Computer
Applications
for the
Liberal Arts -- II
Computer
LA-483
This is where important class-related announcements will be made.
21-Aug-96 Pentagon proposal to monitor Internet
The US Department of Defense has floated a proposal to be funded to monitor the Internet. We will discuss this proposal later this semester. Here is a link to the complete proposal
LA-483 is intended to be an advanced course in computer applications for students in the liberal arts and humanities. It builds upon the concepts and skills developed in LA-283 and expands the range of information tools available to the student. An important emphasis of LA-483 is on the use of the Internet and client/server information systems. LA-483 is recommended for students considering graduate study or an information-intensive profession.
LA-483 is a unique course in that its topics are not taught anywhere else in the University. The course instructor, Dr. Gerald M. Santoro, is a published researcher in CMC and use of the Internet. Here is a list of topics covered in LA-483.
For more information please contact Dr. Gerry Santoro at (gms@psu.edu).
The LA-483 Home Page
The rapid expansion of computer and network technologies has created new opportunities for access to educational resources. Foremost among these technologies is the World Wide Web (WWW).
In an effort to provide LA-483 students with state-of-art computer access, we have developed an online library of links to reference documents, data objects (pictures, sounds, animations, etc...) and other web pages relevant to the use of computer and communication technologies in the 1990's and beyond. This library takes the form of an LA-483 Home Page. The home page may be thought of as an interactive syllabus.
You will be using this page consistently throughout the course.
Some of these links will be directly related to the coursework of LA-483. Others will allow students to explore much deeper in the various subject areas covered by LA-483. Still others will allow the student to explore for individual enlightenment and entertainment.
These files contain information relevant to the administration of LA-483.
Here is a selected course of readings for LA-483.
Students of LA-483 may also want to link to the Web page for LA-283 to take advantage of the links found there.
There also is a web page for the new Liberal Arts Minor program Information Systems and Statistical Analysis. You should definately check it out.
And while you're at it, come visit Ol Doc Gerry's Web Page of the Week -- 483 version.
As a world-class University, Penn State offers a wide range of current computing and networking technologies for your learning pleasure. Follow this link to CAC Information and Documentation.
For better or for worse, much of the Internet is built upon computers running the unix operating system. Therefore a decent grounding in unix user skills and concepts will empower the user to understand (and therefore control) what is happening 'behind the scenes' of many Internet services.
For that reason, LA-483 provides an introduction to unix and the following links:
The Internet, and the services it has spawned, is creating a social and economic revolution whose effects are only beginning to be felt. A good place to begin in our study of the Internet is with an overview of the Internet itself, as an entity rather than as a set of components.
Mailing list conferences (also known as mail exploders) are one of the two popular methods of supporting asynchronous conferences on the Internet. The LISTSERV program (and its relatives) is one of the most popular mailing list servers. Following are links to information about mailing list conferences and LISTSERV.
Another popular method for asynchronous conferencing on the Internet is the bulletin-board system (BBS). The premier example of an Internet BBS is Usenet NEWS. Here are resources for our study of Usenet NEWS.
Telnet is the Internet protocol for remote terminal emulation into some session on a remote (host) computer. An understanding of telnet will allow you to best control your terminal sessions.
FTP (file transfer protocol) is the primary method of file transfer on the Internet. Besides being the backbone protocol for gopher and the World Wide Web, FTP also has permitted the development of giant libraries of information through the synergistic effort of millions of people worldwide.
Here are some resources for our study of FTP:
Once you acquire a file off the Internet, either through FTP transfer or some other method, you may need to process it before it is useful. Here is a link to information relevant to file formats.
One of the major drawbacks to the information age is our reliance on computer systems that we often take for granted. Unfortunately some unsavory folks have developed destructive software (viruses, worms, etc.) that can destroy data and program files and make our lives miserable. However, an educated user is a safe user, so the following links are provided in the interest of safe computing.
Gopher is one of the first attempts at integrating Internet services into a simple information-retrieval system. Here are some resources for our study of gopher.
The World Wide Web is the the closest thing to a universal compendium of human knowledge that has yet been developed. On one hand it is like a worldwide public library, on the other hand it is a method and medium for electronic publishing. Imagine the 'Encyclopedia Brittanica' merged with 'People' magazine.
Here are a number of links relevant to our study of the World Wide Web.
Here is a link to DEC's AltaVista search engine:
WAIS (wide area information system) provides access to distributed databases of related information. Here is a link to resources for our study of WAIS.
Synchronous conferencing has been attempted through a number of Internet services including chat systems and interactive audio/video. All are in their relative infancy. Following is a link to resources for our study of synchronous conferencing.
One of the powers of the Internet lies in its ability to support a number of systems of electronic publishing. Following are links to various books, journals, newsletters and other items of interest.
Does technology affect society or does society effect technology? The simple answer is 'yes.' Here are links to a number of resources of interest in the study of the social effects of the Internet.
There are a number of organizations dealing with social issues of technology and the Internet. Here are links to a few of them.
This page is maintained and made available for educational use by
Dr. Gerry Santoro,
gms@psu.edu