Unit 00
Working towards: Having your kit and knowing how to get around.
Learning Outcomes: To demonstrate an understanding of hierarchical file systems, uniform resource locators (URLs).
Tools: Mac OSX, HTML editor (Adobe Dreamweaver).
Assignment 00. DUE Wednesday, AUGUST 26.
- Please fill out this simple 9-question survey. Note that there are 4 essay questions. You may wish to save your responses in a text editor if you plan on filling out the survey in more than one sitting.
- Read Henry Jenkins et al., “Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century“, pages 3-18.
- Read Trebor Scholz, “What the MySpace generation should know about working for free“.
- Fill out this important lending form. This will allow you to borrow hardware from the CCon Office at the end of the hallway.
Viewing
- Edutopia Digital Generation videos (See profiles: Sam, Cameron, Nafiza, Jalen)
- Kevin Kelly on the next 5,000 days of the web (19’34”)
- Clay Shirky: How social media can make history (17’03”)
- Monica Guzman on Being an Awesome News Commenter (6’16”)
- Michael Wesch: An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube (55’34”)
Course Materials
Please be aware of the required materials for this course, which can be purchased online or at most computer stores. I have listed a few recommendations, but there are many other equally good brands.
- A flash-memory USB keychain (“thumb drive”), 2GB or larger. Depending on capacity, these will cost $8-$75. I happened to spend $70 for a 32GB drive at the CMU Computer Store, but if you’re on a budget, just get a little one.
- A digital still camera of some kind, 5 Megapixels (MP) or better. Even better if the camera also records video. Try to get a model that records on compact flash memory cards; we have multi-format readers in the classroom, and you won’t need a special cable. If you’re in the market right now for a new camera (September 2009), I trust this recommendation from David Pogue for the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-WX1 or the Fuji Finepix F200EXR (about $350).
- A Firewire+USB combo hard drive, 100 GB+ (I recommend Maxtor and LaCie brands; should run ~$100-250.) “Combo” means it has both Firewire and USB connection ports, which gives you the most flexibility. Some models now support three forms of connector, which gives you lots of options: USB, Firewire-400 and Firewire-800.
- There is no textbook for this section of EMS1. If you feel that you are lacking technical guidance, consider purchasing Digital Foundations: Intro to Media Design, By Xtine Burrough & Michael Mandiberg. If you are truly at your wits’ end, there are all sorts of books FOR DUMMIES and for COMPLETE IDIOTS. Many students prefer video tutorials; if this is the case, sign up for a monthly subscription at http://www.lynda.com/.
If you’re on a budget, it’s possible to find much less expensive equipment with some sacrifices in capabilities. I have purchased digital cameras for as little as $15 (I have a limited number of these puppies I can give away, but believe me, they’re cruddy). You can also find 60GB or 80GB hard drives for well under $100. Spend what you can. You’ll need these things, and they’ll come in handy after you leave the class, too.
Navigating File Systems: The Basics of Getting around the Mac
- Logging into the cluster computers with your AndrewID
- Files, Folders, and Executables: telling the difference
- Finding and launching applications, such as Photoshop
Hierarchical Directory Structures: File Paths and URLs
- Do you understand how to read URLs?
- Every data file has a unique location defined by a string of text. Do you understand where to find file paths, and how to read them?
- Observe how hierarchical Directory structures are used in URLs
- Observe how hierarchical directory structures are used in local file paths.
Remote versus Local files
- finding your local user directory (on the local machine)
- finding your “myAFS” Andrew directory (on a remote server)
- understanding the difference between remote and local storage
- testing reading/writing on external hard drives (camera flash memory, USB thumb drive, HD)
- reminder: work locally, save locally, then copy to home server
- reminder: never to save files across the network!
- reminder: your Andrew server only has 100MB. Demonstrate use of Flash Keychain or FireWire HD.
- copying files to Andrew by drag-and-drop
- copying files to Andrew by FTP (Fetch)