Term
projects carry 25% of the grade in the course, and are selected in consultation
with the instructor. The handout constains many suggested projects; other ideas
are welcomed. I'm available to suggest projects based on your interests.
Submit
a short (paper) proposal for the project selected. It does not have to be
formal, and it is assumed that modifications will likely be made as the project
develops.
Your
proposal will include the following.
* Give
an overview of the project and objectives.
* Indicate
the first steps that will be done. Specific references for the necessary
background reading must be given.
* Give
a rough weekly schedule.
Your
project should examine (and present) any associated security concerns (most
every project will have some). If applicable, installation from source (that
is, configure, compile, and install) is preferred.
If
you wish to work jointly with other students, convince me before 6 March that
the project is appropriate for a small group. Everyone in such a group must
give a portion of the presentation.
2.
Titles and Abstracts due Monday October
6
Students
will post titles and abstracts on the ``Homepages'' in the WebCT (webct.auburn.edu) page for this course. An
abstract should be a few sentences, targeted at non-specialists.
3.
Presentations
Presentations
will be scheduled for the final two weeks of class. It is recognized that some
students will be asked to present early, and these projects may be ``in
progress'' at the time of the presentation.
Talks
must emphasize concepts rather than technical details. Don't include notes on building or
configuration unless it is fundamental to the presentation. Most talks will be
20 minutes (with a few minutes reserved for questions). Practice your talk --
20 minutes goes fast.
Students
will post (on the WebCT Homepages) the sources (e.g., PowerPoint, TeX) for the
talk, along with a Postscript or PDF version of the slides. The instructor must
receive a copy at least one day before the talk (possibly from the WebCT page,
if you wish). Slides should be printed 2-up.
The
posting to WebCT may include material (e.g., examples, technical details,
discussion) which is not used in the actual presentation. Such supporting
material may also be given to the instructor separately.
4.
Written followup
After
the talk, I may ask for some items to be addressed in a written submission.
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Remarks
You
are largely on-your-own for these projects. There will be frustrating aspects
(if not, then I haven't done my job). You should begin working on the
project immediately.
The most
important thing: pick something that you want to do. The project is a
significant portion of your grade, and considerable time is involved. Something
substantial is expected. Frequent assessments with the instructor are
essential. Some suggested project
ideas can be found at sug-projects.htm