The document outlines the schedule and content for a technology specialism course, including presentations by students on feature writing and issues in technology. It discusses different types of technology features such as analysis, profiles, and reviews. It provides guidance on researching and writing features, emphasizing focusing narrowly, using data and quotes to support points, and choosing anecdotes carefully. The document presents brief overviews of the issues of piracy and privacy in technology at the beginning of 2010, how new technologies have challenged business models and shifted piracy methods, and debates around enforcement versus new business models for piracy, and concerns with data collection, security and control for privacy.

1. Technology specialism
Week seven: feature writing & issues in technology

2. The second half of the course
Today Feature writing & issues in technology; Presentations - Tom and
Vikki
February 4 Building contacts; presentations - Helena, Jordan & Noemi
February 11 PR visit - Sony PlayStation
February 18 Interviewing; presentations - Sophie & Martin
February 25 Press conference
March 4 Reviewing; presentations - Zeenat & Laurie

3. Today’s agenda
• About features
• Researching a feature
• Writing a feature
• The issues: piracy
• The issues: privacy
• Exercise

4. Feature writing

5. The most common tech features
• Analysis
• Backgrounder
• Lifestyle feature
• Interview
• Profile
• Investigation
• Column
• Preview
• Review

6. But for our purposes...
• Analysis
• Backgrounder
• Lifestyle feature
• Interview
• Profile
• Investigation
• Column
• Preview
• Review

7. Researching a feature

8. Reading books, magazines, the internet

9. Making calls to people who know

10. Experience which you’ll get

11. Writing a feature

12. Writing a feature
• 1,000 words is not a lot. If you’re struggling to meet the word count, then
you have nowhere near enough material
• A key starting point will be what to leave out but your research won’t be
wasted - it will inform everything you write
• Keep your focus narrow; don’t try to include too much
• Data is important: how much? how many? since when?
• Use quotes from experts to support what you’re saying but don’t be afraid
to paraphrase when necessary; use assertions sparingly
• Anecdotes are good but they take up space: choose them carefully

13. The brief
Provide an overview of the state of
a) piracy or
b) privacy
at the beginning of 2010. How did we get here, what are the issues defining
the current landscape and what are the key challenges facing us. Most
importantly: where are we going next?
Target publication: Wired

14. The issues: piracy

15. “The day may not be far off when no one need
purchase books.”
Melville Nimmer, UCLA law professor,
warning about the photocopier in 1972

16. “The VCR is to the American film producer and the
American public as the Boston Strangler is to the
woman home alone.”
Jack Valenti, President of the MPAA, 1982

18. The issues
• A tension between new technology and old business models
• A shift from Napster to peer-to-peer to torrents
• Carrot and stick: enforcement versus new business models

19. The issues: privacy

20. “If you have something that you don’t want anyone
to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the
first place.”
Eric Schmidt, Google

21. Lots of people have your data...

22. The issues
• Trading information for services
• Data security
• Who controls your data?

23. And now... an exercise