Vocabulary Each
writing group is responsible for turning in all sixty note cards. On
the front of the note card, write a sentence containing the word (You
may use the sentence from the book). On the back of the card, write
the correct definition of the word.Page # Word:9 surveilled |  The journal assignment for Little Brother is to respond at least five times on your personal blog. The prompts below taken from the Reader's Guide. You may also make up any prompts on your own about something you've learned, want to learn or disagree with in the book. Please make sure you copy and paste (or type) the entire journal prompt in your response, so I know which question you are answering. Your responses should be in complete sentences and somewhere between 200 and 500 words for to each journal prompt. 1. How does Marcus’s comment that he’s “one of the most surveilled people in the world” set the tone for the novel? Is the statement true? Compare the school Marcus describes in the opening chapters to your own in terms of surveillance, discipline, and student-administrator relationships. 2. In what year or decade do you think Little Brother takes place? Cite passages from the novel to support your answer. Do you think the story could happen today? Why or why not? 3. Is Marcus a good kid or a bad kid? Can he be defined by either of those terms? How might Marcus describe his code of ethics regarding being “surveyed” and his right to circumvent the efforts of the surveyors? How might you define the “moral dilemma” of reprogramming RFIDs, as explained in the novel? 4. Why do Darryl and Marcus leave school in Chapter 2 and what are the consequences? Have your seemingly harmless actions ever gotten others in trouble? How did you feel? What actions did you take as a result? 5. What is Harajuku Fun Madness? Why does Marcus trust HFM organizers, and follow their clues to real-world encounters with “enemy teams,” while he is highly suspicious of government operatives attempting to similarly control him? 6. Describe Marcus’s capture and imprisonment. What happens to Darryl? What conclusions does Marcus reach about his government and his community as a result of his imprisonment? 7. What does Marcus’s refusal to give passwords to and answer questions from government interrogators reveal about his character? How are passwords a recurring motif in the novel? 8. How does the author use Marcus’s mother and father to represent different points of view about government oversight of individuals? Which parent best represents your perspective? 9. List some of the technologies Marcus explains in the novel. How much of this information did you already know? How are the explanations in the novel similar to, or different from, your previous encounters with this information? Do you view the Internet differently after learning this information? 10. How does Marcus feel about “razorblade” corporations? Are all razorblade corporations bad? What are some of the recognizable technology companies Marcus mentions in the novel and what are his opinions of them? 11. How does Marcus use the Xbox Universal and the XNet to undermine government surveillance? How does he use the Internet to organize real-world protests? Is he surprised by the results of his actions? What are the most surprising similarities differences between an ARG crowd and a crowd in a real public space? 12. What is Bayesian probability and how does it relate to Marcus and Jolu’s strategies for safely encrypting XNet communiqués? How does Pigspleen fit into this plan? Why does this company appeal to Marcus? 13. What historical events inspire Marcus to form a protest community? Is protest the only way to determine the acceptable level of sacrificed personal freedom for the good of the nation? Cite the novel or real, historical examples in your answer. 14. Describe Marcus’s key system for creating an ever-enlarging circle of trusted community members. Is this is a good system? What are its flaws or risks? 15. Why do Van and Jolu break away from Marcus? If you had been part of Marcus’s group, would you have stuck with him? Why or why not? 16. Does the media overemphasize identity theft and internet predators while underplaying the danger of being “watched” by legal government and corporate agencies through credit card use, transportation monitoring, etc.? How has this imbalance occurred and is surveillance the greater danger? 17. “Don’t Trust Anyone Over 25” becomes an XNet motto and then a merchandized slogan. How does today’s Internet quicken public adoption of new ideas? Is this a good thing, a dangerous thing, or both? 18. How does Marcus’s physical relationship with Ange affect his actions and attitudes? Is the absence of physical contact an important consideration when studying the Internet? Do people treat others the same way in Internet conversations as they do face-to-face? If not, what are the differences? 19. Who ultimately betrays Marcus, and how and why? Whom does Marcus ultimately trust to save himself and his friends? Is this a surprising choice? What actions do Marcus and his confidantes take to help him regain a certain type of freedom? How does Marcus feel about going down this path? 20. Is widely disseminated information always less lethal than a carefully kept secret (e.g., a how-to on weapons building or an encryption method)? Is this a great paradox of the information age? 21. Marcus and his friends all seem to be quite intelligent and share a passion for figuring out how things work. Do these qualities make them safer than other characters in the world of Little Brother? Is smarter safer in general? 22. Are government attempts to “protect” citizens through surveillance ridiculous to anyone with an understanding of security technology? Would America be safer if all of its citizens learned more about the computers upon which they rely? How else could/should America be made safe? By whom? From whom? 23. What is Marcus’s job at the end of the novel? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages, satisfactions and frustrations of this job? Is it important to have people like Marcus on the Internet? Why or why not? 24. How do the afterwords affect your reading of Little Brother? Has the experience of reading this book changed your understanding of—or your standards for—security, privacy, and freedom? If so, how?
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