Wallenberg Hall Showcases New Technology
at Its Best
CourseWork: Updates and Highlights
Video Kiosks Promote Student Events
New Web Site for SULAIR
Redesigning the SULAIR Web
Reset Your Own SUNet Password
Whiteboard Capture Tools Enhance Writing
and Studying
Come to the IT Open House on January 14
Automated In-Room Network Registration
SKIL Interactive Tutorial Launched
Copyright and Fair Use Web Site Updated
ITSS Changes Its Email Virus Scanning Policy
HighWire Press: An Award and New Journals
Courselets Now Available
Stanford Libraries Offer New Enhanced Images
Online
New Digital Resource for 18th Century Studies
Electronic Media in Special Collections
Chemistry Web Sites for All
Get E-resources in Socrates
Scholars’ Workshops on Electronic Resources
LANL Updates Interface to INSPEC and Citation
Indexes
Ethical Standards for Using Electronic Resources
New Electronic Resources in the Social Sciences
GIS Support in Branner Library
Virtual Data Resources for the Social Sciences
CRC Handbook of Chemistry & Physics Revised
Household Products Database
Lane Medical Library’s GAIN Initiative
“ TECH Desk” for the Stanford University
Medical Center
Illustrated Shakespeare Web Site
SciFinder Scholar 2004 is Here
VPUE’s Academic Technology Specialist
Program
Academic Technology Lab: What’s New
for Winter 2004
Academic Technology Specialists Program Expands
Try the Sundial Calendar
Meyer Library’s Technology Services
Desk: An Update
Technology-Enhanced Classrooms in Meyer Library
There’s Life After Forsythe
Email Directory Services Change at Stanford
Dealing with Computer Waste
OSX.3 Panther at Stanford
WebAuth Ver. 3: Single Sign-On Support
ITSS Technology Training Services for Winter
2004
New Client Web Sites for ITSS Services
Multimedia Studio Offers Individual Consultations
Stanford Bookstore Computer Store: See What’s
New for 2004
Security Enhancements Planned for Stanford
Use Webmail When You’re Away
Internet Archive: Where Old Web Pages Go
As academic technology becomes part of the fabric of teaching and learning at Stanford the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education (VPUE) ATS group has become involved in the development of new ideas, expansions and scaling, and assessment. This fall the VPUE ATS team engaged in a variety of collaborative, innovative projects with partners across the university.
Wallenberg Hall opened their doors to Sophomore College this September, with eight seminars taught in the facility's technology-enhanced classrooms. (See also "Wallenberg Hall Showcases New Technology at Its Best".)
• Former President Gerhard Casper taught "Constitutionalism" and with the aid of two Websters (a system that allows users to mark up images and interact with files using a ïpen'), his students edited and "ratified" a draft of the constitutional treaty during a 10 hour simulation of the Intergovernmental Conference for the European Union.
• The new head of the faculty senate, Professor Tom Wasow, tried out the i-room in his Understanding Language seminar. His students presented with a wireless laptop in hand and PointRight connectivity.
• Professor Harry Elam taught Social Protest Drama in the Peter Wallenberg Learning Theater. With the help of Jason Anderson and especially Dan Gilbert, the Freshman and Sophomore Program ATSs were able to support a drama, which used the room's three 12 foot screens as digital backdrops.
• Dena Slothower and Carlos Seligo were amazed to discover yet another use for PowerPoint, and we're not talking about flying bullet points! It is streamed on the ATS group's homegrown realserver at http://vpue-media.stanford.edu:8080/ramgen/Primetime.rm. (You can view this with the RealOne Player available for free at http://www.real.com/.)
This fall, the ATS Team was proud to help roll out a new learning resource for students. The Stanford Key to Information Literacy (SKIL) is an online tutorial and test developed in response to a faculty senate initiative requiring students to demonstrate proficiency in skills related to online research. The six-part online tutorial and test was developed by Green Library reference librarians Malgorzata Schaefer and Kathy Kerns, in collaboration with the Program in Writing and Rhetoric's governance board. It was based on similar tests at other universities as well as original material developed at Stanford.
The online implementation of the tutorial and test was done by VPUE ATS's Victoria Szabo, Lina Yamaguchi, and Adam Christensen, student workers, and other library staff, including Ronnie Fields. The test measuring student proficiency is administered through Academic Computing's CourseWork system. (See also "CourseWork: Updates and Highlights".) Academic Computing's Charles Kerns managed usability testing as well.
All 1600 frosh students are entered into the course system through the batch upload process, and assigned to the appropriate PWR instructors within the single SKIL "course." PWR instructors monitor student's completion of the test and PWR central administration downloads data from the CourseWork SKIL area for use in their own database tracking systems.
The CourseWork gradebook tool makes it easy for instructors to track student progress in taking one of 3 versions of the test, and gives them a quick way to see who has and has not completed the assessment. In addition, instructors, as well as test developers, can look to see which questions students are answering correctly and incorrectly by using CourseWork's admin assignment functionality.
In the Introduction to the Humanities Program (IHUM), the course Bodies in Place enjoyed its second run in Fall 2003, with the addition of faculty member Tim Lenoir to the team of Haun Saussy and Michael Shanks. The team also includes Teaching Fellows Phaedra Bell, Renee Courey, and Rob Wessling, as well as IHUM ATS Victoria Szabo.
The course was media intensive and included as a primary course text the computer
game the Sims, as well as online "Expansion Packs" for each unit. In one session,
Haun Saussy videoconferenced in from New York as part of a panel discussion
on virtual identities and observership. Late in the quarter, a whole class
session took place in chat form, with a follow-up analysis of the medium's
effect on communicative process.
The BIP teaching team also refined rubrics and grading standards for evaluating collaborative multimedia projects, and will share their results with IHUM and the campus community as part of the larger conversation about these questions as they relate to undergraduate teaching and research.
Other IHUM courses are taking advantage of the CourseWork system to provide supplementary materials online to their students . This includes Visions of Mortality, taught by Chris Bobonich and Barbara Koenig, and Old World Encounters, taught by Karen Wigen and Martin Lewis, along with their Teaching Teams. See the IHUM Web site at http://ihum.stanford.edu/ for links to these and other course Web sites.
The Program in Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) continues to develop its innovative practices in writing instruction with the use of collaboration workstations in Wallenberg Hall and Meyer Library. PWR and the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) are partnering to develop support and resources for the new second year writing requirement.
Oral Communications Program coordinator John Bilderbeck has been busy working with ATS staff Corinne Arraez, Jeremy Sabol, Carlos Seligo, and Victoria Szabo to figure out best confirmations for oral communications practice spaces and strategies for managing online materials.
As the Oral Communications tutor program ramps up, we will see more students engaging in different types of writing and presentation, both as part of the Writing 2 requirement and beyond. The ATS group looks forward to working with campus partners in ITSS and Academic Computing on ways to support these exciting new developments.
Undergraduate Research Programs (URP) and Undergraduate Advising have also been busy building infrastructure to support their programs.
Faculty wishing to apply for VPUE Faculty Grants for Undergraduate Research may now apply for them online at the Undergraduate Research Programs Web site:
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/undergrad/urp/
The primary goal of this grant program is to allow individual faculty members and research center affiliates to support undergraduate participation in their current research and scholarly projects. The program also aims to provide a bridge between introductory coursework and more advanced independent study during the junior and senior years. In some cases, the program will allow students to develop research skills under close, individual faculty mentorship in the sophomore or junior year before undertaking a year-long honors or senior project.
A database, developed by URP ATS Lina Yamaguchi, facilitates not only the application process for faculty but also the review process for the Undergraduate Advisory Council, and budgetary and tracking functions for Undergraduate Research Programs' staff.
The final deadline for submission of proposals during academic year 2003-2004 will be February 17, 2004. For more information about VPUE Faculty Grants see the Web at http://vpuefacultygrants.stanford.edu/.
With the help of ATS Kiran Kang, the Undergraduate Advising Center (UAC) has made available an enhanced Web site resource for Academic Advisors at http://uac.stanford.edu/advisors/.
Academic Advisors can get information and learn about resources to help them in advising their students. They can access the Advising Handbook, important dates and deadlines, advising tips, and much more. For more information, Academic Advisors can contact Dandre DeSandies at 725-1568.
The Academic Technology Lab (ATL), located in Meyer Library room 181, is a resource center for faculty and TA's interested in integrating technology into their teaching.
During Fall Quarter 2003, faculty, TA's, and Academic Technology Specialists used the ATL for projects including scanning, generating editable documents from books and manuscripts, image editing, audio and video digitizing, DVD burning, and developing materials for use online with the CourseWork learning management system. (See also "CourseWork: Updates and Highlights".)
The ATL has recently installed new equipment:
• Macintosh G5's: These powerful new computers burn DVDs, encode, render and compress video twice as fast as our previous machines. The G5's also store eight times as much data and allow for quicker data transfer via Firewire 800. In addition, the lab's digital video workstations have been enhanced with flat screens and surround sound.
• Upgraded Formac Studio Analog-Digital Converters: The Formac converters provide high quality digital video and supports both PAL and NTSC formats. You can grab video from a digital video cam, VHS, Hi8, miniDV and DVD. Export options include printing to tape, saving back to camera, and QuickTime movies (which can then be burned to CD-ROM), or prepared for iDVD.
The Academic Technology Lab's hours are Monday-Friday from 1:00-5:00 p.m. Faculty and TA's can request a consultation with ATL staff by sending email to acomp-consult@lists.stanford.edu. Please include a brief description of your project with days and times you are available for a consultation.
For more information about the ATL, visit the Academic Technology Lab Web site at http://acomp.stanford.edu/atl or contact them at 725-5522.
This fall, the Academic Technology Specialists Program has expanded with the hiring of two new specialists working in the Art and Drama departments, and the Humanities Center. Academic Technology Specialists (ATS) bring experience in utilizing information technology, specialized software, and computing techniques and work directly with faculty to extend the outreach of technology support and innovation in academics and research.
The ATS for Art and Drama, Michael Gonzales, brings a background of several years of experience in Academic Technology support working with a number of programs and groups at Stanford. Nicole Coleman brings to the Humanities Center prior experience in academic computing, as well as experience in electronic publishing and in Web development in an academic environment.
Michael Gonzales most recently has been working as an ATS in support of SULAIR projects and has been actively involved in the development project for the new SULAIR website. In support of this project, he has developed CBT and workshop training materials for Dreamweaver users.
Prior to working with SULAIR, Michael also worked as an ATS in support of the History department and in support of the Overseas Study Program (OSP). Working with the OSP, Michael developed a number of projects in support of distance, learning to take advantage of software in support of course management that facilitated communication between instructors and students separated overseas.
With the History department, Michael experimented with early versions of IP-based videoconferencing in support of classroom teaching.
With a degree in Anthropology, Michael is also fluent in Tagalog and has taught and lectured on the language and literature.
Nicole Coleman has spent the past two years working at the University of Colorado at Boulder as a Coursework Support Coordinator, a role very similar to the ATS position that she has now begun in the Humanities Center. While at Boulder, Nicole developed and implemented an extensive training program to introduce faculty and instructors to new technologies applicable to their teaching, designed and maintained academic Web sites rich with multimedia and flash, and has worked extensively with academic courseware. She has also provided opportunities for using new tools, such as online journals, for communication and collaboration among academics.
With a B.A in Humanities from UC Berkeley, Nicole has also studied abroad in Switzerland, and is fluent in both French and Italian.
For more information about the Academic Technology Specialists Program, contact Makoto Tsuchitani at mako@stanford.edu.
The second phase of the Sundial calendaring system, which includes the availability
of desktop software for Windows, Mac OSX, Unix, and handheld devices, was deployed
by ITSS in September 2003. The Sundial Calendar gives the entire University
a common system that is:
• A fully featured calendaring service;
• Centrally funded and maintained (free to all departments and users);
• Available to all departments and users;
• Capable of tracking individual, group, event and resource schedules;
• Secure and has configurable privacy settings;
• Accessible through handheld devices (Palm, Pocket PC).
• Functionally on par with MeetingMaker or Exchange (including delegation, group, and resource calendaring);
• Accessible through the Web (http://sundial.stanford.edu/) and through desktop clients (Windows, Mac OSX, Unix); and
To get a Sundial calendar account and download the calendar software, visit the Web at:
Multimedia tutorials are also available on the Sundial calendar Web site.
For questions or comments about the calendar, please submit a HelpSU request via:
https://helpsu.stanford.edu/helpsu.cgi?pcat=Application - Sundial/
The Technology Services Desk on the second floor of Meyer Library experienced a number of changes this past quarter as the student consultants who ran the desk continued to work under the coordination of the Consulting Manager, Kenneth Chan.
Consultants are available during all hours that the second floor of Meyer is open to the public. They are here to answer general user questions and troubleshoot the equipment and software resources that are provided in the Meyer clusters by Academic Computing for the University's students, staff, and faculty. Other responsibilities include providing access to classrooms and portable laptop carts in Meyer and maintaining a Lost and Found station.
The front desk also serves as an equipment checkout counter, offering patrons a selection of headphones and computer cabling for use during one's visit to Meyer. All you need is an Stanford ID card or driver's license. Finally, common items such as blank media (CD-Rs, DVD-Rs, VHS tapes, Zip disks), transparencies, and stationery are available for sale for patrons who have added money to their SU ID cards via the StanfordCardPlan. A DART machine is available on the first floor of Meyer for adding money to your card.
While the front desk offers general user support, more specialized help is also provided by the Multimedia Consultants who work in the Multimedia Studio in the far corner of the second floor, near the Flex Lab. They are available to assist users in video dubbing, digital video authoring, and image scanning. They offer one-on-one consultations by appointment for users with specific questions or project needs. See "Multimedia Studio Offers Individual Consultations".
Should you have further questions regarding the services on the first and second floor of Meyer, please contact consulting-manager@acomp.stanford.edu for assistance.
Meyer Library houses several technology-enhanced classrooms maintained by the Academic Computing group of Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources. Classrooms may be equipped with computers, DVD players, VHS players and sound systems connected to a overhead projection system, offering you the ability to enhance your class environment with multimedia.
Room 143 in Meyer Library contains 17 SUNet-enabled iMacs with a software image as supported in the Meyer, Tresidder and residential clusters. This room is equipped with an instructor's computer station, projector, DVD, laser disc, and VHS playback.
Room 182 in Meyer Library is a presentation room that accommodates classes and groups of up to 20. It is equipped with an LCD projector, multi-format VCR, and DVD player. There is also a Macintosh instructor's station.
Room 183 in Meyer Library is a presentation room that accommodates classes and groups of up to 20. It is equipped with an LCD projector, multi-format VCR, and DVD player. The room is equipped with 21 PC compatible computer which includes an instructor station.
Room 184 in Meyer Library is a presentation room that accommodates classes and groups of up to 20. It is equipped with an LCD projector, multi-format VCR, and DVD player. There is also a Macintosh instructor's station.
The Flexible Class-Lab, located on the second floor of Meyer Library, is a room containing furniture that is easy to reconfigure for small group work and discussions. It seats about 25 and features an LCD projector, DVD and laserdisc player, multi-format VCR, and an Macintosh instructor's station. The room is dedicated primarily for use by the Program in Writing and Rhetoric (PWR). Availability for other groups is determined once the quarterly PWR class schedule is finalized.
Faculty members can request that instructional software be made available on the computer cluster image and, in some cases, the instructional station in the classroom. Requests should be made to software@acomp.stanford.edu. Some software requests might require support from the instructional department.
Requests must be made well in advance for Academic Computing staff to evaluate the request and determine if it can be supported. It can take up to two to three months for software to be ordered, received, and installed on the desktop image before it is made available in the cluster and/or classroom. It is recommended that faculty make their requests in late March/early April for the following academic year.
Meyer second floor Technology Services Desk staff can provide basic support for the classrooms. More technical classroom problems will be referred to Academic Computing classroom support staff.
For more information about these classrooms, or to schedule the use of one of them, please see the Web at:
http://acomp.stanford.edu/rooms/
The Forsythe mainframe computer (the workhorse that ran many of the major University administrative computing processes, including Socrates, Folio, Prism and many financial applications) was retired from general service at the end of December. During the next couple of months, the mainframe will be used to complete some year-end tax business for the University before it gets trucked out of Forsythe Hall. Its once-huge user community (about 6500 accounts last April, plus thousands who used accountless-access) has moved off and moved on.
Infrequent Forsythe users, especially those who used it without having their own accounts, may not know where their favorite Forsythe services of the past couple of years have gone. The major financial applications on Forsythe were replaced last September by Oracle Financials. (See http://delphi.stanford.edu/ for information). Much of the historic data in the replaced systems is now available through ReportMart, or in Prism running on a UNIX machine called Spires (SNAP, SUFIN and PCard data, in particular), or else inside the replacement system itself.
Although ITSS worked through the shut-down process quite publicly for about two years, it is possible that someone with a long-forgotten connection to Forsythe may suddenly wonder whether an important but abandoned data set or program of theirs from the past can be rescued. It's unlikely, but it's not inconceivable - for a very limited time, ITSS may still be able to help you. Submit questions about such concerns as soon as possible with a HelpSU ticket (http://helpsu.stanford.edu/ ).
For all remaining mainframe-related matters, see the Web site:
http://mainframe-retirement.stanford.edu/
On January 15, the directory server, which provides email address and other information for email clients such as Eudora, will be retired. The address "directory.stanford.edu" will be replaced by "whois.stanford.edu".
If you use directory services with your email client, you will need to change your email program settings.
Configuration instructions for the directory service with Eudora are located on the Essential Stanford Software site (http://ess.stanford.edu/). Eudora 6 has just been released, and you will find the instructions for the directory service with the configuration instructions.
This change applies to all versions of Eudora (not just Eudora 6) that run on either Macintosh or PC systems. If you do not use the directory service, you do not need to make any changes.
This change is one of the last steps in a complex project to upgrade the enterprise LDAP directory. For more information or for assistance, contact HelpSU at 725-4357 or submit a help request at: http://helpsu.stanford.edu/
Due to their toxicity, many of the materials that are found in computers such as lead and plasticizers may impact human health and the environment and need to be kept out of landfills. With the EPA projecting that 250 million computers will become obsolete by 2005, recycling centers, nonprofits, legislators and some original equipment manufacturers have been trying to develop a sustainable system to handle electronic waste (e-waste).
E-waste issues entered the media limelight after an environmental NGO Basel Action Network documented their trip to a computer recycling facility in Guiyu, China. U.S. computers were being improperly disassembled in the facility, poisoning workers and the local environment.
On campus, PSSI/Stanford Recycling Center and Environmental Health & Safety continue to work on e-waste management. Through the combined efforts of EH&S and the Stanford Property Administration Department, the University sends all e-waste to an environmentally conscious recycler, and no materials are shipped overseas.
Last October, Stanford partnered with Dell Inc. and the National Recycling Coalition to hold a computer recycling collection event. Over 1,000 residents of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties turned in their computers free of charge. These participants donated nearly 50 tons of equipment, which filled four semi-truck trailers. Usable computers were donated to the National Cristina Foundation, and the rest were responsibly recycled.
Since collection events are rare on campus, the following protocol should be followed:
• From the academic and student housing areas, requests for disposition of Stanford-owned computers that are no longer needed should be sent to University Property Administration (UPA) using proper equipment procedures. If the equipment is not considered capital equipment, an SU 13 should be completed and sent to UPA.
• PSSI/Stanford Recycling Center will accept non-Stanford property monitors and televisions from on-campus residents for a fee. The fee is $40 if the equipment is dropped off and $50 if PSSI needs to pick it up. Interested residents should call (650) 321-4236.
• Non-campus residents should check with their manufacturers
of their computers to see if they have a take-back program in place. Many manufacturers
will take back computers for a fee that varies according to weight; they usually
describe their programs on their Web sites. Ideally, consumers will encourage
those manufacturers without programs to develop them. Additionally, county
waste management programs often can provide their residents with information
on available e-waste recycling services.
Currently, Zak Enterprises manages Stanford's surplus electronic equipment. They determine what can be refurbished and what needs to be recycled. CRTs are sent to HMR, which manages the materials in-house.
Zak Enterprises has signed the Electronics Recycler Pledge of True Stewardship, developed by the environmental nonprofits that have spearheaded the environmental justice movement around toxic e-waste issues. Companies that sign the pledge agree to keep track of the e-waste they handle throughout the product recycling chain, meet applicable environmental and health regulations, and refuse to export e-waste.
For more information about on-campus computer recycling, contact your Department Property Administrator for Stanford property. For non-Stanford property, please contact Julie Muir, Community Relations Manager, PSSI/Stanford Recycling Center at (650)321-4236, juliem@pssi.stanford.edu. For general questions about e-waste management and recycling, contact Heather Perry, Environmental Engineer, Environmental, Health and Safety at (650) 723-1308, hperry@stanford.edu. You can also visit the Environmental Health and Safety Web site at:
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/EHS/prod/index.html
Although e-waste is an ever-increasing problem, progress is steadily being made by institutions and individuals who responsibly manage their electronics and encourage their suppliers to develop upstream solutions, including the development of green technology that lacks toxic materials.
Apple released the next version of its OS X operating system in October 2003.
Version 10.3, code named Panther, includes several new features as well as
improvements in reliability and performance. Panther fits well into the Stanford
distributed computing environment; it includes all of the previously released
security patches, improved network browsing from the Finder, and speed improvements.
In fact, Apple claims that Panther is significantly faster on older G3s than
10.2 Jaguar. While there is no quantitative evidence to support this claim,
it does appear to be faster.
All new Macs come pre-installed with Panther. For those who currently have a Mac running a previous version of Mac OS consider the following:
Upgrading over a current version of OS X is not difficult and has the advantage of retaining any customization that may have been applied. Upgrading takes longer than a "clean" install and may perpetuate current problems (if they exist).
Before upgrading, ITSS recommends that you attempt some form of housekeeping on your system by removing unnecessary or unwanted applications and consolidating data files into your home directory (if they are not already there).
Finally, backup your home directory (at a minimum) to an external source, such as a Firewire drive, before upgrading to Panther.
You can find additional information on the Web at:
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/itss/services/osx/osxpanther.html
Version 3 of Stanford's Web Authentication service (WebAuth v3) was released quietly in February of 2003 and made a full-campus presence over the course of the summer. In September 2003, S/Ident support was added to the campus WebAuth v3 services.
S/Ident is a network single sign-on protocol built into PC-Leland and MacLeland. If you access a page protected by WebAuth v3, you will be sent to the weblogin server as usual. However, if you are already logged on via PC-Leland, MacLeland, or a Unix system with an S/Ident responder, you will not be prompted for your username and password. Instead, you will be able to just click through to the protected page.
Please note that S/Ident will not always work in every network environment. It will be stymied by NAT and firewalls, and still has all of the other issues inherent to S/Ident. If the S/Ident authentication fails, the weblogin server will just prompt for username and password as it did before.
More information about S/Ident support in WebAuth v3, is on the Web at:
http://webauthv3.stanford.edu/faq.html#PF02
For more information on WebAuth v3 in general, please see the WebAuth v3 Web
pages at:
http://webauthv3.stanford.edu/
You may want to note these general reminders while using Stanford's WebAuth v3 services:
To log out of WebAuth 3, quit the browser program. That is the best way to guarantee that no one else can use the browser with your credentials still in effect. Quitting the browser discards the cookies that hold the credentials established by WebAuth 3. If you do not share your computer with others, logging out may be less important to you. However, as always, ITSS urges you to make sure your computer is locked so others can't use it (that is, can't use your WebAuth 3 browser credentials) when you are away.
If you are having login problems with WebAuth v3 sites, you may have an issue with your Kerberos password. For more details about this, please see: "Kerberos v5 and unsynchronized passwords" at:
http://webauthv3.stanford.edu/upgrade-v2.html
If you have any questions or problems concerning WebAuth, please submit a HelpSU ticket at:
https://helpsu.stanford.edu/helpsu.cgi
ITSS Technology Training Services offers a variety of lab and lecture classes. For information about all the courses they offer, see the Educational & Training Opportunities guide or the Web site at http://techtraining.stanford.edu/, or call them at 723-4391.
|
Content That Was in These Courses: |
Now Is In: |
|
Creating Web Pages |
Web Design Level 1 |
|
Enhancing Web Pages |
(No Longer Taught) |
|
Tables |
Web Design Level 2 |
|
Cascading Style Sheets |
|
|
Designing for the Web |
Web Design Level 3 |
|
Forms and Formage |
Web Design Level 4 |
|
Protecting Documents on the Web |
Web Design Level 5 |
Until recently, ITSS has only offered its very popular one-on-one, customized training sessions in a one-and-a-half-hour version. Now ITSS is introducing a shorter version--just one hour--for those who need less training, have fewer questions, need help more quickly, or are running out of STAP funds. We've named the new TBA sessions TBA 1.0. (The longer ones are called TBA 1.5.) Technology Training's own instructor, Mark Branom, will join the "outside" instructors in conducting these shorter TBA sessions.
Check the Training Opportunities Guide or the Technology Training Services Web site for more information on topics covered and how to sign up for your own personalized training session.
The registration process is the same, but getting there has changed since the Forsythe mainframe shut down. (See also, "There's Life After Forsythe".) Complete instructions for accessing Training Registration and registering for courses online can be found in the Training Opportunities Guide or at http://techtraining.stanford.edu/.
In order to align the curriculum in the HTML classes with the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) guidelines, ITSS has restructured the classes. The W3C is the governing council developing the technical and stylistic specifications for the Web's infrastructure.
ITSS has removed topics such as using font and body tag attributes to manipulate color and size on a Web page and replaced them with concepts and processes supported by the W3C.
These changes will help clients create cross-platform Web pages that load faster, are not browser specific, and are easy to maintain. In addition, sites designed to the W3C standards are more accessible to newer technologies such as handheld PDAs, cell phones, and talking browsers for the visually impaired.
In order to bring the one-hour, noontime, cost-free, drop-in sessions on technology to a lecture hall near you, the Tech Express presentations change location each quarter. For Winter Quarter they will be in Turing Auditorium, in Polya Hall, in the Jordan Quad. (They were held in Earth Science's Hartley Building in the fall, Piggott Hall in the Main Quad in the summer, and at Wallenburg Auditorium in the History Building in the spring.)
These valuable tech talks, meant for the general computer user at Stanford, are a quick way to keep up with the ever-changing world of technology. To receive email notification of upcoming topics, sign up at http://techexpress.stanford.edu.
ITSS has greatly improved the quality of the sound system in Turing Auditorium, Polya Hall. Old speakers have been replaced and new ones have been added. Volume from the instructor microphone and audio equipment microphones can now be controlled separately. In addition, a DVD player has been added to the facility.
In the computer labs (WIL, POST, and PHIL), ITSS upgraded the following software: Adobe Acrobat 5 to 6; Macromedia Suite (Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks) MX to MX 2004; and Eudora 5 to 6.
Turing Auditorium, like all the other Technology Training Services facilities, can be rented for classes, meetings, presentations, etc. If you need a technology instructor for a class, give them a call. Technology Training Services can help you with that too (http://techtraining.stanford.edu/, 723-4391).
Two new Web sites were released in 2003 that enable students and department representatives to place orders for ITSS services such as phone and cable TV, review their current service, and view, print or download their monthly IT bill.
Students can view their current balance and monthly bills, place orders for services, and get price estimates on long distance phone calls through the My IT Services site. First launched in May 2003, the site is accessible via the Axess Web site at:
Between August and October, over 3,800 returning students placed online service orders.
Plans for enhancements to the My IT Services site in 2004 include the ability for students to opt out of paper billing and the creation of an order preview page so that students can review their service choices prior to submitting an order.
School and Department representatives began using the IT Services site in July 2003. It's on the Web at:
http://itservices.stanford.edu/
Authorized staff and faculty can view, print, or download their monthly statement to spreadsheet format or PDF. Additionally, authorized users can place orders for a range of services.
Of particular benefit to departments is the ability to get an immediate confirmation and order request number when an order is placed, and track the progress of that order via the Web site.
Planned enhancements to the IT Services Site include adding ways to search for service profile information, making it easier to place service orders, and increasing the use of pop-up windows for announcements and help text.
Use of the site as a management tool is expected to increase during the year, so database tuning is also planned. This will help department users more quickly retrieve their monthly statements.
Both the My IT Services site for students and the IT Services site for department users plan to make additional ITSS services available for online ordering. Over time, the sites will be developed into "one stop shops" for all IT services.
Academic Computing's Multimedia Studio Consultants now offer one-on-one consultations in lieu of workshops. The individual consultations will allow consultants to tailor sessions on video dubbing, image scanning, Photoshop, and iMovie to the specific needs, interests and technical levels of patrons.
Consultations are available Monday-Friday from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Multimedia Studio on the second floor of Meyer Library. To make an appointment, please send an email with a detailed description of your project to studio-consult@lists.stanford.edu .
Are computer products and accessories on your 2004 wish list? Come into the Stanford Bookstore Computer Store where Stanford students, staff, faculty, and departments can purchase computer products and software at discounted prices.
The Computer Store carries a variety of items that you may want to consider:
• Hardware from Apple, Toshiba, and IBM, plus a host of other computer-related products from major manufacturers.
• Software at academic pricing for Macintosh and Windows-based systems from vendors such as Apple, Adobe, Borland, Macromedia, Microsoft, and Symantec.
• Peripherals and supplies such as Palm, Sony, and Handspring handheld devices, mobile phones, ink and toner cartridges, cables and laptop accessories.
In need of computer repairs or memory upgrades? No problem. The Stanford Bookstore Computer Store Computer Service Center repairs Apple computers, in or out of warranty and can also facilitate non-warranty PC repairs. The Computer Service Center also stocks memory modules to upgrade computer systems and offers on-campus pickup and delivery at no charge for Stanford departments. Other customers are welcome to use the drop-off window located on the main level of the Bookstore. The Computer Service Center is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For details, contact the Bookstore at 725-6136, extension 338.
When purchasing a computer system, software or supplies through the Computer Store, individuals may pay with cash, check, or credit card. Eligibility requirements vary depending on the purchase. Please contact the Computer Store for eligibility requirements. Campus departments must use an online Standard Purchase Requisition form, which should be forwarded to Procurement. Departmental orders totaling less than $1,500 can be purchased with a Stanford Purchasing Card (VISA/MasterCard) or Rapid Purchase Order (RPO), which can be faxed (325-3476), or brought into the store and used like cash.
To learn more about the Stanford Bookstore Computer Store, drop by the Stanford Bookstore, located in White Plaza or call (650) 725-6116 (or 800-533-2670). Visit the Computer Store Web page to see available hardware, software and peripherals:
http://www.stanfordbookstore.com/
The broad impact of the computer operating system exploits experienced this summer necessitate changes in Stanford's technical networking infrastructure and information security culture. ITSS has partnered with technical leaders from the Schools of Medicine, Earth Sciences, and Engineering as well as staff in Internal Audit and Residential Computing to define campus-wide recommendations to mitigate risks from operating system vulnerabilities while maintaining an open academic network. The issues and recommendations have been discussed with Stanford's Board of Trustees and during an Executive Session of the Faculty Senate in November 2003.
Computers at Stanford are continuously probed and hacked, a hostile exploration that has gone on for years. In recent months, Stanford has experienced a dramatic increase in the frequency, severity and sophistication of these exploits. During the Windows and Remote Procedure Call vulnerability (RPC) attacks, which the campus experienced in August and September, computers worldwide were infected at a peak rate of 68,000 per hour within the first three days of its launch. At Stanford, more than 5,000 machines were compromised in these early days. By the end of September, over 7,700 computers (about 32 percent of the installed Windows user-base at Stanford) had been compromised at an estimated direct cost of $1.4 million. This figure does not account for the lost productivity of users impacted by this particular exploit.
The risk continues to be high. The expense and effort that went into addressing the RPC attacks is of momentary value. Today, Stanford has no sustained and managed controls in place. If we fail to take action, Stanford will soon be as vulnerable as it was this summer.
The spirit of the following recommendations made to Stanford's Board of Trustees and the Faculty Senate can be summarized as follows: All computer systems on Stanford's network must be "hardened" with robust security configurations, known to a central registry of computers, and automatically updated with critical patches as required.
• Provide and support a centralized patch management solution.
• Accelerate and expand planned network upgrade and segmentation strategies.
• Develop campus-wide security self-assessment and self-help tools for end users.
• Conduct on-going computer security education and awareness campaigns for faculty, students, and staff members.
• Develop processes to provide clear and timely communication to the community.
ITSS will continue to work with Stanford leaders and partners to define and fund the required implementation plan. They will keep you updated as additional details are confirmed. For the latest information regarding computing security issues, please visit:
http://securecomputing.stanford.edu/
Key reference materials are also available in the Stanford University Administrative Guide, including: Guide Memo #62: Computer and Network Usage; and Guide Memo #63: Information Security at:
http://adminguide.stanford.edu/
If you haven't already used Stanford Webmail to read and send email from your @Stanford.edu email account, give it a try at:
It's a great tool for getting to email when you're away from your normal computer, whether you're across campus or across the country.
Note that Webmail displays messages that are still on the University email servers. If you don't keep email on the Leland servers or if you download messages to your desktop with Eudora or Outlook, you won't be able to read them via Webmail.
Since 1996, the Internet Archive has been gathering various incarnations of thousands of Web sites; it now contains 30 billion Web pages. This public nonprofit group was founded to build an "Internet library," with the purpose of offering permanent access for researchers, historians, and scholars to historical collections that exist in digital format.
You can look at old versions of various Web sites, using a URL or a full text search. The site also includes a Moving Images Archive with thousands of educational films, TV commercials, and other visual materials. You can perform keyword searches within the Archive or view lists of the most popular films located there.