Introduction to Digital Humanities

Critical Platform Studies

Digital platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter mediate our access to information on the web. This week's topic on Critical Platform Studies examines the power that these platforms —and the corporate interests that animate them— have to shape social behaviors, erase histories, and reinforce oppression.  

Annotation #10

Herder, Janosik. “The Power of Platforms.” Public Seminar. (January 25, 2019). http://www.publicseminar.org/2019/01/the-power-of-platforms/. Hypothesis link.

Tiffert, Glenn D. “Peering down the Memory Hole: Censorship, Digitization, and the Fragility of Our Knowledge Base.” The American Historical Review 124, no. 2 (April 1, 2019): 550–68. Hypothesis link.

Umoja Noble, Safiya. Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. (New York: New York University Press, 2018).  Introduction and Chapter 1. Hypothesis link. 

Assignment #10

Draw on the assigned readings to write a critical essay about how information is organized and accessed online. Your essay can be written in the form of a policy proposal, op-ed, interactive blog post, or creative work. When you present your essay to the class, be prepared to explain why you chose your selected form. How did that form help you communicate your ideas and engage your intended audience?

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