INFORMATION SERVICES
October 2003
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Announcements from the Bulletin, Today, Notification-L

10/31/03, Computer Peripherals and the Micro Fund
Many items that formerly were thought to be high-end equipment have become generic. These include the laptop mouse, port replicator, extra monitors, external drives of various sorts, etc. Maintaining a sustainable Micro Fund to upgrade staff and faculty computers means that departmental T.E.M. budgets should support these purchases. Please keep that in mind while putting together your budget proposal for 2004-05. [Bulletin (also 11/3, 11/5)]

10/31/03, Computers and the Micro Fund
Our policy of supporting one computer per faculty and staff member, plus public labs, plus others as needed has netted us a proportionately high population of computers that the College would struggle to sustain long term. After consultation with our Information Services Advisory Committee and others, we are prioritizing upgrade investments to computers that originally were purchased through the Micro Fund. Computers purchased through departmental funds, grants, and personally administered college funds must be placed in second priority. See the computer procurement policy at http ://www.macalester.edu/infoplan/archived/procurement.html. [Bulletin (also 11/3, 11/5)]

10/31/03, E-Mail
We plan an upgrade of the e-mail server as soon as technical preparation is done and a time is found that minimally disrupts College work. E-mail performance of both the old and new servers depends on cooperation in keeping Inboxes to a minimum size (under 5 Megabytes). This has little to do with availability of storage space but much to do with throughput of the server, which must sort through all Inboxes to open one of them. You can also help performance at your end by closing your mailboxes other than your Inbox before logging off. Your computer then has an easier time opening your account when you log in. Performance also is helped by cleaning out your "Sent" mailbox regularly, if you use one. [Bulletin (also 11/3, 11/5)]

10/31/03, Laptop Loans Temporarily Suspended
The Help Desk's pool of PC and Macintosh laptop computers for short-term loan to faculty and staff has been very popular. Unfortunately, many borrowers have kept computers beyond their due dates or have been negligent in caring for the gear. Through theft and loss, at least one computer and multiple peripheral items have disappeared, and some of those that remain are damaged. It is necessary for us to temporarily suspend the loan of laptops from the Help Desk while we work to repair the damaged items and secure the return of tardy equipment. [Bulletin (also 11/3, 11/5)]

10/31/03, Telephone Service Restored
As of 9:50 AM on Friday October 31, all campus telephones should be working. If you are having any phone problems, please call Telecommunications at x6566.

Thank you for your patience! [Notification-L]

10/31/03, Telephone Outage
Starting sometime last evening (Thursday, October 30), an outage occurred with at least 128 campus telephones. This is not a problem with specific phones, but rather with a portion of the main phone switch. We have contacted our maintenance provider, and service technicians are en route. This should be fixed by 11:00 AM today, October 31. If this is not the case, we will notify you. If you have any questions, please call Telecommunications at x6566. Do not respond to this e-mail message. [Notification-L]

10/30/03, Penny Brown E-Mail Hoax
Many people have received an e-mail regarding a supposedly missing child named 'Penny Brown.' The e-mail includes a photo, and like many hoaxes, instructions to "Forward this on to everyone in your address book." This e-mail is a hoax and complete rubbish. Please do not forward it on to anyone.

Be VERY skeptical of any email reading "Forward this on to everyone in your address book."

More info: http://www. arachnophiliac.com/hoax/Penny_Brown.htm [Notification-L]

10/29/03, Internet Connection Interruption
Our campus Internet connection is down at 4:00 PM. The preliminary information indicates a denial-of-service attack from an off-campus computer. Staff are working on the problem. [Notification-L]

10/28/03, E-Mail Server Problems
You have probably noticed the slowdowns and hangs we have been experiencing on the mail server in the last few days. We are working on scheduling a server replacement, and will announce more information when we have some firm times. In the meantime, you can all help keep the server working better by reducing the size and number of messages you have stored in your Inbox, and by not keeping multiple mailboxes open when they aren't being used. The larger the mailbox being opened, the greater the load placed on the mail server, and the slower the response time will be. We will continue to send out notices to people with Inboxes greater than 5Mb in size, and moving them to another location if they are not reduced after the warning. [Notification-L]

10/27/03, Spam
As announced in previous Bulletins, we have begun filtering incoming e-mail against a list of known spammer addresses to lessen the amount of waste e-mail we have had to endure. As the service is most conservative, you may not see a radical change. For full explanation, see http:// www.macalester.edu/infoservices/planning/spam.html. [Bulletin, also 10/31.]

10/27/03, Be Careful Out There
The Help Desk maintains a pool of loaner laptops but the program is endangered because of abuse of the machines, lost parts and failure to return them in time for others to use them. According to a report from a top data recovery firm, we are not alone. Kroll Ontrack says, "Interestingly, we see a 15 to 20 percent increase in calls to recover lost data on Mondays. This could be a result of the rush to complete work and leave early for the weekend on Friday afternoons, as well as a lack of staff concentration on Monday mornings." The Top 10 list of unusual data loss stories includes laptops being shot or thrown against the wall in a fit of e-rage; laptops suffering spills of red wine or latte because users were "drinking on the job;" laptops falling off mopeds or car roofs, then being crushed by oncoming traffic, and PCs being thrown out a window or into a river to destroy evidence of theft or fraud. [Bulletin, also 10/31.]

10/27/03, Be Careful In Here, Too
While we are on the subject, please exercise responsible use of our "smart" classrooms, as well as computers. Classroom users increasingly complain that the previous occupant has left the projector on, left the equipment cabinet unlocked or opened, etc. Please be respectful of those using the room after you. [Bulletin]

10/20/03, Michael Nelson, CIT and Art Department
Michael Nelson is the 2003-04 Archaeological Institute of America's Earnest R. Graham Lecturer in Ancient Architecture and William A. McDonald Lecturer in Aegean Prehistory. Nelson delivered lectures at the University of Missouri-Columbia, the St. Louis Art Museum and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln on fieldwork at Pylos, Greece and Omrit, Israel. [Bulletin]

10/17/03, Directory A$$istance
Each time you call directory assistance, it costs up to $2. Whenever possible, please utilize the Qwest phone books, either paper or on-line, or one of the many Web sites providing free directory assistance. A few sites are: www.switchboard.com, www.anywho.com and www.infobel.com/teldir. Thank you! [Bulletin (also 10/20, 10/22)]

10/17/03, Admin System Planning
If you would like to track our review of administrative systems for Macalester and voice a suggestion or need, you are invited to a meeting at 3:00 PM, Monday, Oct. 20, in Humanities 401. Departments known to be frequent and heavy data users have participated in previous planning sessions. Many others also depend on accurate, timely and accessible financial, personal, curricular and related records. If that describes you, please join us. [Bulletin (also 10/20, 10/22)]

10/17/03, More Spam
Last week's announcement of plans to control spam was well received and we plan to filter traffic from known spam contractors beginning fall break. See www.macalester.edu/infoservices/planning/spam.html. Some readers asked about setting up Mulberry to divert e-mail tagged as spam (Subject: PMX-) to a special mailbox. You have two options to learn about that. Sign up for the class, Mulberry Rules and PMDF Filters, at 1:00 PM Friday, Oct. 24 by sending your request to Bonnie Alexander at alexander@macalester.edu. Or go to the online documentation at www.macalester.edu/cit/docs/index.html and find Mulberry Mailboxes and Mulberry E-mail, Filtering, Searching and Rules. The first will guide you in creating a spam mailbox; the second will assist in setting up the Mulberry "rule" to divert spam into it. [Bulletin (also 10/20, 10/22)]

10/17/03, On-line Phone Directories for Mac and PC
Mac OS 9 users, you now have a way to access an on-line version of the Qwest Phone directories. Following these instructions will give you a desktop icon of the Qwest Phone Directories:

Go to www.macalester.edu/cit/software
Click on EZPages for Mac OS 9 (near bottom)
Go to your Macalester HD icon (or wherever downloads are placed)
Click on EZPages Install, then Continue, Continue, Install & Quit
You [should] now have an EZ Pages icon on your desktop.

PC users, you simply need to click on the Qwest Phone Book icon in your Novell-delivered Applications.

If you have any questions, please call Telecommunications at x6566. [Bulletin (also 10/20, 10/22)]

10/17/03, Library Access Over Fall Break
Planning to be away from campus over break? Remember that library databases (the stuff we all pay for), reserve readings, etc., are available to you off-site. Just go to http://www.macalester.edu/library and click the link for "Off Campus Access." Enter your barcode number (back of MAC ID) and then your last name as password. For people remaining on-campus, please be aware of adjusted library building hours:
Wednesday, Oct. 22, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM;
Thursday and Friday, Oct. 23-24, 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM;
Saturday, Oct. 25, CLOSED;
Sunday, Oct. 26, 6:00 PM - midnight. [Bulletin (also 10/20, 10/22)]

10/17/03, Wide Open Spaces
The M: drive, aka the 'Common' folder on the network, is a handy place to put files that you want to share with others at Macalester. Anyone with an account at Macalester - student, staff or faculty - has full access to the Common folder. Some pictures, music, stories, data, etc. may be shared on the Common drive.

But since everyone at Mac has full access to Common, it is not the place to put confidential information. Also, it is not the place to put your only copy of something. Anyone may delete or change any file in the Common folder at any time. CIT periodically cleans out the Common drive when it gets too full. This is done without warning - remember, ANYONE can delete or change anything on the Common drive. That said, we should also point out that the Macalester community has a good track record of respecting others in this shared space.

If you want to share files with others in a course or department, use the course folders or departmental folders, respectively. You may also share specific files or folders with a specific group of people that is entirely defined by you. Have a look at http://www.macalester.edu/cit/docs/howto/nwfilesharing-win/index. htm for information on that.

Finally, everyone with a Macalester account also has a personal Web site at Macalester. Ever notice the public.www folder in your home directory (H: drive for Windows users)? Anything you put in there is accessible over the Web by anyone in the world! Your personal URL is http://www.macalester.edu/~username. So if your username is 'rsimon,' your Macalester Web page is http://www.macalester.edu/~rsimon. Have a look at some personal Macalester Web pages here: http://www.macalester.edu/directory/pages.html. Then build your own! [Bulletin (also 10/20, 10/22)]

10/10/03, Change in Interlibrary Loan and FirstSearch
As of Friday, October 10, direct ordering of materials from FirstSearch databases, including WorldCat, will change slightly. Requests will need to be made via the sub-menu found by clicking on the SFX button while viewing a record. Any questions should be directed to the reference desk at x6618, or to Aaron Albertson at albertson@macalester.edu. [Bulletin]

10/10/03, Spam Spam Spam
Doing something about annoying and offensive spam is not a simple proposition. Point your browser to www. macalester.edu/infoservices/planning/spam.html for an essay on our plan to provide means to control spam. [Bulletin (also 10/13, 10/15)]

10/10/03, Microcomputer Fund 2003-04, First Round
Full details are on the Web at www.macalester. edu/cit/basics/funding.html. Your computer may be eligible for automatic replacement with the newest version of the same equipment, in which case no application is needed. In all other cases, you DO need to apply before Friday October 24. See the URL above, and direct any questions to David Sisk, sisk@macalester.edu or x6745. [Bulletin (also 10/13, 10/15)]

10/10/03, Patch Your PC
Windows users: you may have noticed a balloon in the lower right corner of your desktop telling you there are updates available. CIT configured your computer to notify you when Microsoft releases critical updates. This update request comes directly from your operating system as a pop-up window, not through an e-mail message. Please install these updates as soon as you can, as they will give you important bug fixes and security updates so you can be protected against the latest exploits. Be very suspicious of e-mail messages that purport to contain security updates or patches! [Bulletin (also 10/13, 10/15)]

10/10/03, Need A Number?
You have multiple options to get phone numbers. For on-campus departments and people, the directory on the Macalester home page gives you phone numbers and e-mail addresses for staff, faculty and students. Department numbers and locations can be found on our home page under Academic Programs or Administrative Offices.

You can be connected to an on-campus person or a department by dialing x6777 and spelling the last name or the department.

Your 2003-04 staff/faculty directories should now be at your desks. Please take a moment to review this directory for all the valuable information it contains, including students' phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

If you need directory assistance for an off-campus person or establishment, check out www.switchboard.com. Or PC users, check out the Qwest Phone Book icon on your Novell-delivered applications. It's a replica of the printed Qwest white and yellow pages. [Bulletin (also 10/13, 10/15)]

10/06/03, New Information Services Web Sites
CIT, the Library and Media Services all have revamped and/or added services to their Web pages. Start with www.macalester.edu/ infoservices/ and note the top-level policies and services available to you. The related pages from our departments present services such as e-mail filtering, regional library catalogs and Mac network TV listings in an easy-to-use manner. [Bulletin]

10/06/03, Online Directory
Quite a few folks do not know about or do not recall our online directory. It is probably the best option to find names and e-mail addresses of Macalester faculty, staff and students when the printed directory is not at hand or out of date. The Macalester home page (www.macalester.edu) or LESTER's "Campus" page (lester.macalester.edu) will get you there. [Bulletin]

10/06/03, Microcomputer Fund, First Round 2003-04
The first round of this year's Microcomputer Fund is set to begin. Faculty, staff and many lab computers that are four years old or older will have Macalester ID stickers numbered between 12650 and 13228. These computers are eligible for automatic replacement; if you need only a new version of the same computer, you DO NOT NEED to apply to the fund.

If you need a computer that goes beyond the standard configuration, wish to replace a computer that is not yet four years old, or acquire a computer for an entirely new use, you DO need to apply. Application deadline is 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24. All application materials need to be received in CIT before this time.

The Micro Fund is used solely for computer hardware and workgroup printers - not for FAX machines, personal printers, software or other items. Computers originally acquired through grants, endowed funds, personal purchases and departmental funds may not be eligible for replacement through the fund. The fund can afford one computer per permanent college employee. Full details and application materials may be found on the Web, at www. macalester.edu/cit/basics/funding.html. [Bulletin]

10/06/03, Administrative System Planning
We are engaged with four neighboring colleges, all of whom are users of the Jenzabar CX (CARS) system for administrative functions. The Student and Faculty Information Systems derive from this system, as well. We share concerns about the product and are evaluating alternatives. The first meeting of representatives of departments that most frequently use the system occurs on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at College of Saint Catherine. See details of this and related planning at www.macalester.edu/adminplan/. [Bulletin]

10/01/03, CLICnet System Unavailable Thursday AM
CLICnet will not be available Thursday, October 2 from 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM for hardware maintenance. We apologize for this inconvenience, but we must take the system offline in order to replace hardware. Thanks for your patience. [Notification-L]

10/01/03, Off-campus Access to Library Services
We are experiencing some technical difficulties with our off-campus access service provider. We are working to resolve the problem, and appreciate your patience as we try to resolve the problem. We hope to have service restored as quickly as possible and expect full service by 4:30 PM this afternoon. [Notification-L]

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