Midterm Articles
The midterm exam will ask you to write an essay about one of the
following articles:
Judge
Sides With Google in Viacom Video Suit
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/technology/24google.html?_r=2
The
iPhone Jailbreak: A Win Against Copyright Creep
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2006956,00.html
Sheet
Music Piracy: You Can Get Everything For Free On The Internet
http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2010/08/18/129279738/sheet-music-file-sharing-you-can-get-everything-for-free-on-the-internet
Too
Much Screen Time Can Threaten Attention Span
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/640801.html
Digital
Overload: Your Brain On Gadgets
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129384107
Pull
Over Before You Read This
http://tweetagewasteland.com/2010/08/pull-over-before-you-read-this/
Here are some sample questions you might be asked to respond to in your
essay:
Summarize the issue/controversy discussed in the article.
Explain how the technology works in your own words.
What are the advantages/benefits of the technology?
What are the disadvantages/drawbacks of the technology?
What arguments support the view presented in the article?
What arguments would be critical of the view presented in the article?
Propose some strategies or alternatives to mitigate or resolve the
controversy discussed.
If you were the judge in this case, how would you rule and why?
Here is a Sample
Essay
and
Graded
Responses.