Dissertation / BSc Project. Too many ideas, help me shortlist three?

[Rick Sanchez]

Hi Guys,

I'm in my final year at University *yay* and I am struggling to narrow my subject field. I was hoping you could help? I'm after a high 2.1 or a 1st if possible!

My BSc Project idea currently is bluetooth home automation but my lecture likes the topics with [x] next to them which is fine but I want to minimise my work load by joining both together e.g. same topic.

My Dissertation list:
- Home automation and the internet of things do they work in conjunction

- As smart technology evolves do individuals become dumber? /Throw away society created by the light bulb industry /What is smart?

- If the planets manufacturing was Interconnected would waste be non existent / Created by order over assumption [x]

- Interconnected products and advertising

- Is ownership an outdated idea? [x]

- Prosthetic devices, will they ever become mainstream?

- Smart cities. Improving the transport infrastructure

- Smart roads /Carry internet etc / Weather / Report traffic

- The dangers of the internet of things

- The Dark web. Where is it and who operates it? // Privacy and surveillance [x]

- The Internet. Are you addicted?

- Who owns your data?

- Will 3D printers replace the world's workforce?


These are my topics. If you were to choose one of the three which one would you choose and why? Obviously I'm not asking you to do my work for me, I'm merely after some direction / df expertise.

I really appreciate your input guys!

Thank you

[I Black Belt]

Your dissertation needs really to be about something that (a) you feel passionate about and (b) will hopefully contribute something to others in the future.
To be honest, the first two (X) subjects would bore me silly, but the third.. The dark web.. Mmmmm. Now that would get my creative juices flowing and thinking about that subject for a moment, I'm sure there's a few DF'ers who've been around long enough to give you some truly valuable insight into this world and send you down path's where angels fear to tread
Whatever you choose, it needs to be insightful, creative and original. if you can tick those boxes, then a 2.1 is a cert.

IBB

[ivrytwr3]

- The Dark web. Where is it and who operates it? // Privacy and surveillance [x]

Thumbs up for this one too. However, this isn't 'safe' and could lead you down a dark path, there are also so many articles, manuals etc available that research should be a doddle. I do like the sound of this topic, but i would be discussing buying weapons, drugs, ped0philia - not 'safe' for a Uni paper and may make unpleasant reading, but of course their is the flip side, so maybe a paper that agues Deep Web, good or bad?

Who and why could be interested in the Deep Web? Is the Deep Web the reign of cybercrime? Is it legal surf in anonymity?

Professionals have several advantages to surf through Deep Web and the conviction that it represents a parallel world of illicit activities is profoundly wrong.
Let’s start with the consideration that illicit activities are daily arranged on clear web such as in the Deep Web, in many cases we have read of platforms used to spread and sell malware on the ordinary web and we all know that is quite simple to find any kind of objects, also illegal, on the clear web.
But what primarily distinguishes the clear web from the Deep Web? Of course, when we speak of hidden web we can think of a dark world characterized by the possibility to surf, under specific conditions, in total anonymity. This aspect makes very desirable the Deep Web for cyber criminals that in short time is moving all their activities in the dark world.
But consider also that the Deep Web is the privileged channel used by governments to exchange documents secretly, for journalists to bypass censorship of several states and also dissidents to avoid the control of authoritarian regimes… and these are just a few samples of not illicit use of the resources of the deep web.

http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/...-deep-web.html

[Cosmicpore]

Your dissertation needs really to be about something that (a) you feel passionate about and (b) will hopefully contribute something to others in the future.

This. From experience. My BSc dissertation was pretty much chosen by my supervisor (who is a genius, so I thought it a good idea to stick with him) which was a bad idea. Boring as hell, didn't do great. My MSc thesis, however, was a project chosen by me. It was great, really interesting and relevent, I aced it. What your lecturer advises may not always be the greatest route to go down.

The safest option might be ownership, its a relevant topic with a lot of interest in the media at the moment and many case studies and examples if you needed them. Lots of arguments for and against and the topic could be written about quite well. With a good writing strategy that could get you a 1st. It would probably be extremely dull to do all the reading though.

Dark web is more exciting and definitely interesting but how suitable would it be for a thesis when criminality is so deeply intertwined with it. How much of the information that you need is readily available? What would you have to do to get your information? That would be my concern there. Can you write it up well enough?

I'm assuming its a review/dissertation that you will be doing rather than a practical research-based thesis (I.e your home automation project)?

[AspectUK]

I'd have thought Dark Web would be a no no for a University project. At my uni projects have to pass an ethics board if there's anything dodgy involved so you may have to keep it tame which could then take a lot of the enjoyment out of it.

I would also consider what your project has to do with your future employment prospects. Hardly worth doing a project if it doesn't interest you or teach you skills that you can't then take into the real world.

I project supervised a guy 2 years ago that was looking into node.js, he created a real time classroom based examination tool that pupils would login to and the teacher would be able to click on there name and watch them complete the exam in real time with a built in chat function, I'm simplifying it there .. but it was pretty awesome and his dissertation was great too. To be honest I used to dread meeting with him sometimes as it got to a point were his knowledge far exceeded mine.
He got a high first and now works for ao.com as their main javascript guy and loves his job.

I also project supervised a guy who is a drummer in a band, he saw the problems with ticket touts and set about creating a ticketless system where users could sell-on their unwanted tickets for face value - online and through an Android app. The app displayed a QR code and the doorman basically scanned it on entry. He got a first too and is now a web developer for one of the biggest bike chains in the country, not exactly his project subject area but the coding skills he learned whilst doing his project meant he was able to walk into the job within a month of finishing uni.

Home automation has been done to death I feel, but if you can see a gap or perhaps a problem with it and go about researching it and finding a solution that might work.

I always suggested that for a project students should:

Choose a subject they enjoy and want to become an expert in.
Look at the possible employment potential after it, what skills will you learn that will help you get a job?
Find a problem and set about researching it then work on the possible solution.
(if it's home automation in Bluetooth it might be a bit difficult, are you building an app? If you are, what platform are you building it for? Android? iOS? Windows? If only one of those then why that particular platform?)

I'm basing this on our unis BSc projects where they usually create an artefact and then write around 10,000 words for a dissertation over the final 3rd year.

Best of luck with your project

[Zippeyrude]

You have to do one of the items with an [x], not to follow a lecturer's advice would not be wise.

First thing is first, if you're serious about studies then aim for the best you can and apply yourself. Aim for a good 1st dammit!

The dark web subject is the clear favourite.

How many words and when is the deadline?

Having thought about the title, it isnt a straightforward piece on darkweb. I see it more about the right to privacy than a technical paper on the darkweb or blue / black hat community.

The dark web are a bunch of hidden sites, where people have exercised their right to privacy. The reasons for which may differ, but does this reason justify the right for surveillance? The good old argument between privacy and proportionality. This is in the light of the recent decision in the ECJ, deeming the data retention directive (requiring european telcos to rtetain traffic data for 6-24 months to combat serious crime or terrorism) to be invalid. The uk soon enacted new legislation to continue to provide the legal requirement for telcos to retain this whilst other countries like austria ripped up their local data retention regulations.

The european convention of human rights was created after the 2nd world war and a driver was protection from discrimination, informational self determination and simply put 'the right to be left alone' which are core notions behind privacy. how does dark web fit into these conventions and rights?

Ive done a bit of research in privacy, PM me if you want to bounce some ideas about.

[Rick Sanchez]

If I chose dark web for my dissertation what type of project could I create?

[Zippeyrude]

What's the subject or degree this falls under?

[AspectUK]

If I chose dark web for my dissertation what type of project could I create?

Not sure what your skills are but if you can code, what about creating a chat page (or something similar) that is highly encrypted so it can't be monitored by anyone and then discuss the moral and ethical sides of having something like that in the real world eg .. what it might end up being used for??

[Rick Sanchez]

Art & Technology

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[Zippeyrude]

Art & Technology

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wtf...

[Rick Sanchez]

http://digitalartandtechnology.co.uk/

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[AspectUK]

http://digitalartandtechnology.co.uk/

These types of degree always feck me off. They do students no favours whatsoever.
Your either a designer/arty type or a programmer/logical thinker, it's very rare you get students that are really good at both.

If you're not a designer then you get marked down on your design modules and if you're not a programmer you suffer in the programming modules but also suffer in your final year project because they expect something of BSc standard eg programming or really technical. So your final degree classification is pretty much bollocks.

Hats off to you if you get a first, I'm sure you'll have earned it.

[Rick Sanchez]

I've learnt nothing in three years :/

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[Rick Sanchez]

Bump

Thanks for your input guys, I have chosen the Dark Web. Do you have any suggestions on projects that I can create?

[ivrytwr3]

http://ai.arizona.edu/research/terror/

http://www.springer.com/computer/dat...-1-4614-1556-5

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28447023

http://readwrite.com/#!/2008/02/14/s...g_the_dark_web

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/10...ber-terrorism/

http://www.eisic.org/eisic2011/hchen.aspx

I love terrorism - it keeps me in a job! And as a project, it is very current.

[Rick Sanchez]

Thank you I need to think of a BSc project now!

Maybe a dark web torrent website or a dark reddit clone about downloading, terrorism etc? What do you think?