Hi, my dear agro-Engineers !!

Today we are going to talk about the last subject that we have taught in the master of agroengineering that I am currently attending at ETSIA: Web services and applications in the agrofood industry (In Spanish Servicios y aplicaciones web en el sector agroalimentario).

As general characteristics, this is a subject of the Automation, Robotics and Quality Control modality, given at the end of the first semester and consisting of 3 ECTS. The teachers who teach it are Luis Ruiz and Beatriz Recio.

Initial Ideas

Before taking this course, I got an idea about what I would try, but that is, without looking at the description of the subject (let's face it). I imagined that it would deal with, indeed services and web applications in our sector, seeing mobile apps or web pages, in which for example it would be: Application or web that manages all the agricultural machinery that owns a farmer, or that it helps you To improve yields, etc. As it is a subject taught by the engine department, perhaps you presume that it will be quite related to machinery, and also as previously we had taught the subject of precision agriculture, for more reason.

Topics studied

• Internet basic: First we saw with Luis, Internet Basic, where we talked about the origins of the internet, how it works, the ICP / IP protocol, etc. Some things I already knew, others I did not remember (I was well reviewed), and others I think were new, as can be the subject of dynamic and fixed IP.

Secondly we talk about domains and subdomains, which are, in short, more comfortable ways of remembering IPs. In addition we comment on the servers and the hosting, making special mention on some places where to be able to save domains, as they are: Arsys, 1 & 1, Think Solutions, Cdmon (I am not doing publicity)
One thing that drew my attention especially was sedo.com, which is a place for buying and selling domains, as some have skyrocketing prices. If I remember correctly up to € 200,000 !!.

We briefly talked about the most downloaded apps, both on Android and iOS.

At the end of the class, we were informed of one of the works of the subject: Make a WordPress Blog, which includes 4 articles. That's why I'm writing these lines!!.

• Databases: In the next class, Beatriz told us the subject of databases, the types that exist, such as the relationships that are given in them internally, etc. As one of the practices in this part, we downloaded the program Sqlite, to search information in a database using the SQL language.

Another work of the subject was the realization of a design of a database with the program DBDesigner, in which we make a conceptual model adding entities, attributes and relations between these. In theory, if this design is well done, it can be converted into a database to use, but that yes, it is necessary to follow standardized standardization rules.

As experience and opinion on the databases: In my previous professional stage, I used a database constantly: SAP Logon. I really did not know it was a database, since I simply used it to place orders, find vendors and little else.

• Web 3.0: We were then told about web 2.0 and 3.0, and how the latter uses semantic networks by searching cloud concepts: Information management. It is a tool that approaches the research with the producer, it is a transfer center.

Another issue addressed was that of mobile apps, where we explained different concepts: Native application, Mixed technologies, Strong apps, etc. We explain that from Chil.org want to make Strong apps for the agri-food sector, one of them is Infopac, which serves as a help and consultation to farmers on CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) issues.

Here is an explanatory video about the web 3.0:

• Introduction HTML: The next day, Luis was explaining the HTML language, in a basic way, especially some functionalities, how it is used, etc. At this point another work of the course arises, which have to do with this: The realization of a website for a winery in Castilla la Mancha. This task will be done with the software BlueGriffon, which hardly needs to be programmed, since it is a tool that does it automatically, but if you want to put some more specific things, if you have to program by hand.

This task reminded me of my early days, since in 3rd ESO (about 11 years ago), we developed a website as a quarter term work in the technology subject. We also did it in HTML, but without wizards.

• Open source and Open source software: Another topic discussed in the days following, was open source and free software, "Freemium" business models or Content Management System (CMS). This last one was what undoubtedly caught my attention, since they are packages blogs, pages of purchases etc., that cheap the creation of a website, since you just have to configure it, there is no programming. Some applications to create your own web page are: PnPBB (forums), LMS (Moodle), WiKis (content management), etc.
  But certainly the most important thing to be successful in a web, is to get a critical mass of users. What does this mean? Because very simple, it means that you need a minimum and more or less stable number of people who access and make use of the website.

• Chil.org: Professor Beatriz told us long and hard about the bonanzas of the website Child.org, which seeks to be an internet referent for the agri-food world as it offers a lot of alternatives: News, photos, creation of your own website , Social network, etc. With the aim of publicizing and encouraging the agri-food world.

At this point we are also asked to make another web page within child.org, so we can see what the theme is like.

In my opinion it seems a very powerful platform, but that is in change and update, so it still has to improve a lot. Also, I think it is not very intuitive, so if you are not very used to new technologies can be a bit complex.

• Apps: As the last subject of the subject, we talked about mobile apps, doing a quick study of an app related to our sector, this being another task to deliver. We met a new term, which I personally did not know: "gamification", which consists of using video game techniques in environments that are not. Finally, we started to create our own mobile app with Mobincube.

As a final synthesis, I have to say that I found a very useful, interesting and enjoyable subject, since most things I did not know and I think it can be very useful in my professional future.

I hope you are useful this post.

See you!!