Things everyone should know about modern IT (Session 1)
Written by: Jonathan Briggs
October 1, 2008 [1672 views]
In this first session I will put forward a list of skills that I think every student should have mastered by the end of the module. This sets ambitious goals but with this underpinning, students will be able to explore many of the emerging ideas in computing and participate themselves in the rapidly changing world of web publishing, ecommerce and mashups.
You must be able to:
Run your own server
You should be able to operate a web server on your own computer and at a remote location, putting files in the right place and demonstrating that you can retrieve those files through a browser. Your remote server allows you to build a portfolio of your own work and to show off what you can do publicly.
Build a simple web site using modern design principles
A modern web site separates content, design and business logic from each other. You should be able to construct a site without using automated tools such as Dreamweaver. You should be able to change the appearance of your site using CSS. You should have some basic understanding of layout.
Build, run and syndicate a blog
Blogging is web publishing made simple and you can start with simple packages such as Blogger, Wordpress and TypePad. You should set up a blog with a well designed template, learn to write regularly and manage comments, syndication (using RSS) and moderation.
Build and run an ecommerce site
You can explore trading using affiliate based stores from companies such as Amazon or sell things on eBay. Explore the basic retailing concepts of availability, product information, pricing and fulfilment.
Build your own reputation online
Explore social networks such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Understand how they are being used for marketing and business. Consider how your private persona might differ from your private one.
Optimise and promote a site to the search engines
Explore the search principles behind Google and its competitors including spidering, relevance and reputation. Consider how companies use this knowledge to promote themselves online.
Link a database to the web using a programming language
You should be able to construct a dynamic website that pulls data from a database rather than using static pages of content. This requires you to learn the basics of a programming language and to learn to adapt programs and scripts that are freely available online.
Construct a simple mashup
Future systems are built using components and data published by other people. You need to be able to construct simple examples using the latest tools.
Find help when things go wrong
This is perhaps at the heart of this module. As you learn about modern IT, things will go wrong. They always do. You need to find strategies to solve these problems and sources of information and support.
Keep up to date with trends in technology
Change is guaranteed and you need to be prepared for it. Some of the ideas we are exploring in this module were not included (at all) in the course last year and in 3 years time there will be new ideas that cannot be explored now. You need to be ready for this change and find ways of keeping an eye on what is changing.
At the end of the module you should be able to explain (in simple terms):
- How the web works
- How search engines work
- How a web server works and can be extended to talk to databases
- The importance of reputation and social networks
- Modern “patterns” for web design
- The importance of service orientated architectures and web services
- The importance of the mobile web
- The concept of Open Source
How the web works
Let’s start by trying to understand how the web actually works
Another version: from How Stuff Works
- Filing system without borders
- Built around agreed communication standards
- Go back in time and use Gopher (a precursor to today’s web protocols) Explore what is left of Gopher today
- Information is routed between servers and clients (browsers and other things)
- Designed to be stateless
- Extended to “keep conversations going”
- Further extended “to enable access to databases” (CGI)
- Still further extended to remember information about the browsing session
Watch this
You Tube Video on how a server works
As you explore, ask any questions you want using the form below or give me feedback on any part of the module...
What do you think?
