IRT: News & Events: TechUpdates: November 16 2005

As part of ongoing security improvements, IRT no longer accepts the obsolete OS/2 Lan Manager (LM) authentication protocol. LM does not encrypt communications between users' computers and the servers.

LM was used in Windows 98 and older versions of Windows, as well as in Outlook 2001 for Mac OS 9. Users still using these products should upgrade them now. Some operating system upgrades are available from the Drexel software server (see https://software.drexel.edu).

IRT consultants may be able to assist in these upgrades, or to advise users regarding minimum hardware requirements. Stop by the Korman Center, call 215-895-2698, or email consult@drexel.edu with a detailed description of your needs.

Advance notice on these changes was provided in two previous Technology Updates within the past year. See "Bye-Bye Windows 98" in the January 10, 2005 issue and "Improving Security with Encrypted Passwords" in the June 3, 2005 issue for more information.

2. Email Security Settings: Reminder

In the Technology Update of November 3, 2005, we alerted you to the upgraded security settings for Drexel email that will be implemented as of November 28, 2005. As a reminder:

* If you only use DrexelOne, Webmail, and Exchange (via Outlook or ExchangeWeb) to access your Drexel email, your systems are already in compliance and you don't need to take any action.

* If you use other email clients (Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, Eudora, etc.), you may need to make a one-time change to your settings. See the instructions at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/support/ConfigureEmail.html. For more help or advice, contact consult@drexel.edu or call 215-895-2698.

* If you use multiple Drexel email accounts - a personal account plus a departmental/organizational account or need to send mail on behalf of someone else - some extra setup may be required. In these cases, please contact the consultants for help at consult@drexel.edu or 215-895-2698.

3. For Organizing and Sharing, Try OneNote

A new component of the Microsoft Office suite for PCs is now available on the Drexel software server. OneNote, for faculty and staff, is a product to help gather, organize, track and share information.

To read about OneNote, see http://www.microsoft.com/office/onenote/prodinfo/top10.mspx.

To download, go to https://software.drexel.edu, and follow the links to Faculty and Staff, PC Software, MS Office 2003, and OneNote. Remember to log in with drexel\username and your Drexel domain password.

4. Spyware: Your Good Name Is in Jeopardy

Are you being tracked?

Spyware and malware are software programs and files that target users by displaying ads and tracing your online actions. This can jeopardize your privacy and, in extreme cases, compromise your identity. Even though some spyware is moderately harmless, it can still cause your computer to run slowly.

Hence, it is important to remove spyware periodically. There are a few software programs that can help you clean up your computer.

Microsoft recently unveiled a software program that scans your computer for these files. Windows Anti-Spyware is still in beta testing, but is getting good review from users. More information is available on Microsoft's spyware page at http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx. This page is also a good source of information on malicious software.

Some good third-party software programs include Lavasoft's popular Ad-Aware (see http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware) and Spy-Bot Search and Destroy (see http://www.safer-networking.org/en/home/index.html.

You can read more on the subject of spyware and malware at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/support/security/malware.html.

5. Drexel MusicSelect - The Sweet Sound of Success

Since Drexel announced its MusicSelect program six weeks ago, some 1,100 students have signed up for a legal music service. That's more than a third of all Drexel students living in residence halls.

Students in Drexel-operated residence halls pay the Resnet fee and get MusicSelect at no additional charge. For other students, including those in greek housing and University Crossings (i.e., those who do not pay the Resnet fee), MusicSelect is available for $24/year. That's trivial compared with the potential thousands of dollars in legal penalties attached to illegal downloading.

MusicSelect offers subscribers two choices: Napster, which provides members with unlimited access to the complete library of 1.5 million songs for the duration of the academic year, or iTunes, which provides 28 downloads over the span of the year. FYI: iPods work with songs from the iTunes Music Store, but not songs bought on other stores; other devices work with most stores except iTunes.

Some words of importance when signing up for Napster. If you already have a Napster account, don't use your MusicSelect-provider promo code with the old account (it won't work); instead, set up a new account. You can de-activate your old account later so that you are no longer billed by Napster. Also, Napster works on Windows 2000 and XP but not on MacOS.

For information about Music Select and to subscribe, visit http://www.drexel.edu/MusicSelect.

6. Spam-A-Lot Less - First Results

In the Technology Update of October 26, 2005 we explained the new server-side spam filtering system. Your editor just checked the Junk E-mail folder and found 135 items of total junk - trash and worse - and nothing that was not junk. So, it works!

There have been a small trickle of reports, however, from users who have found items in the Junk E-mail folder that were not junk.

To make sure that you get all the email you really do want, we recommend that you periodically scan the contents of your Junk E-mail folder. If you find something you want to keep, transfer it to another folder, print it out, or copy it to a text file on your desktop. It is important to do this every two or three weeks, since the server deletes everything in Junk E-mail that is older than 28 days.

If you do find important false positives (items designated as spam that you wanted to receive), you can help us fine tune the system by sending your samples with complete header information to postmaster@drexel.edu.

Also, some email clients use the Junk E-mail folder, too. The messages deemed to be Junk E-mail by the server will have [SPAM:XXXXXXX] at the beginning of the subject line; other messages in Junk E-mail were put there by your email client.

If you need help, contact consult@drexel.edu. Be sure to tell us what email client you are using. Read more about IRT's anti-spam efforts at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/support/spamreport.html.

7. Spam-A-Lot Less and Email Forwarding

If you have your Drexel email set to forward-only to an external email service such as AOL or Gmail, be aware that email tagged as [SPAM:XXXXXXX] is not forwarded to off-campus services.

Some outside services - notably AOL and Yahoo! - block or at least squelch (slow down) the receipt of "spam" email. Since they apply the "spammer" designation to the domain, and not just the individual email account, this affects all Drexel users.

If you are concerned that you may be losing important email, you can revise your forwarding instructions. Go to http://accounts.drexel.edu; click on the forwarding icon for your email account; in response to the query "What would you like done with new mail," click both boxes: "Put it in my mailbox" and "Forward to this address."

This will both forward your mail and hold a copy in your Drexel account. You can then use Webmail (http://webmail.drexel.edu) or DrexelOne (http://one.drexel.edu) to check your Junk E-mail folder every two or three weeks. Also, you will periodically need to clean out your Inbox to avoid going over your quota of 100 MB.

WebCT Vista News

8. WebCT Campus Edition to Terminate

This fall term is the last one during which the old WebCT Campus Edition (CE) product will be used for ongoing courses. Carryovers from summer term, allowed this fall, will close at the end of fall term. After that, the only active environment will be WebCT Vista. All ongoing courses must be in WebCT Vista.

The 200415 courses have been backed up and burned to CD for offline long-term storage. We will begin removing old courses from the 200415 term (academic year 2004-05) as of Wednesday, November 23, and expect to complete the process by January 1, 2006.

IRT can migrate your previous courses to WebCT Vista. Email your requests at once to the WebCT Support Group at webct@drexel.edu or 215-895-1224. Be sure to include full information, including your course numbers and which version to migrate if you have multiple versions.

9. Check Your IE and Java Updates

Some users have reported problems using certain WebCT Vista tools, such as Chat/Whiteboard and some file management features from a PC Windows computer. WebCT identifies the problem as a need to upgrade Internet Explorer or Java.

To review possible solutions, check the web page at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/services/webct/vista/help/reinstalling_java.html.

10. Update Your Bookmarks and Favorites

You should only be using DrexelOne or http://vle.dcollege.net to access WebCT Vista. The old address does not provide access to any of your WebCT Vista sections.

So, please delete the old URL (http://webct.drexel.edu) from your bookmarks and favorites, and replace it with http://one.drexel.edu and/or http://vle.dcollege.net.

11. Training for WebCT Vista for Faculty

IRT offers faculty members two kinds of training - Boot Camps for new users and Workshops for current users. As sessions fill up, more may be added, so watch for schedule updates on the IRT Web site at http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/services/workshops/index.html.

* For New Users: WebCT Vista Boot Camps
WebCT Vista Boot Camps, held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in room 116 of the Korman Computing Center, provide an introduction to the most essential WebCT tools for novice users. Boot Camps are scheduled for the following dates:

Friday, November 18
Friday, December 16

Laptops are provided as well as lunch. Reserve your slot at webct@drexel.edu.

* For Current Users: WebCT Vista Workshops
These are four-hour workshops to enhance your knowledge in selected areas, for experienced users of WebCT Vista. These workshops will be held in Room 116 Korman Center on the following dates and times:

Friday, December 9, noon-4 p.m.

To sign up, email webct@drexel.edu.

* Departmental Training
If you would prefer to have a WebCT workshop or boot camp just for your department, let us know. We'll provide the same information at a time convenient for your group. We can, if you wish, break it into shorter segments spread over several days. We can do it in Korman or in your own lab. Contact us at webct@drexel.edu.

12. Brown Bag Lunch Sessions for Faculty Members

Bring your lunch, share your experiences, and learn more about WebCT Vista and other academic technologies in informal sessions with fellow faculty members.

Brown Bag Lunches for faculty and staff are scheduled for noon-1 p.m. in Korman room 116 as follows:

Wednesday, November 30 - Selective Release Feature of WebCT Vista
Tuesday, December 13 - Capturing and Archiving Your Lectures

To reserve a spot, complete with a soda and a dessert, send email to webct@drexel.edu.

Topics are invited. Use the same email address to suggest topics for future brown baggers.

13. Tips for This Month

* Help your students to spend more time with your course materials and less time trying to find them. The Organizer Page and Learning Module tools let you arrange the links to materials, web sites, separate Assignments, Assessments, Discussion topics, and the like.

* A key enhancement in WebCT Vista is its granularity. In an Organizer Page or Learning Module, you can link students to one specific Discussion topic, instead of an entire list of topics. This facilitates student access to specific course elements without having to navigate the course to look for them.

* Normally, when students select a module, the first item automatically opens. To give them a choice, you can create a small welcome page (an .html page) as the first item in the Learning Module. They can then make a selection from the content list on the left side of the screen.

To read previous issues of the IRT Technology Update, go to http://www.drexel.edu/irt/news/technews/

To manage your subscription options to the IRT Technology Update and other Drexel Announcements, go to http://www.drexel.edu/irt/subscriptions. If you prefer to receive a plain text version, please email your request to mailreq@drexel.edu.

Modified: February 25, 2008

Home

Contents

Index

Feedback / Corrections