English 201

T/TH 11 - 12:20

Instructor: Anya Lewin

Office: 245A Center for Fine Arts

Office Hours: Mon/Wed 3:00 - 4:00 PM

tel: 645-6902 (message) 

COURSE DESCRIPTION
In this course we will examine interface culture as exemplified by the world wide web, especially concentrating on artist's projects and use of the Web. What kind of space is cyber space? What exactly is an interface? How is this space getting defined? What is interactivity? Is this a new concept? Through readings and examination and participation in many different web sites we will try and pose answers to these questions as well as come up with different questions.

COURSE GOALS:
In this course you will be required to:
· Compose thoughtful typewritten and electronic responses to various commentaries and works of art
· Critique pieces of writing and art based on form and content
· Develop and sustain written critical arguments
· Form arguable theses and organize supporting points for these arguments
· Complete processes of observation, inference, and generalization with accuracy and precision
· Think critically and make intellectual discriminations
· Maintain intellectual independence at a level of University discourse
· Complete your essays without distracting mechanical errors

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
You will be assigned 3 essays and during the course of the semester: two at a length of 6-8 pages and a final html encoded paper of 8 - 10 pages. You will also be involved in one group project. All essays must follow MLA style guidelines (see Hacker pp. 326-360). Papers that do not observe these guidelines will be handed back ungraded. I do not accept late formal papers.Your essays will likely require both on-line and library research. You will need a working knowledge of the UB libraries and their resources, including those online. The libraries offer individual drop-in services and hands-on workshop for all students. Use the Library Quick Start page to begin your research for each paper. The Library web research guide is also helpful. Take a look at the library on-line workbook. There is a skills test in this workbook, and you must pass it in order to graduate. This is not a requirement for this course, but it will certainly help you out when it comes time to do research. You will also be required to write quite a few informal responses to the work we read or view. These responses will be sent to our class listserv and they can be informal in their style. These will not receive letter grades but I will comment on them and keep record of whether you turn them in and you cannot pass the class if you miss more than one response. This is your chance to experiment with the form that your writing takes and also to ask questionsof the material we are exploring! Questions are a perfectly valid form of response! Keep all the writing that you do in this course! We will having portfolio reviews of your work at mid semester. I suggest you buy a folder at the beginning of the semester and keep all your work in it.

LISTSERV
This course has a listserv, DIGITAL CULTURE, and it is required that you become a member. The listserv will be used to keep the class abreast of any changes in scheduling or assignments and during the last section of the class you will post your responses to the listserv. At any time during the semester feel free to post information, questions or comments which you feel are pertinent tothe course.

LIBRARY WEB ADDRESSES
Library Home Page http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/
On Line Library Resources http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/
Library Workshops http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/ugl/help/workshops.html
Quick Start http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/quickstart.html
Library Work book http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/ugl/workbook/

TEXTS
All texts are available on-line and are linked to this syllabus
Suugested Texts:
Hacker, Diana. A Writer's Reference. 4th ed. with CD-ROM.
A dictionary and a thesaurus

ATTENDANCE
You are allowed three absences without penalty. A fourth absence will lower your grade by one full letter. Six absences results in failure of the course.

GRADING
Class participation 10 pts,
Listserv responses 10 pts
group project 10 pts,
paper #1 20 pts, paper # 2 20 pts, final paper 30 pts
A=100 - 91, B = 90 - 81, C = 80-71, D =70-61

PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism means trying to pass off the ideas and words of others as your own. It is also a serious academic offense and will result in failure of the course and disciplinary action, including a note attached to your academic record saying you have a tendency toward academic dishonesty.

SYLLABUS

T Jan 18
Introduction to class
Assignment: Check out these web sites and famliarize yourself with the history of the computer and the internet. Timeline of Events in Computer History and Internet Timeline

The Frame and The Spectator

TH Jan 20
Edison excerpt (early cinema)
Odessa Steps sequence from Eisenstein's Battleship Potempkin
Best of Ernie Kovacs (excerpt)
Assignment: read An Archeology of a Computer Screen by Lev Manovich
Look up at least two things that were referenced in the article which you did not understand and be prepared to discuss your findings in class.

T Jan 25
discuss An Archaeology of a Computer Screen
Group projects on the Frame
Assignment: read Lecture by Marshall McLuhan Florida State University, 1970

TH Jan 27
discuss McLuhan
In Line video by Tony Conrad
Switch! Monitor! Drift! video by Steina Vasulka
Assignment: send a response to the listserv on one of the weeks topics, articles, videos, etc. (3 paragraphs)

T Feb 1
What is interactivity?
Assignment: read Söke Dinkla's on line article The History of the Interface in Interactive Art. Pick an artist discussed in the article and do a web search for a site made by that artist or a site relevant to that artist. Send a report of the site to the listserv. Include the URL.

TH Feb 3
Discuss findings.
In-class project - interactive writing
Assignment: Read Alex Galloway's article What is Digital Studies?
Study this online exhibition of "net.art" http://altx.com/ds/ (go to the main interface and spend your time in the net.art section)
Write a response to one project you liked and one you didn't and send it to the listserv.

T Feb 8
"curated" spaces on the net
http://art.teleportacia.org/art-ns4.html
http://www.digicult.org/
http://bbs.thing.net/login.thing
Public Domain
Adaweb

TH Feb 10
The web as a curated space? a free space?
Assignment: read these Robert Smithson texts. Browse the sites above and find some projects you find interesting. Send the URL's to the listserv.

T Feb 15
Considering Smithson's critique of the museum and the web . . .
paper topics assigned
Assignment: Jenny Holzer Please Change Beliefs
Annette Weintraub Pedestrian
The story of X
Jen Meagher Four Stories

TH Feb 17
the web as a space for the intersection of text and image
sharing authorship
storytelling on the web

T Feb 22
first draft of paper due

TH Feb 24
web page workshop (meet in 206 Baldy)

T Feb 29
web page workshop continued (meet in 206 Baldy)

Th Mar 2
Final draft of paper due

T/TH Mar 7/9
no class (spring break)

T Mar 14.
Culture Jamming
Homework:
Read these on line articles on culture jamming:
http://www.life.ca/nl/52/satire.html
http://web.nwe.ufl.edu/~mlaffey/cultjam2.html
Check out these sites:
http://laughingsquid.com/culture.jamming.html
http://www.guerrillamedia.org/
http://www.adbusters.org/adbusters/
send aresponse to the listserv (on one of the articles or sites) by Thursday's class

TH Mar 16
www.rtmark.com
view rtmark video and barbie video
Homework: look over rtmark site extensively + check out http://www.negativland.com/

T Mar 21
View Culture Jamming Videos
Homework:
Pick a magazine ad and alter the meaning by changing the text or imagery.
Due in class Th March 23

TH Mar 23
view Sonic Outlaws
papers assigned due T April 4
links

T Mar 28
finish Sonic Outlaws

TH Mar 30

T April 4
Papers due

TH April 6

T April 11

TH April 13
papers assigned

T April 18

TH April 20

T April 25

TH April 27
Final Paper due