Class Assignment Number 1:

Due at start of class, November 1, 2005.  (Assignments received after the start of class on Tuesday will automatically lose 25% of their credit for each day or fraction of a day that they are late, starting immediately.)

Write a 2-3 page report (single-spaced, normal margins, no larger than 12 point type size, etc.).

The subject of your report should be a person, computer system, language, or operating system (or possibly company) that was of some significance to the history of computing during the period 1940-1969.  Reports should include appropriate details of the subject as well as a discussion of why (s)he/it was important.

Subjects that don't exactly meet these criteria may be okay, but they should be pre-approved with the instructor (no reasonable request will be refused). Please contact me by email or during office hours if you want to pre-approve a subject or have any other questions.

Class Assignment Number 2:

This assignment is due at the start of class on December 1, 2005 (with the same penalty scheme as for assignment 1).

The assignment is essentially the same as the first, with the following changes:

1. Period 1970-1999:  Either something we've talked about in class, or from a later time than we've discussed so far (if you're sure it's an important topic, for example the story of the Internet or the Web).  If you're not sure, you can always send me a note about your proposed subject.

2. You must cite at least 3 sources (they can all be from the web, though our textbook would be a good source as well).

Submission:

Reports may be submitted by email or in person. To submit by email, send your report in text, Microsoft Word, or PDF format to Kristal:

    kristal@cse.ucsc.edu

The email timestamp will be used as the submission time.

To submit in person, bring a printed copy of your report to class on Thursday, December 1.  (A machine-readable copy may be accepted, depending on the media.)