“Ghost in the Machine”

BY IN ITGS - Software Fundamental Comments Off on “Ghost in the Machine”

What we will learn in Software Fundamental:

Software is “the ghost in the machine” – that which makes the computer we use distinctive and suited to the tasks we demand. It is hard to write, but easy to copy…

1. Software and applications
* Computer Confluence Software Applications: Tools for Users pp. 146-150
* A historical note: Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer [In Out Time, BBC Radio 4, 6 March 2008}
2. Shareware, public domain and freeware
* Gift of Fire section 6.6 Free Software and 6.7 Issues for Software Developers
3. Commercial software
* the contribution of software and the GUI to globalisation
4. Integrated software
* how can we adapt software and interfaces for the disabled, young children or other special needs?
5. Software reliability
* is commercial software more reliable than shareware/freeware?
* can software ever be bug-free?
* Colonel Petrov Saves the World
6. User manual
7. Registration card, serial number and warranty
8. Copyright and licensing (multiple user, single user and site licence)
* Computer Confluence Software Piracy and Intellectual Property Laws pp. 166-7
* password protection of software
* how serious is software piracy?
9. Compression and decompression
* How to use File Compression
10. Backup
11. Back door (trap door)
12. Upload and download
13. Wizards
14. Templates




Comments are closed.