Week 2 - How the Web Works

This week, let's dig into the details. How does the Internet actually work? Where does it come from? We'll start build our tech skill-set by learning foundational languages like HTML and CSS.

Prep for Tuesday:

• Read: Exploding the Library - chapter 1 of History in the Age of Abundance?
• Read: Indexing the Information Age
• Browse: HTML and CSS
• Option if you want more on the history of the internet: Brief History of the Internet

Tuesday, September 17

• icebreaker:
• Recap Activity log #1
• How the Web Works
• HTML + CSS!

Read for Thursday:

• Review: HTML and CSS is Hard - James (The first chapters should be review, try to push yourself into some subsequent ones.)
• Read the following. They're short and each provides a different perspective on growing up with technology or learning to code:
  • We Can All Be Technical With the Right Teacher - Miller
  • Some Things to Think About Before Your Exhort Everyone to Code - Posner
  • File Not Found - Chin

Thursday, September 19

• icebreaker: advice to W&L newbies?
• Course charter
• Discussion: what does it mean to be a "digital native?" At your table:
  • what are the messages about coding, being good at technology? that you receive from parents, school, society, careers, etc ?
  • How does it differ based on who are? Who is supposed to be good at coding?
  • How do these articles talk about those messages?
  • What does it mean to be a digital native? Is this a useful term or not?
• Activity: More HTML/CSS + web accessibility

Week 2 Assignments - Due Tuesday 9/24 by 12pm

Blog post #2 - Where does your Internet come from?

Using the information we learned this week about how the internet works, what can you figure out about where your internet comes from? Without encroaching on any closet or area of campus you shouldn't, what can you discern through observation or sleuthing about the network that provides you with limitless wifi? Start in your dorm room or classroom, but pay attention as you walk through campus. Where does the wifi drop out? Can you the spot the routers or wireless extenders? Where do you think the wires are hidden? Are there overlooked spaces on campus that suddenly seem important to this story? Can you find the data center(s) on campus? What happens if a fiber is cut or an internet service provider goes down? How does the geographic location of W&L affect your internet access? If you have relevant information from your internet access at home, you're welcome to share it. You may also have to do some internet sleuthing to find these answers. I recommend searching "rana broadband." How does W&L play a role in providing internet access to the wider area?

This post should be a narration of the technological landscape of campus, along with 2-3 pictures to illustrate your findings. You should plan to walk around and do some internet sleuthing.

Specs:

• Create a WordPress post, turn in the link on Canvas.
• 300-500 words.
• Free from grammatical errors, typos.
• Credit and link out to sources when appropriate. I won't require that you use a certain citation style, but you should be in the habit of crediting sources and using in-text links. If you feel better about using a formal citation style, go for it!
• Include 2-3 images of the sites of Internet presence that you notice on campus.
• Even if you can't find answers, I want to hear about your process.

Activity log #2

Time to create your own Geocities-style website! Using the HTML and CSS skills you've learned this week, construct a small website about yourself, your interests, your fandoms, your pets - whatever you want! You'll upload this website to your domain like we did on class on Thursday.

Check out this page on Individuality and Solidarity from the Your Name Here project if you need some inspiration to get you thinking out of traditional boxes.

Specs:

• Create minimum of 2 HTML pages and 1 CSS document.
• Upload to a subdirectory of your domain, then turn in the link on Canvas. If my domain was https://brooksm.wludci.info and I uploaded my files to a folder called newsite then I would turn in the URL https://brooksm.wludci.info/newsite.
• Try to create this site in the style of the Geocities website we looked at last week. Put aside your savvy digital native mindset and imagine you're brand new to the internet and what has to offer. This is up to your own interpretation, but I want to see some engagement with the vibes of early web history.
• Include the following:
  • images (at least one on each page) with alt text
  • table
  • links to a second page and external site (open in a new tab)
  • background color
  • list (ordered or unordered)
  • style your links
  • a comment (that only appears in the code)
  • use <div>s, add padding/margin to move content around on your pages