Abstraction and HTTP Reflection

Abstraction - Reducing information and detail to focus on essential characteristics

Server - A computer that awaits and responds for data

Client - A computer that requests data stored on a server

HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol 

Purpose of headers - Additional information to help the server interpret requests

Purpose of bodies - 

Bytes and File Sizes Reflection

The salesperson in a cell phone store is telling me that the phone I'm considering has 8GB of memory, which means I can save 10,000 photos taken with the phone's camera!

Is the salesperson telling me the truth? Why or why not?

No, the average picture on a phone is about 3 megabytes. One gigabyte is the same as 1,000 megabytes. So, 8,000 MB divided by 3 is about 2,666 pictures. 

When does byte size matter?  Reflect on the many considerations one has related to coding, data transfer, RAM storage, word size, flash and hard drive storage and Web Pages.

Byte size matters when you want to stream videos over wifi or download a song. Depending on how big the file size is and how much storage you have and how fast your wifi is you can stream or download things faster or slower. Not only that, but depending on the files they can take up more or less space which is important for people to determine what they should and should not save directly to the hard drive. 

DNS and Security Reflection

DNS

• Why does the Internet use IP addresses?
• The Internet uses IP addresses because they are a simple and vast. There are so many possible IP addresses using IPv4 and there will be many more once we shift to IPv6. Not only that but the hierarchy of the IP addresses make them easy to understand. Finally, IP addresses do not need any of the users personal information or a devices to create an address, so the user is protected in a sense by that. 
• Why don't we need to know IP addresses?
• IP addresses are dynamic which means that the are constantly changing. To memorize or know one's IP address at all times would take a lot of memorization and a lot of time to check in with what your router assigns you to see if it changed. Not only that but IP addresses are already associated to domain names which is what we most commonly search for. Since the computer associates the two the user does not have to know IP addresses. 
• Why do we need a Domain Name System?
• Domain Name System allows users to have the same url or consistent domain name while IP addresses change frequently. We need DNS because without it users would need to keep on checking the IP addresses of others and of themselves to send messages or view sites. 
• Why don't we all maintain our own DNS?
• Many people own multiple sites and trust their ISP services to maintain the DNS for them. Not only that but ISP services maintain a reliable and stable DNS connection because they have geographic diversity in their server locations which would be hard for average people to implicate if they live or are centered in one place. 
• Is there one big DNS for the entire Internet?
• No. There are many DNS servers that individually connect to form the internet. That way if one server goes down there are many others that maintain the stability of the internet. 
• How do you think all of these DNS servers are maintained?
• There are so many websites on the internet and IP addresses are constantly changing. With that there are also some rules that sites follow. All domains have sub domains which are used to help DNS servers locate sites even if the IP address changed. www or .com are sub domains that do not change. Servers also rely on each other for gaps in information and when they receive new information they store it for future reference or for other servers. 

Security

• What is one vulnerability of DNS and how is that vulnerability attacked?
• DNS is vulnerable due to the ability to change domain name registration, which is also known as domain hijacking. The attack redirects servers to incorrect sites based on the changed domain name. 
• What are the implications of an attack on a DNS server(or servers)?
• This could lead to users being redirected to a site that gives the device a virus or malware. This could lead to personal information to be revealed or files to be deleted. 
• How does this affect your life?
• As a person who frequently uses the internet it is important to understand the ways in which it functions and how to protect myself from attacks or more accurately identify an attack. 

Routers and Redundancy Reflection

Routers and Redundancy Reflection

1. When you broadcast as a style of communication then you can see where your message is going and everyone can see it, making it more secure in my opinion because when something goes wrong people can see it. Routing traffic is more private which allows people to send personal and sometimes harmful messages to others while hiding behind a fake identity.
2. No because there are so many dynamic parts of the internet and of sending messages that suddenly your message can take a different route to get to the same place or take a different route than two minutes ago. Everything is changing so it is hard to predetermine the path.
3. The ISP can monitor, drop, and redirect messages if they own all of the routers. As long as my messages get through safely I think I would be okay with the arrangement.

Poster Project - Cell Phone

Damini Gopal

The Cell Phone

1. What is the bit-sending technology used by your device? Why do you think this technology is used to perform its function as opposed to others that do the same?
1. Cell phones can use radio or wifi transmissions. This technology is useful because allows the devices to be wireless and still be able to send bits.
2. What is the average bit rate of the device?
1. The average bit rate for a call in the US is 8,000 bits per second.
3. When was the device first used? Is it still in use?
1. April 3, 1973 was when the first mobile call was made from a cell phone. The cell phone is still very much in use, but more for texting than calling.
4. How might data be corrupted or lost on this device?
1. Corruption can occur during the transmission of information. If the transmission is interrupted there can be data loss and environmental conditions can often play a factor in the loss of data through cellular devices that rely on radio transmissions.

Some interesting facts:

1. There is around 3 billion phone calls made a day in the US alone.
2. The average cell phone has more computing power than the computers that were used for the Apollo 11 moon landing.
3. Mobile phone throwing is an official sport in Finland.

Mobile Phone Throwing in Finland         The first mobile phone and its inventor Martin Cooper

Real Life Examples of the Internet

• The people who propose the laws, or judge them often don’t really know how the Internet works, what makes sense and what doesn’t. (See: The Internet is a series of tubes).
• Ex: Congress members that attempt to make laws against cyber crimes, but do not understand the elements of the Internet.

• Citizens don’t know how to protect themselves from cybercrime, or often live in a cloud of fear and uncertainty not only about the law, but their rights, and about what’s actually technically possible.
• Ex: People do not understand what firewalls are or how to use them. Many do not even have two step identification on their most private websites like their bank accounts or email.
• Hackers take advantage of unknowing, unsuspecting people.

• Ex: When the hackers gained access to Serena William’s health information and made it public.

• Corporations who provide Internet service need to balance profitability with providing access to everyone.
• Ex: Google selling customer’s data to advertising companies so that they can target ads at consumers. Maybe Google should not be selling our data.

• Countries restrict access to the internet or monitors activity - how is that technically possible? What is it they are actually doing?
• Ex: China blocking certain websites like Google, Facebook, and YouTube. Since other countries do not have the same laws guaranteeing the same freedoms as in America they can block websites.

Sending Numbers Reflection

1. What problems arose in your efforts to create a working protocol? How did you think about the problems in order to solve them?

We didn't have any issues, the communication was pretty good. We defined the procedure and protocol first that was very clear and detailed, so everything went smoothly.

2. How did collaboration play a role in the creation of you protocol?

We made a more in depth protocol and more efficient protocol than is I were thinking about it independently.

3. a

Creating Number Systems Refletion

A number system is a visual representation that shows values. If there were no rules in a number system people could interpret the number 3 millions of different ways. So, having the number 3 being a set value equal to three is an important rule that makes number systems common and usable for everyone.  

Binary Message Devices Reflection and Picture

1) C
2) What are the ingredients of the soup you made today? This is a question that could have 1 to infinity answers. A Binary message has two possible answers 0/1 or yes/no. By asking a question that could require more than two answers that are all different it requires more than a binary message.
3) Does the soup contain carrots? This question could be answered with a simple yes or no which is two different states, which can be answered with a binary message.

Blown to bits ch. 4 reflection

Discuss the positive and negative results of Overture's three search engine innovations. How did those innovations turn out today?

Overture, a company that owns the domain GoTo.com, made three major innovations to their advertising policies that changed the way that online advertising was bought and sold. Their first innovation was to charge advertisers for the ability to be searchable and charged the companies more to be higher up in the search results. The second innovation was to charge advertisers fees only when a viewer clicked on their add, this was call PPC or pay by click. Lastly, Overture fluctuated the cost per click depending on how many advertisers were competing for the same keyword(s).

Those innovations began a new way of advertising. Out were the days of huge banners and garish adds, now advertisers pay to be a side bar on Google's search results or as a side video on Youtube. The innovations allow the advertising industry pay more fairly for their spots on a page, but they also allow the viewers to stare at adds for hours on end without becoming annoyed or visually overwhelmed. These innovations are seeing in many websites that offer advertising space which shows that these innovations truly are successful.