As we embark on the new year, SigNet, the special interest group for networking and network programming, will be bringing about many opportunities to learn and contribute.
We plan to have two excellent workshops on networking this semester. The first workshop will cover basic theory of how a network works. Ever wonder what goes over that thin wire that goes out the back of a networked computer? Come find out! The second workshop will actually get into the coding for how to get two computers to talk to each other. If youÕre interested, watch for the upcoming dates.
Currently, we have several interesting projects in the design phase. The first is SkyView, an attempt to design an interface that will show the local weather conditions at a glance. It will be available as an X client and viewable through Mosaic as a picture of weather gauges.
We are really looking to get people involved in several of our other projects. We are working on a classification system for the Internet, known as Joel's Hierarchical Subject Index. The index is a hierarchical subject guide to resources available on the Internet, and is itself already a useful resource, but we still need people to help expand it. If you use Mosaic, check it out as "http://www.cen.uiuc.edu/~jj9544/index.html". If youÕre interested in lower-level networking, we have a place to channel your interest. We are looking at designing a system for distributed name serving, which will serve the entire campus. This involves writing low-level TCP/IP code for routing traffic to the appropriate name server. CCSO has provided the idea and we now must find a way to implement it.
For future projects, we are also looking at designing a networked soda pop machine. While this may have been done at other schools, we intend to make ours the best!
If any of these projects interest you, or if you have another networking idea of your own, please come to the SigNet meetings at 7pm on Wednesday nights in 1102 DCL. No networking experience is necessary, and it's a great way to learn. If you have questions about SigNet, please send email to signet@uiuc.edu.