Combating Spam

We are testing some more aggressive anti-spam measures. In a 24-hour period, the new system blocked 122,000 inbound connections to SHSU. We will continue to try new techniques to help reduce the irritating onslaught of unwanted mail. This measure may also provide increased security since it can automatically refuse messages more quickly.

Reminder: If you want to send your mail marked Spam directly to trash, just login to Blackboard, and choose Software Guides, and E-mail to get step-by-step filtering instructions for Netscape, Outlook, and Entourage.

Think Spam is new? A founder of one of the first dot-coms says it was coined as a term for unwanted mail over eleven years ago. The initial documented solicitation mass mail was from Digital Equipment Corporation announcing their new DEC-20 computer in 1978. Since SHSU purchased a DEC-20 for administrative purposes (back in those dark ages), we may have helped encourage the use of direct e-mail advertising. AARGH!

Guest Access to the Internet

SamNet Wireless now provides wireless guest access to the Internet for campus visitors. Whether people are here for a professional conference, Orientation, or camps, they can bring their PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) or laptops and login to the Internet free of charge.

Campus guests will not have to have visitor accounts if they want Internet access only. Wireless access is now available in the following areas:

Reminder: If you are using wireless without SHSU's VPN login, your information is going out as clear text. Anyone that wanted to "eavesdrop" could. We strongly encourage our University users with authorized usernames to login instead of using guest access. This will allow your information to be encrypted.

Sam Menu

You should have received your new PINs by now from the Registrar's Office. You will use these in combination with your username and password to enter your grades.

Try it out now and make sure you can access the GRAD01MG Online Grade Entry program. This program is available under Student Records . Only the professor on record for each section is permitted to enter those grades.

Purchasing

If you are ordering a new workstation, we will be glad to work with you on the order. That way, it can just be delivered straight to Computer Services (1803 Avenue I, Computer Services, Room 131) and we can simply configure your machine for the campus network while it is here. When the configuration is done, we will schedule a time to deliver it to your office.

Before sending old computers to Property, first do a Computer Services work order to have your hard drives erased. You are responsible for the University information and software that has been saved on your equipment. Make sure no one purchases your old computer and obtains private records.

Dell sells more than Dell products now. You can purchase HP printers, Xerox printers, digital cameras, scanners, networking products, etc. from Dell. If you are ordering equipment that is computer-related, give us a call for recommended products. Proper prior planning prevents poor performance!

A New Web Server

We have just purchased an additional server to provide more redundancy for our web server. If you have cgi scripts on your University web pages, or other "fancy" processes, please verify they will function on the new server. You can go to http://ww3.shsu.edu/. We have the complete SHSU web site snapshot from last week mirrored on this new machine for testing purposes. Just check out your page and make sure it is still doing what you planned. This server will be up and down as we fine tune the processes.

Blackboard

Blackboard will be taken down Friday May 21st at noon for software updates. We will be installing a Blackboard Application pack upgrade. This will move us from 6.1.0.1 to version 6.1.5.5.

The application pack contains maintenance items as well as the following new features:

• Course Templates: Blueprints for new courses. Templates can be based on existing courses or new courses can be developed specifically as templates.
• Messages: Internal course communication tool with the functions of an email account. Messages may not be sent or received outside of the course.
• Glossary: Listing of important terms in a course and associated definitions.

Macintosh Changes

With OS X, it is now possible to provide storage similar to the PC S:\ drives. Macintosh users will have 75 Mb of space that will be backed up nightly by Computer Services. If you log in on any networked Macintosh, you can access your storage space. You will be able to open that Powerpoint presentation or Word document in your office or in your classroom for instance. We are also working on simplifying the system of installing applications from the network.

Training

Many of you were interested in the Adobe InDesign Course we offered last month, but could not attend. We will be offering it twice in May! Review the Training Calendar for details on this and other classes. 

Tired of seeing every PowerPoint presentation look the same? Find out what enhancements are available in the new version that will be installed campus-wide this month. Take Powerpoint 2003, Word 2003, Excel 2003, Access 2003, and/or Office 2003 What's New through Mindleaders. If you do not yet have a subscription to the online Mindleaders training system, contact Christy Cross for access.

Security

Student technicians for Computer Services will now be wearing official SHSU Computer Services t-shirts as well as their name badges. Make sure the person working on your computer equipment is the "real deal."

Tech Tip

Ever want to just copy the Excel values and not the formulas? Highlight the row or column, click Copy. Then click Paste Special. A new menu will come up giving you choices of Formulas, Values, All Except Borders, and some additional options.

Database Update

The programming staff just completed a week of training on the MIMER database. This intensive training is part of the MAGIC project first mentioned in December 2002. We are converting hundreds of files into one database for better Manageability, easier Accessibilty, simpler GUI interfaces, platform-Independence, and a Client-based environment.

A former computing science professor at Uppsala University in Sweden came here to provide the training. His visit here included his first ever baseball game (the Astros) and a trip to the church for barbecue. His impressions of SHSU and Texas are captured in his letter back to us.

If you have any questions, kudos, comments, or concerns, please let us know!

Approved by Associate VP Jim Stevens for mailing to campus.