91.113-Exploring the Internet
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Department of Computer Science
Office: WL 211
Telephone: 508-934-3654
E-mail: haim@cs.uml.edu
Office Hours: TBA
Course description
This course is an introduction to the ``Information Superhighway.'' It
explains the Internet and shows students how to use the tools needed
to navigate the Internet: e-mail and listservs; telnet; ftp;
newsreaders; archie; WAIS; Gopher; and the World-Wide Web.
This course also gives students sufficient knowledge of Unix to enable
them to use Internet tools confidently and efficiently.
Required Textbook
To be determined.
Other readings will come from handouts provided by the instructor.
Tests and Grading
Students' grades will be the weighted average of
the grades received for the midterm exam (25%), the
final exam (25%), and for homework assignments
(50%). Any student who wishes a grade of ``I'' (incomplete)
must submit a request on the standard University form not later than
48 hours prior to the final exam. Incompletes will be granted only in
the case of an emergency such as death in the family or serious
illness.
Assignments
Regular assignments will include readings in the course textbook and
Internet projects. Students are expected to write a report for each
project. These reports are to be submitted to the instructor in
electronic (e-mail) form. Reports are due no later than the class
meeting set by the instructor. Reports submitted after this class
will immediately lose 25 percentage, and will continue to lose
a 25 percentage pointsfor each class meeting beyond the due date,
starting from the grade they would have received had they been handed
in on time. No assignments will be accepted after the final class
meeting of the semester.
World-Wide Web Laboratory 2
Academic Dishonesty
Unless specifically stated otherwise by the instructor, work in this
course is to be each student's own. Students should be
familiar with the University's rules on academic dishonesty, which can
be found on pp. 48--51 of the University of Massachusetts Lowell
Undergraduate Catalog 1991-1995.
Course Outline
- What is the ``Information Superhighway?'' (Internet overview)
- overview of the Internet
- types of services available
- ownership and management of the Internet
- Introduction to UNIX
- logging in: username and password
- getting info about the system: date, who, finger
- logging out
- Files
- ls
- more, less
- cp
- cat
- mv
- rm
- wildcards
- Directories
- mkdir
- cd (. and ..)
- rmdir
- Text editing
- emacs
- online tutorial
- online help
- Using the Shell
- I/O redirection ($ > $)
- pipes
- script
- E-mail
- mail addresses
- mail
- advanced e-mail: elm
- listservs
- ``netiquette''
- Real-time communication
- Newsreaders (rn)
- newsgroups
- .newsrc
- posting items to newsgroups
- news etiquette, flaming, spamming
- Telnet
- domain addresses
- telnet sites
- telnet commands
- FTP
- ftp sites
- ftp commands
- archie
- file formats
- Gopher and WAIS
- gopher sites
- gopher commands
- veronica
- WWW
- workstations and GUI's
- hypertext
- Web browsers and servers
- URL's
- HTTP
- HTML
- Searching and finding information
- Designing a homepage
- Connecting from home
- modems
- communications software
- setup: baud rates and 8N1 vs. 7E1
- SLIP and PPP connections
- Commercial and business aspects
- Advertising and marketing on the Internet/WWW
- Electronic shopping malls
- Security and confidentiality
- ``Setting up shop'' on the Internet/WWW
- The Future ...
UMass Lowell Department of Computer Science
Dr. Haim Levkowitz
haim@cs.uml.edu