Thesis (M.S.C.I.T.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Oct. 30, 2007). Includes bibliographical references.

Through mixed-methods research, this dissertation details the regionally variegated and place-specific software production processes in three second-tier US software regions. I focus on the relationship between different industrial, firm, and worker production configurations and broad-based economic development, prosperity, and inequality. I develop four main empirical findings. First, I argue for a periodization of software production that tracks with changes in software laboring activity, software technologies, and wage-employment relationships. Through a GIS-based method, I use the IPUMS-USA to extensively measure the amount and type of software labor in industries across the US between 1970 and 2015. I map the uneven geography of software labor that produces different clusters of various software occupations. Second, I argue that between each software period, locational windows provide an opportunity for second-tier software regions to challenge Silicon Valley. I combine the IPUMS-USA dataset with interviews of software workers to analyze forms of regionally specific modes of production in Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and Austin, Texas. I trace how software production in these three cities evolves between each software period, taking on different spatial configurations, firm strategies, labor practices, and technological characteristics. Third, I argue that software labor is hyper-sensitive to deskilling because of software production activity produces software. I combine occupation classifications and interviews with software workers to interrogate the ever-present need for software workers to learn the newest development practices and software languages as firms seek to automate software production. I define five key moments since the 1970s that exemplify software labor market dualization and segmentation. Using interviews, and conference observations, I find that community-based organizations and labor market intermediaries locally mitigate the structural tendencies toward labor market dualization and segmentation. I argue that without intervention, the layered and bifurcated labor market for software production reproduces existing inequalities. Further, the organizational, technological, and spatial changes in software production reduce the potential for equitable wealth production. Ultimately, this dissertation argues for the importance of labor organizing in software, contributing empirical and theoretical work in a lineage of regional-based industrial restructuring literature. The regional and industrial geographies produced by and out of software production are significant forces in the economy at regional and national scales. I connect this process to the feminization of other industries, noting how the technical nature of software production structurally genders and racializes the labor force. Leveraging a labor feminization framework highlights the flexibilization of labor and the rift between the pace of software skill building and technological development. Both software production and regional economies are necessary entry points to understand new capitalist relations. Understanding these new relations thus requires examining how configurations of software production differ across regions, how they impact industry and regional economic development outcomes, and how they weaken or strengthen actions of local workers, local organizations, and local firms. These processes offer a glimpse into how the contemporary moment of production differs from other moments of production. Armed with this understanding, this research will be able to connect industry and regional economic-development outcomes to regionally specific modes of production, answering relevant software-based economic-development policy questions.

Augmented Reality is one of the hottest trends in mobile media, yet there is a substantial lack of user studies within this field of research. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the value of mobile augmented reality as a vehicle for information delivery on the basis of a usability and design analysis. Using a multi-­dimensional qualitative method, this study examines the impressions of users and designers regarding mobile augmented reality, along with a heuristic evaluation of select mobile applications. This analysis finds that (1) users believe mobile augmented reality offers great promise as a medium for visual communication, and (2) it’s current execution is limited by technical restraints, design flaws and a lack of compelling content. It is concluded that mobile augmented reality will one day revolutionize how consumers engage geographical and time-basedinformation. Yet, like all new technologies, mobile augmented reality needs time to mature in order to address these limitations. Finally, based on the findings of this study, this thesis offers suggested guidelines for future developments in this medium. / Department of Telecommunications

MOITA, Dímitre Sampaio. Computadores fazem arte, artistas fazem dinheiro: análise da atividade dos desenvolvedores de software. 2015. 89f. – Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Psicologia, Fortaleza (CE), 2015. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2015-12-22T15:08:38Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_dsmoita.pdf: 744986 bytes, checksum: 52f541104de8fb1d48d831fad773b089 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo(marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2015-12-22T15:30:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_dsmoita.pdf: 744986 bytes, checksum: 52f541104de8fb1d48d831fad773b089 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-22T15:30:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_dsmoita.pdf: 744986 bytes, checksum: 52f541104de8fb1d48d831fad773b089 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / This work has the general goal to analyze the meaning that developers from software factories attach to their activity. It characterizes the recent transformations of the working world as a historical process of universalization of precarity and aims to confront the promises of immaterial work with the precarious experience of the ICT sector workers. At first, the reason to choose software factories as a research field relied on the concept of taylorization of software production. The use of quality standards within the software factory would result in routinization of activity and deskilling of work. The research applies the social-hermeneutics analysis on the speech collected through semi-structured interviews with six developers. The task of interpreting the meaning contained in the speech is to address the issue of changes in the labor world in light of workers experience. The researcher builds a dialogue involving the speech of developers, other survey data and his own interpretations. Discusses the hypothesis taylorization, considered inaccurate given the experience of respondents, and chooses to discuss the rationalization of software process. The experience of working under the management by projects, highly relevant aspect in the speech of workers, is discussed from two main dimensions, working by projects and working at the client site, which allows to identify more precisely how precarity expresses itself within software factories ambient. Subtle control mechanisms allow the worker self-exploration and hyper-request by the company, which has the precarity as a disciplinary tool that goes beyond the boundaries between life and work. / Esta dissertação tem como objetivo geral analisar o significado que atribuem à sua atividade os desenvolvedores das fábricas de software. Caracteriza as recentes transformações do mundo do trabalho como um processo histórico de universalização da precariedade e busca confrontar as promessas do trabalho imaterial com a experiência precária de trabalhadores do setor de TIC. A princípio, a justificativa para a escolha das fábricas de software como campo de pesquisa baseou-se no conceito de taylorização da produção de software. O uso de normas de qualidade dentro da fábrica de software resultaria em rotinização da atividade e em desqualificação do trabalhador. A pesquisa emprega a análise sociohermenêutica sobre os discursos colhidos por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com seis desenvolvedores. O trabalho de interpretação do significado presente no discurso consiste em abordar a temática das transformações do mundo laboral à luz da vivência dos trabalhadores. O pesquisador constrói um diálogo envolvendo a fala dos desenvolvedores, dados de outras pesquisas e suas próprias interpretações. Discute a hipótese da taylorização, considerada imprecisa diante da vivência dos entrevistados, e opta pela discussão da racionalização do processo de software. A experiência de trabalhar sob a gestão por projetos, aspecto de grande relevância na fala dos trabalhadores, é discutida em duas dimensões principais, trabalhar por projetos e trabalhar no cliente, o que permite identificar de modo mais preciso como se expressa a precariedade dentro do ambiente das fábricas de software. Mecanismos sutis de controle permitem a autoexploração do trabalhador e a hipersolicitação por parte da empresa, que dispõe da precariedade como ferramenta disciplinar que extrapola as fronteiras entre vida e trabalho.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Esta dissertaÃÃo tem como objetivo geral analisar o significado que atribuem à sua atividade os desenvolvedores das fÃbricas de software. Caracteriza as recentes transformaÃÃes do mundo do trabalho como um processo histÃrico de universalizaÃÃo da precariedade e busca confrontar as promessas do trabalho imaterial com a experiÃncia precÃria de trabalhadores do setor de TIC. A princÃpio, a justificativa para a escolha das fÃbricas de software como campo de pesquisa baseou-se no conceito de taylorizaÃÃo da produÃÃo de software. O uso de normas de qualidade dentro da fÃbrica de software resultaria em rotinizaÃÃo da atividade e em desqualificaÃÃo do trabalhador. A pesquisa emprega a anÃlise sociohermenÃutica sobre os discursos colhidos por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com seis desenvolvedores. O trabalho de interpretaÃÃo do significado presente no discurso consiste em abordar a temÃtica das transformaÃÃes do mundo laboral à luz da vivÃncia dos trabalhadores. O pesquisador constrÃi um diÃlogo envolvendo a fala dos desenvolvedores, dados de outras pesquisas e suas prÃprias interpretaÃÃes. Discute a hipÃtese da taylorizaÃÃo, considerada imprecisa diante da vivÃncia dos entrevistados, e opta pela discussÃo da racionalizaÃÃo do processo de software. A experiÃncia de trabalhar sob a gestÃo por projetos, aspecto de grande relevÃncia na fala dos trabalhadores, à discutida em duas dimensÃes principais, trabalhar por projetos e trabalhar no cliente, o que permite identificar de modo mais preciso como se expressa a precariedade dentro do ambiente das fÃbricas de software. Mecanismos sutis de controle permitem a autoexploraÃÃo do trabalhador e a hipersolicitaÃÃo por parte da empresa, que dispÃe da precariedade como ferramenta disciplinar que extrapola as fronteiras entre vida e trabalho. / This work has the general goal to analyze the meaning that developers from software factories attach to their activity. It characterizes the recent transformations of the working world as a historical process of universalization of precarity and aims to confront the promises of immaterial work with the precarious experience of the ICT sector workers. At first, the reason to choose software factories as a research field relied on the concept of taylorization of software production. The use of quality standards within the software factory would result in routinization of activity and deskilling of work. The research applies the social-hermeneutics analysis on the speech collected through semi-structured interviews with six developers. The task of interpreting the meaning contained in the speech is to address the issue of changes in the labor world in light of workers experience. The researcher builds a dialogue involving the speech of developers, other survey data and his own interpretations. Discusses the hypothesis taylorization, considered inaccurate given the experience of respondents, and chooses to discuss the rationalization of software process. The experience of working under the management by projects, highly relevant aspect in the speech of workers, is discussed from two main dimensions, working by projects and working at the client site, which allows to identify more precisely how precarity expresses itself within software factories ambient. Subtle control mechanisms allow the worker self-exploration and hyper-request by the company, which has the precarity as a disciplinary tool that goes beyond the boundaries between life and work.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of the study was to identify an effective and appropriate framework or process for evaluation of software developers. Critical review of existing literature on the subject revealed that there are various factors that influence the evaluation of software developers for employment including the impact of the skills shortage; changes in the way software developers evaluate employers; and a fresh look at expanding the resource pool where software developers can be found. In addition to the literature review opinions of 11 purposively selected participants in the Westem Cape, which deal with this issue on a daily basis were obtained. For the research an interpretivist philosophy shaped the approach to a research strategy of grounded theory and data collection that was based on semi-structured interviews without pre-conceived theories, which gave the research its inductive and qualitative character. The research results presented findings that covered the following applicable areas: recruitment policies; minimum criteria that software developer candidates must meet; skill levels; desired characteristics; market related critical success factors; resource channels; evaluation processes and techniques in practise. In keeping with the approach to grounded theory research three major categories were identified namely: finding suitable software developers; the profile of a suitable software developer; and lastly, the approach to evaluate candidates. Analysis of the relationship between these categories and associated sub-categories led to the following conclusions: • in order to effectively assess a software developer's technical skill, it is necessary to administer a practical test or assignment; • formal and recognised tests of behavioural characteristics are not essential to form an accurate assessment of a candidate's character, but is advisable; • recruitment agencies may well be most effective as a source of candidates but cannot be regarded as the most effective channel to find suitable candidates. Herein lies a comparison of quantity versus quality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om 'n effektiewe en gepaste raamwerk of proses te identifiseer vir die evaluasie van sagteware programmeerders. 'n Kritiese oorsig van bestaande literatuur op die onderwerp het laat blyk dat verskeie faktore 'n invloed het op die evaluasie van programmeerders met die oog op indiensstelling. Hierdie faktare sluit in die impak van die huidige vaardigheids tekort; verandering in die wyse waarop programmeerders potentiële werkgewers evalueer; en vernuwe denke met betrekking tot bronne waar sagteware programmeerders gevind kan word. Tot aanvulling van die literatuur is opinies op die onderwerp van 11 doel-geselekteerde verteenwoordigers van organisasies in die Wes-Kaap ingewin. 'n Navorsing strategie van 'gegronde teorie' and data insameling by wyse van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevolg. Versigtigheid om nie vooropgestelde idees en teorieë te laat geld nie het aan die navorsing 'n induktiewe en kwalitatiewe karakter gegee. Die bevindinge het die volgende toepaslike areas gedek: werwings beleid ; minimum kriteria waaraan programmerings-kandidate moet voldoen; vaardigheidsvlakke; verlangde karakter eienskappe; mark-verwante kritiese sukses faktore; werwings bronne; evaluasie prosesse en tegnieke. Onder leiding van die benadering tot gegronde teorie is die volgende drie hoof kategorieë geïdentifiseer: die vind van gepaste programmeerders; die protfel van 'n gepaste programmeerder en laastens, die benadering tot evaluasie van kandidate. Analise van die verwantskappe tussen hierdie, sowel as sub-kategorieë het tot die volgende slotsom gelei: • die afneming van 'n praktiese toets of taak is noodsaaklik vir effektiewe evaluasie van 'n programmeerder se tegniese vaardigheid; • formele en erkende toetse van gedrags eienskappe is nie noodsaaklik nie, maar wel aanbevole, om 'n akkurate beeld van 'n kandidaat se karakter te vorm; • werwings-agentskappe mag 'n effektiewe bron van kandidate wees, maar kan nie beskou word as die mees effektiewe bron van gepaste kandidate nie. 'n Vergelyking tussen kwaliteit en kwantiteit is hier ter sprake.

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-08-23T15:08:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 JOSÉ MARIA RODRIGUES SANTOS JÚNIOR - DISSERTAÇÃO PGCC 2002..pdf: 2728104 bytes, checksum: d8484065ff9bf584156c0fd52b7c3221 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T15:08:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JOSÉ MARIA RODRIGUES SANTOS JÚNIOR - DISSERTAÇÃO PGCC 2002..pdf: 2728104 bytes, checksum: d8484065ff9bf584156c0fd52b7c3221 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2002-08-28 / Este trabalho discute a necessidade de estratégias e ferramentas para o desenvolvimento mais produtivo e menos complexo de aplicações Web sobre a plataforma Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE). Inicialmente foi feito um estudo da plataforma J2EE, principalmente da tecnologia Enterprise Java Beans (EJB). Uma aplicação Web foi implementada utilizando diretamente os recursos da plataforma J2EE, permitindo identificar aspectos a serem explorados para alcançar os objetivos propostos. Em seguida foi desenvolvida uma ferramenta, denominada de EasyNet, visando explorar esses aspectos. O EasyNet foi utilizado para a re-implementação da aplicação, permitindo que o aumento da produtividade e a redução da complexidade fossem comparados aos da implementação sem a sua utilização. Foi possível identificar que o EasyNet forneceu um aumento significativo da produtividade e reduziu a complexidade no desenvolvimento de aplicações Web sobre a plataforma J2EE. / This work discusses the need of strategies and tools for a more productive and less complex development of Web applications on Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE). A study on the J2EE platform was initially made, especially on the Enterprise Java Beans (EJB) technology. A Web application was implemented using directly the sources from the J2EE platform, allowing the identification of aspects to be explored in order to reach the desired results. After, a tool denominated EasyNet was developed aiming the exploration of such aspects. The EasyNet was used for the re-implementation of the application, allowing the productivity growth and the decrease of the complexity to be compared to the ones of the implementation made without its use. It was possible to identify that the EasyNet provided a significant increase of the productivity and reduced the complexity of the development of the Web applications on the J2EE platform.

Mobile agents hold significant benefits for the rapid expansion of Internet applications and current trends in computing. Despite continued interest, the promised deployment has not taken place, indicating a need for a programming model to introduce novice mobile agent programmers to this environment/paradigm. Accordingly the research question asked was, ”Since novice mobile agent programmers1 require a paradigm shift to construct successful systems, how can they be equipped to grasp the contextual issues and gain the necessary skills within reasonable time limits?” To answer the question, a complete reference providing contextual information and knowledge of mobile agent system development was compiled. Simultaneously novices are introduced to agent orientation. A generic mobile agent system architectural model, incorporating guidelines for programming mobile agents, further provides a framework that can be used to design a mobile agent system. These two structures are presented in a knowledge base that serves as a referencing tool to unlock concepts and knowledge units to novices while developing mobile agent systems. / Computing / (M.Sc. (Computer Science))

Mobile agents hold significant benefits for the rapid expansion of Internet applications and current trends in computing. Despite continued interest, the promised deployment has not taken place, indicating a need for a programming model to introduce novice mobile agent programmers to this environment/paradigm. Accordingly the research question asked was, ”Since novice mobile agent programmers1 require a paradigm shift to construct successful systems, how can they be equipped to grasp the contextual issues and gain the necessary skills within reasonable time limits?” To answer the question, a complete reference providing contextual information and knowledge of mobile agent system development was compiled. Simultaneously novices are introduced to agent orientation. A generic mobile agent system architectural model, incorporating guidelines for programming mobile agents, further provides a framework that can be used to design a mobile agent system. These two structures are presented in a knowledge base that serves as a referencing tool to unlock concepts and knowledge units to novices while developing mobile agent systems. / Computing / (M.Sc. (Computer Science))

The object-oriented paradigm is widely advocated and has been used in South African universities since the late 1990s. Object-oriented computer programming is based on the object-oriented paradigm where objects are the building blocks that combine data and methods in the same entity. Students' performance in object-oriented programming (OOP) is a matter of concern. In many cases they lack the ability to apply various supportive techniques in the process of programming. Efficient knowledge, skills and strategies are required during problem solving to enhance the programming process. It is often assumed that students implicitly and independently master these high-level knowledge, skills and strategies, and that teaching should focus on programming content and coding structures only. However, to be successful in the complex domain of OOP, explicit learning of both programming and supportive cognitive techniques is required. The objective of this study was to identify cognitive, metacognitive and problem-solving knowledge, skills and strategies used by successful and unsuccessful programmers in OOP. These activities were identified and evaluated in an empirical research study. A mixed research design was used, where both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to analyse participants' data. As a qualitative research practice, grounded theory was applied to guide the systematic collection of data and to generate theory. The findings suggest that successful programmers applied significantly more cognitive-, metacognitive- and problem-solving knowledge, skills and strategies, also using a greater variety, than the unsuccessful programmers. Since programming is complex, we propose a learning repertoire based on the approaches of successful programmers, to serve as an integrated framework to support novices in learning OOP. Various techniques should be used during problem solving and programming to meaningfully construct, explicitly reflect on, and critically select appropriate knowledge, skills and strategies so as to better understand, design, code and test programs. Some examples of teaching practices are also outlined as application of the findings of the study. / Mathematical Sciences / PhD. (Nathematics, Science and Tecnical Education)