XI. Write an abstract (100-120 words) of the text «Communications systems» (see Appendix b) unit 4. Computing support

Before you read

I. Test yourself

1) What are the duties of a help desk technician?

2) What problems have you ever had with your computer (hangs, mouse, monitor, etc)?

3) What are the typical skills required to become a system administrator?

II. Match the word to its explanation

1) web developer

2) revise

3) configure

4) skills

5) outrage

6) deploy

7) analyst

8) algorithm

9) implementation

10) specification

a) reconsider and alter something in the light of further evidence

b) the ability to do something well

c) a person that develops solutions for the web

d) a process or set of rules to be followed in problem-solving operations

e) embedding something

f) an act of describing or identifying something precisely

g) to redistribute forces to or within a given area

h) a person who conducts analysis

i) an extremely strong reaction of anger

j) arrange or put together in a particular form or configuration

III. Match the English and Ukrainian equivalents

1) install a) початкова програма

2) supervisor call b) обслуговування, супровід

3) troubleshooting c)змінювати, виправлення

4) debugging d) інформаційний потік

5) source code e)підпрограма

6) maintenance f) пристосовувати

7) update g) налагоджувати, включати (задачу)

8) routine h) усунення неполадок

9) traffic i) тестова задача

10) customize j) звернення до операційної системи

IV. Read and translate the following text Computing support

A webmaster, also called a web developer, is a person responsible for designing, developing and maintaining a website. Webmasters ensure that the web servers, hardware and software operate accurately. They also design the website, generate and revise web pages, reply to user comment, and examine traffic through the site. Webmasters are practitioners of web communication; typically they know scripting languages (PHP, Perl, Javascript, etc.) and how to configure web servers.

A system administrator (more informally «sysadmin» is a person employed to maintain and operate a computer system and network. Sysadmins usually deal with not only installing, supporting and maintaining servers or other computer systems, but also with responding to different types of malfunctions and other computer problems. Other duties may include programming, project management for systems-related projects, supervising or training computer operators. A system administrator must demonstrate a combination of technical skills and responsibilities. The sysadmin is on call when a computer system brakes down or malfunctions occur, and he must be able to diagnose and fix the problems quickly. However, sysadmins must understand the behaviour of software in order to deploy it and to troubleshoot problems and know several programming languages used for scripting or automation of routine tasks.

A programmer is a person who writes computer software. The term «programmer» can be used to refer to a software developer, software engineer, computer scientist or software analyst. Ada Lovelace is known to be the first programmer. She was the first to express an algorithm intended for implementation on a computer, Charles Babbage's analytical engine, in October 1842. The International Programmers' Day is celebrated on January 7. Computer programmers write, test, debug and maintain the detailed instructions that computers must follow to perform different functions. Programmers also conceive, design, and test logical structures for solving problems by computer. Many technical innovations in programming have redefined the role of a programmer and elevated much of the programming work done today. Programmers work in many establishments, including corporate information technology departments, big software companies and small service firms. Many professionals also work for consulting companies as contractors at client' sites. Programmers' work varies widely depending on the type of business they are writing programs for. For example, the instructions involved in updating financial records are very different from those required to duplicate conditions on an aircraft for pilots training in a flight simulator. Although simple programs can be written in a few hours, programs that use complex mathematical formulas whose solutions can only be approximated or that draw data from many existing systems may require more than a year of work. In most cases, several programmers work together as a team under a senior programmer’s supervision.

Programmers write programs according to the specifications determined primarily by senior programmers and by systems analysts. After the design process is completed, it is the job of the programmer to convert that design into a logical series of instructions that the computer can follow. The programmer codes these instructions in one of many programming languages. Different programming languages are used depending on the purpose of the program. COBOL, for example, is commonly used for business applications which are run on mainframe and midrange computers, whereas FORTRAN is used in science and engineering. C++ is widely used for both scientific and business applications. Java, C# and PHP are popular programming languages for Web and business applications. Typically, programmers know more than one programming language and, because many languages are similar, they often can learn new languages relatively easily. In practice, programmers often are referred to by the language they know, e.g., as Java programmers, or by the type of function they perform or environment in which they work, for example, database programmers, mainframe programmers or Web developers.

When making changes to the source code that programs are made up of, programmers need to make other programmers aware of the task that the routine is to perform. They do this by inserting comments in the source code so that others can understand the program more easily. To save work, programmers often use libraries of basic code that can be modified or customized for a specific application. This approach yields more reliable and consistent programs and increases programmers' productivity by eliminating some routine steps. Computer programmers often are grouped into two broad types:

- application programmers;

- systems programmers.

Application programmers write programs to handle a specific job, such as a program to track inventory within an organization. They also may revise existing packaged software or customize generic applications which are frequently purchased from independent software vendors. Systems programmers, in contrast, write programs to maintain and control computer systems software, such as operating systems and database management systems. These workers make changes in the instructions that determine how the network, workstations, and CPU of the system handle the various jobs they have been given and how they communicate with peripheral equipment such as printers and disk drives. Because of their knowledge of the entire computer system, systems programmers often help applications programmers debug or determine the source of problems that may occur with their programs.