Week 3 Clear Personal Computer 2

This weeks topic, Networking, while having a tremendous amount of information, was one that seemed to flow together in a way that made it easy to understand. All of the terms, as usual, were a little bit overwhelming since most were new to me.

One concept that I needed a little clarification on was protocols. While I new what the definition of a protocol was, I found a video that helped me understand how it applied to computers and information transfers. Check out this short clip below. I found it very useful.



So in a nutshell, protocols are rules that define communication. They map out a path for the computer to move information and follow that same path in reverse to bring information back. Mr. Olsen's lecture obviously goes into more detail and fills in the technology that gets the information from the application to the physical.

One aspect of networking that I wasn't familiar with at all was peer to peer. I'm not a big media download person so I needed a little insight to what this was all about. Below is a video that explains the nature of this network in easy to understand language.


As you can see, there is a huge drawback to this type of networking and all of the potential pit falls one can land in if you are aware or even unaware of possessing copyrighted material. It is better to pay up front for music and movies than to end up paying quite a lot more in the end!

Since I am a Business major, this section in ISM3004 is one that will definitely have "real world" applications after graduation. Not only is it useful to have an understanding of how networks work, but to have the added information on how to select the best type of network for a particular business model will produce savings in time and money. Two very important areas for any business!

Week 2 Muddy Hardware

Well, I have to admit that I am not someone with a whole lot of knowledge when it comes to computer hardware. So when I started to view the lectures and read the material for this topic, I quickly realized that I knew even less than I thought! I can see that I am going to have to really go over the lectures again so as to have any idea what the difference is between a DDR and a PCI-E x16.

I'm not saying to do this, but.....I understand!



Now, that may be a little harsh, but it certainly conveys frustration succinctly. My inability to fully grasp this subject is in no way a reflection of Mr. Olsen's presentation. To the contrary, he actually shed a bit of light for me. So as with anything else, more reading, more lectures, and more reading is really what's needed for me to master, I mean understand, computer hardware.

If there is anyone else having similar feelings, I did a quick search of Youtube and was able to see a great deal of videos covering various computer subjects. Viewing these in conjunction with Mr. Olsen's lecture may help to shed even more light on, what i consider, this complicated subject. Take a few moments and check out the tutorial on how to build a computer. It not only shows you the hardware but also shows how, by building your own computer, you can also save a lot of money.


After viewing this video, I was able to visually put together how one component fits with the next component to produce the computer as a whole. I hope you can see, as I do now, how valuable this knowledge is and the money that is able to be saved. 

But, actually having the nerve to try to put my own computer together? Now that can only make me want to boot my whole system! 

Week 1- Clear (Sort of) Getting Started

While I was familiar with the Fair Use principle, I found it very helpful to use the link to the Stanford web site, http://fairuse.stanford.edu. It really clarified a lot of points. The most interesting thing I found was that there is not a concrete definition. The law leaves a lot of interpretation for the courts in deciding what is a violation and what is not. This is quite a double-edged sword. On one hand, you could be well within the parameters of fair usage. On the other, you could very well be in violation. The problem is, you will only find out after going to court. 

To be on safer ground, you should avoid using any work unless you are presenting a commentary or criticism. The safest ground of all seems to be use as a parody. There is a wide latitude available when it comes to parody. Because you have to, in a sense, recreate the work to parody it, the court would allow more use than in any other instance. This can be seen easily on any of the late night talk shows, who seem to push the envelope in their parodies.
 
This all being said, there is one thing that you can count on for sure. That is, it will be expensive no matter which side of the law you end up on. You will need to pay lawyer fees no matter if you win or lose. But, and not such a big but, if you lose, you will be responsible for damages. That expense alone is enough to make one not venture into the murky waters of Fair Use.