CS323: Social Computing

Spring 2023

Schedule Instructors and TAs Policies

Welcome to CS323

Social Computing systems connect us to our closest friends, and globally to people all over the world. In recent decades, companies like Facebook, Snapchat, and even Amazon, have reshaped our social environments. All of these systems, at their core, are designed to facilitate interactions between people. What design decisions shape these systems? Students will learn the theoretical foundations of Social Computing drawn from the Social Sciences, and will learn software prototyping and design techniques to create new systems. This class will explore topics such as identity, anonymity, reputation, moderation, crowdsourcing, and social algorithms. Students will work in teams to design, prototype, and build social computing systems.

Learning goals:

  • Understand the social science theories that are the foundation of Social Computing
  • Design and prototype new social computing systems
  • Understand the issues and implications of online social systems
  • Build the core technical components of social systems