The Law and Policy of Web 2.0: Much Old, Some New, Lots Borrowed, So Don't Be Blue

Social networking sites and other Web 2.0 technologies offer rich tools for creation, collaboration, and community building. As such they have generated great excitement among faculty, staff, and students as they explore incorporating these technologies into their teaching and learning. Some of the most compelling features of these technologies—how quickly and easily materials can be shared and repurposed, how large and fluid Internet communities tend to be, how many cheap third-party services are available—are the same ones that raise questions about whether and how law and policy affect how we use these technologies in support of learning.

Beth Cate will review and answer questions commonly asked by faculty, staff, and university attorneys and talk about why, although technologies are continually evolving, the relevant legal and policy principles are generally quite familiar and not scary. She will highlight a few new wrinkles and some unknowns and offer practical strategies for maintaining good communications with your campus counsel as you and your institution navigate these promising new technologies and look ahead to Web 3.0.