Terms of Endearment

	Using the right word speeds learning and helps getting help

Le Mot Juste

	Learning le mot juste, the right word for something, aids us in two ways:
		Help Learning ... our brains seem to anchor concepts to words & phrases
		Getting Help ... asking “tech support” for help or using online HELP requires us to describe the problem precisely

Terms

	Probably familiar terms …
		screen saver
		monitor
		pixel
		RGB
		motherboard
		[micro]processor
		[RAM]memory

Software/Hardware

	Hardware refers to physical devices; software refers to programs, the instructions directing a computer
		The main difference is: hardware cannot be changed, while the software can be modified
		The same hardware (computer) runs different software (applications)

Mnemonic

	A mnemonic is any memory aid
		In IT we try to avoid remembering or memorizing, but sometimes we must … mnemonics can help

Terms

	Definitions for “tangible” parts of IT -- RGB, pixel,... -- are found in glossaries
			A glossary is in the back of FIT
			Online glossaries are handy … locate one
			A useful study aid is to start a document where you store the definitions of the new words you encounter  -- later in the term we will show how to set up a DB for them

Terms

	Definitions for “tangible” parts of IT -- RGB, pixel,... -- are found in glossaries
			A glossary is in the back of FIT
			Online glossaries are handy … locate one
			A useful study aid is to start a document where you store the definitions of the new words you encounter  -- later in the term we will show how to set up a DB for them
	… the “intangible” words of IT are even more important

To Abstract

	abstract = extract or remove something
		“Beppo abstracted the statue as Holmes, LeStrade and I watched”
		In FIT100 abstracting will usually involve removing the core idea or process from a specific situation -- fables
			The “thing removed” is an abstraction
		Humans abstract core ideas, principles, rules, themes, etc. naturally

Imagine a Story ...

			“In Kim’s chem class the professor assigned challenge problems worth extra credit, but each week Kim couldn’t do them and asked for help. The teacher said, ‘Don’t give up, attempt the problem again each day.’ Kim followed the advice and was eventually able to solve the problems.”
			Abstracting from the situation: A good problem-solving technique is to return later to a problem.
			Some aspects are relevant
			Some aspects are irrelevant

To Generalize

	generalize = infer a rule
		suppose you notice that faucets
			turn to the left to turn the water on, and
			turn to the right to turn the water off
		to infer that all faucets do so is to generalize
	Are there other examples?

To Generalize

	generalize v. infer a rule
		suppose you notice that faucets
			turn to the left to turn the water on, and
			turn to the right to turn the water off
		to infer that all faucets do so is to generalize
	Are there other examples?
		Other knobs, screws, nuts/bolts, ...

Operationally Attuned

	Noticing how devices operate simplifies their use
		Observation: Computers give feedback when they are working

Operationally Attuned

	Noticing how devices operate simplifies their use
		Observation: Computers give feedback when they are working
			So, if you think you’re waiting for the computer but there is no feedback, it’s waiting for you

The Speed of Change

	Consider running a mile …
		How fast can anyone run a mile?
			In 1999 Hakim El Guerrouj ran it in 3:43.13
		Compare with Roger Bannister
			In 1954 Bannister ran a mile in 3.59.4
		Express speed
		as a rate:
	In 45 years the mile run got 7% faster

A Speed Comparison

	Compared to normal people ...
		How fast can you run a mile?
			Healthy people in their twenties … ~7:30
		That is, El Guerrouj is twice as fast as us
		As a rate, 7:30 is 8 mph
	El Guerrouj is about a factor-of-2 faster than normal people ...

One More Factor

	How fast do computers run? Measure +
		Univac I ran 100,000 adds/sec in 1954

One More Factor

	How fast do computers run? Measure +
		Univac I ran 100,000 adds/sec in 1954
		My IBM runs about 500,000,000 adds
			A factor-of-5,000 improvement

One More Factor

	How fast do computers run? Measure +
		Univac I ran 100,000 adds/sec in 1954
		My IBM runs about 500,000,000 adds
			A factor-of-5,000 improvement
		ASCI Red ran 2,100,000,000,000 adds in 1999
			A factor-of-21 Million improvement

One More Factor

	How fast do computers run? Measure +
		Univac I ran 100,000 adds/sec in 1954
		My IBM runs about 500,000,000 adds
			A factor-of-5,000 improvement
		ASCI Red ran 2,100,000,000,000 adds in 1999
			A factor-of-21 Million improvement
	Can we comprehend such speeds or factors of improvement???

Factors Precisely

	A factor of improvement is different than a percent improvement …
			factor = new_rate/old_rate
			percent = 100 x (new_rate-old_rate)/old_rate
	Expressing an improvement by it’s factor is easier, esp. for large changes
			El Guerrouj’s 7% improvement over Bannister is a 1.07 factor of improvement

Analytical Approach

	One reason to notice the factors of improvement is to recognize scale
			The time for the mile run has improved
			Maximum adds per second has improved

Analytical Approach

	One reason to notice the factors of improvement is to recognize scale
			The time for the mile run has improved
			Maximum adds per second has improved
		But the difference in scale is dramatic
			A factor-of-1.07 for the mile run
			A factor-of-21,000,000 for additions

Analytical Approach

	One reason to notice the factors of improvement is to recognize scale
			The time for the mile run has improved
			Maximum adds per second has improved
		But the difference in scale is dramatic
			A factor-of-1.07 for the mile run
			A factor-of-21,000,000 for additions

Summarizing

	It is essential to learn the vocabulary of a new field
		Words of tangible aspects of IT have definitions in glossaries
		Words for the intangible are key
			Abstract
			Generalize
			Operationally Attuned
		Being analytical is key to understanding