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(total marks for this assignment: 20)
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QUESTION 1 (5 pts)
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Explain what client/server communication is in the context of the
Internet. 

ANSWER
A client is a computer (or program) requesting information over the
network from another computer (or program) called the server.


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QUESTION 2 (5 pts)
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Explain what computer fonts are. Give two examples of font
characteristics which are used to distinguish one font from another. 

ANSWER
Fonts are files containing information about drawing letters on
screen or on paper by the printer. 
Font characteristics: serif (special termination of lines forming
letters, may be present or not), mono-space (width of letters may be
the same for all letters or variable), font face (general design of
letters); Students may also write: italic, roman, bold, underline,
font size. These are also OK.


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QUESTION 3 (5 pts)
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What are network protocols? Give one example of a protocol and explain
briefly its role.

ANSWER
Protocol = rules for communication. Example: TCP/IP (allows different
networks to communicate, it is the internet protocol), HTTP (used for
downloading web pages), FTP (file transfer), Ethernet (used in local
area networks) etc.


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QUESTION 4 (10 pts)
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Read the article "Make your very own virtual world with OLIVE" by
David Kushner (IEEE Spectrum Magazine, Jan 2008) which is provided as
an attachment to this assignment. Answer the following 4 questions in
the context of the article.

4.a) What are virtual worlds?

ANSWER
They are computer simulations of real or imaginary environments.

4.b) What does OLIVE stand for?

ANSWER
On-Line Interactive Virtual Environment

4.c) What is an avatar?

ANSWER
Avatar = a graphical representation of a user in the virtual world.

4.d) What is the "OLIVE core"? Chose ONE of the following possible
  answers and briefly explain how you think this core interacts with
  the users. If you can, give an analogy for this interaction. 

  * OLIVE core is a set of brains assembled by US Army scientists
    from gray matter taken, most probably, from pigs.

  * OLIVE core is a set of computer programs acting as servers and
    running on five high performance computers.

  * OLIVE core is a computer program that you download and install
    on your PC at home. 

  * OLIVE Core is the capital of "OLIVE World", an imaginary kingdom
    that is a major exporter of olive oil and pickled table olives.

  * OLIVE core is a set of five high performance machines.

ANSWER
The core is a set of computer programs running on high performance
servers that provide to the client programs running on the users'
computers data needed to display the virtual worlds; they coordinate
the interaction of all avatars.