Muddiest Point: Lecture 14

We looked at a few different conversion strategies, and I can see how each would be useful in different situations. But are there ever cases where it wouldn't make sense to do some sort of pilot conversion ahead of a full conversion of any other type?

Muddiest Point: Lecture 13

Are some types of encryption more secure than others? Are some types used more often than others? And are the most secure types used the most often?

Muddiest Point: Lecture 12

When libraries decide to put digital collections online and let users help out with the tagging, what can they do to deal with incorrect or malicious tags?

Muddiest Point: Lecture 9

We were told that every XML document begins with a prolog stating what version of XML is being used. What major changes have been made to XML as it has repeatedly advanced from one version to the next?

Muddiest Point: Lecture 6

I understand that computers send messages over networks by splitting each message into packets and sending those packets out individually. However, I don't understand how packets get put back together again to reform messages. How does TCP work?

Muddiest Point: Lecture 5

I was most interested this week by the comparison of the many different image file types that are available, and I was wondering: if PNG seems like the best-of-all-worlds, is there any reason not to discontinue the use of GIF and JPEG entirely?

Muddiest Point: Lecture 4

We briefly noted that there are four main types of databases: relational, object-oriented, object-relational, and multi-dimensional. What's the difference between an object-oriented database and an object-relational one?

Muddiest Point: Lecture 3

As usual, there really wasn't much confusing about this week's lecture, so I'll just ask another question out of curiosity. With regards to the history of different versions of Windows, why is it that so many after 95 have had such short lifetimes? It seems that NT, 98, 2000, and Me were each considered top-of-the-line for only 1-2 years each. What's different about XP that has allowed it to succeed despite so many earlier versions having failed?

Muddiest Point: Lecture 2

Most of Lecture 2 was straightforward, so there weren't too many muddy points to choose from. Out of curiosity, though, I have to ask what the connection is between USB cables and computer buses. The lecture made it seem as though buses are purely channels that allow devices within a computer to communicate with each other. If that's the case, then what makes cables that connect devices to computers externally "Universal Serial Buses"?

Muddiest Point: Lecture 1

I'll join what I perceive as the majority by identifying Lecture 1's muddiest point as informing the class of when our assignments are due. Certain assignments are only "readings" and the posts on blogs such as this one wherein we discuss what we've read, but certain other assignments are real "assignments"... some of which are in fact only readings themselves. Readings are due on Fridays, and assignments are due on Tuesdays, which somehow translates into Week 1's reading being due next Tuesday after Week 2's reading, which is due today. At least, that's my understanding from the part of the lecture where the final requests for clarification arose, found around 1:26:00 in the Lecture 1 video. So, I've already got "Week 2 Readings" posted, although I won't have "Week 1 Readings" posted until next Monday or Tuesday.