# Gcse ict



## christopher2405 (May 2, 2007)

I sat paper 1 of my GCSE ICT today (OCR Full Course, Specification A if anyone is interested). I think it went pretty well, but there was one question that I didn't have a clue on, and I wondered if anyone could help me (obviously too late now, but could be useful in the future).

Q. Give three possible ways of trying to prevent the graphics software from being illegally copied.

The only answers I could come up with were registry key and (into guessing in the last 10 minutes territory here) requiring a username and password to be entered any time the program is used.

Obviously the first one is pretty obvious, but I don't think I've ever seen an implementation of the second one - is it a legitimate method?

Also, what else would you say could be used? I'm intrigued.

Thanks!


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## christopher2405 (May 2, 2007)

Bump.


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## benza435 (Mar 9, 2009)

The only thing I can think of is securing the original discs...
All the software security in the world won't prevent someone from putting a DVD in their pocket!


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## christopher2405 (May 2, 2007)

I thought it was a really bad question, and even now I can't think of anything else. Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick...


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## jamiemac2005 (Jul 5, 2007)

Let me start by saying i hate how our countries examining boards set out their specifications and examine on ICT based subjects (note, ICT only, not Compuing)...

I just had a quick skim through the OCR ICT Spec A past papers in hope that it would be a recycled question, i didn't find it. But what's evident from the papers and mark schemes is that only 1 in 4 of them asks for a yes/no/specific answer. Most are "discuss this", "what are the benefits of this", which i think is an absolutely stupid way to assess a technical subject. I mean one of the questions was


> “All information on the Internet is safe and reliable.”
> Discuss this statement. (5 marks)


I can see 5 points that i'd make, and the obvious answer they're steering towards, but there's so much give in that question that i doubt many people ever get full marks.

No luck on finding the answer they wanted to that question though sorry.
If i were answering that question i'd throw in something like:

```
1) Assign each copy of the software a unique ID and make the user register their details with that id
2) Password protect the software(again registration suggested)
3) Distribute the software with a key with which to register the software(in hopes that only the data is copied not the key)...
```
But again it's such a vague question, connection to the internet to check for multiple ids running, etc. there's so many ways.

I personally feel the standard of teaching ICT in the UK is appauling, it's noticeable from the past papers that the examining boards are dummbing down their questions through the years.

Anyway, i could rant about this for ages, it's not productive so i wont... Good luck with your results, if that's the only question that stumped you then i'm sure you did well.

And as a suggestion, if you're considering taking a computer based subject at A-Level (if you chose to stay on/go college), don't take ICT/Applied ICT, if you have the choice take Computing or Foundation Computer Sciences. You'll find that they're a lot more of a "straight forward" answer style course, and they give you a much better grounding in computing and programming (when i say straight forward i mean, they have a set answer, there's not a vague question with "discuss" written next to it). (Trust me, i took Applied ICT and Computing at A-Level[just finished my last exam on thursday], the two are completely different and i much preferred computing).

Cheers,
Jamey


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## christopher2405 (May 2, 2007)

Thanks, I did think that about ICT as well. The second exam I had to do was even easier than that, not one difficult question on it.

I was considering taking computing next year, at the minute I'm stuck between that and further maths.


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## jamiemac2005 (Jul 5, 2007)

Just from experience i'd say go with computing (i don't want to actually sway you here) but from the prospective of a university computing is a mathematical and technological subject (with a lot of theory and practice chucked in). Further maths is well, just furthering maths.

It's also dependant on the style of teachers you have to teach you, because if your computing teacher is just going to regurgitate from the syllabus text books without really knowing what's going on then it's not worth it. Especialy when it comes to the coursework tasks.

But yeah, to give you an idea of what the computing course actually entails:
- CPT1: Basic Theory leading to a 1 and a half hour exam.(goes over everything at the bottom end of computing)
- CPT2: is usually Networking concepts(sometimes with security, etc. but they've made a few changes to the syllabus this year), again leads to a 1 and a half hour exam.
- CPT3: is learning and using a programming language to complete a given task, programming wise this is usually a simple "bespoke" software writing task, you then have to go and write about 40 pages of documentation, and it's done over about 6 months(Depending on your school).
Then year 2 goes:
- CPT4: Programming techniques, this builds on what you learned in CPT3, and is examined with a 1 and a half hour exam.
- CPT5: Advanced systems development, basic theory behind developing an advanced system for a business or company, it basically goes over how you'd make a specification for someone and how you'd find out their needs... Exam again
- CPT 6: (This is the one i loved) a free-reign kind of programming project, you find the client and the need, and then provide them with the software, then write a heckload of documentation, it's not hard it just takes time but the freedom is brilliant. haha. Quite a lot of open source software comes from this, also quite a lot of people who do good find a way to market their software.

I don't know much of the further maths course. But the four examined units are about 100 pages of A4 text-book work each, that you'll probably read a few times. And depending on the teacher you have you'll either just get regurgitated to or actual expereince (which i think you should let be a big factor in your deciding process, my teacher had a loooong background in computing beforehand and i've attained A grades in each of my units(with one pending), and 100% in CPT4, i'm sure i wouldn't have done anywhere near as well with a regurgative teacher)...

Anyway, good luck with whatever you chose to do.

Cheers,
Jamey


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## christopher2405 (May 2, 2007)

Thanks very much. I'll let you know what I take come September.


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## jamiemac2005 (Jul 5, 2007)

Haha, good luck either way =]


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