Course Objectives:
This course provides an overview of how computer science is used in technology companies. It looks at the intersection of business, innovation, technology, and society.
Academic Honesty:
A separate page describes the guidelines.
Grades:
This course is Pass/No pass. Evaluation will be based on attendance, participation, and final paper and presentation.
Paper/presentations
- Select a category of Web 2.0 companies from either this list, or the larger one at All Things Web 2.0.
- From the companies in the category, select at least three companies.
- Find and read at least two blogs that discuss the companies and/or industry segment.
- Read technical papers on the technology.
- Study the companies' features, technology and user experience.
- Identify the business models that are used. This funding application from Y-combinator has some useful questions to answer
- Provide an analysis of the technology and business models.
Deliverables
- A written report (not to exceed five pages).
- An 8-minute (4 minutes each partner) presentation (Powerpoint or similar).
Presentations will be done in class during the last 4 weeks of class.
Here are some smaples from previous quarters: Winter, 2007, Winter, 2006, Fall, 2005.
Schedule
- Choose a teammate. Send me an email from your team with the names, email addresses, and date you'd prefer to present. Deadline: April 24.
- Select your topic and companies by April 30.
- Each team member needs to set up a website showing their part of the work (research, pointers to papers, websites, companies, blogs, etc.). Although the project is a team effort, the individual websites will reflect work each individual has done. Any shared documents (papers, presentations, etc.) can be hyperlinked.
Websites can be setup in your personal login at UCSD (see ACS instructions), or use a third-party site like Google Page Creator.
- Email your website URI to me as soon as it is set up.
- Meet with me to discuss your ideas starting April 30th. Finish the consultations by May 11th.
- Make your paper (Word/PDF/HTML) and presentation (Powerpoint/PDF) available from your website.
- Your presentation will be downloaded from your website the day before your presentation at 12 noon. I will bring it to class on my laptop. No late submissions.
- Your paper will be downloaded on June 8th at 12 noon. No late submissions.
- Schedule of presentations:
- May 15
- May 22
- May 29
- June 5