FAQ for the book CyberlawFrequently asked questions (FAQ) for the book Cyberlaw: Law for Digital Spaces and Information Systems by John Bandler

By John Bandler

This page provides FAQ and responses regarding my book and online course on policies and procedures.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1. FAQ about the book, course, resources

1.1 Where can I buy the book?

Nowhere yet! I am still writing it. Planning a publication of the softcover on January 7, 2025.

Once available, the book can be purchased on Amazon, available in either paperback, hardcover, or ebook format.

1.1.1 When will the book be available?

The paperback will be available January 7, 2025. (Did that sound very confident? I think I can do it)

1.2 Do you have an online course at Udemy to parallel the book?

Yes I do! For now it is a mini course, just under 2 hours so I could offer it for free. You can enroll and pay nothing. If I build it out into a paid course, you retain access.

See my main Udemy page here on this website, check for coupon codes there and elsewhere, and get look for the best deal before you buy.

My tentative plan is to build the course out to parallel the book, one video for each chapter, then it will be longer and cannot be free (since it will exceed 2 hours).

1.3 Do you have a cyberlaw book resources page?Resources and Links for the book Cyberlaw: Law for Digital Spaces and Information Systems, by John Bandler

Yes I do! It has a lot of helpful free resources and references, useful whether you have the book or online course or neither. The book is well referenced and cited, but I still had more references than I could possibly include (it would have made the book unwieldy like an encyclopedia) so the book resources pages are a good place for the extras.

See my cyberlaw book main resources page.

1.4 Do you have a current or sample cyberlaw related course reading list/syllabus for a college course, or graduate level course, or law school course that I could review?

Yes I do, you can see the below, and for your course, consider the audience and how to customize, for example:

  • Undergraduate, graduate, or law school? The book can work for all.
  • Some student groups may already have a foundation in a certain area (law, or technology, etc.)
  • Some student groups may be unfamiliar with law, or with technology
  • Adjust the coverage accordingly. Higher levels are expected to be able to read more and grasp more complex concepts, thus go faster and cover deeper. Lower levels and some students may need to go slower, perhaps gloss over some of the nuances.

Here are some samples and the main resource page:

1.5 I have the printed version of the book, but I cannot click on those links in the [paper] book. Is there a quick way to access those links (and the chapter questions)?

Great question. It is very hard to click on links in a paper book, some say impossible.

See the QR code at the end of each chapter, leading you to that chapter's reference page.

Or just start at the main cyberlaw book resources page.

1.6 I hear this book is about 500 pages! That's really thick, isn't that too much for me to read?

Not really, and it is all solid content at a very reasonable price, well-organized, and a breezy understandable read. Don't be intimidated by a page count, you can handle this.

The book has a compact page size (6"x9"), with comfortable font, paragraph spacing, margins, many diagrams, and other formatting that leaves room for notes and allows for quick reading. References and vignettes are in the footnotes and you can skip those if you like.

It is definitely longer than I originally planned, covering more areas of law and in greater depth.

Almost all students need the introductory law material that I included (rather than requiring a reader to purchase two books).

1.6 This book has over 40 chapters? Isn't that too many?

Not really, because each chapter covers a discrete topic, and no chapter is very long. You can pick the chapters you want to read (or use for your course) or just read through them all. You may be surprised how quickly the chapters go. Also, I numbered the "back matter" (material at the end of the book) because I like it that way (most publishers don't do that).

Many academic course books are 14 chapters -- one chapter per week of a semester -- but that can be an artificial way to organize a topic, and that means some of those chapters can be very long and covering topics together that might not go well together.

This book is organized just the way I wanted it, nice and modular.

1.7 This book has over 500 footnotes plus other references! Isn't that too many?

Don't worry, you can skip over the footnotes and references if you want. The basic information is there for you in the main text with simple clear writing.

The footnotes allow the reader and researcher to dig deeper into the law, cases, facts and issues (if they want). This means you have the next research and investigation steps laid out for you.

Also note that my footnotes are consecutive throughout the book, they never restart, and that is helpful and you'll never mix them up. Since they are footnotes (not endnotes) the reference is there for you on that same page, no flipping through pages.

Also, there are individual chapter reference webpages, with a compilation of those references, plus even more.

1.8 This book doesn't cover X, and it covers Y too quickly

There is only so much I can cover, in a certain level of detail, and fit it into a book. As it is, this book is pretty robust and long, and at the practical limit of how long it could be, at about 120,000 words and 500 pages.

If you want or need more, start by reading the references cited.

1.9 This book covers things I already know - or covers things too simply

Every reader is different, coming to the book with different existing knowledge. If some things seem basic for you, I guarantee there is plenty of material to learn, nuances to conquer, plus the additional references. Also, part of my goal is to break extremely complex legal areas into simple components, so maybe some things seem simple on the surface, but don't forget to explore further layers of complexity.

1.10 Wow, you took complex topics and concepts and simplified them nicely, and also showed the path to deeper learning

Thank you!

1.11 This book it better than other books five times it's price, can I send you some extra money?

No need, just an expression of appreciation or excellent review will suffice!

1.12 Can I use your Cyberlaw book as a coursebook for my students?

Yes, absolutely. You would tailor the coverage of the book to your course, and your students, covering certain areas quickly, and others in more depth.

It is not a traditional coursebook, and I think that is a good thing for students. Feel free to contact me and see this article (coming soon).

2. FAQ on cyberlaw - Detailed questions

Your question on a cyberlaw specific?

If you have a question, let me know.

Disclaimer

Just because a question is listed here does not mean it is really "frequently asked" or that it was ever asked.

Links

This page is hosted at https://johnbandler.com/cyberlawbook-faq, copyright John Bandler, all rights reserved.

Originally posted 8/22/2024.  Updated 12/18/2024.