Page 132 - Electronic Commerce

Technology Infrastructure: The Internet and the World Wide Web

13. In about 100 words, describe the differences between symmetric and asymmetric connec-
tions. Include a discussion of why one might be preferable to the other for a business that
sells software that its customers can download from the company’s Web site. 107
14. In about 100 words, describe how ontologies and resource description frameworks could
help software agents provide useful services on the Semantic Web.

Exercises

1. In 2003, ICANN and the major domain name registries began offering a five-day grace
period for new domain registrations. The idea was to give registrants time to correct typo-
graphical errors and misspellings in the names they registered. If a registrant found an error
in that five-day period, they could cancel their registration and, presumably, re-register a
corrected domain name. This policy led to a problem called “domain tasting” that required
considerable effort and cooperation to resolve nearly six years after the policy was imple-
mented. Using your library or your favorite search engine, learn more about domain tasting.
Prepare a report of about 300 words that defines domain tasting, outlines its negative
effects on Web users, and describes how the problem of domain tasting was resolved.
2. Bridgewater Engineering Company (BECO), a privately held machine shop, makes heavy-
duty machinery for factory assembly lines. It sells its presses, grinders, and milling equip-
ment using a few inside salespeople and telephones. It buys its raw materials and supplies
from a variety of steel mills and small-parts fabricators located around the world. BECO’s
president, Tom Dalton, has hired you as a consultant and would like your advice regarding
how best to share information with the company’s suppliers. Tom would like to connect his
network of computers into their ordering systems so he can order supplies quickly when he
needs them. Use the Web and this book’s accompanying Web Links to locate information
about extranets and VPNs. Write a report of about 200 words that describes an extranet
and outlines why Tom might want to use a VPN to connect BECO’s suppliers to his
extranet.
3. Tanya Trago is the IT manager for Greenway Enterprises, a large landscaping company
with hundreds of home and commercial customers. She is interested in finding ways to
reduce the costs of maintaining the company’s tree trimming and lawn maintenance equip-
ment. Greenway runs its own repair and maintenance facility because it operates a large
number of mowers, cranes, backhoes, and similar machinery. The facility purchases
replacement parts and repair supplies for all of this equipment. Tanya is interested in creat-
ing a database to track these parts and supplies. She would also like to integrate that
database with information provided by the vendors that sell those parts and supplies to
Greenway. Several of these vendors use XML tags to describe their inventory, but no com-
mon standard tag system has been adopted in the industry. Use the Web Links, the Web,
and your library to conduct research on the use of XML in the landscaping equipment and
machinery industry, summarize your findings, and prepare a report of about 300 words in
which you give Tanya advice on the advantages and disadvantages of using XML tags as
descriptors in this situation.

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