Elizabeth Tourtelot
Essay
22259
10/13/09
Meaningful Topics I Learned in CISB11
I enrolled in CISB11 not knowing what to expect of the class, only thinking that it would help me learn more about computers in general and that once I passed the class I wouldn’t have to take it again once I transferred to a four year college (going toward a Business Accounting degree). I never expected to be interested in the subject of Computer Systems but I was pleasantly surprised to find that though I was ignorant in many aspects of computer systems I enjoyed learning about them, and more in depth than I have ever really gotten in the subject. The class helped further my overall understanding of computers’ functions but also keyed me in to the specific functions computers and other technologies have. To me, gaining knowledge about Linux and other choices of operating systems, learning the difference between software and hardware, the types of software and hardware, and learning about HTML code was the most meaningful topics that I took away from CISB11.
Before taking CISB11 I was not very knowledgeable about what different types of operating systems were out there for people to use, I have always just used the provided operating system- usually Windows-not knowing I could easily get a different operating system if I wanted to. Learning about Linux, which is a free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus Torvalds, was one of the most meaningful topics in it’s effect on making me more aware and knowledgeable about other options of Web browser and computer systems. I was amazed to learn about how many versions, or “distributions”, of Linux there is out there and easily available for installation. I am interested in Linux Mint, which I have seen on a fellow students laptop computer, because of the cool features it has and the improvement it poses over Windows. But I am also concerned about the lack of applications, or more accurately the difference in applications, compared to Windows. I am more familiar with Windows and it’s functions; and I would need extra time to learn everything about Linux and to personalize the operating system to fit my needs; but learning about the different operating systems, especially Linux, has opened a new world of possibilities that I am sure will aide me in the future as I enter the business world.
I had always known that computers had different components that made the computer function as it is supposed to but I never knew the specifics until taking CISB11. And specifically, though I had frequently heard of the terms hardware and software I was not aware of what each term encompassed and what the distinct differences were. Taking CISB11 enlightened me to the fact that hardware is the physical parts of the computer- such as the keyboard, monitor, mouse, and printer- and that software is the instructions (or programs) that are used to tell the computer what it should do- such as the operating systems. For me hardware was an easy aspect to grasp but software was trickier because of the different types and the intangible nature. After I distinguished between systems software, which enables application software to run, and application software, which enables user to perform specific tasks- like writing letters, I had an easier time identifying those aspects in my everyday use and functioning of my computer. And I believe that understanding the overall aspects of one’s computer, and other technology that one is working with, aides in the success of the user and escalated final results- which would help anyone in their profession.
Lastly, even though we did not go into great depth in this topic I found it to be very interesting and meaningful topic- the topic is HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). I knew HTML, or a markup language that is widely used in creating web pages, was involved in web sites and Internet but I again did not know it’s exact significance. Having a MySpace page, and experimenting with the different aspects of the site, I have confronted HTML without knowing that that is what it was. When I would edit the aspects of my profile I would cut out or add in some code that I didn’t completely understand at the time; I had taught myself to identify which parts of the code I could cut out and what parts I couldn’t. For example, I would cut out a link that appeared multiple times and I would change the color of the text to correspond to my set layout. I now understand what it is I am looking at when I edit my profile and know some more code that I can add or edit to create a more customized profile and look. In the future I could use this if I ever were assigned to create or specialize a company’s web site.
