Senior Seminar

The First Version Control Systems The first version control system was created in 1972 by Bell Labs where Unix was developed. This alpha version control was named "SCCS - Source code control system" and was only available for Unix and only worked with source code files. After a decade, in 1982, "RCS - Revision control system" was introduced and included cross-platform functionality. However, this version control system was also only for text files. Both of these version control systems worked for a single user and couldn't be used for sharing code. In 1986, a centralized version control system was introduced. This was called the "Concurrent version control - CVS". This was a breakthrough in version control systems because this entry had a central repository and could be used by multiple developers. It still lacked one key feature of a good version control: keeping track of changes made in directory trees. It instead focused on changes made in individua...

  When choosing a FOSS project, there are certain qualities one should keep in mind if a set goal is to be achieved within the project. Having a well established healthy community of welcoming developers and users is an important quality to look for in a FOSS project. This helps in creating a group of developers who are willing to help fellow devs. The project should not shy away from releasing alpha or beta versions with all the bugs outlined clearly. The developers should be open and honest about the status of the project. It's Important to us because, in order to make the project worthwhile, we have to establish a strong community around it based on honest feedback. If we inflate the dev cycle, we risk losing a lot of users. Priorities should be set and implemented according to how important a development phase is. For example, making the project easier to run despite it being a tedious task could attract developers who are trying new things and want to run their test code....

Free Software came into being when Richard Stallman started his free-software movement in 1983. This is also when he launched his GNU project, a household name for aspiring Computer Science enthusiasts and professionals alike. As the world was slowly shifting towards a globally connected network of data points, politics found its way in this new world order. Many internet freedom fighters stood up for the rights of the "common man" using a software. And thus the notion of 'free' software sprout. Just to clarify, Free Software doesn't necessarily mean that it is free of cost (although one wouldn't be completely wrong to make that assumption since the software is free to redistribute for no cost), it essentially means that the computer users have the freedom to cooperate with whom they choose, and to control the software they use. The four essential freedoms that comes with the free software license are:  Freedom 0: The freedom to  run  the program for any purp...

 Initial Statement:  This blog is being created  for this course and will be used to post reflective writing on reading and discussion topics related to free and open source software (FOSS), software engineering and contemporary social and ethical issues in technology. My plans after college include applying for grad schools and jobs. I will choose between these two depending on the offers made. I plan to apply for Cyber Security grad school programs. In my senior year, i will try and focus more on coding efficiently and in multiple languages.