FPSWEN2

Your Professor (SL):  I’m on a call with Captain Maryland.  For those who don’t keep up with the news, let me recap the story so far:  Captain Maryland is well-known in this area.  She's a superheroine, of course.  Or is it superhero now?  But she also has a comic-book store.  As of last year, the Captain's store, Swenco Comics, was operating as a brick-and-mortar store, with some mail-order business, and does business mainly in the US and Japan, with comics, manga, and related figurines and the like.  Last year's class did the specification for a web-site, allowing her to do business — quite effectively — online, as well as in the store.  But, as you know, many things have changed since then.  With Covid changing a lot of lives, the storefront is currently not in operation, and the entirety of the business is done online, but not as much total business as there had been before.  There has also been a lot of social unrest, with provocateurs and rioters interspersed amongst the well-intentioned demonstrators.  So, Captain, what can we help you with today?

Captain Maryland (CM): I have a few satellites that can detect the visible spectrum, infrared, microwave, and radio. I’ve nicknamed them ‘The Turtles.’ I’m hoping to set things up such that I can use them to deal with the recent violence, as well as help with the pandemic.

SL: How do you propose to do that?

CM: Well, with infrared especially, you can detect temperatures of all sorts. Imagine for a moment that you can utilize that to detect arsonists, since apartments being burned down has been such a problem in some areas. Not only that, but you could use that to detect person-shapes with fevers as well, and possibly get people with the virus to stop spreading the pandemic.

SL: So you want to use infrared to detect person shapes causing trouble, and find sick people?

CM: Exactly. And I can use radio to figure out who is who in these cases, even in groups, and figure out who’s calling the shots. Plus, I can use radio to keep in mind where law enforcement are.

SL: Sounds useful. Anything else?

CM: Yes, actually. I’m a little low on funds at the moment. My day-job as a comic store owner can only do so well in the current climate. You guys helped so much in getting my website up, and as it turns out, it was just in the nick of time. I had to close my physical store entirely for the time being.

SL: I’m sorry to hear that.

CM: I appreciate it. As things are, I need to find a way to attract customers and make a bit more money so I can keep rent, and also hopefully any repairs The Turtles will need in the future. So I’d like to set up an auction system on the website.

SL: What do you have in mind?

CM: Well, I have several camera drones lying around that I’d like to program to peruse my physical store for things about to be auctioned.

SL: How many camera drones do you have?

CM: Twelve. I want users on my site to be able to control them to see the stock at their leisure.

SL: What will the auctions look like?

CM: They’ll be livestreamed. People can use the site to virtually raise their hand and bid, if they’re logged in. Other than that, I don’t really mind how it works.

SL:  Ok, Captain.  We’ll get on it.  Class:  Get to it.  If you have any clarifying questions, send them to me via the Bidders’ Conference discussion board, and I’ll forward them to the Secret Warehouse lair of Captain Maryland.