Privacy

Dictionary Definition: “The state or condition of being alone, undisturbed, or free from public attention, as a matter of choice or right; seclusion; freedom from interference or intrusion” (OED).

Alan Westin, professor emeritus of Public Law & Government at Columbia University, in his 1968 book Privacy and Freedom defines privacy as “the claim of individuals, groups, or institutions to determine for themselves when, how, and to what extent information about them is communicated to others.”

Respect for individual autonomy, anonymous speech, and the right to free association must be balanced against legitimate compelling state interests — the promotion of public morality, the protection of an individual’s psychological health, and the improvement of one’s quality of life (Cornell University Legal Information Institute). Therefore, Westin clarifies the balance between disclosure/participation and public interests: “each individual is continually engaged in a personal adjustment process in which he [or she] balances the desire for privacy with the desire for disclosure and communication of himself [or herself] to others, in light of the environmental conditions and social norms set by the society in which he [or she] lives.”

Reading RhetoricallyPrereadingGetting Ready to Read

Activity 1: Getting Ready to Read – Quickwrite and Discussion

Before you read Nicholas Carr’s article, “Tracking Is an Assault on Liberty, With Real Consequences,” reflect on your understanding of individual privacy and personal information by answering the following questions:

What do you think of when you hear the term “online privacy”?

What do you think “tracking” online means? Based on your online behavior, who or what might be “tracking” your activities on the Internet?

What kinds of information do you share online and to whom do you share this information? Consider information that you share privately to individuals or companies, as well as information that you share publicly.

What are your expectations of privacy online? How do you expect others to handle the information you share or information that is collected from you and your online behavior?

After you write your response, begin a list of questions you may have about the subject of online privacy.

In groups or as a class, discuss your responses. As a class, discuss what online privacy is and who is responsible for personal information.

Introducing Key Concepts

Activity 2: Introducing Key Concepts

Online privacy, information privacy, personalization, and tracking are important concepts that will come up in Carr’s article. Based on what you know about these concepts, begin drawing a word cluster or map of terms and ideas associated with these concepts.

As you read, highlight or circle terms that you’ve identified in Carr’s article. As you read and expand your knowledge of the concepts of privacy and personal information, you will develop your cluster map. Add other words or questions that arise as you read the text. You might use a different pen color to indicate new information or opinions that you have obtained from Carr’s text.

Surveying the Text

Activity 3: Surveying the TextBefore you read the article, look over and take note of the following elements of the text:

titles and subheadings length of the reading the author Nicholas Carr’s background

when and where (publication and/or medium) the text was first published

What do you know about the text? You might read the author bio, if one is provided in the text, or look up his name online. Also consider where or by whom this text was first published.

Making Predictions and Asking Questions

Activity 4: Making Predictions and Asking QuestionsBefore reading the article, assess your expectations and assumptions of the text by answering the following questions: Based on the title, “Tracking Is an Assault on Liberty,” what do you think this text is about? What does

the title imply about tracking and liberty? What do you think liberty means in regards to this text? Given the other information, in addition to the title, that you have gathered thus far, what do you expect

the author to discuss in this article? What do you think is the purpose of the article? Do you suspect the author of supporting a specific argument or having a bias toward his topic? What

makes you think this? Who is the author’s intended audience?

In groups or as a class, discuss the title of the article and your predictions and/or questions about the text.

Introducing Key Vocabulary

Activity 5: Introducing Key Vocabulary

Some of the following words may be unfamiliar to you as you read the text; others may seem familiar but have different connotations in the context of the article. In one column, write down the definitions of these terms; write your own definitions for words you do recognize, and then use a dictionary for words you do not know.

Liberty

Surreptitious

Divulge

Harvested

Peccadilloes

Algorithms

Complacent

Erosion

Unsanctioned

Purloined

Fettered

Vigilant

ReadingFirst ReadingThe first reading of an essay is intended to help you understand the text and confirm your predictions. This is sometimes called reading “with the grain” or “playing the believing game” (Bean, Chappell, and Gillam).

Activity 1: First ReadingA. After reading the first five paragraphs, discuss the questions below. Form groups and choose a

recorder. Be prepared to share your answers with the class. What is the trade that Carr says Americans are making? How are they doing this? What dangers come with personalization? What does Chief Justice Warren believe about the tradeoff Americans are making? In the third paragraph, Carr states that Americans are familiar with this tradeoff. How is this tradeoff

different today than it was pre-Internet? According to Carr, have Americans gained or lost anonymity by their Internet usage?

B. With your group, read your assigned paragraph(s). Discuss with your group the meaning of each paragraph and write a one-sentence summary for each. Be prepared to share your response with the class. Select a spokesperson to write your summary on the board. Read the rest of the section in your group and decide if the summaries your classmates have written need revising.

C. On your own, read the final section (paragraphs 13-19) of the article. Write one-sentence summaries for each remaining paragraph and be prepared to share those with the class. Also, be prepared to assess your classmates’ summaries and to offer any necessary revisions.

Looking Closely at LanguageThe reading activity of looking closely at language is meant to build on the vocabulary work you began while studying the key words.

Activity 4: Looking Closely at Language

Complete the “Say, Mean, Matter” worksheet following the example done for you. Fill in the blank “Say” fields with words or phrases that you found either particularly challenging or significant and complete the rows accordingly. Be prepared to share with the class.

SAY, MEAN, MATTER CHART

SAY MEAN MATTER

This is about summary--

what word or phrase did you find particularly challenging or

important?

This is about interpretation--

what is your understanding of what was said?

This is about implication--what are the possible outcomes and how are

they significant?

Personalization Having my unique preferences show up when I shop or search on the web

This may make browsing more efficient for me, but I also might miss out on some interesting stuff that doesn’t necessarily fit my profile. Also, I give up lots of information that may not seem problematic right now but that might hurt me later on.

Privacy

Liberty

Rereading the Text1. Label the following points in the left-hand margin:

Introduction Issue or problem being addressed Author’s main arguments (claims) Author’s examples (support) Conclusion

2. In the right-hand margin, write your reactions to what the author is saying.

Activity 2: Rereading the Text

Now reread “Tracking is an Assault on Liberty, With Real Dangers,” and annotate it as you read. Underline, highlight, and draw arrows. Circle Carr’s claims and underline the supporting evidence. In the margins, comment on main ideas, question or object to ideas the author presents, make connections between ideas, and note your own experiences with the issues the author raises. Mark where you agree with Carr and where you disagree with him as well. Note your reactions to the things he says. Be prepared to discuss your annotations with a classmate.

Activity 3: Analyzing Stylistic Choices

Using your annotations, answer the following questions.

Words

Reread the title of the article. What tone does the title establish? Is this language loaded? What words are used to accomplish this?

Reread the first paragraph. Identify the words that Carr uses to support the tone set by the title. Now reread paragraph three. Look closely at the word “harvested” and discuss the different meanings

of the word. Does your understanding of how it is used in this context change when you think about the other uses?

Reread paragraph four. What are the connotations of the word “confessional,” and how does that word relate to “peccadilloes”?

Sentences

Reread paragraph ten. Identify the sentence that takes the concept Carr is talking about to a personal level. Describe the strategy and discuss its effectiveness.

Reread paragraph eleven. Why does Carr use the dashes in the second to last sentence? What effect does that have?

Paragraphs

Characterize Carr’s paragraphs. Are they generally short or long? Are they complex? Simple? Does Carr write them this way on purpose? Why?

Reread paragraph nine. What purpose does the paragraph serve to the whole essay? Does Carr maintain a consistent tone throughout the essay? Identify the paragraphs that a) play on your emotions or b) appeal to your reason. Which are more

effective?

Essay

For what type of audience did Carr write this essay? Would this essay be different if it were written for a more specialized audience, computer scientists,

for example? How?

Considering the Structure of the TextThere are many ways to analyze the structure of the text. Read through the following approaches and choose the one.

Mapping the Organizational StructureUse descriptive outlining to map the organization of the text by taking the following steps: Draw a line across the page where the introduction ends. Is it after the first paragraph, or are there several

introductory paragraphs? How do you know? Draw a line across the page where the conclusion begins. Is it the last paragraph, or are there several

concluding paragraphs? How do you know? Discuss in groups or as a class why the lines were drawn where they were. In this activity, thinking and

reasoning about organizational structure is more important than agreeing on where the lines should be drawn.

Further divide the body of the text into sections by topics (what each section is about). Write a short description of what each section is about, what it says about that topic, and the rhetorical

function of the section (why the writer put it there).

After this has been done, ask the following questions: How does each section affect the reader? What is the writer trying to accomplish? What does each section say? What is the content? Which section is the most developed? Which section is the least developed? Does it need more development? Which section is the most persuasive? The least persuasive? On the basis of your chart of the text, what do you think is the main argument? Is that argument explicit

or implicit?

Clustering or WebbingCluster the ideas contained in the text by taking the following steps: Draw a circle in the center of a blank page, and label the circle with the main idea of the text. Record the supporting ideas of the text on branches that connect to the central idea.

Mapping the ContentMap the content of the text by taking the following steps: Discuss how the ideas are related to one another. Draw a picture of the argument, mapping the sequential flow of the text verbally or graphically.

Graphic OrganizersFor this activity, create a partially blank chart that you can fill in with key elements such as main ideas, arguments, evidence, key quotations, and responses. You will need to supply clear prompts on the chart so your students will know what they are to fill in.

Analyzing the Students’ Findings Discuss with the class how the text is organized (text structures).

Work in pairs or small groups to identify the major parts of the text and discuss the purposes of those parts.

Homework• Read “Internet, Economy and Privacy” by Anil Dagar et al. Of the strategies you learned while reading the Carr article, apply the ones you prefer.

PostreadingSummarizing and RespondingSummarizing involves extracting the main ideas from a reading selection and explaining what the author says about them.

Activity 1

Evaluating Nicholas Carr's article “Tracking Is an Assault on Liberty, With Real Dangers” requires a careful determination of the article's primary claims or the premises—the bases, stated or assumed, on which reasoning proceeds—upon which Carr argues his proposed conclusion naturally follows.

Identify and state the two basic premises upon which Carr bases his conclusion or desired action. Is claim one universally accepted or is it debated? If the claim is debated, does Carr provide sufficient

evidence to justify his claim? Is claim two universally accepted or debated? If the claim is debated, does Carr provide sufficient

evidence to justify his claim?Claim two argues that the harms of mining personal data outweigh the advantages. Using all three articles, make a list of harms and advantages. What influential information did Carr fail to include in his article? Does the information he omitted detract from the force of his argument? After completing the chart, determine whether you agree or disagree with Carr. Write a couple of sentences clearly stating your position on whether or not the disadvantages of data mining outweigh advantages. Include a brief synopsis of supporting evidence for your position.

Evaluating Carr's conclusion:

1. What action does Carr explicitly state software makers and operators ought to be required to take in order to protect consumer's privacy?

2. Assuming you agree with Carr's premises, does it necessarily follow that his solution is optimal? Do other viable options exist that will satisfy his privacy requirements yet allow the benefits of data mining to continue?

3. What recommendations do the supporting articles argue will protect consumers yet allow companies to offer consumers their desired personalization which Anil Dagar et al. argues drives ad prices upward and aids in the growth of the Internet?

Fill in the following chart in order to gain a clearer picture of what the authors of “Internet, Economy and Privacy” propose as the optimal solution.

Current Ecosystem Proposed New Ecosystem

An analysis of the current ecosystem reveals that the market has responded in several ways to counteract issues arising from privacy threats. It also provides concrete examples of the effect various countermeasures have had upon Internet economic viability. In a couple of sentences, explain the advantages and drawbacks of the current model. In a couple of sentences, articulate the basic motivation for and implementation of the proposed new ecosystem. Based on a careful evaluation of existing evidence, state your position regarding how governing bodies should proceed to both protect personal privacy and promote the healthy, economic growth of the Internet.

Thinking Critically

Harms Advantages

The following questions will move you through the traditional rhetorical appeals.Investigate logos, ethos, and pathos and their relative significance to the proposition Carr presents in the article under consideration.

Questions about Logic (Logos) Which source provides the most compelling logical argument? Why? What value does a thorough, logical exploration of the issue have, even for those individuals who highly

value personal privacy?

Questions about the Writer (Ethos) Is the fact that Nicholas Carr has published several articles on the effects of the Internet upon the human

brain and on the Internet’s threat to personal privacy sufficient reason to consider him an objective, reliable commentator on the subject? Why or why not?

Earlier lessons focused on loaded language that Carr employs in the title and throughout the article. What is Carr’s objective in employing this type of language? Does his inclusion of this language add to or detract from the reader’s sense of confidence that Carr’s argument is based upon solid reasoning? Why or why not?

Is the reader’s evaluation of Carr’s credentials essential to determining the strength of his argument and the validity of his conclusions?

Questions about Emotions (Pathos) What cherished American value does Carr state is being threatened by the lack of Internet privacy? Does Carr effectively stir the emotions of the reader? If so, does his inflaming of the reader’s passions

serve a rhetorical purpose? Objectively, is his comparison sound? Is the corroding of individual liberty synonymous with the loss of liberty?

Pathetic appeals often attempt to cause a reader to respond emotionally rather than rationally to an argument. When is an emotional appeal appropriate and ethical? In what instances is an emotional appeal manipulative?

Connecting Reading to WritingWriting to Learn

Using the Words of OthersOne of the most important features of academic writing is the use of words and ideas from written sources to support the writer’s own points. There are essentially three strategies for incorporating words and ideas from sources, as shown below: Direct quotation: Jeremy Rifkin says, “Studies on pigs’ social behavior funded by McDonald’s at Purdue

University, for example, have found that they crave affection and are easily depressed if isolated or denied playtime with each other” (15).

Paraphrase: In “A Change of Heart About Animals,” Jeremy Rifkin notes that McDonald’s has funded studies on pigs that show that they need affection and playtime with one another (15).

Summary: In “A Change of Heart About Animals,” Jeremy Rifkin cites study after study to show that animals and humans are more alike than we think. He shows that animals feel emotions, reason, make and use tools, learn and use language, and mourn their dead. One study even shows that pigs need affection and playtime with one another and enjoy playing with toys (15).

MLA FormatNewspapers. Here is the bibliographic information for the article quoted above in MLA format (because it was published in a newspaper, the format and the information included differ somewhat):

Rifkin, Jeremy. “A Change of Heart About Animals.” Los Angeles Times 1 Sept. 2003: B15+.

Web sites. Students often want to incorporate material from Web sites. To document a Web site, they will need to give the name of the author (if known), the title of the site (or a description, such as “Homepage,” if no title is available), the date of publication or update (if known), the name of the organization that sponsors the site, the date of access, and the Web address (URL) in angle brackets. For example:

University Writing Center. 26 June 2003. University Writing Center, California Polytechnic State University, Pomona. 26 May 2004 <http://www.csupomona.edu/uwc/>.

The author for the above site is unknown, so no name is given. This entry would appear in the Works Cited section alphabetized by “University.”

In-Text Documentation. MLA style also requires in-text documentation for every direct quotation, indirect quotation, paraphrase, and summary. Many are confused by this, believing that documentation is necessary only for direct quotations. If the author’s name is given in the text, the page number should be given in parentheses at the end of the sentence containing the material. If not, both the author’s name and the page number are required. For example, here is a direct quote of material from the Carr article. Because the author is not named in the text, the last name goes in the parentheses:

“Pretty much everything we do online, down to individual keystrokes and clicks, is recorded, stored in cookies and corporate databases, and connected to our identities, either explicitly through our user names, credit-card numbers and the IP addresses assigned to our computers, or implicitly through our searching, surfing and purchasing histories” (Carr, par. 6).

An academic paper is most often a dialogue between the writer and his or her sources. If you learn to quote, paraphrase, summarize, and document sources correctly, you will be well on your way to becoming a successful college student.

This short introduction presents only the basic concepts of MLA documentation. You will need access to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Paper or Quick Access which covers the system in more detail.

Negotiating VoicesIn the “Practice with Sources” activity, your students practiced selecting useful and interesting material,

Writing RhetoricallyPrewritingWRITING ASSIGNMENTWith the vast influence of social media, the rising popularity of online shopping, and the personal connection many people have with their phones and computers, it is clear why this stage of human history is called the Information Age or the Digital Age. The Internet has become a vital part of our lives. With ever-increasing dependence and use of the Internet through phones and computers, more and more personal data is being made available online. Some corporations, governments, and other third-party groups have begun tracking data in order to provide consumers personalized services and advertisements. This topic is controversial, and it is essential for Internet consumers to understand what is happening. In order for you to be a well-informed citizen, you will be analyzing this topic by writing a compare and contrast essay.

Now that you have read three articles on the topic, “Tracking Is an Assault on Liberty, With Real Dangers” by Nicholas Carr, “Internet, Economy and Privacy” by Anil Dagar et al, and “Why Consumers are Increasingly Willing to Trade Data for Personalization” by Grace Nasri, it is time to apply the information you have learned. This is a complex topic, and there are a number of advantages and disadvantages to this data collection, which comes in many ways and forms. For this assignment, you will be writing a two- to three-page essay in which you compare and contrast the benefits and drawbacks of individuals having their data tracked and decide what should be done in terms of regulating tracking or letting it continue as is. You need to use two of the three articles we have read for this assignment, with the Nicholas Carr article being required. You can select one of the other two to use for your paper. Be sure to use specific examples from the articles as evidence to support the main points of comparison. The essay should have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, as well as be well-developed and organized in a logical fashion.

Reading the AssignmentActivity: Analyzing the Assignment

Complete a Do/What chart for the prompt you have chosen to help clarify directions. To create a “Do/What Chart,” draw a T-graph in your notes, labeling the left side “Do” and the right side “What.” Then list verbs from the prompt in the “Do” column and the objects of those verbs in the “What” column.

Revising the DraftActivity 1Have students print out this peer review handout and use it for class. This is meant to be used on second drafts after they have produced a first draft. This handout makes them consider global issues in revising rhetorically regarding organization and use of sources, specifically.

Name of Peer Reviewer:_________________________Name of Student Writer:_________________________Date Reviewed:____________

Directions: Write all answers on a separate piece of paper and number them. Have a copy of the research paper prompt handy.

1. Group: As a group, discuss some of the problems unique to this topic in maintaining a healthy balance between privacy/private interests and open access/public interests (e.g. Where must the line be drawn between maintaining privacy for the individual while still protecting citizens?). Also, write down a question you’d like to ask the class and myself about the paper (we’ll get back to this later).

2. Student Writer: Read through your paper once. On a separate paper, list (a) what you believe your strengths are on this draft, (b)what you want your reviewer to specifically assess this time and why, and (c) what you changed since the last draft in three columns as shown below.What I changed Strengths Review this

3. Student Writer : Highlight your thesis statement. Then, write a reverse outline of your paper. Construct the outline by listing the main idea of each paragraph in your draft on a separate page and numbering each one. If a paragraph's topic sentence provides a concise version of the paragraph's main idea, you can copy that sentence into the outline. Otherwise, write a one-sentence summary to express the main point of the paragraph. Leave space for four lines below each paragraph number and label each line with a letter “a-d.” Highlight your topic sentences.

4. Student Writer: After finishing the outline, write anything you may have left out from part two. Now, trade papers with your partner and spend some time discussing your strengths, what you want them to review and why, and what you have changed since the last draft before they start reading. Reviewer should make notes on the writer’s paper about what is being asked.

5. Peer Reviewer: Read once and write a sentence describing your initial response6. Peer Reviewer: Read through reverse outline and make a specific comment on the organization of the

paper (should they rearrange the paragraphs, remove any, add any? Explain why or why not).7. Peer Reviewer: Answer the questions from the reverse outline for each paragraph.

a) Does every paragraph relate back to the thesis in some way? How?b) Does the paragraph repeat one idea? If yes, should they be combined or should one be revised?c) Does the paragraph juggle several main ideas? If so, where should it be divided? Why?d) Is the paragraph too long or too short? If too short, how can your peer develop it? Write here and on the essay.

8. Peer Reviewer: What kind of hook does the author use in the intro (statistic/quote/short story/dramatic statement, other ______________)?

9. Peer Reviewer: Does the intro transition into the thesis statement or is it made abruptly? How?Look back at the prompt. Does the thesis statement in some form present an argument illustrating the privacy problems associated with the topic and what is necessary to maintain a healthy balance between the interests of the private individual and public interests? If yes, how? If not, is the thesis too vague, too specific?

10. Peer Reviewer: Highlight every time the author uses a direct quote or paraphrase. For each citation, evaluate whether ICE was used effectively. Write directly on paper here? Are minimum 7 sources used?a) Is the author introduced (full name and title of work the first mention)?b) Did your peer use a parenthetical citation for each citation?c) Is the quote or paraphrase explained and tied back to the main idea of the paragraph?

11. Peer Reviewer and Student Writer: Go through all the comments you made on the paper and ask your peer if you addressed the questions they had at the beginning and give any additional feedback. Ask the class your group question(s).