Mechanics and Introduction

Tom Kelliher, CS 102

Jan. 23, 1998

Outline:

1. Syllabus.

2. Communication tools.

3. A behind-the-scenes look.

4. Connecting to the Internet.

Assignment:

1. On Monday, be ready to login and go. Let me know now if that's a problem.

Notes on the Syllabus

1. Objectives:
   1. Communicating through Computing.

   2. Cyberfluency: taking advantage of Internet resources; being an active participant. Establishing your independence and comfort with computing.

   3. Finding and evaluating information.

   4. Quickly getting to Web page design.

   5. Examining the relationship between society and technology.

   6. Getting our hands on technology.

2. Internet resources.

3. Late assignment policy.

4. Missed quizzes policy.

5. Class preparation.

6. Topic outline and its relationship to semester project. Possibilities for Other topics: what would you like?

Communication Tools

1. The Internet.

2. Telnet.

3. E-mail, discussion lists.

4. Ftp.

5. Chats, IRC, role-playing games.

6. USENET, bulletin boards.

7. Gopher.

8. World Wide Web.

9. The future?

A Behind-the-Scenes Look

Networks depend on many, many computers:

1. Servers --- respond to requests.

2. Clients --- make requests.

3. Routers (out-posts) --- pass requests/responses between clients and servers.

4. TCP/IP protocol.

   A specific set of rules that allow two networked computers to communicate.

5. Why is the Internet sometimes slow?

6. The ``last mile'' problem.

7. Naming:
   1. Domains: top-level and group.

   2. Host names.

   3. Service names.

Connecting to the Internet

Ethernet networks vs. modem networks.

1. Major service providers: AOL, Compuserve, Prodigy, MSN.

   Connecting to AOL. What you need:

   1. The software. How do you get that?

   2. A powerful enough computer: CPU, memory, disk storage.

   3. A fast modem.

   4. The right operating system.

   5. An access number.

   6. A credit card.

2. Internet Service Providers --- the barebones.
   1. How do I find an ISP?

   2. A powerful enough computer: CPU, memory, disk storage.

   3. A fast modem.

   4. The right operating system and software:
      1. Winsock.

      2. Internet applications: web browser, e-mail client, news reader, telnet client, ftp client, ... (How can Netscape do most of this?)

   5. An access number.

   6. A credit card.

3. ``All you can eat'' for $20.00/month.