FIT 100 Fluency with Information Technology

Project 1: A Website of Misinformation

"You can fool too many of the people too much of the time" -- James Thurber

Honest Effort

This assignment will be checked against all of the other lab section assignments as well as all past quarter INFO/CSE 100 assignments for plagiarism.  An advanced client-server plagiarism-detection software application will be used to assist in the discovery of such "assignment collaboration".  This class has a 0 tolerance policy on cheating.

Preparation

You are required to have completed Lab 3 and Lab 4 before starting this assignment.
You are also required to have read the following before starting this assignment.

Fluency with Information Technology (by Lawrence Snyder)

Objectives

By the end of the Unit I project, you will be able to:

• design and implement a Web site using HTML;
• manipulate a photograph in Adobe Photoshop;
• experience firsthand the ease with which "misinformation" can be made available online;
• become aware of and systematically explore the "cues" viewers may use to assess the content of a Web site;
• conduct user testing to evaluate your Web site;
• reflect on the challenges of misinformation online; and
• become an appropriately cautious user of online information.

Project Overview

For this project your challenge is to create a Web site of "misinformation," or missing information, that appears as authentic as possible to the user. While the content of your Web site will be questionable, everything else about your Web site should convey the opposite. Basically you will be creating a Web site that has false claims, yet contains information that appears as authentic as possible to a user. The only limitations to your topics are these:

• The topic must be one in which misinformation could present serious difficulties to those who believed it. For example, a site about a new drug that will reduce all effects of sun and help the user avoid skin cancer completely.
  
  
• The topic must be one on which people will not already have a strong opinion or extensive knowledge that would tip them off. For example, a site that claims that smoking has never had any negative effects on the population. (However, you might be able to make a convincing argument if you pull a number of statistics and tobacco company reports to support a lesser claim.)

• The content of your Web site of misinformation should permit comfortable viewing by everyone. If you're unsure about the "tastefulness" of particular content, talk to your professor or TA, or choose something else.
  
  
• Do not violate any rules/policies as stated in the University Computing Policies: http://www.washington.edu/computing/rules/
  
  
• Please avoid the following topics:
  • September 11th
  • Past presidential elections
  • War in Iraq
  • All types of discrimination (ethnic, gender, religious, etc).
  • Attacks on private persons

Your misinformation Web site could be about:

• Lunar ruins newly uncovered.
• A new human gene that is discovered.
• Permanent inoculation against computer viruses, to be taken by the user.
• Move a well-known landmark (e.g., Eiffel Tower) to a different cityscape (e.g. Seattle) and create a visitor’s site for that landmark!
• Another Martian pyramid discovered.
• Translator developed for Dolphin speech.
• Create a home page for a fictitious product, company, special interest group, city, or school.
• Yet another scandal involving a public person (No private persons may be used for this project.)
• Yet another conspiracy theory.
• Anything else that you find interesting!

Important: Pick a topic that interests you. The world is your oyster!

Overall Project Steps

The project consists of two parts with separate turn-in dates. In Part 1A, you will plan the Web site, assemble the raw materials, and describe your plan.  In Part 1B, you will write your web pages, produce modified images, and test the effectiveness of your Web site.

Part 1A:  Plan your misinformation Web site (50 points)

• Decide on a topic for your misinformation site.  (Keep in mind that you will have to include a manipulated photo.)
• Think of what misinformation you will have and how to convey it.
• Locate an image or images that you'll modify.  Each can be either an image found online, or your own photo taken with digital camera or scanned in, or a photo from some other source.
  • Wikipedia provides many links to public domain photos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Public_domain_image_resources
  • Explore "copyleft" images at http://yotophoto.com
    
• Satisfy copyright requirements for use of the images.
  

Project 1B:  Create and test the misinformation Web site (100 points)

• Modify the image(s).
• Create text to support your modified image(s).
• Combine your image(s) and text together to convey information that appears authentic as possible.
• Test your site with 2 individuals to determine how successful you are at conveying your misinformation.
• Report the results of your tests.
• Discuss the issue of online misinformation.
  

Detailed Project Steps

Project 1A: (50 points)

ONLINE DUE DATE for Project 1A: Wednesday, January 30 before 11:00 pm

• Locate 1 to 5 appropriate images, or take photos yourself.  Note that you will have to get permission to use copyrighted work, so if you want to use something that will require asking for permission, start right away!  You don't want to do a lot of work, and then get back a "no" answer (or not get back an answer, which is equivalent to "no").  See the copyright requirements just below before deciding what images to use.
  
  
• Within your "fit100" directory in your Dante web space (public_html or student_html), create a directory titled "project1A".
  
  
• In that directory, create a web page called "project1A.html" (6 points). This web page must include (does not have to be in this particular order):

a) Descriptive page title (i.e. the text in the title in the head of the web page) and main heading (i.e. enclosed in an h1, h2, etc. tag).  (4 points)

b) One paragraph describing what the topic of your misinformation Web site will be.  (6 points)

c) 2-3 pictures (.jpeg, .jpg, .bmp, .gif, various formats etc.).  These images will include:

d) One paragraph citing the source of the original image(s) and your permission or legal rights to use the image(s).  There are three cases, each with different requirements.  If you are using images from several sources, you may have to use different procedures to get the legal right to use each image.

e) One paragraph describing how you plan to manipulate the image(s), and what you plan to use it(them) for.  (6 points)

f) Your site must be valid according to the XHTML 1.0 Transitional Rules. The W3C MarkUp Validation Service Web site can be found here: http://validator.w3.org  Include the validation icon on your page. Make sure that the regular-credit validation points at XHTML 1.0 transitional DOCTYPE and the extra-credit points at XHTML 1 Strict. (10 points)

g) For extra credit, validate your site according to the XHTML 1.0 Strict Rules, using the same validation service as in section f. You will need to replace the DOCTYPE, which is the two lines in red, as shown here. Revalidate at http://validator.w3.org. (10 points)

• The files listed above should be accessible when viewed via a browser at the following URL (where "UWNetID" is replaced by your UWNetID): http://students.washington.edu/UWNetID/fit100/project1A
  
  
• Create a Word document with your name, UW NetID, Student ID number, Lab section, and the full URL for your web pages.
  
  
• Submit the Word document only via Catalyst (see "Turn-in Procedure" below).
  

Project 1B: (100 points)

(ONLINE DUE DATE for Project 1B: Thursday, February 7, before 11:00 pm)

• Modify your images to convey the deception you planned.  Use Adobe Photoshop or other image manipulation software.
  
  
• Within your "fit100" directory in your Dante web space (public_html or student_html), create another directory titled "project1B".
  
  
• In that directory, create a file called "project1B.html".  (6 points)  This will be your actual misinformation web page.  The page must include (does not have to be in this particular order):

a) Descriptive page title and main heading.  (4 points)

b) Your modified images (at least 2 of them - not one image that combines two images - your finished page should include two images, each of which has been modified. For example, you may have started with four images and combined them so now there are two modified images on your page.).  (6 points)

c) Two paragraphs supporting your story of misinformation.  The text should reinforce the authenticity of your image(s).  (6 points)

d) At least 3 working links to other Web sites that "support" the misinformation on your page.  For instance, if you are doing a webpage on the discovery of alien life forms on Mars, you may want to include a site such as http://www.nasa.gov.  Be creative here, and try to find links that really make your webpage look authentic and credible.  (6 points)

e) Working link to your disclaimer page (which will be described later).  (3 points)

• Make your misinformation Web site look as authentic as possible.  How well you manipulate your image(s) and the quality of your content will affect how believable your site is.
  
  On your misinformation page, do not include your "bogus" logo, the original unmanipulated image(s), or the copyright information about the unmanipulated image(s). They will be in the disclaimer page described next.
  
  
• Create a file called "disclaimer.html" that includes the following (does not have to be in this particular order):  (6 points)

a) Descriptive title and main heading.  (3 points)

b) Additional information CLEARLY stating that the misinformation page contains false information.  (3 points)

c) A working link back to your misinformation page.  (3 points)

d) Images that demonstrate and acknowledge the deception:

e) One paragraph citing the source of the original images and permission / legal rights to use them, along with any required text or links that must be included with the images.  See the requirements for getting permission to use images given in part 1A (section d) -- include the same information and links here.  (6 points -- point breakdown is same as in part 1A section d)

f) One paragraph explaining how you manipulated the images in Photoshop or other photo manipulation program.  (6 points)

g) Test your site on 2 individuals (preferably who do not know you are working on this project.) and ask them to rate you on the "Characteristics of Legitimate Sites" (In Chapter 5, pages 140-41 in the 3rd edition and page 148 in the 2nd edition). 

h) Two paragraphs discussing misinformation on the web, the ethical issues involved with misinformation on the web, and the problems that can arise due to the presence of misinformation. Things to think about or discuss:  Who is capable of doing this? Who is responsible for the information?  What should information seekers be aware of (or beware of)?  Etc.  (6 points)

i) Your site must be valid according to the XHTML 1.0 Transitional Rules. The W3C MarkUp Validation Service Web site can be found here: http://validator.w3.org  Include the validation icon on your page. Make sure that the regular-credit validation points at XHTML 1.0 transitional DOCTYPE and the extra-credit points at XHTML 1 Strict. (10 points)

j) For extra credit, validate your site according to the XHTML 1.0 Strict Rules, using the same validation service as in section f. You will need to replace the DOCTYPE, which is the two lines in red, as shown here. Revalidate at http://validator.w3.org. (10 points)

he files listed above should be accessible when viewed via a browser at the following URL (where "UWNetID" is replaced by your UWNetID): http://students.washington.edu/UWNetID/fit100/project1B

k) Create a Word document with your name, UW NetID, Student ID number, Lab section, and the full URL for your web pages.

l) Submit the Word document only via Catalyst (see "Turn-in Procedure" below).

Important

• DO NOT create any files with names that begin with "index", such as index.html, index.htm, etc. in either of the directories. Please use the exact spelling and capitalization given for the directories listed above so people (such as your TA) can find your sites easily. Other than that, filenames such as the pictures or additional html files can be whatever you choose.
  
  
• Make sure the directory and files in it all have general UNIX Read permissions (you will know if they don't when you try to look at your web page online and receive a "permission denied" message).

Turn-in procedure

You will be submitting your Project 1 files through a Catalyst turn-in. Upon submission, you will get an online receipt verifying the files you have turned in.  Please SAVE this receipt—just in case something does go wrong, you'll have proof you submitted the assignment. For each project part, please turn in only the Word document with the URLs for your project files, your name, UW NetID, Student ID No., and Lab section.

Project 1A Online Due Date: Thursday, January 31, before 11:00 pm.

• To submit, use the Catalyst Collect-It Turn-in Area on the Course Calendar and select the link for "Project 1A."

Project 1B Online Due Date: Thursday, February 7, before 11:00 pm.

• To submit, use the Catalyst Collect-It Turn-in Area on the Course Calendar and select the link for "Project 1B."

Your score will be based on:

• How well your site meets the requirements named above, in a technical / HTML sense.
• The quality of your modified image(s).
• How well your site meets the requirements for format and content. This refers to the persuasiveness and coherence of your misinformation through use of text and formatting.
• The care taken in conducting and writing up the visitor experiment, and the thoughtfulness of your discussion on the disclaimer page.
• Note that in order to be fair to students who put a lot of work into their projects, we want to reward effort, creativity, and care taken. Miminal completion of the requirements won't receive as high a score as a project that shows the results of effort. Remember: The more you do, the more you'll learn, and the easier this will become.