Spring 2005
 

Welcome
Shawn Beattie, editor

Augie Techknowledge from ITS is a once-a-term e-newsletter to share "what's new" in ITS and provide useful tips and articles on Information Technology and Educational Technology at Augustana.  We hope you like it and find it useful.  The newsletter will be archived on the ITS web site at http://its.augustana.edu/techknowledge.  Enjoy! 


In this issue:
 Optical Imaging on Campus
ITS Student Techs to the Rescue
What's a Wiki?
Personal E-mail Folders in Outlook
Infections and annoyances defined
Upcoming classes in ITS

Optical Imaging on Campus
Diane Heist, Technical Coordinator, ITS

Augustana is making a move toward paperless. ITS has implemented an Optical Imaging system. The Human Resources department agreed to be our testing team. We are working with RK Dixon and using Stellent Image Management software. This system allows its users to access available online information. Our goal in Human Resources is to scan in and be able to retrieve the personnel files of Augustana employees online instead of having to locate the actual file folder.

We began the project with training from RK Dixon. Beth Weber and Diane Heist are the ITS contacts. Tammy Showers, Kelly Hall and Sheila Scott are the users in HR. In addition, Ken Johnson and Mary Doonan have the software installed for access to online documents they need to retrieve. We started by scanning in the paperwork from the personnel files. After the scanning, the information is indexed. Indexing is the management of the forms in each of the files. For example, W4 forms are all saved in the Tax Forms index. Other indexes include Insurance, Pension, Salary letters, etc. There are different ways to look up information once the employee file is scanned into the system: last name, SS #, first name, document name. Once you open the form you need to see; you can then print it, email it, fax it, and even make annotations.

While we are still in the beginning stages, the ease of the system is already noticed as well as the quickness of information retrieval. In time, we see this software as a great addition to other departments on campus. For now, the Human Resources department is kind enough to be our “startup headquarters”. We will follow their progress and learn how to make this Optical imaging system the most it can be.
ITS Student Technicians to the Rescue
Dennis Hurd, ITS

Augie students who work for the ITS Desktop Support group provide a valuable resource for the entire Augie community. They may work from three to six hours a week according to the time they have available and the needs of the department. Usually seven to ten students work each term, often continuing until they graduate. Our purpose is to provide students with real life experiences in the computer world while they earn some money.

These students assist the three full time hardware technicians in setting up computers for new users and making sure they are functioning. They also pick up broken PC items such as keyboards, monitors, mice and printers, and deliver new or repaired items.

But student technicians do many more things than just pickup and deliver. They also learn the latest tools and techniques for in depth analysis of computer problems, both hardware and software. They often travel with the full time technicians, and learn how to complete a work order from beginning to end.

ITS receives work orders that vary from just a user seeking help with a program to a complete failure of their PC and/or other equipment. Technicians try first to solve the work order on site, but will pick up equipment and bring it to our Olin technical lab if it is a more difficult problem. Then the equipment can be tested in more depth and any mechanical problems or difficult software problems can be fixed. Here we can install a new hard drive with new software, perform a hardware upgrade or remove viruses or other problematic programs. Student techs can do these things by themselves if they are very experienced or under the help and supervision of a full time tech if they need some additional help or skills.

Students who are working this term are Jeff Anderson, Randy Haeflinger, Aaron Holbrook, Valerie Hughes, Cori Raney, and Adam Rhodes.

Thank you, student techs, for all of your help in supporting the Augie staff, faculty, and administration!!

What's a Wiki?
Shawn Beattie, ITS

A Wiki, as defined at wiki.org is:

The simplest online database that could possibly work.

Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly.

Wiki is unusual among group communication mechanisms in that it allows the organization of contributions to be edited in addition to the content itself.

Like many simple concepts, "open editing" has some profound and subtle effects on Wiki usage. Allowing everyday users to create and edit any page in a Web site is exciting in that it encourages democratic use of the Web and promotes content composition by nontechnical users.

The most well-known implementation of a Wiki is the Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit.  For example, you could browse and immediately edit the entry on Augustana College.  Many entries, such as the entry on Augustana, started as "stub" entries that were preloaded from public domain information sources.  While users may be tempted to post propoganda or inaccurate information, changes are immediately logged and monitored by an active community and such a posting would be short-lived and therefore futile.  Wiki seems to be an experiment in group communication that is -- for the most part -- working pretty well so far.  Wikis are also popular as an alternative or a supplement to the venerable FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) pages on many sites.  In the educational setting, a Wiki could be a great way for a group-crafted document to take shape.

Personal E-mail Folders in Outlook
Beth Weber, ITS

Lately we have been having occasional storage crunches on our e-mail server due to people storing too much on the e-mail server in their Outlook Folders.  Here are a couple solutions to this problem:

  1. Delete mail you don't need (including in the Sent Items folder). Then make sure you have emptied the Deleted Items folder - go to the Tools - Empty Deleted Items Folder.
  2. Move files to Personal Folders on your hard drive

Personal Folders are files located on your local hard drive that have the .PST extension. You should use personal folders to offload messages from the mail server when your mailbox is reaching its disk quota.  But Personal Folders are not well designed for collaborative sharing.  Items that you need to share with someone else should be kept in a folder on the server.  And if you are likely to need items in Outlook Web Access, keep them on the server – Personal Folders are not accessible from Augie’s Web Mail.   Personal folders give you more storage space than you have on the server.      

If you would like to set up Personal Folders you can go to S:\Documentation\OFFICE XP\Outlook\PersonalFolders.pdf  or click here for step-by-step instructions.  If you have any questions you can call Beth Weber in ITS at 7476. 

Once you have your Personal Folders created you can create subfolders in your Personal Folders to help you organize your messages. Right-click on the folder where you would like to create the subfolder and select "New Folder". When you want to move messages from your Exchange Mailbox to your personal folders, just click and drag them to your Personal Folders. 

Since personal folders are kept on your hard drive and not on the server, it is important that you back up your folder from time to time.  You can do this by copying the file to a zip disk, a CD, or to any other device.  If you would like help doing so, just contact ITS.


Infections and annoyances defined
Shawn Beattie, ITS

Many people, including even the most technically advanced users, are completely confused by the wide variety of threats now facing users on the Internet -- viruses, worms, adware, spyware ...what does it all mean?  The differences can sometimes be subtle. The following definitions are courtesy of howstuffworks.com:

                   
  Types of Infection
When you listen to the news, you hear about many different forms of electronic infection. The most common are:
  • Viruses - A virus is a small piece of software that piggybacks on real programs. For example, a virus might attach itself to a program such as a spreadsheet program. Each time the spreadsheet program runs, the virus runs, too, and it has the chance to reproduce (by attaching to other programs) or wreak havoc.
  • E-mail viruses - An e-mail virus moves around in e-mail messages, and usually replicates itself by automatically mailing itself to dozens of people in the victim's e-mail address book.
  • Worms - A worm is a small piece of software that uses computer networks and security holes to replicate itself. A copy of the worm scans the network for another machine that has a specific security hole. It copies itself to the new machine using the security hole, and then starts replicating from there, as well.
  • Trojan horses - A Trojan horse is simply a computer program. The program claims to do one thing (it may claim to be a game) but instead does damage when you run it (it may erase your hard disk). Trojan horses have no way to replicate automatically.

Other "Ware"

  • Malware - a general term for any program that makes changes (does malicious or "bad" things) without your express permission
  • Adware - programs designed specifically to deliver unrequested advertising
  • Stealware - specific spyware designed to capture clicks or Web-site referral credits
  • Browser hijacker - a malicious program that becomes deeply embedded in your browser's code and core functionality

    • What is Spyware?
    Some people mistake spyware for a computer virus. A computer virus is a piece of code designed to replicate itself as many times as possible, spreading from one host computer to any other computers connected to it. It usually has a payload that may damage your personal files or even your operating system.  Spyware, on the other hand, is generally not designed to damage your computer. Spyware is broadly defined as any program that gets into your computer without permission and hides in the background while it makes unwanted changes to your user experience. The damage it does is more a by-product of its main mission, which is to serve you targeted advertisements or make your browser display certain sites or search results.  At present, most spyware targets only the Windows operating system.

    (Source: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/spyware1.htm)

    Anti-virus and anti-spam software is very helpful, but even that does not always provide 100% coverage.  Recently, Augustana witnessed firsthand that virus definitions -- even released daily -- can't always keep up with the threats.   In some ways, the Internet, in particular e-mail, is quickly becoming a case study in the "Tragedy of the Commons" where the few spoil it for the many.  In the long run, a technological solution must resolve these issues, just as new threats will develop.   

    Upcoming Classes
    Beth Weber, ITS
     The following classes will be offered during the remainder of Spring Term for Faculty, Staff and Administration:

    To view the schedule and class descriptions click on this link: http://www.augustana.edu/users/bethweber/index.htm


    Enjoy your Spring!
    -Your friends at ITS