This assignment is due by the beginning of your discussion section on Wednesday, October 8. One key to success in computer science is a meticulous attention to detail; be sure to read this assignment with great care so you don't miss anything it requires. Another key to success is to realize that problems and frustrations often come up when dealing with computers; this assignment has many parts and will take you longer than you think, so don't expect to be able to do it all at once.

 Summary: There are a few computing skills every student needs. Many of you may have these skills already; those who don't should have little trouble acquiring them. This assignment gives you a chance to exercise these basic skills.

Necessary skills: Listed below are the skills you should have by the end of the week. If you don't have them yet, feel free to ask your TA or classmates for help.

With electronic mail, you should be able to (a) log onto your EA account with your UCInet ID, (b) read your Email using Webmail or some other software, (c) send Email. Note that you should check your Email daily, using your UCInet ID on EA, since that's a source of official course announcements. (If you prefer to read your Email on another system, you may change the delivery of your UCInet ID mail via http://phwww.cwis.uci.edu/cgi-bin/phupdate.)

On the Web, you should be able to (a) view web pages using Netscape Communicator (Navigator) and Microsoft Internet Explorer, (b) follow hyperlinks (both text and image), (c) enter a URL to link to it directly (e.g., http://www.ics.uci.edu/~kay), (d) use a web directory like www.yahoo.com), (e) use a search engine like www.google.com or www.altavista.com, and log in to Checkmate (checkmate.ics.uci.edu, the assignment submission system), register yourself for ICS 10A, and submit this assignment when done.

On the Windows machines in the lab, you should be able to (a) log in using your ICS ID, (b) log out when you're done (remembering to wait for the "logged out" screen to be sure you're really logged out), (c) open applications like Navigator or Word, (d) locate files (on Masterhit (the file server on the ICS instructional network); on the local hard disk; on your own floppy), (e) copy files from one place to another, (f) move files to the recycling bin and empty it, and (g) cut and paste text from one source (such as a web page in Navigator) to another (such as a Word document).

In Microsoft Word, you should be able to create a document, entering and editing text, using basic formatting tools (like setting margins and paragraph indentation and changing font, size, and style).

Electronic mail tasks: Do these tasks with electronic mail:

• Send your TA a message containing a joke, a story, or a suggestion about the course.



• Read a message sent to the ICS 10A class mailing list. Take the text of that message, add your name to the top, and modify the rest of the message in some humorous way. Send the modified message to your TA.

Web-based tasks (part one):

• From the on-line version of the course syllabus, find the mailing list archive for the class and review the messages posted there.



• Connect to eee.uci.edu, log in, and find the ICS 10A class Note Board. Read the introduction and any messages posted there.



• If you haven't used the Web much before, spend at least half an hour browsing and searching. Look for your own home address, your favorite author, the current market value of your (or a friend's) car, a local restaurant serving your favorite kind of food.

Word-based tasks (part one):

• Create a new document in Microsoft Word. Type your name, student ID, and TA's name at the top. Give it the title, "ICS 10A Fall 2003 Assignment 1." Then type your responses to each of the items in the following section.

Web-based tasks (part two):

• Go to the URL http://members.tripod.com/~andybauch/trick.html (an alternative site is http://www.mts.net/~oldguy/fun/crds1.html) and follow the instructions. Include in your document one or two sentences describing how you think the trick works. (Don't tell your classmates; let them figure it out on their own. It does not require any technical expertise.)



• Using a web directory or search service, find the current population of Mexico. Compare the result you get with some of your classmates. Include in your document the population you found, the URL where you found it, and one sentence explaining why your figure is likely to be more or less reliable than your classmates' figures.



• Log on to Checkmate (checkmate.ics.uci.edu) and submit this Word document. To get credit for this (and future) assignments, Checkmate must work smoothly for you, so send Email to ics10a@uci.edu if you find anything unclear or troublesome about using Checkmate.

Windows-based tasks:

• Print the document you created above and turn it in to your TA. We may not have you print out every assignment, but you should know how to do it. Remember to make a copy for yourself on a diskette.



• Find the file asst1.txt in the ICS 10A folder on the instructional lab file server, called Masterhit. Copy the file to your local hard disk.

Word-based tasks (part two):

• Open your copy of asst1.txt in Word and reformat it so that it looks as close to this document as you can make it. (Perfect duplication won't be possible; in particular, don't spend too much time trying to mimic the title and page headers.)



• After "Assignment 1" at the top of your document, type your name and student ID in the same style.



• Using "Save As" from the File menu, save this document in Microsoft Word (.doc) format. Also save a copy on your diskette. We won't keep reminding you about this, but you should get in the habit of keeping backups.

Web-based tasks (part three):

• Log on to Checkmate and submit the Word file containing your recreation of this assignment.

Written by David G. Kay, Summer 1999, and modified Fall 1999, Fall 2000, Fall 2001, and Fall 2003.

Saturday, September 27, 2003 -- 2:48 PM