weekNine

=**Week Nine: April 1st**=

Game World in Popular Culture

Discuss:

No readings or wiki work today: enjoy the break. Midterm grades will be returned Friday. If you need to discuss your midterm grade, I will be available during normal office hours before and after class or by appointment.

Final Project Consultations

We will be having in-class meetings to discuss your initial ideas for the final project. The final project should be a substantial work that shows a progression from the readings and concepts of the class to your own application, regardless of the form that project takes.

A few possible forms include:
 * A traditional or digital research paper, 8 to 10 pages long, involving further research and thought on a concept from class
 * A game design document, approximately 10 pages long, with an informed "future games" idea
 * A blog, kept over at least several weeks, further investigating an issue from class

You can also propose your own form or project that will further both your work in this class and your own goals for your portfolio. In all cases, the project must show how you have moved from the readings in forming your ideas and include further research outside of our assigned texts.


 * Readings for April 8th:**

Cory Doctorow, Content Lawrence Lessig, Free Culture: available free online at []
 * Giving it Away ( doctorowOne )
 * Science Fiction and the Internet ( doctorowTwo )
 * In Praise of Fanfic ( doctorowThree )
 * Introduction - Piracy ( lessigOne )
 * Chapter One - Creators ( lessigTwo )
 * Chapter Two - "Mere Copyists" ( lessigThree )


 * Wiki Assignment:**

Choose one of the assigned essays from either Doctorow or Lessig's collection and write a short (2-3 paragraph) response to an issue raised within that essay. Post your response on the page dedicated to that reading. If you are the first poster, you may need to create that page. If other people have already posted, read their responses and engage in a dialog. You can respond to one another within the page itself and on the discussion board for that topic. By next week's class you should have posted one full response and at least 2 comments or questions to your classmate's posts.


 * Make sure to add a link to the reading you comment on to your personal page so I can easily find your contribution!**