CSC 102

How the Internet Works

Syllabus

Course Catalog Description

An introduction to the structure, design, and operation of the Internet, including the electronic and physical structure of networks; how email and Web browsers work; domain names; mail and file transfer protocols; encoding and compression of both text and graphics; http and HTML; the design of Web pages; and the operation of search engines. Both history and societal implications are explored.
Prerequisites: Basic familiarity with word processing and email.

Text

Web 101, 3rd Edition, by Wendy Lehnert and Richard Kopec. Feel free to buy it used, but note that the first edition is particularly out of date, and page numbers will not match. On reserve in the Science Library.

Requirements

Students in the course will complete homework assignments and quizzes, roughly one each per week. Assignments will count for 50% of the final course grade, quizzes for 20%, and the final project for 30%.

Collaboration Policy: You may freely use the textbook, course notes, and internet resources in completing assignments and quizzes for this course. You may not consult any person other than the professor when completing quizzes. (Clarifying questions should be directed to the professor.) On assignments you may collaborate with others in the course, so long as you prepare any materials submitted under your name, and they accurately reflect your understanding of the topic.

Students are encouraged to review the instructor's grading policies.

Staff

Instructor: Nicholas R. Howe (Office hours)

Teaching Assistants: Sarah Goeppinger, Tonje Stolpestad, and Etta Grover-Silva.

Roaming TA's: Stephanie Gibbons and Jordan Crouser

Schedule

Lecture: Mondays & Wednesdays, 9:00-10:20 AM, Seelye 212. Ends mid-semester, at spring break.

Look here for a list of topics by week.

Consulting Hours

Office hours for Professor Howe are available here.

TA Hours (Bass 102):