinois.edu> (Instructor)
Sayantani Basu <basu9@illinois.edu> (TA)
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This course meets in person.
We will be using several collaborative tools in the course. Please familiarize yourself with them:
Slack: We will be using slack to share and comment on designs, share resources, etc.
Canvas: We will be using Canvas for assignment submissions.
Zoom: If you have not already, please download the client at: https://zoom.us/download. We will be using Zoom for some office hours.
Evaluation
20% class participation (missed classes should be cleared with instructor, 2 unexcused classes result in a lower letter grade, i.e. A to A-)
20% class assignments
20% design projects
40% final project/paper
Attendance Policy
Attendance will be recorded for each class, so be on time. Unexcused late arrivals and early departures may count as absences and diminish your grade and class participation. If you must be absent, it is your responsibility to inform us beforehand and submit a valid excuse immediately. Excuses for absences during the course will not be accepted at the end of the semester. Accumulating two unexcused absences will automatically lower your grade by half a letter grade (i.e. a B to a B-).
Disability-Related Accommodations
To obtain disability-related academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the course instructor and the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) as soon as possible. To contact DRES, you may visit 1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, call 333-4603, e-mail disability@illinois.edu or go to https://www.disability.illinois.edu. If you are concerned you have a disability-related condition that is impacting your academic progress, there are academic screening appointments available that can help diagnosis a previously undiagnosed disability. You may access these by visiting the DRES website and selecting “Request an Academic Screening” at the bottom of the page.
Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade. Every student is expected to review and abide by the Academic Integrity Policy: https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1/part4/1-402/. Ignorance is not an excuse for any academic dishonesty. It is your responsibility to read this policy to avoid any misunderstanding. Do not hesitate to ask the instructor(s) if you are ever in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or any other breach of academic integrity.
If ChatGPT or a similar system is used for any course work, the course work must be accompanied by (1) the reason ChatGPT was used, (2) the prompt-output chain i.e. every exact prompt and every output that was used to show the resulting final output.
Sexual Misconduct Reporting Obligation
The University of Illinois is committed to combating sexual misconduct. Faculty and staff members are required to report any instances of sexual misconduct to the University’s Title IX Office. In turn, an individual with the Title IX Office will provide information about rights and options, including accommodations, support services, the campus disciplinary process, and law enforcement options.
A list of the designated University employees who, as counselors, confidential advisors, and medical professionals, do not have this reporting responsibility and can maintain confidentiality, can be found here: wecare.illinois.edu/resources/students/#confidential.
Other information about resources and reporting is available here: wecare.illinois.edu.
Mental Health
Significant stress, mood changes, excessive worry, problems with eating and/or sleeping can interfere with optimal academic performance, social development, and emotional well-being. The University of Illinois offers several confidential services including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, psychiatric services, and specialized screenings at no additional cost. If you or someone you know experiences any of the above or other health concerns, please contact or visit one of the University's resources below.
Counseling Center: 217-333-3704, 610 East John St. Champaign, IL
McKinley Health Center: 217-333-2700, 1109 South Lincoln Ave. Urbana, IL
University wellness center: https://wellness.illinois.edu/
Anti-Racism and Inclusivity
The effectiveness of this course is dependent upon each of us to create a safe and encouraging learning environment that allows for the open exchange of ideas while also ensuring equitable opportunities and respect for all of us. Everyone is expected to help establish and maintain an environment where students, staff, and faculty can contribute without fear of personal ridicule, or intolerant or offensive language. If you witness or experience racism, discrimination, micro-aggressions, or other offensive behavior, you are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the course director if you feel comfortable. You can also report these behaviors to the Bias Assessment and Response Team (BART) (https://bart.illinois.edu/). Based on your report, BART members will follow up and reach out to students to make sure they have the support they need to be healthy and safe. If the reported behavior also violates university policy, staff in the Office for Student Conflict Resolution may respond as well and will take appropriate action.
Religious Observances
Illinois law requires the University to reasonably accommodate its students' religious beliefs, observances, and practices in regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work requirements. You should examine this syllabus at the beginning of the semester for potential conflicts between course deadlines and any of your religious observances. If a conflict exists, you should notify your instructor of the conflict and follow the procedure at https://odos.illinois.edu/community-of-care/resources/students/religious-observances/ to request appropriate accommodations. This should be done in the first two weeks of classes.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Any student who has suppressed their directory information pursuant to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) should self-identify to the instructor to ensure protection of the privacy of their attendance in this course. See https://registrar.illinois.edu/academic-records/ferpa/ for more information on FERPA.