A software application structured in plug-ins, with each plug-in supporting a specific functionality, allowing adding or removing plug-ins without code recompilation. The Firefox Web browser is a notable example.
Published in Chapter:
Bumerang
António José Videira Tavares (Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Portugal)
Copyright: © 2008
|Pages: 6
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-885-7.ch013
Abstract
The peer-to-peer (p2p) systems have promising characteristics to the sharing of digital resources—digital contents, processing power, bandwidth, and storage—in a free and equal way, among the members in a community of equals (peers) (Androutsellis-Theotokis & Spinellis, 2004; Barkai, 2001; Fattah, 2002; Milojicic et al., 2002; Oram, 2001; Schoder, Fischbach, & Schmitt, 2005). A member of a community could decide when and what he wants to share, knowing that to obtain something of his interest, he should offer something in return, and that the success of his community depends in some way on his own contribution and participation. This property is very interesting in academic environments and very reaching and diversified in collaboration forms, expression ways, and formal or informal relationships.