Category Archives: CS-348

Software Development Through Video Conferencing Software

Over the past few weeks, we’ve learned about the importance of collaboration in a team. Whether that team is using Scrum or some other software development methodology, communicating with one another is one of the key pieces to achieving whatever goals they have. 

While going through the syllabus, I saw “Collaboration tools” as one of the course topics. I thought about what would exist under this category and the first one that came to mind were video calls. Zoom specifically was the one that came to mind and I wondered how it is or would be used in a software development environment.

In an article from Shari Cleare, they share that “video conferencing software provides powerful communication and collaboration tools that scrum masters can use to engage participants, especially those who cannot attend these meetings in person.” One of my first thoughts regarding this topic was that not every person on the team physically has to be at the meetings; or better yet, no one no one has to physically meet at all. This allows for greater flexibility in choosing members or in general as members can be anywhere or from anywhere, as long as they are able to be present for these online meetings.

The Scrum Master or whoever is hosting the meetings doesn’t even have to be present. Zoom allows for automatic meetings at a set time for the team so, If they are unable to make the meeting, in person or online, the other members can still perform their Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, or other meeting.

If a team choses to meet online only due to location constraints or other reasons, you may think that it would be nice being able to work from home. I’m sure many people would rather work from the comfort of their own home, but that comfort could turn into the thing that holds them and the team back. 

Zoom can be a great tool for members that are unable to make the physical meeting, but as the main form of communication, I feel that it can easily go downhill over time. Personally, I get distracted with other things when I’m at home so doing work takes much longer than it needs to. It is also why I try to do my work while on campus. I feel that many people can relate to this and if they want to get work done and contribute to meetings and such, they should separate where they work and where they can relax.

I hope that I can have the option to do both in the future and am able to find a good balance. Going into the workplace to get work done before going home and having the freedom to work online should I be unable to make it would be great. I believe that this has become more commonplace as well. During Covid, people had to work from home, and now that it has died down, many companies are allowing either option.

https://blog.zoom.us/using-zoom-agile-software-development/

From the blog CS@Worcester – Kyler's Blog by kylerlai and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Software Copyright Licensing

The blog I chose to write about today will be on copyright and licensing in software with that being one of the main topics in the course and to get a better understanding on licensing. In the blog “What is a software license?” by the website Synk.io, provides an in depth blog on types of software licenses, how it works, uses, as well as management of them. The blog mentions how software that is not covered by a license is categorized as “public domain software” or “private unlicensed software”. In the example Professor Wurst mentioned in class previously about wanting to implement a software in the course which had no license falls into private unlicensed software. The software although unlicensed still falls under copyright protection thus unusable for others. The blog mentions examples of when common users would see software license agreements. These are often listed in the terms of conditions prior to installing any software under a end-user license agreement (EULA).

The graphic above displays the 5 different kinds of licenses and shows the level of restrictiveness depicted by the arrow going from less restrictive to most restrictive. The article further goes in depth for each of the 5 license types software.

The article describes how software that use Public Domain Licenses typically run into the issue where the code might not follow the best procedures and standards. Which is a consequence of the nature of the license. I can see a lot of educational software or software for non profit being released under a public domain license.

The next license that the article talks about is LGPL and how “developers have rights to link open source libraries within their software”. In other words, LGPL lets you add licenses to code without completely releasing the entire source code.

Permissive licenses are what we have researched the most in class which ranged from Apache to MIT licenses that often require copy right notes within the software.

Interestingly when the article talks about Copyleft licenses it mentions how it probably is not the best license for software developers due to the reciprocal licensing of resulting code in other words, all derived code has to follow the same copyleft licensing. With that being said, copyleft licenses are probably best used for research/educational purposes or for very transparent community collaborations.

Lastly, the most restrictive licensing type proprietary are often used by large corporations and protects the owners/developers from unauthorized use. When doing further research for applications that use Proprietary licensing I found that the application Skype a proprietary license thus the source code is not provided publicly and is owned by Microsoft.

Overall, when reflecting at the different types of licensing and my personal goals. I see myself in the future using a permissive license like the MIT license for straightforwardness and simplicity. To add to that, currently for our program on Markdown to HTML my group is using a MIT license for those reasons.

https://snyk.io/learn/what-is-a-software-license/

From the blog CS@Worcester – Anthony Duong CS Blog by anthony duong and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Software Licenses

Recently in class I have been learning about a bunch of different types of software licenses and just how important they are to include on my future projects. A software license is essentially a type of legal instrument that controls the use and redistribution of software in order to help protect the author. According to a website called TechTarget, the main use of a software license is “Software licenses typically provide end users with the right to one or more copies of the software without violating copyrights. The license also defines the responsibilities of the parties entering into the license agreement and may impose restrictions on how the software can be used.” Before taking CS-348 I didn’t know much about software licenses and how they worked. I knew there were a couple different types, but I didn’t realize how many types there are actually are and I also didn’t understand how important that they are. Personally, I think TechTarget did a great job explaining the differences between licenses and how they work. While most people think that these licenses are just to protect developers and their code, they are also used in order to protect users. They help the users avoid and protect themselves from infringement claims and also limit their legal liability if something were to happen. Sadly, these software licenses are not free. There isn’t a set price that every license costs, most of them have their own prices which depends on the type of license that it is. Some of these prices include a one time fee, some are a subscription fee, and others include a purchase fee plus a subscription fee. Although these licenses can be expensive, I think that it is worth it in order to help protect yourself and your users.

While there are a bunch of different software licenses, there are two main types that are viewed differently under copyright law. One of the main types of software licenses are free and open source software licenses, otherwise known as FOSS licenses. These types of licenses give the user a lot of freedom, and even allow them to use the source code. FOSS may allow these customers to change the software themselves if the user desires it. The other main type of software license is known as a proprietary license. These licenses are more commonly known as closed source licenses. Closed source licenses are much more strict than FOSS licenses, and don’t give the user much freedom. The users receive operational code, however they are not allowed to freely alter the software that they have been given. On top of that, these users are not allowed to obtain the source code through reverse engineering.

Synopsis: https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/software-license

From the blog CS@Worcester – One pixel at a time by gizmo10203 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Managing Software Licenses

Introduction

I found an article by Ibrahim Ogunbiyi called Seven Best Practices for Managing Software Licenses. Just based on the title, it seemed to be what I was looking for. It starts off with the basics; what is software license management? According to Ogunbiyi, it’s simply “a document that provides guidelines for the use and distribution of software” (Ogunbiyi). It assists with the controlling, auditing, tracking, and management of a software in an organization and ensures that users comply with the regulations set in place.

Importance

The article discusses the importance of licenses. The reasons include but aren’t limited to:

  • Legal compliance with regulations set by organizations/manufacturers
  • Keeps track of software due dates; leads to productivity
  • Helps manage/reduce costs through enhanced planning
  • Optimizes software usage through usage and license tracking data
  • Ensures only the use of authorized and secure software, avoiding malware or malicious attacks/breaches

At this point, I think many of those new to software licensing have already taken a huge step forward in their knowledge of the subject. It’s easy to dismiss licensing as something that only grand organizations deal with, but it can be necessary for any small business or individual who wants to protect their work. 

Best Practices

Finally, we reach the best practices as given by Ogunbiyi. In no particular order, these practices are: 

  1. Documenting the process of obtaining the software
    1. Who, where, when, how it was purchased
    2. When it is due for renewal
    3. Keep documentation up to date and to certain standards
  2. Centralize your list of software licenses
    1. This practice is good for organizations with multiple departments that each have separate licenses
  3. Understand the agreements for your software license(s)
    1. Read terms and conditions
  4. Use a software license management tool
    1. Assists in tracking, optimizing, and managing software licenses
  5. Track license usage regularly
    1. Ensures compliance with rules and regulations
  6. Make sure your software license(s) are up to date
    1. Keeps them tracked
    2. Prevents them from expiring
  7. Teach employees about managing software licenses
    1. Ensures correct usage of software
    2. Keeps them knowledgeable about the license process and its guidelines

Why This Topic?

I chose this topic because it’s very underappreciated and not mentioned enough in the software development community (from my experience). This could also be useful for an organization or small team that is new to software development.

Conclusion

For me, this article was quite beneficial to my learning. Personally, I previously didn’t know anything about software licensing and the entire process about it. I won’t claim to be an expert on it now, but this article has helped me become a novice in understanding the subject. Although this article didn’t recommend specific licenses, it did teach me the process I should go about when acquiring or dealing with a license. In the future, when I am working on a project either individually or with a team, I’ll be more familiar with the guidelines and process around licensing, and can help my colleagues if they are unfamiliar.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Josh's Coding Journey by joshuafife and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Open Source Software in Education

     In recent times I have started a job as a computer teacher for a private school, and as such I have had to become familiar with a variety of educational software. As an educator, it is important for there to be a plethora of accessible software to teach children digital literacy, as computers have become increasingly incorporated into more facets of modern society.  Open-source software is one avenue that allows young students access to important tools to learn and create, without incurring a hefty price tag for their school. This is especially true for those learning how to code since it is not exactly a subject that comes naturally to everyone. While there are certainly many free IDEs out there for any aspiring adult programmer to use, I am more concerned with young children who may not be able to understand all the complex operations of standard IDEs. The best answer I have found is the educational coding software Scratch, created by MIT. Licensed under the “Creative Commons Share Alike” license, Scratch provides a drag and drop block-based coding environment that is easily understood and accessible to children. This allows teachers to easily demonstrate basic coding concepts like if-then-else statements and assigning variables. There’s even Scratch jr., available on tablets, that has an even more simplistic UI designed for even younger audiences. MIT has also released App Inventor, a free open-source software for creating mobile applications. These coding applications highlight the ability of open-source software to easily adapt to changes in social needs. But educational software does not just encompass programming and mobile apps, it also extends to various tools needed for academic success. Software such as ONLYOFFICE and LibreOffice, which provides a free alternative to Microsoft Office, is appreciated by students who cannot afford the more popular and expensive version. Not only are these applications useful within the U.S. education system, but another benefit they provide is their international reach. Since they are online and free for anyone to download and copy, they can be distributed to anyone globally with an internet connection. This opens new avenues for providing education to those in need. Education is a sector in need of accessible tools so that we can better teach the next generation and expand access to reliable education within our own borders and beyond. Not only that, but in this modern time where the importance of digital literacy is at an all-time high, we need to start laying the groundwork for future developers. 

https://scratch.mit.edu/faq

https://elearningindustry.com/open-source-tools-to-boost-digital-learning

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Open Source Software in Education

     In recent times I have started a job as a computer teacher for a private school, and as such I have had to become familiar with a variety of educational software. As an educator, it is important for there to be a plethora of accessible software to teach children digital literacy, as computers have become increasingly incorporated into more facets of modern society.  Open-source software is one avenue that allows young students access to important tools to learn and create, without incurring a hefty price tag for their school. This is especially true for those learning how to code since it is not exactly a subject that comes naturally to everyone. While there are certainly many free IDEs out there for any aspiring adult programmer to use, I am more concerned with young children who may not be able to understand all the complex operations of standard IDEs. The best answer I have found is the educational coding software Scratch, created by MIT. Licensed under the “Creative Commons Share Alike” license, Scratch provides a drag and drop block-based coding environment that is easily understood and accessible to children. This allows teachers to easily demonstrate basic coding concepts like if-then-else statements and assigning variables. There’s even Scratch jr., available on tablets, that has an even more simplistic UI designed for even younger audiences. MIT has also released App Inventor, a free open-source software for creating mobile applications. These coding applications highlight the ability of open-source software to easily adapt to changes in social needs. But educational software does not just encompass programming and mobile apps, it also extends to various tools needed for academic success. Software such as ONLYOFFICE and LibreOffice, which provides a free alternative to Microsoft Office, is appreciated by students who cannot afford the more popular and expensive version. Not only are these applications useful within the U.S. education system, but another benefit they provide is their international reach. Since they are online and free for anyone to download and copy, they can be distributed to anyone globally with an internet connection. This opens new avenues for providing education to those in need. Education is a sector in need of accessible tools so that we can better teach the next generation and expand access to reliable education within our own borders and beyond. Not only that, but in this modern time where the importance of digital literacy is at an all-time high, we need to start laying the groundwork for future developers. 

https://scratch.mit.edu/faq

https://elearningindustry.com/open-source-tools-to-boost-digital-learning

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Open Source Software in Education

     In recent times I have started a job as a computer teacher for a private school, and as such I have had to become familiar with a variety of educational software. As an educator, it is important for there to be a plethora of accessible software to teach children digital literacy, as computers have become increasingly incorporated into more facets of modern society.  Open-source software is one avenue that allows young students access to important tools to learn and create, without incurring a hefty price tag for their school. This is especially true for those learning how to code since it is not exactly a subject that comes naturally to everyone. While there are certainly many free IDEs out there for any aspiring adult programmer to use, I am more concerned with young children who may not be able to understand all the complex operations of standard IDEs. The best answer I have found is the educational coding software Scratch, created by MIT. Licensed under the “Creative Commons Share Alike” license, Scratch provides a drag and drop block-based coding environment that is easily understood and accessible to children. This allows teachers to easily demonstrate basic coding concepts like if-then-else statements and assigning variables. There’s even Scratch jr., available on tablets, that has an even more simplistic UI designed for even younger audiences. MIT has also released App Inventor, a free open-source software for creating mobile applications. These coding applications highlight the ability of open-source software to easily adapt to changes in social needs. But educational software does not just encompass programming and mobile apps, it also extends to various tools needed for academic success. Software such as ONLYOFFICE and LibreOffice, which provides a free alternative to Microsoft Office, is appreciated by students who cannot afford the more popular and expensive version. Not only are these applications useful within the U.S. education system, but another benefit they provide is their international reach. Since they are online and free for anyone to download and copy, they can be distributed to anyone globally with an internet connection. This opens new avenues for providing education to those in need. Education is a sector in need of accessible tools so that we can better teach the next generation and expand access to reliable education within our own borders and beyond. Not only that, but in this modern time where the importance of digital literacy is at an all-time high, we need to start laying the groundwork for future developers. 

https://scratch.mit.edu/faq

https://elearningindustry.com/open-source-tools-to-boost-digital-learning

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Open Source Software in Education

     In recent times I have started a job as a computer teacher for a private school, and as such I have had to become familiar with a variety of educational software. As an educator, it is important for there to be a plethora of accessible software to teach children digital literacy, as computers have become increasingly incorporated into more facets of modern society.  Open-source software is one avenue that allows young students access to important tools to learn and create, without incurring a hefty price tag for their school. This is especially true for those learning how to code since it is not exactly a subject that comes naturally to everyone. While there are certainly many free IDEs out there for any aspiring adult programmer to use, I am more concerned with young children who may not be able to understand all the complex operations of standard IDEs. The best answer I have found is the educational coding software Scratch, created by MIT. Licensed under the “Creative Commons Share Alike” license, Scratch provides a drag and drop block-based coding environment that is easily understood and accessible to children. This allows teachers to easily demonstrate basic coding concepts like if-then-else statements and assigning variables. There’s even Scratch jr., available on tablets, that has an even more simplistic UI designed for even younger audiences. MIT has also released App Inventor, a free open-source software for creating mobile applications. These coding applications highlight the ability of open-source software to easily adapt to changes in social needs. But educational software does not just encompass programming and mobile apps, it also extends to various tools needed for academic success. Software such as ONLYOFFICE and LibreOffice, which provides a free alternative to Microsoft Office, is appreciated by students who cannot afford the more popular and expensive version. Not only are these applications useful within the U.S. education system, but another benefit they provide is their international reach. Since they are online and free for anyone to download and copy, they can be distributed to anyone globally with an internet connection. This opens new avenues for providing education to those in need. Education is a sector in need of accessible tools so that we can better teach the next generation and expand access to reliable education within our own borders and beyond. Not only that, but in this modern time where the importance of digital literacy is at an all-time high, we need to start laying the groundwork for future developers. 

https://scratch.mit.edu/faq

https://elearningindustry.com/open-source-tools-to-boost-digital-learning

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Open Source Software in Education

     In recent times I have started a job as a computer teacher for a private school, and as such I have had to become familiar with a variety of educational software. As an educator, it is important for there to be a plethora of accessible software to teach children digital literacy, as computers have become increasingly incorporated into more facets of modern society.  Open-source software is one avenue that allows young students access to important tools to learn and create, without incurring a hefty price tag for their school. This is especially true for those learning how to code since it is not exactly a subject that comes naturally to everyone. While there are certainly many free IDEs out there for any aspiring adult programmer to use, I am more concerned with young children who may not be able to understand all the complex operations of standard IDEs. The best answer I have found is the educational coding software Scratch, created by MIT. Licensed under the “Creative Commons Share Alike” license, Scratch provides a drag and drop block-based coding environment that is easily understood and accessible to children. This allows teachers to easily demonstrate basic coding concepts like if-then-else statements and assigning variables. There’s even Scratch jr., available on tablets, that has an even more simplistic UI designed for even younger audiences. MIT has also released App Inventor, a free open-source software for creating mobile applications. These coding applications highlight the ability of open-source software to easily adapt to changes in social needs. But educational software does not just encompass programming and mobile apps, it also extends to various tools needed for academic success. Software such as ONLYOFFICE and LibreOffice, which provides a free alternative to Microsoft Office, is appreciated by students who cannot afford the more popular and expensive version. Not only are these applications useful within the U.S. education system, but another benefit they provide is their international reach. Since they are online and free for anyone to download and copy, they can be distributed to anyone globally with an internet connection. This opens new avenues for providing education to those in need. Education is a sector in need of accessible tools so that we can better teach the next generation and expand access to reliable education within our own borders and beyond. Not only that, but in this modern time where the importance of digital literacy is at an all-time high, we need to start laying the groundwork for future developers. 

https://scratch.mit.edu/faq

https://elearningindustry.com/open-source-tools-to-boost-digital-learning

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Open Source Software in Education

     In recent times I have started a job as a computer teacher for a private school, and as such I have had to become familiar with a variety of educational software. As an educator, it is important for there to be a plethora of accessible software to teach children digital literacy, as computers have become increasingly incorporated into more facets of modern society.  Open-source software is one avenue that allows young students access to important tools to learn and create, without incurring a hefty price tag for their school. This is especially true for those learning how to code since it is not exactly a subject that comes naturally to everyone. While there are certainly many free IDEs out there for any aspiring adult programmer to use, I am more concerned with young children who may not be able to understand all the complex operations of standard IDEs. The best answer I have found is the educational coding software Scratch, created by MIT. Licensed under the “Creative Commons Share Alike” license, Scratch provides a drag and drop block-based coding environment that is easily understood and accessible to children. This allows teachers to easily demonstrate basic coding concepts like if-then-else statements and assigning variables. There’s even Scratch jr., available on tablets, that has an even more simplistic UI designed for even younger audiences. MIT has also released App Inventor, a free open-source software for creating mobile applications. These coding applications highlight the ability of open-source software to easily adapt to changes in social needs. But educational software does not just encompass programming and mobile apps, it also extends to various tools needed for academic success. Software such as ONLYOFFICE and LibreOffice, which provides a free alternative to Microsoft Office, is appreciated by students who cannot afford the more popular and expensive version. Not only are these applications useful within the U.S. education system, but another benefit they provide is their international reach. Since they are online and free for anyone to download and copy, they can be distributed to anyone globally with an internet connection. This opens new avenues for providing education to those in need. Education is a sector in need of accessible tools so that we can better teach the next generation and expand access to reliable education within our own borders and beyond. Not only that, but in this modern time where the importance of digital literacy is at an all-time high, we need to start laying the groundwork for future developers. 

https://scratch.mit.edu/faq

https://elearningindustry.com/open-source-tools-to-boost-digital-learning

From the blog CS@Worcester Alejandro Professional Blog by amontesdeoca and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.