What do we cover?

CIS 275-471

Network-based applications

IT as part of a general education began with Kemeney and Kurtz

“The average college graduate of today is almost sure to need a computer in his work twenty years from now. Therefore, we must prepare him today to use this most powerful of tools.” “Even more significant is the need for changing the attitude of the typical intelligent person towards computers. ...It is vitally important that the leaders of government, industry and education should know both the potential and limitations of the use of computers, and to be aware of the respective roles of Man and machine in the partnership.”

John G. kemeney and Thomas E. Kurtz, “The Dartmouth Time-Sharing Computing System,” Final Report to the NSF), June 1967.

What do we cover?

The skills and concepts needed for success as a student and after graduation as a professional and a citizen.

Skills and concepts

• Skills– Create content: text, image, audio, video– Develop applications on the Internet platform

• Concepts– Applications– Technology– Implications for individuals, organizations and

society

Skills and concepts

• Skills– Create content: text, image, audio, video– Develop applications on the Internet platform

• Concepts– Applications– Technology– Implications for individuals, organizations and

society

Skills: content creation

• Writing– Conversation– Concise documents– Collaborative documents

• Image, audio and video creation and editing

Jason Fried’s hiring criteriaJason Fried, founder of 37 Signals, a leading software company speaking on what he looks for in an employee. Writing ability is the most important.

• positive outlook• well rounded and flexible• quick learner• trustworthy -- will find a solution to a problem• good writer

Writing (34 sec) All five criteria (2m 42sec)

Probably the most important thing and probably one of the surprises is you have to work with people who are good writers, Jason Fried, 2005.

Skills and concepts

• Skills– Create content: text, image, audio, video– Develop applications on the Internet platform

• Concepts– Applications– Technology– Implications for individuals, organizations and

society

1979: Visicalc let users develop their own applications (and drove IT departments crazy)

The Internet is the “new spreadsheet”

• It has lowered the application development bar much further than the spreadsheet did

• One can create ad-hoc applications – a blog, social network, threaded discussion, Web site, database, image or video library, mashup, survey, etc. in a few minutes

Skills and concepts

• Skills– Create content: text, image, audio, video– Develop applications on the Internet platform

• Concepts– Applications– Technology– Implications for individuals, organizations and

society

Concepts: applications• Stand alone vs. network-based applications with pros and cons• Data type evolution – from numbers to video• Program and/or data in the cloud• Collaborative vs. personal applications• Collaboration -- synchronous vs. asynchronous, large group vs. small• Falling cost of bandwidth, storage, and processing make new applications

feasible• Falling cost and skill level for application and content creation• Long tail applications and normal vs. power distribution• Communication one-one, one-many, many-many• Data organization and retrieval – free text, tags, taxonomy, relational, semantic

Web• Identity, reputation• Social networks• Syndication• Location-aware and mobile applications• Open source• Intellectual property and copyright

Concepts: implications

• Implications for individuals

• Implications for organizations

• Implications for society

• The global diffusion of the Internet

• Telecommunication policy

Concepts: technology• Functional components of a computer system – CPU, memory, storage, I/O• Platform evolution – batch, timesharing, PC, Internet, mobile Internet• Accelerating improvement in electronic, storage and communication technology• Linear and exponential functions• Analog vs. digital data• Data types -- numbers, text, images, audio, and video• Data encoding, modulation, compression, and dynamic range• Units of measure for storage capacity and transmission speed• Client-server architecture, mashups, application programming interface• Domain name system• Circuit vs. packet switching• Rudiments of layered protocols (at least application versus the rest)• Smart vs. dumb networks• Internet vs. intranet vs. extranet• Connectivity options from home, organizations, mobile and portable, and on

backbones• Rudiments of wireless technology – power, frequency, attenuation, modulation,

antennae• Security threats and safety measures• Programming concepts – stored program, algorithmic thinking, control, etc. (Use

Scratch from MIT?)

Skills and concepts

• Skills– Create content: text, image, audio, video– Develop applications on the Internet platform

• Concepts– Applications– Technology– Implications for individuals, organizations and

society

Food for thought

1. What is the main way that the Internet affects your life? Briefly describe its impact.

2. Give an example of a change in society that will occur as the Internet expands to reach more people and speed increases.

3. Give an example of a change in business that will occur as the Internet expands to reach more people and speed increases.

4. What can you do to improve or alter a picture you have taken with a camera or phone?

5. Have you ever made an audio or video recording and posted it on the Internet? If so, briefly describe. If not, briefly describe the best video you have ever seen on the Internet.