The University of Queensland

INFS1300 The Web from the

Inside Out - from Geeks to Google
& Facebook
Compiled Notes
Semester 2, 2014
(Part 2)
____________________________________

8: Cloud Computing definition (and 5 elements of it)

Cloud Computing Definition:
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology definition of cloud
computing identifies five essential characteristics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

On-demand self-service
Broad network access
Resource pooling
Rapid elasticity
Measured service

9: Cloud computing pros/cons

Advantages

Cloud computing reduces huge infrastructural (hardware) bills.

o Since most businesses are having increased costs relating to
high-end hardware for their employees as apps are becoming
more resource hungry. Using a cloud to store apps make it
accessible to users from a basic terminal which brings in a

costs control factor.

Since cloud users can access data, applications and software from
anywhere via devices such as mobile, terminals, etc.; its an easy

and time reliable way to bring down the overall hardware costs.
o Facilitates ubiquity
Security is PURPORTEDLY much better than in a scattered network.
Cloud computing ensures that everyone has a uniform approach
when it comes to computing standards. Just as one implementation
of a new application can result in a 100% implementation and there
is practically no down-time. Hence we can say that cloud computing

is centralized and agile.

Network managers are finding it easier with less hassle since cloud

computing puts everything together in a very organized manner.

Clouds are comparatively easy to manage and bring down the
maintenance cost of disparate servers.

10: Three types of cloud services

1. Infrastructure
2. Platform

3. Software
Technical description of layers
1. Applications (SaaS)
2. Platform (PaaS)
3. Infrastructure (IaaS)
Types of cloud services
1. Public
2. Private
3. Hybrid
11: Clouds vs. Server Farms, whats the difference?
VIRTUALIZATION
Virtualization is:

A technique for hiding the physical characteristics of computing

resources from the way in which other systems, applications, or end
users interact with those resources.

Purposes:

Abstraction to simplify the use of the underlying resource

Replication to create multiple instances of the resource
Isolation to separate the uses which clients make of the underlying
resources

Good visualization can help users to explore and understand data, and
also communicate that understanding to others.
12: Gamification and definition
By definition, gamification is:

Gamification is the use of game design mechanics in non-game

applications and processes to engage audiences.

Game Mechanics

Sustaining engagement with the web by using the techniques of

game design.
Or as web interaction designer Stephen Anderson describes it:
o Long after the thrill, sustaining passionate users

What are the key elements in game mechanics?

Points

Levels
Scoreboards
Achievements
Badges
Assignments

ALSO KNOWN AS
Motivating human behavior through psychology

Appropriate challenges
Variable rewards
Pattern recognition
Curiosity
Reputation and identity
Social proof
Surprise
Status
Feedback loops

Attitude one: APPLY YOUSELF

This stuff is boring

o Ill make the best out of it. But, youll have to work and apply
yourself to get something out of this class.

Attitude two: SUGAR COATING

This stuff isnt all that interesting

o But, Ive added some activities to the content that will make
this a lot more fun for everyone.

Attitude three: MASTERY

This stuff is really quite interesting!

o Im going to show you why this is important. But first, Ive got
a challenge for you

Gamification, Why are we adding game mechanics to a real thing?

1.
2.
3.
4.

A thing
Add game mechanics
The thing now has a new layer of fun it didnt before
People are more likely to engage with that thing

Things to note:

Psychological motivations in game mechanics are critical

Humans seek novelty and challenges
A key to gamification is adding layers onto a core activity
Learning challenges lead to mastery

Leveraging the web design for performance involves meeting basic

needs and adding value

13: The Fifth Estate

By definition:
The fifth estate is a modern extension of the three classical Estates of the
Realm. The fifth Estate is most strongly associated with bloggers,
journalists, and media outlets that operate outside of the mainstream
media (and often in opposition to the mainstream media). It may also
include political groups and other groups outside of the mainstream in
their views and functions in society.

Diminishes the agenda setting function of mass media

Empowers and makes accessible experts
Empowers citizens to communicate with their elected
representatives

14: The Internet vs. The World Wide Web

The Internet is the transmission of bytes (8 bits, 1s and 0s) between

computers through servers/wires/etc. The Internet is the mechanism

of transmitting 1s and 0s around the world.

The World Wide Web is the stuff that works with the Internet and
browsers to display stuff on your screen.

Water and Coffee metaphor!

15: In one word, what is the defining characteristic of the Internet?
CONNECTIVITY
16: Main people surrounding the creation of the Internet
Vannevar Bush outlined a hypothetical system in his 1945 article As We
May think named Memex, which led to the Internet.
J.C.R. Licklider: Central idea a close coupling between humans and the
electronic members of the partnership would eventually result in
cooperative decision-making.

Robert Taylor became the head of the IPTO in ARPA and became the first
to implement an interconnected network.
Larry Roberts Enlisted by Robert Taylor to develop the design
Wesley Clark youve got the network inside out
17: Doug Engelbart and the mother of all demos
The mother of all demos introduced the following features of technology:

The computer mouse

Video conferencing
Hypertext
Word processing
Hypermedia
Dynamic file linking
Bootstrapping
Collaborative real-time editing

18: Types of Networks

Messenger Networks
o E.g. word of mouth/messenger runners
Store and Forward Networks
o E.g. the US telegraph system
Circuit Switching
o E.g. the Telephone network

Also there are specific types of modern networks:

1. Random
a. A network of nodes connected by links in a purely random
fashion
b. E.g. a collection of buttons thrown on the floor and then linked
via random strings
2. Scale-free
a. Some nodes have a tremendous number of connections to
other nodes (hubs), whereas most nodes have just a handful
b. Popular nodes can have millions of links: The network appears
to have no scale
c. E.g. one of those airplane flight maps, where somewhere like
New York would have millions f lines coming out of it
compared to a random low population town.
3. Hierarchical

19: Five Web Technologies and explanations

1. World Wide Web (Web 1.0)
a. Static Web (linking resources)
b. Web pages just consumed
c. Publishing
d. Dial-up (limited bandwidth)
2. Social/Interactive/Transactional Web (Web 2.0)
a. Term made popular by Tim OReilly
b. The Web where ordinary users can meet, collaborate, and
share using social software applications on the Web (tagged
content, social bookmarking, etc.)
c. Examples include Facebook, Diigo, Yammer, Flickr, and Google
Maps.
d. Features/principles of Web 2.0
i. The Web as a platform
ii. Harnessing collective intelligence
iii. End of the software release cycle
iv. Lightweight programming models
v. Software above the level of a single device
vi. Rich user experiences
3. Semantic Web (Web 3.0)
a. Semantic Web
b. Has machine-understandable semantics of information, and
c. Millions of small specialized reasoning services that provide
support in automated task achievement based on the
accessible information
4. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
5. XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
20: Core elements of the Web

Resources are identified by Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs)

o Resources may be anything that can be linked to or spoken of
Resources can contain a reference to another resource
o Identifiable, but not necessarily retrievable (e.g. access may
be restricted by permissions)
o URIs act as names and addresses
o URIs require institutions (e.g. the registry that handles

domains)
Protocols support interaction between agents (HTTP)
o HTTP: a protocol that is basically stateless, a transaction
consisting of:

Connection
The establishment of a connection by the client to
the server when using TCP/IP port 80 is the wellknown port, but other non-reserved ports may be

specified in the URL

Request
The sending, by the client, of a request message

to the server
Response
The sending, by the server, of a response to the

client
Close
The closing of the connection by either both

parties
Formats represent information resources (HTML)
Meaning of data described by semantics (XML)

21: URI vs. URL

URI is WHAT
URL is WHERE