B20.2317 Information and Internet Technologies Winter 2003 Minisemester

NEWS

Homework 2

Northwind.mdb

INDEX

Class Web page and course schedule
Course Description
Teaching Staff
Audience and Prerequisites
Logistics
Course Texts
Grading
Project
Homework assignments and quizzes
Computer facilities
Academic Integrity

Class Resources (including MS Access resources)

CLASS WEB PAGE

The class Web page is http://www.stern.nyu.edu/~vassalos/class/IIT-S2003. The course schedule can be found at http://www.stern.nyu.edu/~vassalos/class/IIT-S2003/schedule.html .More detail will be added by December 15. For the time being, you can also peruse the schedule for the full semester version of the course offered in Spring 2002 by clicking here (may be helpful to check out the online resources.)

Note that this page is a ``living document'', and the "official'' contents are whatever the on-line version has, not the hardcopy handed out at the beginning of the course. You are encouraged to visit the class web page often!

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Information and Internet Technologies introduces the technical concepts underlying current and future information systems, with an emphasis on internet-related technologies. The course begins with the fundamentals of computer systems, databases, and networking. Then special emphasis is given to technologies that underlie the World Wide Web and E-commerce, including HTML, XML, search, information retrieval, agent technologies, data warehousing, data mining, middleware and distributed systems.

Information and Internet Technologies provides both a refresher to the basics as well as coverage of cutting edge technologies. According to a recent Business Week article, more than a third of business capital expenditure is for information technology. Students will gain an understanding of how modern information systems work, as well as exposure to powerful high-level tools that allow us to take advantage of computer power without having to write conventional computer programs.

TEACHING STAFF

Person	Role	Office	Phone	Office Hours	Email
Vasilis Vassalos	Professor	KMEC 9-82	998-0843	Thu 5pm-6pm, other times by appt	vassalos@stern.nyu.edu
Jane Hong	Teaching Fellow	TBD			jsh257@stern.nyu.edu
Yvonne Perez	Secretary	KMEC 9-170	998-0802	N/A	yperez@stern.nyu.edu

AUDIENCE AND PREREQUISITES

Stern students headed for jobs in consulting, marketing, and finance will find that a basic understanding of how computers work will pay subtle and unexpected dividends throughout their careers. Information Technology and Operations Management majors will benefit from a refresher on the basics and exposure to new technology trends such as OLAP, XML technology, security, and search technologies. The course is also suitable for other students who wish to deepen their knowledge of how computer technology works through a single, practically oriented course.

B20.2317 is an introductory course. It is assumed that students know how to use word processors and spreadsheets. It is also assumed that students have access to email and the WWW.  No knowledge of how computers work or are programmed is assumed. Students with a Computer Science background or those who have recently completed courses in computer architecture, operating systems, databases and computer networks may find some early course material elementary, since it includes highlights of those four topics. Student backgrounds vary considerably, however. Students with some background in electrical engineering or programming will breeze through certain topics. Those with no background will have to work harder, but mastery of this material is within reach of every Stern student regardless of background.

B20.2317 is a technology course. We will discuss management situations arising from the use of technology (including topics such as crisis management, vendor selection, using IT as a strategic asset) but the emphasis will be on the technology.

Talk to the instructor if you're not sure whether your background is appropriate.

LOGISTICS

The class will be registered on Prometheus. We will make use of the communication facilities available on Prometheus, including discussion areas, group email, and folders for depositing group work.

Communication with instructor and TF

Office hours are mentioned above. Other times with appointment. Email is encouraged! The subject of all class-related emails to the instructor and the TF must start with [2317].

Work to be completed before the first class

I will assign both readings and homework due the first day of class. The readings and the homework both will be on the basics of how computers work, asking you to spend some time to familiarize yourselves with the architecture and components of personal computers. I will also assign 1-2 cases to study, and answer 1-2 broad questions on them. Total amount of this work should be no more than 8 hours. Please visit this page again in December for more detailed information.

Before class starts you will be divided into groups and will be assigned a group project. The project work will involve a number of milestones to be accomplished during the class (see project below for more information.) The first milestone, to pick the topic of the project and submit a 1 page abstract for the project, will also be due in the first day of class.

Homework assignments, project and exams

There will be one homework assignment handed out on Sunday Jan 12, due on Friday Jan 24.
There will be another homework assignment due one week after the end of class. The homeworks will combine some quantitative, some quiz-like and some short discussion-type questions.

You will also be asked to study 2-3 cases and answer broad questions about them for the Jan 24-Jan 26 classes. We will discuss those cases in class during the second set of class meetings.

No late homeworks will be accepted. 

The final project report will be due one week after the end of class.

There is no final exam.

LECTURE NOTES AND TEXTBOOKS

Required materials

Lecture notes include slides used by the instructor during lectures. What appears in the notes may or may not reflect what is covered in class, since class interest/discussion may lead the lecture down a different path.  Students should not assume that either the notes or the lectures, alone, are sufficient.  Slides can be downloaded from the class web page 24 hours before each class meeting.

The required text for the course is the following:

Client/Server Survival Guide, 3rd Edition,  Robert Orfali, Dan Harkey, and Jeri Edwards, John Wiley & Sons, 1999.

Don't be fooled by the title: the authors take an all-encompassing view of "client/server," including most of modern, internetworked information systems.

A small packet of cases will be made available to you in mid-December. It will include all cases that will be assigned in the class, including cases due at the first meeting of class. An email will announce availability of this packet.

Many lectures will also include additional required readings. These readings are usually material available online.

Recommended materials

1. Computer Concepts, 4th Edition, J.J. Parsons and D. Oja, Course Technology/Thomson Learning, 2000

2. Price Waterhouse's Technology Forecast is available at the NYU Professional Bookstore. In addition to a concise technical introduction to the various topics covered, it provides excellent surveys of the marketplace, including pointers to leading vendors and products, as well as assessments of trends and directions.  Students with no previous exposure in IT might find this a bit heavy. On the other hand, students who have had some previous IT exposure and especially MBA students who are interested in connecting the technological principles we will learn in the lectures with the marketplace will find this an excellent reference.

3. The PC Webopedia (http:// www. pcwebopedia. com) is a Web site that serves as an encyclopedia of Information Technology terms. It provides excellent explanations of Information Technology terms, together with links to additional web pages related to them. The course schedule page will contain multiple pointers to the relevant categories of the PC Webopedia.

4. The Tech Encyclopedia (http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/) is an on-line version of The Computer Desktop Encyclopedia.  It has (sometimes in-depth) descriptions of many IT concepts and terms.

5. Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia (http://www.wikipedia.org) is what the name is: an online free encyclopedia. Very good coverage of technical topics.

6. The Software Technology Review (http://www.sei.cmu.edu/str) at the CMU Software Engineering Institute is a directed guide containing the latest information on approximately 63 software technologies. As with the PC Webopedia and Tech Encyclopedia, we strongly encourage you to use this resource for definitions and explanations of terms mentioned in course lectures and to go beyond the material covered in class if you wish.

7. Dictionary of PC hardware and Data Communication Terms is the online version of a very well-written, out of print book by Mitchell Shnier. It also provides excellent explanations of several hardware and communication-related terms, from the well-known (BIOS) to the obscure (Speedo). Explanations are often more low level than the PC Webopedia (compare TCP with TCP).

8. Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing is the online version of a very well-written book on database-backed, collaborative web sites and services. Does it sound like a niche? It's not--almost all the sites and services of any value are database-backed. It can get technical, but the main ideas are excellent and you can always skip the code. Caveat: Philip does not care much for traditional businesses and for many of their executives (but his attitude is not worse than Dilbert's).

9. Books in the How things work series from MacMillan Computer Pub, especially the following:
1. How computers work: Millennium Edition, Ron White, Que, 1999.
2. How the internet works: Millennium Edition, Preston Gralla, Que, 1999.
3. How networks work, 4h Edition, Frank J. Derfler, Que, 1998.
4. How intranets work, Preston Gralla, Que, 1996.

Finally, for students who would like to learn Microsoft Access in depth, the following are two recommended books:

1. Microsoft Access Version 2002 Step by Step, Online Training Solutions Inc., 2001. Good, concise introduction to Microsoft Access. Students who want to go into more depth, please see next book.

1. Running Microsoft Access 2000, John L. Viescas, Microsoft Press, 1999. One of the best and most detailed "bibles" on Microsoft Access. This is an excellent reference book for students who are interested in becoming Microsoft Access experts. If you are looking for something more concise, you may consider the Byrne book.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Grading is based on class participation, homeworks, and a project 

Component	Weight
Class participation	20%
Homework (including case preparation)	40%
Project	40%

Project: Students will pick a company/product/technology that they believe will be important in the near future and make a case for it, by writing a report. Find out more about the project in the project handout. Students will be asked to complete and submit the first step of the project work before lectures start.

Class participation: One of the primary advantages of being in a program like Stern's is that you have the opportunity to participate in interactive classes with dozens of very bright colleagues, all with different backgrounds and experiences.  In this course, there are several opportunities for students to participate. Students should come to class prepared, ask interesting and relevant questions, and give concise answers. Students, especially those less comfortable speaking up in class, are encouraged to exchange ideas on the class discussion area on Prometheus.  For example, students may take the initiative to do follow-up research in order to answer questions left unanswered in class, provide pointers to articles relevant to a discussion topic, or contribute a different perspective to a discussion.  Students should treat the discussion area as they would an organizational knowledge-sharing environment at work, and therefore should take initiative and responsibility for increasing "organizational memory." Discussions, both in class and electronic ones, should always be conducted courteously and professionally.

COMPUTER FACILITIES

This is a course about Information Technology and several assignments require use of a PC. Students can use either their own PC or the facilities of the Stern School. Please read the university policies on the use of university computer and network resources. Take them seriously - we do.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

You are encouraged to discuss material from the class with other students, including material related to problem sets. You must, however, write solutions independently. The time to stop collaborating is when you start writing. In addition, you must acknowledge the help you got on your homework assignments.

Any other assistance by another person constitutes a violation of the student code of conduct and will be treated as such.

Do: discuss general concepts and techniques for performing the assignments; compare and discuss answers after you get the assignments back.

Don't: copy or compare answers before you turn them in; sit together while you are writing up your solutions.

Finally, it is strictly forbidden to consult and/ or copy your answers from solution sets of past terms.

If you have any questions about what this policy means, please discuss the matter with the instructor now.

CLASS RESOURCES

CNet.com
The Internet Society
Dictionary of PC hardware and Data Communication Terms
whatis.com
TechEncyclopedia
Hobbes' Internet Timeline
Internet Timeline from BBN
Internet Timeline from PBS
PC webopedia
Software Technology Review
Tasty bits from the technology front (TBTF)
ZDNet
The Industry Standard
Red Herring
Information Week
Datamation
ComputerWorld
The New York Times (registration required)
The WSJ (registration required)
The Economist
The Financial Times
Fortune
Forbes
IPO Express
IPO.com
Byte

MS ACCESS RESOURCES

1. Microsoft Access tutorials online
2. Microsoft Access Getting started (Microsoft resource)
3. An introductory tutorial created by professor Holowczak at Baruch College.