Discussion Group

Click here to launch the bulletin board in a new window.

Access to the bulletin board is password protected. The username is Buchanan. The password is the room number we meet in. Both the user name and the password are case sensitive (the password begins with a capital letter).

Discussion goals and requirements

The online discussion board is a supplement to our conversations in class. It is a chance for informal discussion and information sharing. It is a great place to share discoveries, insights and reactions as you surf the web in your explorations of sites related to our current work. You can post your thoughts on the study questions for the week, raise your own questions, flag intriguing web sites, or add a follow-up to our class discussion. Anything goes!

The only rules are the same rules that apply to any online discussion: Read before you post. Treat other participants with respect. Respond to a post, but don't attack the person who posted it. Try to be constructive. Try to add something to the discussion when you post.

Regular participation in the online discussion board is a course requirement. What is "regular participation"?

I expect you to contribute an average of 1-2 messages a week, or 10-30 over the course of the semester. You don't have to post every week, but you can not satisfy the participation requirement by posting many messages during only one or two weeks.

I am looking for quality, not quantity. You should be reading as well as posting to the lists, and your posts should reflect and respond to the other messages that have been posted. You should be contributing your thoughts, online discoveries, or information when you post, not just adding your vote to a previous message.

The week that your web guide is due, you are expected to help initiate the discussion on the board. Post your comments on one of the web sites you visited, raise a question about the readings -- whatever you think will provoke a lively and thoughtful discussion.