Development Notes: The Features page is intended to combine glassary and help functions. In its finished state it will provide meanings of terms and explanations of each of the possible activities within this CFH.

Features

Cases [back to top]	Cases are specific examples provided to probe the many concepts and issues involved in privacy in the digital age. As a learner, you should regard a given case as the starting point for your own investigation.
	This case explores government efforts to enact legislation protecting individual privacy on the Internet.
	This case explores potential privacy problems and proposed solutions engendered by chidren's use of the Web.
	This case explores the idea of a National Identity Card to be carried by some or all U.S. citizens.
	This case explores the corporate presence on the Web and its ramifications with regard to individual privacy.
	This case looks at the Platform for Privacy Preferences Project (P3P) undertaken by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
	This case explores the alleged importance of personal information to the e-economy.
	As a learner, you have the option of adding a new case to initiate further exploration of privacy on the Web. This button will take you to a form page where you will be asked to provide a title, the body text, related links, and at least two additional perspectives. You will also be asked to indicate which themes are pertinent to your new case.
Communicate [back to top]	Sharing your ideas with others is an important learning strategy. Learners, instructors and experts in the field have access to this discussion forum.
	Use the Thesis button to create a starting point for discussion. Your thesis may be an original idea, supported by logic and evidence from your research, or it may be a direct quote from the materials included on the site or relevant material from your individual search (be sure to cite your source in either case).
	Use the Challenge button to argue an opposing view or different perspective realted to a particular viewpoint. Be sure to argue logically and provide rationale and evidence for your ideas.
	Use the Inquire button to ask a question of a learner, the facilitator or an expert. The question may be directly related to a proposed thesis within the forum, or it may pertain to one of the cases, perspectives, themes, or requirements.
	Use the Suggest button to refer a learner to a potential resource for additional information regarding his/her thesis. This button may also be used to suggest a pertinent learning strategy.
	Use the Support button to agree with and add additional support to a proposed thesis. Be sure to reference particular points of agreement and provide your own evidence.
Introduction [back to top]	The Home page serves as your introduction to Watchers on the Web: Privacy in the Digital Age. You will find a bit of background, some current concerns regarding privacy in the Digital Age, and a problem for you to solve.
Perspectives [back to top]	The problem of privacy on the Web is ill-structured -- that is, there are many ways of looking at the issues involved and equally numerous potential solutions. Perspectives are designed to provide you with multiple viewpoints of the same event, content, or issue.
	"Big Brother" is a metaphor for the government first used by George Orwell in his book 1984. The government perspective encompasses federal, state, and local bodies and ranges from testimony to enacted legislation.
	Private Citizen gives the perspective of the "Average American" -- a person or group of people like you and me. Included are directly quoted statements and opinions and results of reliable surveys and other forms of research conducted with random residents of this country.
	Commerce Cohort represents the perspective of businesses, corporations, and economists. E-commerce has a vested interest in the outcome of any solution to the problem of privacy on the Web.
	Legal Eagle provides the perspective of lawyers and other experts who specialize in the field of privacy law -- its enactment, its application, and its violation.
	Media Pundit offers the perspecitve, both factual and editorial, of journalists and other media commentators. Interviews are uysually classified under the perspective of the interviewee rather than the interviewer.
	Public Interest represents the viewpoints of a varietly of "watchdog" groups and organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Democracy and Technology. These perspectives are limited to nationally recognized and respected groups.
	Reliable Research presents the results of reasonably reliable and valid research efforts into the issue of privacy on the Web. Much of this research originates on University campuses or in "think tanks" dedicated to finding the facts.
	Tech Guru designates the perspective of the technological wizards -- those involved in developing the hardware and software that aggravates or ameliorates the problems surrounding privacy on the Web.
	As you explore these issues on your own, you will find additional perspectives related to our cases. you may add a perspective to any case using the Add a Perspective button. This button will access a form where you will be asked to designate the relevant case(s) and to provide the title and source, author and brief credentials (Why should we listen to this person?), and the URL for the information.
the Problem [back to top]	The Problem: Does existing U.S. policy and legislation (including the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution) provide sufficient personal privacy protection in the Digital Age? If so, how are we protected and why is this sufficient? If not, what changes and/or additions would you recommend and why?
Record and Reflect [back to top]	Learning is enhanced by recording you ideas and reflecting upon your own thinking and understanding. This area of the site is provided for your personal use and is password protected. only you and your instructor/facilitator will have access to your records and reflections.
	Use the Record button to indicate notes -- either copied and cited directly from information sources or paraphrased and cited. Be sure to record the date of each entry.
	Use the Reflect button to indicate your personal thoughts and understandings of the subject matter and of your own learning. Include insights and "aha" ideas, as well as questions and confusions for further consideration.
Resources [back to top]	Additional resources are provided for your exploration. Resources are grouped by dominant theme, but additional related themes and cases are also listed (and linked where applicable).
	If you find another relevant resource, please add it to our Resource page for the use of other learners. The Add a Resource button will access a form where you will be asked to designate the relevant case(s) and to provide the title and source, author and brief credentials (Why should we listen to this person?), and the URL for the information.
Themes [back to top]	Cases from apparently diverse content areas are often connected by similar threads of thought and belief. Themes represent the overarching ideas, topics, points of view, and perceptions that run through and connect our cases. In Watchers on the Web, themes also serve to organize the additional sources of information offered on the Resources page and the buttons here are linked to those lists. Looking over the related resources will also help to clarify a given theme.
	Personal Privacy connects the various ideas and beliefs about privacy as a right and/or a privilege afforded to Americans and poses questions about who should assume the responsibility for privacy on the Web, is it indeed a right guaranteed to us by the Founding Fathers, and should we lean toward legislation or self-regulation? How much information is out there?
	Individual Protection looks at privacy violations translated to cybercrime directed against individuals -- the case provided focuses on such crimes against children.
	National Security looks at the need to protect our citizens as a whole -- for example, from terrorist attacks such as the destruction of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2002. Specifically, questions regarding the surrender of privacy in return for enhanced security are asked.
	Policy and Legislation follows the thread of existing and proposed legislation regarding privacy on the Web -- the pros, the cons, the advocates and the dissenting opinions.
	Economic Implications run through nearly all discussions of privacy protection on the Web, and this theme follows personal information as a type of currency for business and other needs.
	Advancing technology brings both improvement and trouble to our daily lives. Thsi theme traces the various technological developments ( now and on the horizon) that enable both the invasion of personal privacy via the Internet and the prevention of such intrusions.
	As you pursue your own study of privacy on the Internet, you may find additional ideas that "pop up" again and again throughout the domain. Add a Theme allows you to share your discovery with other learners. The button will access a form where you will be asked to title and describe the new theme and designate which cases are related. Your propsed theme will also be added to the Resources page.