CPS 49S Google: The Computer Science Within and its Impact on Society

1. CPS 49SGoogle: The Computer Science Within and its Impact on Society Shivnath Babu Spring 2008

2. Outline for Today • Why are we interested in Google? • What we will cover in this class • Logistics

3. Staff • Instructor: Shivnath Babu • Assistant Professor of Computer Science • shivnath@gmail.com • Office: D338 LSRC • Office hours: After class and by appointment

4. Google • Why are you interested in Google? • Or, why are you interested in this class? • Or, both

5. Course Outline: Three Parts • Google’s cool technology • Backed by Computer Science • Science/technology  Successful business • Impact • How things have changed in the Google era

6. Course Logistics • Recommended textbook: • The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture. By John Battelle. September, 2005. Portfolio Trade. • Paperback version available, e.g., at Amazon • The Bookstore should have this book • Insightful and comprehensive book on the applications and impact of Web-search technology • Web site: http://www.cs.duke.edu/courses/spring08/cps049s

7. Work/Grading • Class participation 40% • Attendance and participation in the discussion • Leading a discussion in class • Team Project • Writing assignments 20% • Scribe notes • Homeworks • 1 long project report (10-12 pages) • Four quizzes 40% • Best 4 out of 5

8. Work (contd.) • Class participation • You are responsible for completing the assigned reading for each topic before we discuss the topic in class • Come prepared for discussion • Reading assignments will be posted on the course web page or hardcopies will be handed out • Have to attend >= 80% of classes • Discussion in class • Discussion leader • Scribe

9. For Next Tuesday (1/15) • 1-2 page writeup on: • Why you are interested in Google; What excites you most about Google • Give a prioritized list of five topics on which you would like to lead the class discussion • Based on these writeups: • I will come up with a schedule for discussions

10. Teams and Class Discussions • Based on these writeups, I will: • Divide the class into 6 teams of 3 students each • Come up with a schedule for discussions • Teams: • Computer Science Team (core technology) • Business and Economy Team (science  money) • Advertising Team (core of Google’s business) • Privacy and Personalization Team • Fraud Detection and Prevention Team • Services Team (YouTube, Social Networks, etc.)

11. Responsibilities of the Discussion Leader • Before the discussion • Read the assigned and supplementary reading materials & discuss with team members • 1 week before the discussion: suggest modifications (if any) to the assigned reading material • 1 day before the discussion: send me the discussion points/outline • During the discussion • Give 10-15 minute talk to open the discussion • Lead the discussion --- have concrete points • After the discussion • Create a report on the discussion

12. Responsibilities of the Scribe • Scribe will be a team member • Record important points raised during the discussion • Submit the scribe notes to me and to the discussion leader on the same day • Discussion leader has one more day to submit the discussion report to me

13. Assigned Readings • For next Tuesday (1/15): • First chapter in the Battelle book • Handout • For next Thursday (1/17): • Second chapter in the Battelle book, A Taxonomy of Web Search • Handout • For the following Tuesday (1/22) • Early paper by the “Google guys” • Handout • Also posted on the course readings web page

14. Reminder: For Next Tuesday (1/15) • 1-2 page writeup on: • Why you are interested in Google; What excites you most about Google • Give a prioritized list of five topics on which you would like to lead the class discussion • Based on these writeups: • I will come up with a schedule for discussions