Welcome to the web site for...

Computers and Society, IST 2710
for the
Winter 2007 Semester
Tuesdays in 223 State Hall on the main WSU campus

Last updated: 4/22/07

This is the web site for Section 004, Tuesdays at 6 PM in 223 State Hall

March 28: Looking for the new web page on Internet Job Sites?

WSU weather closing information. If WSU closes because of weather (snow), that will be announced on:

• 313-577-5345
• www.wayne.edu, main WSU web page
• WSU Public Radio station WDET, 101.9 FM or streaming at www.wdetfm.org/listenlive

Main headings for this site:

• Instructor contact information
• Course documents
• Online Tools
• Other sites of interest
• WSU Computer support

Instructor contact information
Name: David Bowen
Office hours: 2 to 3 PM and 5 to 6 PM in faculty office section of Oakland Center, but call or email any time.
Campus address: 2311 A/AB / Wayne State University / Detroit, MI 48202
Home address: 4704 Elmhurst / Royal Oak, MI 48073
Email: d.r.bowen@wayne.edu
AIM Screen Name: wsuwebguy
Telephone numbers:

• Campus: 313-577-1498
• Home: 248-549-8518
• Cell phone: 248-514-9458
• Ford: 313-390-2155 (most Fridays and some Thursdays)
• Campus FAX: 313-577-8585

David Bowen's web site
Department of Interdisciplinary Studies web site
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences web site
Wayne State University web site

Course documents, all are MS Word files

• Syllabus for IST 2710
• Agenda 1 for January 9
  • Binary Part 1 (counting and addition)
  • Computer Structure and Information (handout)
• Agenda 2 for January 17
  • Quiz 1 Topics
  • Binary Part II (multiplication)
  • Windows Basics
• Agenda 3 for January 23
  • How Many Bits? Storing Information in a Computer, Installment 1
• Agenda 4 for January 30
  • Issues in Computers and Society for Essay, Homework, Quizzes and Exams
• Agenda 5 for February 6
  • Password form for online grade reports
  • Files, Extensions and Windows Explorer
  • Overview of Word Processing
  • File Sizes for Computer Information, Installment 2
  • Addition and Multiplication with Switches
• Agenda 6 for February 13
  • Using Excel
  • The Internet - Structure and Applications
  • Protecting Yourself Online
• Agenda 7 for February 20
  • Midterm Topics
• Agenda 8 for February 27 (updated to show the Excel example (in red) which we worked in class)
  • Exam_Example, Excel Spreadsheet answering the Excel Example which we worked in class)
• Agenda 9 for March 6
• Agenda 10 for March 20 (corrected for original mistakes)
  • Key Terms for Quizzes and Exams
  • Using PowerPoint
  • Computer Storage and Connections
• Agenda 11 for March 27
  • Topics for Quiz 2 on April 3
  • Linking Compared to Embedding
  • How the CPU Works (not handed out or used in class)
• Agenda 12 for April 3
  • Using Access 2003
• Agenda 13 for April 10
  • Topics for Final Exam
  • Surveillance Example
  • QBasic for in-class lab on April 17
• Agenda 14 for April 17

Online Tools

• Sign in / sign out - do this at the start and end of each class.
• Informal class comment / help request (if you don't want to ask directly)
• Online grade Reports
• Grade What-If (Corrected - this is Version 2. Do not use Version 1.)
• Internet Speed
  • Test the speed of your Internet connection (choose server - closer is probably faster)
    • If you use ad blocking, turn this off to run this test.
    • The speed with which you can download files from a server over the Internet is influenced by:
      • The speed of the server and how busy it is
      • How busy the routers are between the server and you (slowest router is the pinchpoint)
      • Your Internet hardware, and how busy your computer is doing other things
  • If you don't want to unblock ads, try this speed test
  • Review of web browser speeds

Other sites of interest

• Internet Job Sites
• IST 2710 web site
• Server Monitor - is a given DIS server up and running, or not?
• Online life at WSU
• Forwarding your WSU email to another email address

WSU Computer support

• WSU Computer Help Desk: call 313-577-4778 8 AM - 8 PM M - F or email helpdesk@wayne.edu
• WSU Software Support (also many free downloads)
• Free Norton AntiVirus and EndNote software from WSU
• Discounted software from WSU
• Free programs for finding and fixing spyware, adware, etc.
  • Spybot Search and Destroy
  • Ad-Aware from Lavasoft
• WSU will be discontinuing its free dialup Internet access by July 2007, due to decreasing demand.
• I am also happy to help with computer problems