Understanding Computers and the Internet

Course Description

This course is all about understanding: understanding what's going on inside your computer when you flip on the switch, why tech support has you constantly rebooting your computer, how everything you do on the Internet can be watched by others, and how your computer can become infected with a worm just by turning it on. In this course we demystify computers and the Internet, along with their jargon, so that students understand not only what they can do with each but also how it all works and why. Students leave this course armed with a new vocabulary and equipped for further exploration of computers and the Internet. Topics include hardware, software, the Internet, multimedia, security, website development, programming, and dotcoms. This course is designed both for those with little, if any, computer experience and for those who use a computer every day.

Lectures

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   Lecture 1 - Hardware

   Computation. Overview. Bits and bytes. ASCII. Processors. Motherboards: buses, connectors, ports, slots, and sockets. Memory: ROM, RAM, and cache.

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   Lecture 2 - Hardware, Continued

   Secondary storage: floppy disks, hard disks (PATA and SATA), CDs, and DVDs. Virtual Memory. Expansion buses and cards: AGP, ISA, PCI, PCI Express, and SCSI. I/O devices. Peripherals. How to shop for a computer. History.

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   Lecture 3 - The Internet

   Networks: clients and servers, peer-to-peer, LANs and WLANs, the Internet, and domains. Email: addresses; IMAP, POP and SMTP; netiquette; spam; emoticons; snail mail; and listservs. SSH. The World Wide Web: URLs and HTTP. Blogs. Instant messaging. SFTP. Usenet.

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   Lecture 4 - The Internet, Continued

   Network topologies. The Internet: backbones, TCP/IP, DHCP, and DNS. NAT. Ethernet: NICs, cabling, switches, routers, and access points. Wireless: IR, RF, Bluetooth, and WiFi. ISPs. Modems: dialup, cable, and DSL.

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   Lecture 5 - Jeopardy!

   Students versus teaching fellows!

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   Lecture 6 - Exam 1 Review Session

   Review hardware, software, and the Internet!

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   Lecture 7 - Multimedia

   Graphics: file formats, bitmaps and vectors, and compression. Audio: file formats and compression. Video (and audio): file formats and compression. Streaming.

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   Lecture 8 - Security

   Threats to privacy: cookies, forms, logs, and data recovery. Security risks: packet sniffing, passwords, phishing, hacking, viruses and worms, spyware, and zombies. Piracy: WaReZ and cracking.

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   Lecture 9 - Security, Continued

   Defenses: scrubbing, firewalls, proxy servers, VPNs, cryptography, virus scanners, product registration and activation.

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    Lecture 10 - Website Development

    Webservers: structure, permissions, and implementations. Static webpages: XHTML, well-formedness, and validity. Dynamic webpages: SSIs, DHTML, AJAX, CGI, ASPs, and JSPs.

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    Lecture 11 - Programming

    Pseudocode. Constructs: instructions, variables, conditions, branches, and loops. Languages: interpreted and compiled. Scratch.

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    Lecture 12 - Pictionary!

    Students versus teaching fellows!

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    Lecture 13 - Exciting Conclusions

    Where were you? Where are you? Where can you go?

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    Lecture 14 - Exam 2 Review Session

    Review multimedia, security, website development, and programming!