Cyberlaw: blogging project

CONSOLIDATED GUIDANCE PAGE: BLOGGING PROJECT

Quick links to information about the professional branding cyberlaw project.

Click any of the links below to jump to a section of the assignment.

What this project is about.

This is in many ways a design-it-yourself project. You will propose, draft, and revise a blog posting (a short article with multimedia) on a cyberlaw topic of interest to you. We will do in-class training on using WordPress, after which you will do a first draft on a cyberlaw topic of your choice (subject to Professor approval). After I give you feedback you’ll do a final draft.

Here’s what you will do.

First, your proposals. After we’ve learned basic cyberlaw, I’ll give you additional resources on interesting cyberlaw topics. You will propose a topic for my approval.

Second, your initial draft. You will upload a first draft of your posting using the WordPress blogging framework. I’ll give you feedback in an individual meeting.

Finally, your revisions and final draft. You will revise your posting based on feedback I’ll provide. If your posting is good and you and I agree, I’ll post your article online.

Educational outcomes.

The educational goals (outcomes) of this project are to:

  1. Self-selected topic. Allow you to select a hot cyberlaw topic of interest to you.
  2. Additional learning. Learn more about your topics of interest.
  3. Sharing knowledge. Add to the knowledge base of your classmates via your symposium presentation.
  4. Technical experience. Learn how to use the WordPress blog/content-management system and to draft postings.

Drafts

Initial (first) draft. The first draft is due by 12PM midnight EST on Friday, July 6. Email me when it’s ready. These guidelines apply to all drafts. The better a job you do with your first draft, the more meaningful comments you can expect to receive back, and the better your final draft will be.

  • Tools. Use WordPress at digitalgarbage.net using your login and password.
  • Length. Generally, it will take at least 5-10 paragraphs (real paragraphs) of original text by you to accomplish your goal. This is not going to be possible unless you keep your topic narrow. If the topic is too broad, you cannot accomplish this goal. For a bigger topic, it makes good sense to focus on one or two anecdotes and use that as the basis for raising questions and sharing your opinions or suggestions.
  • Sources. At least:
    • Two factual and/or technical sources.
    • One legal source.
    • You need not use footnotes but you ought to use hyperlinks to original materials.
  • Third-party text. You can additionally include text written by others, but be sure to use quotation marks or block quoting, as well as identification of the source, along with a link.
  • Media. You should include:
    • Links (these are a must).
    • Embedded media such as YouTube videos and Tweets, if appropriate for your topic.
    • Images (possible but proceed with caution to avoid copyright infringement; do not use unless you have a good basis under the law for using the photos).
  • Structure of your draft. I will provide you with templates to use. Your drafts should have two parts, in the order provided below:
    • First, the substantive portion of your draft with any questions. Put this at the top is the blog draft. Include any questions for me in the substance of your draft. I suggest you put questions in brackets.
    • Second, your certification form with source listing and digital signature. After the substantive portion of your draft/questions, please fill out the provided certification form, with listing of sources (articles, photos, etc.), and your digital signature. The form also indicates who helped you and who you helped. If you need a clean copy of the certification form, you can find it at http://digitalgarbage.net/2017/06/30/px-certification/ (password protected).

Interim drafts. You can submit interim drafts for additional feedback. Email me to let me know you have created a new draft or I will not realize that you have done a revision.

Final draft. Provide all the components noted above but in final form. Email me when you submit it. This is due by 12PM midnight EST on July 27. Email me when you’re done.

Tips on revising (as noted in class 7/12, posted 7/16):

  • Same document. As you revise your draft, you should continue working with the same document as your earlier draft. WordPress keeps an archive of all saved drafts, so there is no need for you to start a separate document.
  • Revise your certification. Between the time you submit your first and final drafts, you’ll likely add sources and engage classmates. Be sure to update your certification before submitting your final draft.

Training, project-related tasks

Logging in to WordPress. I will give you accounts at one of my websites. You will have writing privileges but not posting or administrative privileges. That way you can draft without worrying about accidentally posting something to the live internet. After you log in, you will need to change the temporary password to something more secure.

Choosing a topic. Pick a good topic. Peruse the casebook for interesting subjects. Even better, read blogs and websites that provide new and interesting issues. To consolidate interesting news sites and feeds, try using a news reader such as Flipboard or Feedly (available on browser or as app on devices). Here are news/blog sources I suggested in class:

You can also find these sources consolidatated on a Twitter list at https://twitter.com/nathenson/lists/cyberlawtopic-ideas

WordPress: basics, adding tweets, videos, and images. We will do in-class training on how to draft with WordPress, including how to add images, Tweets, YouTube videos, and more. We will also discuss IP considerations. You can also see the page Embedding media; how to find media (password protected).

Backing up WordPress. In-class training. See also How to back up your WordPress drafts.

Doing screen caps. In-class training. See also Taking screenshots and clips on a Windows PC or a Mac.

How to use the certification template. Your initial and final blog draft should include the filled-out certification form, which must include: a listing of sources (not Bluebook footnotes, just a listing of sources); a listing of who you helped and who helped you, and your digital signature. If you need a clean copy of the certification form, you can find it at http://digitalgarbage.net/2017/06/30/px-certification/ (password protected).

Meetings with Professor. I am available to meet throughout the semester. I also require an individual meeting with each of you towards the end of the semester to give you feedback on drafts, and to provide any help I can on topics, tech, symposia, and social media work.

Key due dates.

As you will realize, there are multiple tasks peppered throughout the semester. For those, please see the Assignments page. The main deadlines are shown below:

Initial draft.

  • This is due end-of-day, 12 midnight EST on Friday, July 6.
  • Submit your initial draft, with questions, along with certification form (listing assistance, sources, and your digital signature).
  • Once you are finished, please email me to let me know you are done. If you don’t email me I won’t be sure you’re done.

Symposia.

Near the end of the semester, each of you will do a short (10-12 minute) presentation on your topic. Dates and panels will be posted to the Assignments page. After you speak, the class will ask questions and provide comments and suggestions. Presenters may, but need not, use audiovisuals (please email me any AV ahead of time). If you use PowerPoints, keep the slides to a minimum number, always use big type, and avoid using too many bullet points. We will also live-tweet using the hashtag #ILPSP.

Intermediate drafts.

These are optional. There is no deadline, the goal is to provide you with additional feedback.

Final draft.

  • This is due end-of-day, 12 midnight EST on Friday, July 27.
  • Submit your final draft along with certification form (listing assistance, sources, and your digital signature).
  • Once you are finished, please email me to let me know you are done. If you don’t email me I won’t be sure you’re done.

Permitted and prohibited assistance and sources.

I encourage each of you to seek out, and to provide assistance to, your current Cyberlaw classmates. Lawyering is a collaborative learning experience, and I want you to learn from your apprentice colleagues. That means you can ask and answer questions, seek and provide suggestions, and seek and receive comments on forms and drafts.

However, you absolutely may not seek information or assistance from anyone who is not currently enrolled in this course (such as other students at STU). This prohibition includes, without limitation:

  • STU students not currently enrolled in this course.
  • Lawyers and other legal professionals.
  • Tech professionals.

Thus, you can give and receive help within the class. The only thing I require of you in return is that you fully and truthfully fill out the certification form, in which you will state who you helped, who helped you, and how. Err on the side of revealing too much information rather than too little.

Scoring and additional guidance.

Scoring for each component will be done on a 4.0 scale (actually, up to a 4.5, which would reflect the equivalent of an A+ for a particular category).

Category %
Draft 1 10%
Certification on draft 1 0/100%
Final draft: organization & writing 25%
Final draft: discussion & analysis 25%
Final draft: use of sources 20%
Final draft: media & technology 20%
Certification on final draft 0%/100%
Total 100%

Further details:

Draft 1. For this, I look to all of the categories listed below for the final draft (i.e., org/writing; use of sources; discussion/analysis; use of media/tech). However, I am looking at this as a first draft. My recommendation is to make your first draft a good one so that your work from then until your final draft is geared towards polishing your posting.

Final draft: organization & writing. How well-organized is your draft? Is it well written and proofed? Is it well-formatted with consistent use of typography and layout?

Final draft: discussion & analysis. How thoughtful is your discussion? It is original? Are you trying to solve the problem? Perhaps the problem you raise is not solvable in 5-10 original paragraphs. If so that’s ok, but at the very least are you raising pertinent, thought-provoking questions? Are you providing thoughtful critique of others’ positions?

Final draft: use of sources. Are you simply parroting one source? Are you using several sources? Are they good, reliable sources?

Final draft: use of media & technology. Are you making aesthetic, clean, and useful applications of display technology such as embedded media (Tweets, video), possibly images (if appropriate and justifiable)? Are you providing needed and helpful hyperlinks? Go here for tips on how to find media (password protected).

Certification. An absolute requirement to obtain a score. As such, it is not separately scored but no score will be given to a submission that lacks certification. If you forget to certify, I will give you the opportunity to fix it. Cf. FRCP 11(a).

Links and other helpful information.

Your audience. Write for a general audience with little-to-no knowledge of the law.

What can be in your posting. Text, quotes, images, sound (with cautions about copyright noted above and in class), video, etc. Any type of media that is supported by WordPress.

Tips on links (as noted in class 7/12, posted 7/16)

  • Links should be in-line (part of the text, and not set off on a separate line)
  • Link to public sources, and not to password-protected sources such as Westlaw or Lexis.
  • Provide links that 1) support what you’re saying legally or factually; and 2) provide further information of interest to the reader.

I’m your professor, not your lawyer. As noted in class, I’m not your lawyer and there is no attorney-client relationship. Having said this, here are some suggestions below (which include being respectful to others and using common sense).

When posting links and using third-party sources, stick to reputable sources. Don’t use just any crap you find out there. Use reputable sources. And draft as if it was going to published for real. After all, your post might actually go online if you and I both agree that it should. Remember, sharing your opinions is fine but remember that statements of fact can create real defamation liability. And sometimes an opinion can create defamation liability if it is based on assumed facts.

IP considerations. As noted repeatedly, your profile photos and background images should be your own, or something clearly in the public domain (such as an indisputable government work). You will have to reveal in your report how you got that stuff so be ready to justify what you’ve used. And don’t just grab photos or videos to upload to your profiles as if they are candy. Remember what Larry Lessig said: fair use is sometimes nothing more than the right to hire a lawyer when you’ve been sued.

Remember that others in the class will be able to see:

  • The title of your draft
  • Any media you upload to the media repository on the site

Save your work. Often. I recommend you save your ongoing WordPress works in progress to help prevent a data-loss disaster.

  1. Go into your editor
  2. Click on “text”
  3. Copy the text version of your posting
  4. Paste that text into a *.txt document and save it

Also make sure you have digital copies of your profile/background photos as well as any text or materials you upload (such as bios).

See also How to back up WordPress drafts.

Helpful links.

Here are links that you’ve already seen, but collected in one place. Some of the links are password protected. The password is provided in class; email me if you don’t have it.

Last revised July 3, 2018; 7/7 (adding line noting scoring done on 4.5 point scale); 7/16 (adding tips on links and info on revisions to drafts and certification)