CS/IT 285L

Due to scheduling and project updates, Day 25 (Tuesday, April 30) is no longer an obligatory participation grade day. Instead, it will become the first of 3 optional final paper workshop days. The last participation grade entered into Blackboard will be Day 24, based on participation today, April 25. No grades will be entered for Day 25 for this course.

Students who did not attend class today, April 25, should complete their course evaluations on their own time. Students who are doing the final paper can, but are not obligated to, attend workshops during normal class time on:

Tuesday, April 30

Thursday, May 2

Tuesday, May 7

Since these days are optional, I will only be in the classroom if students are. If at the beginning of class time no students are present, I will cancel the session. Similarly, if students arrive on time and get the help they need and then leave, I won’t stay for the entire class time.

Hi everyone,

Let me address some emailed questions I get at the end of every semester.

Will I round up your grade?

No. No grades will be rounded. The university grade scale applies, which states that 79.99 will be recorded as a C+.

Can I please just this once give you more points so you can get the next letter grade?

No. Asking anyone for a grade you didn’t earn is not a good look. Asking your ethics professor shows you did not learn much from this course.

I do not “give” grades. I keep track of your scores and progress throughout the semester. Asking me to arbitrarily change that score after all the work is done makes no sense.

Can you redo assignments or turn in assignments that you didn’t do the first chance you had? Can I change a grade from one of your earlier assignments to boost your average?

No. The policies regarding late work and grade disputes are in the syllabus and on this site; they do not change at the end of the year, regardless of your score.

When will I post grades?

As soon as I can, but there’s no set date other than the university deadlines.

I hope I have sufficiently addressed these points here, so please do not send me emails asking questions like these. Of course, if you have other questions, ask away.

Hi all,

Nice work today (Day 21). As discussed, I have updated the slides for today with the clearer Therac-25 definition and extra visual aid that were shown in class.

11:00am section only: I was mistaken about the fate of Vitaly Kaloyev. In fact, he won an award from his regional employer. I apologize for the mistake.

Attorney General Andrea Campbell will be on campus to talk about AI and Civil and Consumer rights; Tuesday April 16 at 1pm!

https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20240408/ca/e6/74/c4/cc19f87ed1b9f83b8ef63fd8/24.229_fireside_chat_AG_Andrea_Campbell_v7_44_.pdf

Brainhack Boston will be hosted at UMB this year (previously at MIT)! April 22 and 23.

4/23 is a class day, so if you don’t attend my class be sure to catch up.

https://brainhack-boston.github.io/

From the midterm page! .

As mentioned on the syllabus, you can bring up to 30 pages of numbered unique handwritten notes to this exam. One physical page with two sides counts as one – that is, you can write on the back of each page and have it still count as one page.

Please number the pages of your handwritten notes in the top right corner.

Please limit the number of pages that you bring to class to 30. It is strongly encouraged, though not required, to minimize the time it takes for me to approve your notes by removing them from extraneous material, spirals, binders, etc. All typed material should also be removed from the papers you bring to class.

You can speed up the note-checking process before the exam by fanning out your notes for approval, like this:

Make sure all electronic devices are off or on silent during the test; they must be inside your backpack and not on the desk or in a pocket. Smart watches may not be worn during the test.

A former student is hiring for a cybersecurity internship. Please consider applying if your average in the course is a B or better. Next steps.

Hi everyone,

Special thanks to Stewie in Section 2 for special focus on the possibilities of tracing cryptocurrency. Here are a few readings on the subject. Please note that these readings should not be used as WW topics since they do not meet the recency requirements.

From CNC intelligence

From Time magazine

The one I tried to remember in class: from Wired magazine

Great news! This course now has a supplemental instruction resource.

The instructor is undergraduate student Gaius. You can reach out to him at Gaius.Dukuly001@umb.edu with questions about assignments, terms, or anything else you need more input on. Gaius will also host in-person SI sessions at the following times and locations:

W                            02:00 PM-3:50 PM           M02-0417       

TH                           02:00 PM-3:50 PM           W01-0053          

Hi all!

Update 8:46pm on Monday, February 12: The university will be closed tomorrow. There are no online assignments or lectures. We will change the first optional day, on April 30th, to a regular class day. Day 6 will be on Thursday, February 15th; bring your Day 6 homework then. The rest of the class calendar is now updated. See you Thursday!

Notable adjustments, which you can see on the updated calendar:

• Day 8, when we sign up for project partners and dates, is now on Thursday, February 22.
• The midterm is now on Thursday, March 21.
• The final paper and weekly write-up due dates have not changed.
• April 30th is no longer optional. It’s Day 25.

Cheers,

AP