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CONTENTS for CYBERSOC LINKS
TECHNOTERMS and CYBERCULTURE JARGON
You may be exposed to a few unfamiliar words in this course. These are links to useful dictionaries of technical computer and networking terms, as well as hacker lingo and geek speak.
The Jargon File is perhaps the oldest lexicon of hacker subculture terminology. The latest version has its (sometimes controversial) roots in the original 1977 file.
NetLingo is another good source of both technical and cultural terms.
Webopedia may be the single largest and most often referenced source of internet and computing definitions.
Both TechWeb and WhatIs?com tend to be more business and professional IT oriented.
You may also find FOLDOC, NetDictionary, TechDictionary, High-Tech Dictionary, and TUCAA useful lexical resources.
SOCIAL STUDIES of CYBERCULTURES
Two exemplary "e-journals" or "webzines" focusing on aspects of cyberculture: Cybersociology and the Journal of the Hyperlinked Organization.
Some selected academic research centers for cyber studies at University of Minnesota, Virginia Tech, and University of Washington.
The Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies is a sort of collaborative online clearinghouse for research and teaching in the area. Other online communities dedicated to social scientific study of the internet include Cybersoc and Cyberculture. The Fragments weblog also contains numerous links to sources regarding cyberculture, identity, and gender.
Finally, the Social Sciences Hub – Cyberspace has a good collection of links for further study.
INTERNET STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the body responsible for regulating the technical coordination of the Internet.
The Internet Society (ISOC) also has a central leadership role in developing Internet infrastructure standards and numerous cooperative organizational initiatives.
The Internet FAQ Archive is the depository for important "Frequently Asked Question" (FAQs) and "Request for Comment" (RFC) files stretching back to the beginning of the Internet.
The most prominant group spearheading the definition and defense of "digital rights" is the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is a leader in Internet standards and technology development.
The most significant professional organization and special interest group for those involved in computers and the Internet is the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).
HISTORY OF COMPUTING TECHNOLOGIES
The History of Computing Project has excellent timelines of major developments is computing and brief biographies of most of the important figures.
The IEEE Computer Society has another good History of Computing, with links to their Virtual Museum and other history related articles and documents.
Michelle A. Hoyle's online lecture (from the University of Regina, Canada) about the History of Computing Science is a useful resource. As is Steven White's A Brief History of Computing.
Several "virtual museums" of computing summarize the development of hardware over the past few decades. Some of the best of these include: The Computer History Museum, Old-Computers.com, OldComputers.net, Vintage Computer Collection, The Computer Closet, and The Virtual Museum of Computing.
Here are the computers I learned to program on: the IBM System/360 Model 30, the Commodore Pet 2001, and the Apple ][+.
HISTORY OF NETWORKING AND THE INTERNET
Hobbe's Internet Timeline is the "grandaddy" of them all.
Gergory R. Gromov's History of the Internet and WWW is a clear summary with many external links of interest. Dave Kristula, Anthony Anderberg, and Walt Howe are others of note.
A more formal historical treatment is offered by Richard T. Griffiths.
And the Computer History Museum also has an excellent exhibit on Internet history and development.
ISOC's clearinghouse of Internet history links. (See especially the two narratives called "A Brief History of the Internet" written by some of the key figures in its development.)
NUA's Internet Surveys present one of the more widely used sources of Internet use data, and the Internet Traffic Report offers an interesting view of current usage and reliability.
HISTORY OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES
The Media History Project, of the University of Minnesota, contains a good timeline of communication and information technologies – along with lots of interesting nooks and crannies to explore.
World-Information.org also hosts a good Timeline of Communication Systems.
Nathan Shedroff has another worthwhile take on the History of Communications.
A pictoral timeline of the century or so of communication technologies is hosted at CEDmagic.
One final (and more abbreviated) timeline of the History of Communication can be found at About.com.