eCommerce Technology (20-751)

ADMINISTRATIVE PAGE

Mini 1 2003

Course Description

This course is an intensive survey of technologies used to support all aspects of electronic commerce. Many of the topics are treated in greater depth in subsequent courses or electives. The objective of this course is to develop a familiarity with the concepts, vocabulary and tools of eCommerce technology.

The course is designed to immerse you completely in the world of eCommerce. This is possible because all the students are full-time MSEC candidates. The course is difficult not because of the complexity of the material but because there is so much of it. You should make it a habit to use the Internet as both your laboratory and study hall. You will find information there that is much more recent than the material in the textbooks.

See official course web page.

Instructor

Michael I. Shamos is Distinguished Career Professor in the School of Computer Science at CMU, Director of the Universal Library and Co-Director of the Master of Science in Electronic Commerce degree program in the Institute for eCommerce.  He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar and the Bar of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Office: 4515 Newell Simon Hall. Telephone: 268-8193.
Email: shamos@cs.cmu.edu

Teaching Assistant

The teaching assistant in this course is Jie Hu (jieh@cs.cmu.edu).  He received the MSEC degree in May 2003.  He is available to explain material to you, conduct review sessions and grade homework.  He also coordinates the Schoool of Computer Science courses for the MSEC Flex-Mode program.

Meeting Times

Monday and Wednesday, 8:30 - 10:20, Posner 152, unless otherwise noted on the official course page.

Textbook (Required)

The required course textbook is E-commerce: Fundamentals and Applications, by Henry Chan et al., ISBN 0471493031, published by John Wiley.  You can get it through amazon.com or barnes&noble.   Or you can check bestbookbuys.com.   The course generally follows the textbook for selection of topics, but goes into greater depth than the book provides for some of them.  You will also be provided with extensive reading material through links to the World Wide Web.

Readings

Assigned readings for a particular lecture are to be completed before the lecture. For example, the readings listed along with Lecture 1 should be completed before you attend the first class.

Course Web Page

The official course web page will be updated and supplemented by links as the course progresses. It will point to various readings available around the World Wide Web.  Other crucial web pages are the course glossary and list of links.  These are hypertext documents linking you to source materials, articles and software.  They will be updated throughout the course.

Course Format

14 lectures, readings, four homework assignments, final exam, no midterm. The basis for the course is the textbook and the lectures.  All homework assignments will be linked to this web page and thus can be obtained on-line.  Paper copies will not be handed out in class.

Appointment with Instructor

EACH STUDENT who is taking the course for credit MUST make a half-hour appointment with the instructor sometime during the first month of the course.  The purpose of the appointment is for the instructor to learn of each student's background and goals for the course so that future lectures can be oriented effectively.  See the appointments page.

Grading

Each of the four homework assignments counts for 10% of the final grade.  The final exam counts for 50% of the final grade. Class participation counts for 10% of the final grade.

Submitting Work

All work required for this course may be submitted by emailing it as a Microsoft Word attachment to jieh@cs.cmu.edu, with a copy to shamos@cs.cmu.edu. When you send homework electronically, it is suggested that you ask your mail system for a return receipt. (For example, in Eudora, click the "RR" box.) This will provide you with an acknowledgement when your homework is received. If you do not get an acknowledgement, assume the instructor did not receive your assignment.

Policy on Joint Work

The MSEC program encourages teamwork.  However, we must evaluate each student's progress individually.  Therefore, you may work together on homework assignments provided that (1) each person's written submission is his or hers alone; and (2) you identify on the homework each person with whom you worked in connection with that assignment.  For example, you may work in pairs or groups to research, discuss and debate the homework, but then each person must go off and write their own paper.   You may never hand in the work of another as your own, regardless of source.  Violations of these rules will be dealt with harshly to the fullest extent of University policy and may lead to expulsion from CMU.

Feedback

If you are having any problems with this course or the MSEC program in general, please see me during after class, during office hours or make an appointment. We are all committed to a successful program. If problems are not addressed quickly you may find the course at an end before any remedial action can be taken.

Constructive comments about the course and the MSEC program are always welcome and may be communicated in person or via email to shamos@cs.cmu.edu.   Please note that because of human frailty on the part of the instructor, criticism that is offered in the spirit of improvement is far more likely to get results than mere complaint.