CS329E: Fall, 2008
Unique number: 55602
Elements of Navigating Cyberspace
Class time: MWF noon-1pm; Location: WAG 420
Instructor: Dr. Bill Young
Office: TAY 5.140
Office Hours: Monday and Friday 1-2pm and by appointment
Office Phone: 471-9782; Email: byoung@cs.utexas.edu
TA: Wei Dong; Email: wdong86@gmail.com
TA Hours and location:Wed. 9:00-10:30am & Thurs. 1:00-2:30pm in ENS 31NQ, Desk#4
Class website: www.cs.utexas.edu/users/byoung/cs329e/syllabus329e.html
Class newsgroup:utexas.class.cs329e
Important Class Announcements:
Breaking news important to the class will be posted here. Consult this spot often.The final test (in lieu of a final exam) is scheduled for Friday, December 5, at our regular class time.
A study guide for the final test is here: Study guide , and the vocabulary list is here: Vocabulary list.
Websites are posted here: websites. Please send me your URL at your first convenience.
UTCS Elements Program:
Regardless of their field of study, college students live in a digital information age. The Elements of Computing Program is a set of courses intended to help students understand the sophisticated technologies they use everyday as well as gain the computer skills that employers value. Elements courses are intellectually stimulating and personally rewarding, and they can supplement any undergraduate program.Course Description:
College students inhabit an electronic wonderland. They access, surf, IM, download and Google with facility. But how many students really understand the sophisticated technologies that make this possible. This course is designed to peak beneath the surface to see how modern digital media actually operate. Topics might include:
- What is information after all?
- How does information flow in cyberspace?
- What is a network?
- The Internet
- The World Wide Web
- HTML and Browsing
- Internet tools
- Audio and Video On-line
- Security in cyberspace
- Netizens: worms, spiders, trojans
Prerequisites:
You are expected to have taken and passed at least one of the following courses (or equivalent) with a grade of at least C: CS307, CS313E, or EE322C. If you don't have the appropriate prerequisite, be sure to clear it with the CS department.
Required text:
Preston Gralla, How the Internet Works (8th Edition), Que Publishing, 2007.
Class Notes:
Handouts of all class slides will be made available over the course of the semester via links below. Slides are available in PostScript (PS) or in PDF format. The PostScript files can be viewed with Ghostview or printed on any postscript-compatible printer. The PDF files can be viewed with Acroread.Slide set 1: Introduction to Cyberspace PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Slide set 2: Signals PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Slide set 3: Elementary Information Theory PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Slide set 4: The Internet: Preliminaries PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Slide set 5: The Internet: Structure PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Slide set 6: The Internet: The Network Layer PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Slide set 7: Domain Name System PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Slide set 8: The Internet: The Transport Layer PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Slide set 9: HTTP PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Slide set 10: HTML PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Slide set 11: Data as Numbers PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Slide set 12: Voice over IP PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Slide set 13: Search Engines PS-4up PDF-4up PDF
Assignments:
There will be readings in the textbook and possibly on additional readings available on-line.There will also be assignments over the course of the semester. Each student may work on assignments individually.
Links to the assignments will appear below. Check this page often and be sure to check that any particular assignment or due date has not been changed.
Assignment 1: Due Friday, 9/12/08
Assignment 2: Due Friday, 9/26/08
Assignment 4: Due Wednesday, 10/8/08
Assignment 5: Due Monday, 10/27/08
Assignment 6: Due Wednesday, 11/5/08
Assignment 7: Due Wednesday, 11/12/08
Assignment 8: Part I due at various times; Part II due 11/26/08.
Assignments will be submitted to your TA. Concerns about your assignment grades should be addressed first with the TA, and only with Dr. Young if you can't obtain satisfaction there. Information on how to submit your work will be provided shortly.
Assignments will be graded on a 10 point scale with 1 point deducted for each day the assignment is late. The number of days late is purely a function of the timestamp recorded when you submit the assignment. The TA will turn off the turnin program after the due date, but will accept late assignments by email. Please coordinate with the TA regarding late submissions, or if you desire to re-submit an assignment following the due date.
Quizzes:
Short in-class quizzes may be given at any time. These will cover material covered in previous classes. The goal of quizzes is to test your understanding of the material and to give you an idea of the types of questions that will appear on exams. There will be no makeups for quizzes you miss, but any single quiz is only a tiny proportion of your final grade.
Tests:
There will be two major tests during the semester: a midterm and final. Exams are closed-book, closed-notes tests, except that you may bring a single handwritten 3 x 5 index card of notes (both sides). Your best study strategy is to review the class notes and readings to ensure that you understand thoroughly the topics we covered in class.The midterm exam is scheduled for Wednesday, October 15 during our regular class time.
The final test will be held on Friday, December 5 at our regular class time. This will be in lieu of a final exam. However, if you really want to take a final exam at the regular final exam time, let me know, and I'll arrange one for you.
A study guide for the final test is here: Study guide , and the vocabulary list is here: Vocabulary list.
No laptops:
Students are asked not to have their laptops or other electronic devices open during class. Copies of all slides will be provided. Please just listen and absorb the material.
Grading policies:
Class attendance is encouraged and will be checked on a majority of class days. Excessive unexcused absences will result in a reduced grade. If you don't plan to come to class regularly, please don't register for this class. Signing in for another student not present will be considered cheating by both students.Grades are averaged using the weighting below:
Attendance, Quizzes and Participation 15% Assignments 25% Midterm Exam 30% Final Exam 30%
Course grades are assigned on the scale: A = 90-100; B = 80-90; etc., except that I reserve the right to be more generous than this indicates. That is, I may enlarge the range for any grades.
Class Newsgroup:
The TA will set up a course newsgroup (utexas.class.cs329e). To access the newsgroup, students can use Pine or Netscape in the department machines and can access the newsgroup from off campus. Dr. Young typically does not monitor the newsgroup. Information about UT newsgroups can be found at News Group information
Scholastic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. See www.cs.utexas.edu/users/ear/CodeOfConduct.html for an excellent summary of expectations of a student in a CS class.No deviation from the standards of scholastic honesty or professional integrity will be tolerated. Scholastic dishonesty is a serious violation of UT policy; and will likely result in an automatic F in the course and may result in further penalties imposed by the department or by the university. Don't do it. If you are caught, you will regret it. And if you're not caught, you're still a cheater.