Hey, I am having trouble creating an account for the forum. Whenever I try creating an account I get this error message "CSRF verification failed. Request aborted."

I have yet to receive approval to join the group for the forum. Has anyone else received confirmation for it yet?
And Jason, I had that problem initially as well, but then I switched browsers (Safari to Firefox) and the problem was resolved.

Am trying to join the forum but I keep getting this error message


Forbidden (403)

CSRF verification failed. Request aborted.

More information is available with DEBUG=True.

I'll check tomorrow to see if it will have been resolved

Hey Leslie, I noticed that while the discussion questions were outlined in the week two activities, they were not posted in the discussion forum. Just to get the discussion started, Ive copied and pasted the questions into the dicussion forum, under the the heading "Week Two questions." Hope thats okay!

I can't log in either, and I'm on Chrome :/

Hey everyone! There are definitely some issues with the discussion forum, at the moment. (I can't even register...) Professor Chan and I are exploring other alternatives to promote student discussion, and we will let you know very soon what we decide. It's a bit unfortunate, since this forum has worked well in the past, but alas, that is oftentimes the downfall of technology-based learning... sometimes it doen''t work as planned!

Thanks for your patience! If you CAN sign on, I would definitely encourage you to take part in whatever discussion is happening...

As Becky noted, we are still having problems with the forum software. I noticed a number of you were able to sign on. But I am still having trouble myself with some of the features. It may have to do with the browser software and it may have to do with the ":cookie" setup on your browser. I will get back asap regarding alternatives if this cannot be resolved.

Thanks for your input, guys! Yes - it appears that the forum works fine with Chrome or Firefox. Therefore, if you are using Safari or Internet Explorer, you will likely want to download an alternative browser. If you are using Chrome or Firefox and still having issues, try deleting your internet "cookies." Instructions for deleting cookies are here for firefox: http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-cookies-remove-info-websites-stored and here for Chrome: http://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=95647

Hi guys, I was able to register for the forum a while before, but when I tried logging on, it prompts me to "Apply for Membership" and no matter how many times I enter the captcha code correctly (I even used the audio function), it would not allow me to continue onto the site. I have been approved to use the site, and am using Firefox as well.

I was able to register and I now can access the forum. I use Firefox on my Macbook. :)

When I post on the Discussion Forum, can I edit what I write on a certain topic? Thanks :)

Just waiting for my approval into the forum :)

Yes I can! Thank you! :)

The importance of promoting and protecting the public sphere is something crucial to both Morsi and Shirky's focuses. Shirky talks about the environmental view of internet freedom. He claims it to be the superior to the instrumental view of internet freedom. The core of the environmental view is that the public sphere is where public opinion relies on media and communication.It stresses a way to think about social media by focusing on long-term tools that "strengthen civil society and the public sphere"(Shirky 2011) This means that positive changes that occur in a country come after the development of a strong public sphere. Support, maintenance, sustainability, and long term goals are all themes of this approach/viewpoint. Morsi also emphasizes sustainability and how the public sphere offers that, if it is developed to be strong. In his blogs, Morsi talks about social media, and how it can have a lasting impact if the public sphere is strong. Sudden masses that push for change are not sustainable, so the focus then needs to be on instilling institutions that allow for expression that is organized and can be sustained. Having the arena that allows for positive changes to happen is essential, and I take from both Morsi and Shirk, in the belief that good things come to those states that can translate passion for change into the appropriate mediums that allow for that change to occur. The need for a public sphere that reflects the diversity of the state's people is crucial for change to happen, since it could unite and offer a sense of solidarity among people.