Beckner ITGS: Software Fundamentals

Monday, November 2, 2009

Software Fundamentals

Application software - computer software designed to help the user perform a particular task.

Shareware -

Public Domain - The status of publications, products, and processes that are not protected under patent or copyright,

Freeware - Software that is available for free, usually over the internet.

Commercial Software - Software that is designed and developed for sale to the general public.

Integrated Software - A collection of computer programs designed to work together to handle an application, either by passing data from one to another or as components of a single system, A collection of computer programs that work as a unit with a unified command structure to handle several applications, such as word processing, spread sheets, data-base management, graphics, and data communications.

User Manual - Intended to give assistance to people using a particular system. It is usually written by a technical writer, although user guides are written by programmers, product or project managers, or other technical staff, particularly in smaller companies.

Registration Card -

Serial Number - A number that is one of a series and is used for identification, as of a machine, weapon, or motor vehicle.

Warranty -

Copyright - The legal right granted to an author, composer, playwright, publisher, or distributor to exclusive publication, production, sale, or distribution of a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic work.

License - Official or legal permission to do or own a specified thing.

Compression/Decompression -

Back-up - Duplicate a file or program so that the original is not lost.

Back Door -

Upload/Download - To transfer data or programs from a server or host computer to one’s own computer or device.

Wizard -

Template - A document or file having a preset format, used as a starting point for a particular application so that the format does not have to be recreated each time it is used.

GUI - An interface for issuing commands to a computer utilizing a point device, such as a mouse, that manipulates and activates graphical images on a monitor.

Command-line Interface - On a display screen, the space following a prompt where a text instruction to a computer or device is typed.

Voice Recognition - The conversion of spoken words into computer text. Speech is first digitized and then matched against a dictionary of coded waveforms. The matches are converted into text as if the words were typed on the keyboard.

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Essential 11

1.1 Reliability - Reliability refers to the operation of hardware, the design of software, the accuracy of data or the correspondence of data with the real world. Data may be unreliable if it is entered incorrectly or if it becomes outdated. For example, a medical record that becomes dissociated from the patient it refers to becomes unreliable. The reliability of machines, software and data determines our confidence in their value.
1.2 Integrity - Integrity refers to correspondence of data with itself, at its creation. Data lacks integrity when it has been changed accidentally or tampered with. For example, a hacker might change driver licence data resulting in arrests of innocent people.
1.3 Security - Security refers to the protection of hardware, software, machines and networks from unauthorized access, alteration or destruction. Security measures include restricted access to machines and networks and encryption of information. The degree of security of information systems determines society’s confidence in the information contained in the systems.
1.4 Privacy and Anonymity - Privacy is the ability of individuals and groups to determine for themselves when, how and to what extent information about themselves is shared with others. At its extreme, privacy becomes anonymity, which might be called for in some contexts but is dangerous in others. For example, discussion of a delicate subject might require anonymity, or at least privacy. On the other hand, anonymity could also conceal the perpetrators of criminal, terrorist or computer hacking acts.
1.5 Authenticity - Authenticity means establishing the user’s identity beyond reasonable doubt. Authenticating the user is crucial in many situations, particularly in business and legal matters. A simple example of authentication is user login onto a network. A more advanced example would be the use of encrypted digital signatures in a business transaction.
1.6 Intellectual property - Intellectual property includes ideas, discoveries, writings, works of art, software, collections and presentations of data. Copyrights, trademarks and patents legally protect intellectual property, but easy and accurate duplication methods made available by IT can undermine such protections. On the other hand, the same methods create opportunity for inexpensive dissemination of information.
1.7 Equality of access - IT has the potential to offer universal access to information, regardless of distance, age, race, gender or other personal characteristics. However, the above characteristics, and cost, can also bar individuals or groups from access. For example, while telelearning brings previously unavailable opportunities to everyone’s doorstep, the cost of hardware, software or course fees might place the learning beyond the reach of an average person.
1.8 Control - As an instrument of control, IT improves reliability, accuracy and speed of systems. However, it can also be used to control people. An automatic aircraft landing system provides an example of increased reliability resulting from IT control. Employer surveillance of employees represents a new kind of control imposed on people.
1.9 Globalization and cultural diversity - Globalization means the diminishing importance of geographic, political, economic and cultural boundaries. IT has played a major role in reducing these boundaries. For example, any dramatic event anywhere in the world can be broadcast almost instantly by television or on the Internet. However, there is a fear that easier communication can become a source of cultural homogeneity. The new global village provides a worldwide cultural awareness, but may lead to less diversity.
1.10 Policies and standards - Policies are enforceable measures intended to promote appropriate use. They can be developed by governments, businesses, and private groups or individuals. They normally consist of rules governing access to, or use of, information, hardware and software. For example, a national policy on IT security would need to define what constitutes unlawful access to networks and how to treat transgression. Policies also affect the exchange of information, for example, by making it subject to copyright laws. In general, policies can promote or restrict access, modify behaviour or require the fulfillment of certain conditions prior to or during use. Standards are social or technical rules and conventions that enable compatibility and therefore facilitate communication or interoperability between different IT systems and their components. They might govern the design and use of hardware, software and information. For example, communication protocols used on the Internet, the ASCII representation for characters, or the design of the printer port on a personal computer are all governed by standards.
1.11 People and machines - The interaction of humans with IT hardware raises all the issues encountered in this section, as well as additional ones such as the following. • Who controls the design of technology and the pace of its introduction? • How safe and effective is the design? • Is technology going to extend human faculties and make work easier and more pleasant, or are machines going to displace humans and lead to mass unemployment? • Is technology used appropriately, or should a better, possibly non-technological alternative be found? • Which areas of human endeavour are best served by IT systems? • Which social and ethical issues arise from a comparison of people and machines in the following areas: stamina, memory, accuracy, speed, analysis, synthesis, judgment, innovation, creativity?

Beckner ITGS

Monday, November 2, 2009

Software Fundamentals

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