CS 795/895 - Web Archiving Forensics

Fall 2020

CRNs: 21725 and 21726

Instructor: Michael L. Nelson <mln@cs.odu.edu>
                http://www.cs.odu.edu/~mln/

Office Hours: W, 3:00-4:00 and by appointment

Time: R 4:20 - 7:00 pm

Place: ECS, r. 3102 and online

The veracity of information on the web and social media is of
increasing concern, especially in light of recent developments in
foreign disinformation campaigns to influence elections and questions
about whether public figures actually said what may be attributed
to them*.  Digital information is easy to manipulate, copy, and
delete, but web archives offer a trusted method for timestamping
the appearance of web pages and their contents.  We will investigate
how web archives can be used to establish the priority of information,
as well as how they can be hacked or used to obfuscate the provenance
of falsified content.  The class will consist of exploring web
archiving mechanics and protocols, reviewing prior research, and
class projects that implement and and replicate current issues
involving web archives.

The class will consist of a mix of presentation and review of the
research results of others, as well as original, project-based work.

Prerequisites: Graduate standing or instructor permission, familiarity with Unix

Attendance Policy: Attendance is required for class participation,
presentation, and discussion.  Absences must cleared with the instructor
prior to class.  You are responsible for everything that is said, 
discussed, and presented during class.


Grading: 

   The class grade will consist of 4 Assignments of 20 points each,
   and the remaining 20 points will be based on class and online
   participation.  Each assignment will be presented/demoed in
   class.  Late assignments lose 3 points for every 24 hours they
   are late unless prior arrangements are made with the intstuctor.
   Readings and assignment descriptions will be released on a rolling
   basis during the semester.

   Grading Scale:
	A  = 100-94
	A- = 93-90
	B+ = 89-88
	B  = 87-84
	B- = 83-80
	C+ = 79-78
	C  = 77-74
	C- = 73-70
	F  = 69-00

Class Web Page:

   https://github.com/phonedude/cs895-f20

Class Email List:

   http://groups.google.com/group/cs895-f20/
   You need to register yourself to this list.

Class Textbook:

   None.  Class readings will be posted on the class web page.

ODU Honor Code:

  Please familiarize yourself with the ODU Honor Code:

  https://www.odu.edu/about/monarchcitizenship

  especially resources pertaining to plagiarism and academic integrity:

  https://graduate.cs.odu.edu/resources/academic-integrity/

The following statements apply to this class and come from:

  https://odu.edu/facultystaff/teaching/conduct-integrity

  Old Dominion University is committed to students' personal and
  academic success. In order to achieve this vision, students,
  faculty, and staff work together to create an environment that
  provides the best opportunity for academic inquiry and learning.
  All students must be honest and forthright in their academic
  studies. Your work in this course and classroom behavior must
  align with the expectations outlined in the Code of Student
  Conduct, which can be found at www.odu.edu/oscai. The following
  behaviors along with classroom disruptions violate this policy,
  corrupt the educational process, and will not be tolerated.

  Cheating: Using unauthorized assistance, materials, study aids,
  or other information in any academic exercise.

  Plagiarism: Using someone else’s language, ideas, or other original
  material without acknowledging its source in any academic exercise.

  Fabrication: Inventing, altering or falsifying any data, citation
  or information in any academic exercise.

  Facilitation: Helping another student commit, or attempt to commit,
  any Academic Integrity violation, or failure to report suspected
  Academic Integrity violations to a faculty member.

  Academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of Student
  Conduct & Academic Integrity and may result in sanctions up to
  and including expulsion from the University.