LIS638-001 Internet Technologies and Information Services
Tuesday and Thursday 9:30- 10:45 AM
Instructor: Joseph Miller
Office: Room 504 King Library South
257-8854 (jbmill00@uky.edu)
Spring 2003

[Description] [Objectives] [Evaluation] [Projects] [Resources] [Overview] [Schedule]

Course Description

A course examining the structure, development, evolution, and use of the Internet and surrounding technologies. Discussion of network protocols, client/server architecture issues, web page design and publishing, browser configuration, Internet information retrieval systems, and Internet resource evaluation. Advances in mark up and scripting languages are also examined, as are some important social/legal issues such as censorship, copyright, and the role of libraries and librarians in relation to the Internet. Prereq: LIS636, Microcomputers in Libraries and Information Centers or consent of instructor. 3 Credits.

Course Objectives

  • To understand the historical background and evolution of today's Internet;
  • To develop an understanding of the technological foundations of the Internet and its protocols (TCP/IP, SMTP, FTP, Telnet, HTTP);
  • To understand client/server relationships in the context of the Internet and intranets;
  • To identify important Internet file formats and understand how to access them with appropriate helpers and plug-ins;
  • To become proficient in the configuration of a web browser client (along with its supporting applications on the PC) and discuss relevant web server issues for different platforms;
  • To develop a framework for evaluating web resources and designs;
  • To develop web publishing and design skills (including the use of frames, tables, forms, embedded image maps, and scripts) with the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML);
  • To learn techniques for image acquisition and manipulation as well as animations, sound, and video content creation for the web;
  • To examine web enhancements possible with web programming techniques (use of CGI scripts, ASP, PHP and JavaScript);
  • To examine trends in markup and the future of HTML, DHTML, XHTML, and XML on the web;
  • To develop an understanding of the Internet as an information storage and retrieval system in the context of library and information center services; discussion of how searchable Internet indexes are constructed, a comparison of web search engines and directory services, and an examination of metadata and cataloging approaches as they relate to enhancing intellectual access to Internet information;
  • To examine the social/political context of the Internet specifically in the areas of copyright and intellectual property rights, privacy/security issues, and the censorship/filtering debate.

Course Evaluation

Examination 1   100 points (30%)
Examination 2   100 points (30%)
Projects            140 points (40%)
Total                 340 points 

Examinations will include short essay and/or objective questions drawing upon class discussions, lectures, out-of-class assignments, and assigned readings.

Grading:

100-90% (306-340 pts) = A
 89 -80% (272-305 pts) = B
 79 -70% (238-271 pts) = C

Cheating and Plagiarism:

A grade of E for the course will be assigned to any student guilty of cheating or plagiarism on an examination or an out-of-class assignment.

Exam and Attendance Policy

It is the responsibility of every student to be present for exams. If a student misses an exam as a result of a documented illness or unforeseen emergency, the student will be given an opportunity to make up the test by appointment. If a student misses an exam for a non-medical or non-excused reason, the instructor will determine if a make up exam will be allowed. Students wishing to schedule a make up exam for a non-medical reason must seek advance approval from the instructor at least two weeks prior to the scheduled exam for a make up option to be considered. Unexcused absences totaling more than 1/5 of the class-time hours will result in a grade of E.

Projects 

Late assignments will have 10% deducted for every class period they are late. Projects are late if turned in any time after the end of class period they are due. The instructor reserves the right to modify the number of projects assigned or the due dates listed here as needed. Project Summary:
Project 1 (15 points): Email and listserv commands, and other Internet protocols - Telnet, FTP, finger, whois, ping, and gopher. Also Windows and web browser configuration, setting of preferences, locating and configuring helper applications and plug ins, and configuring a TCP/IP connection in Windows for Ethernet and SLIP.

Project 2 (20 points): HTML, scanning, and graphics manipulation techniques; use of web authoring software for tables, forms, and frames. (Get demo.txt here!)

Examples page

Project 3 (20 points): Web site evaluation and critique.

Project 4 (20 points): Searching the Web and Search Engine Review: Information retrieval on the Internet. Searches will demonstrate search statement formulation and strategies, explore the various domains of the Internet, and contrast results in terms of recall and precision obtained with different search services. In addition, students will explore one assigned search engine or directory service in depth and prepare a review for the class listserv.

Project 5 (15 points): Web programming exercise.

Course Project: (50 points) Students will create a web site on a topic or subject area selected from a list provided by the instructor or on some other approved topic. This project will require original content and research; it should not be merely a collection of pointers to other web sites. Students will design, construct, and upload a set of linked web pages with supporting graphics to the UK SWEB UNIX web server. Along with developing the content, all aspects of web publishing will be evaluated including initial design and layout, the accurate use of HTML, image acquisition and manipulation techniques, successful construction of document objects (tables, frame windows, etc), formation of relative and absolute hypertext links, scripts for interactivity, and UNIX commands as pertains to the successful uploading of the work.

 

Resources

Textbook

Levine, John. "Internet Secrets", 2nd edition. IDG Books, 2000
or:
Young, Margaret Levine. The Complete Reference: Internet Millennium Edition, Indianapolis, IN: Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 1999. (ISBN 0-07-211942-X)

Examples page 

All the examples I use in class can be viewed here.

Supplemental Readings

We will depend on our textbook for the majority of the technical information in this course. However, there are a number of Internet and library related issues that are not well addressed in this one text. I have assigned a number of supplementary readings for those topics; some of these are links directly to web sites I have identified, others are journal articles. The journal articles I have selected are ALL available in full text through of the many services the University of Kentucky has purchased, such as EBSCOHost, the Lexis Academic Universe, etc. Since these are all available in full text, I am NOT creating or maintaining any sort of reserve reading system for this course. For each reading, I have listed the information system, database, or URL to use to access the reading. Students are expected to learn how to access these resources using campus computers or through the Proxy server from a home or other location. Information on the Proxy server is available at http://www.uky.edu/Libraries. You will be held responsible for all the readings listed from our textbook and from the list of supplementary readings listed for each week.

Reference Texts

I have also listed below a number of reference texts that the school or I own that will be made available in the CAIT for you use if desired. This list of other books does not represent “required” readings and are simply available here (and in many public libraries) for you to make use of if you need.

Clark, T. Michael. SAMS Teach Yourself Paintshop Pro 5, Indianapolis, IN: SAMS, 1999.
Fahey, Mary Jo and Jeffery Brown. 1995 Web Publishers Design Guide, Scottsdale, AZ: Coriolis, 1995.
Graham, Ian S. HTML Sourcebook, New York, NY: Wiley, 1996.
Hansen, Augie. Rescued by UNIX, Las Vegas, NV: Jamsa, 1994.
Holzschlag, Molly E. Web by Design: The Complete Guide, San Francico, CA: Sybex, 1998.
Kientzle, Tim. Internet File Formats, Scottsdale, AZ: Coriolis, 1995.
Krol, Ed. The Whole Internet, Sebatopol, CA: O’Reilly 1994.
LeJeune, Urban. The New Netscape and HTML, Scottsdale, AZ: Coriolis, 1996.
Levine, John and Margaret Levine Young. Unix for Dummies, Chicago, IL: IDG Books, 1997.
Maze, Susan David Moxley, and Donna J. Smith. Authoritative Guide to Web Search Engines, New York, NY: Neal-Schuman, 1997.
Schmeiser, Lisa. The Complete Website Upgrade & Maintenance Guide, San Francico, CA: Sybex, 1999.
Tittel, Ed, Susan Price, and James Michael Stewart. Web Graphics Sourcebook, New York, NY: Wiley and Sons, 1997.

General Course Overview

General Overview of Course Topics:
1. Introduction to the Internet: Development and Structure 
Overview of the development of the Internet: How it began and how it has evolved over the last 30 years.
2. Internet Technologies: Packets and Protocols, Clients and Servers 
Basic network technologies are examined. Comparison of SLIP, PPP, and ethernet access. Network packet types and protocols in general are described.  Focus on the protocols of the Internet--TCT/IP, ping, SMTP, Telnet, TN3270, FTP, gopher and HTTP functions of each and role in the current web environment.  Develop an understanding of the client/server relationship as it pertains to the web.  Examine PC web client configuration and supporting applications in some detail.
3.  Internet File Formats 
An examination of the variety of file types found and used on the Internet.
4.  Configuration of Web Clients and Servers 
Client/Server issues, locating and configuring software, helper apps and plug-ins, user preferences.
5.  Web Authoring 
Elements and principles of web authoring are examined; general markup languages background, HTML in detail, image acquisition, click maps and page layout issues.  Students design, develop, upload, and evaluate a web site on the SWEB server. Review of Unix as it pertains to uploading to a unix web server.  Web server issues and functions (CGI scripts, SSI, PHP, etc.) will be examined.
6. Image acquisition and manipulation techniques 
Scanning technologies and other acquisition technologies are examined; GIF animators, sound recording, and video clips, etc.
7.Evaluation of web resources 
Discussion of some important related issues including problems of authentication (evaluating) web information, dealing with content that may be inappropriate for some audiences, intellectual property rights and copyright.
Internet Information Storage and Retrieval
8. Develop an understanding of the issues surrounding the Internet as an information storage and retrieval system. Examine the different domains of Internet information (newsgroups, ftp sites, document repositories, etc.), how to use selected search engines, clearinghouses and directories; Web indexing (human and automated).
9. Metadata and Internet Resources
Discussion of the concept of Metadata, its use in HTML, and efforts to improve intellectual access to the Internet through cataloging activities (Dublin Core, CORC, and the use of PURLs).
10. Web programming
Introduction to enhancing web interactivity with selected multimedia and programming techniques (e.g. JavaScript, PHP, CGI scripts, Macromedia Shockwave, etc.)
11. Mark up languages:
An overview of some trends in markup languages and the web (DHTML, XHTML, XML, and EAD).
12. Social and legal context and issues 
Discussion of Internet issues such as censorship and filtering, free speech, intellectual property rights and copyright, computer virus threats, etc.

Weekly Schedule and Readings

Week 1 – 
1/16
Course Introduction
UK Computing Accounts
The Internet: Development and Structure
Internet culture
Text Readings:
Levine: Chapters 2, 3, 6, 7
Supplemental:
Hobbes' Internet Timeline: http://www.zakon.org/robert/internet/timeline/

Week 2 – 
1/21 and 1/23
Internet Protocols
IP Addressing
Connecting to the Internet: SLIP, PPP, ISDN, and direct Ethernet connections
Client/Server Architecture
Email and SMTP
Attachments and encoding
Discussion list programs, Usenet, spamming, and 'netiquette'

 Text Readings:
Levine: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 8.

Week 3 – 
1/28 and 1/30
More protocols: Telnet, FTP, Gopher, and HTTP.
Finger, Ping, and Whois
PC Windows TCPIP configuration
Setting Preferences
Browser as a mailer
Helper applications and Plug-ins
Internet protocols with Netscape

Text Readings:
:Chapters 10 -15

Week 4 – 
2/4 and 2/6
Internet File Formats: Documents (PDF, etc.) and Web graphics formats
File Compression and Encoded formats.

Text:
Chapter 9

Week 5 - 
2/11 and 2/13 PROJECT 1 DUE
Web Publishing and Design Issues
Markup languages and Hypertext

 Text: 
Chapter 18, 44
 Supplemental Readings:
Sevloid Guide to Web Design: http://www.sev.com.au/webzone/design.asp
Yale site on Design Issues and Concerns: http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/contents.html

Week 6 - 
2/18 and 2/20
HTML Document Structure; tags and elements
Authoring Programs
Tables, links (local and remote), inline images
Relative and absolute links
Named anchors and targeted links

Text Readings:
Chapters 19
Supplemental:
HTML for Beginners: http://www.builder.com/Authoring/Basics/?tag=st.bl.3881.edt.bl_Basics
NCSA HTML Basics: http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimerP1.html
W3 on HTML: http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40-971218/intro/intro.html
Great site for HTML, XML, etc http://www.w3schools.com

Week 7 -
2/25 and 2/27
Examples page: frames, forms, iframes, and maps.
HTML Authoring Continued: frames and click maps.
Framesets and floating frames
Escape sequences and character entities
Forms and form scripts
HTML and Unix pitfalls: Unix directories, file permissions, and commands reviewed.

 Text:
Netscape on Frames: http://www.netscape.com/assist/net_sites/frames.html
Netscape on Targets: http://www.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/2.0/relnotes/demo/target.html
O’Reilly on Frames: http://www.ora.com/info/html/ch10.html

Week 8 – 
3/4 and 3/6 Project 2 Due
HTML and Unix pitfalls: Unix directories, file permissions, and commands reviewed.
Evaluation of Internet/Web resources

UNIX File permissions:
http://www.uky.edu/ComputingCenter/HelpDesk/Docs/Unix/UNIXcmds.html

http://www.uky.edu/ComputingCenter/HelpDesk/Docs/Unix/help/Pages/index.html
http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/docs/permsnote.html
http://www.users.csbsju.edu/~jgramke/Help/Web/permissions.html
http://www.users.csbsju.edu/~jgramke/Help/unix/unix/data/chmod.html

  Supplemental Readings on Internet Resource Evaluation:
http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webevaluation/webeval.htm
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/eval.html
http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/criteria.html

Week 9 – 
3/11 Review
3/13 Midterm exam


Week 10
3/17 - 3/22 SPRING BREAK

Week 11 -
3/25 and 3/27 Project 3 Due
Exam discussion
General retrieval issues and strategies
Search engines and directory services
How search engines create an index

  Supplemental:
Lawrence, Steve and C. Lee Giles, "Searching the World Wide Web," Science 280 (April 3, 1998):98-100. (EBSCOHost full text)
Steve Lawrence and C. Lee Giles, “Accessibility of Information on the web” Nature 400 (6740):107-109, July 9, 1999 (Nature.com, create free login, get full text).
Search Engine Stats: http://searchengineshowdown.com/stats/size.shtml
Search Engine Watch: http://www.searchenginewatch.com/
The Spider's Apprentice: How to Use Web Search Engines http://www.monash.com/spidap.html
Choosing Search Engines:
http://www.noodletools.com/noodlequest/

 Week 12–
4/1 and 4/3
Metadata and search engines
Cataloging Internet resources
Dublin core
PURL
CORC
Local assisted access systems
Webmaster issues in libraries
Cookies and other server-side issues

 Supplemental Readings:
Dublin Core Metadata Initiative. "The Dublin Core: A Simple Content Description Model for Electronic Resource," April 28, 1999 (http://purl.org/dc).
Ron Chepesiuk, "Organizing the Internet: The 'Core' of the Challenge," American Libraries 30(January, 1999):60-63.
Oder, Norman, “Cataloging the Net: Can we do it?” Library Journal v123 no. 16, p 47-51.
On Cookies: http://home.netscape.com/newsref/std/cookie_spec.html and http://www.cookiecentral.com/faq.htm

Week 13–
4/8 and 4/10 PROJECT 4 DUE
Graphics primer
Background and text colors
Web palates
Image acquisition and manipulation programs
GIF animation

 Text: chapter 19: p 400-412.
Supplemental Readings:
CNET Image Formats: 
http://home.cnet.com/webbuilding/0-7326.html?tag=st.bl.3883.dir1.7326
Yale site on graphics: http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/graphics/graphics.html
Creating web graphics: http://www.widearea.co.uk/designer/

Week 14
4/15 and 4/17
JavaScript and PHP

Text
Chapter 22
http://www.w3schools.com
CNET Programming and Scripting Basics:
http://home.cnet.com/webbuilding/0-3882.html?tag=st.bl.3880.dir.3882
Additional javascript links:
http://members.tripod.com/~SSHETTY/
http://www.javascript.com/

Week 15– 
4/22 and 4/24 PROJECT 5 DUE
ASP and DHTML
Style sheets

Text:
Chapters 20
Supplemental Readings on Scripting:
CNET Programming and Scripting Basics:
http://home.cnet.com/webbuilding/0-3882.html?tag=st.bl.3880.dir.3882
http://www.w3schools.com

 Week 16 - 
4/29 and 5/1 COURSE PROJECT DUE
XML, XSL, and XSLT
REVIEW

Text:

Chapters 21

Supplemental Readings on XML, etc:
CNET Programming and Scripting Basics:
http://home.cnet.com/webbuilding/0-3882.html?tag=st.bl.3880.dir.3882

http://metalab.unc.edu/pub/sun-info/standards/xml/why/xmlapps.htm
Bartholomew, Neil and Sherry O’Brien, “Where will XML take us? Where will we take XML?” Information Outlook, October 1999, p 49. 
Bosak, Jon and Tim Bray. “XML and the Second-Generation Web” Scientific American, May 1999. 
Mace, Scott, et. al. “Weaving a better web” Byte, March 1998.

Week 17
Finals week 5/5-5/9
FINAL EXAM Friday May 9 10:30 AM