SJSU Wireless Network Conversion

An e-mail message has been distributed by the Campus Communication System to all SJSU faculty and staff. The message says:

On Sunday, November 1, 2009, we will implement major changes to the campus wireless network. The wireless network, currently managed by Comcast, will now be managed by SJSU. This means all support and equipment will be local to this campus.

This move will reduce SJSU’s cost of maintaining the wireless network.

The cut-over will begin Friday, October 30th at 8:00 a.m. and will last through Sunday evening, November 1st. Services may not be available during this time. Services will be restored by Monday morning, November 2nd.

You will continue to use your SJSUOne login and password to access the wireless network.

All wireless support calls will go to the ITSS Help Desk at 4-2377 ((408) 924-2377.) Help desk support hours for wireless support are as follows:

Monday through Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Calls received outside of these hours will be handled on an emergency basis and will be resolved on the next business day.

Coverage areas will be the same. There are no adjustments to the physical network. All wireless devices that support a browser will continue to work on the wireless network.

Wireless Guest
Current wireless guest login names and passwords will be unaffected by the move.

MLK Library
The library’s wireless access will be available for SJSU students and faculty using their SJSUOne login and passwords. However, Non SJSU patrons using their library card barcode WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LOGIN.

We apologize for this inconvenience, but it was not possible to recreate this custom feature in the timeline allocated. We will continue to work through this issue and endeavor to bring the library patrons on-line as soon as possible.

For questions or concerns please e-mail UTS (link to send email.) We will gladly respond to your messages.

Our San Jose State University Help Desk will be the first point of contact for supporting the wireless network after the conversion.

Call us at (408) 924-2377 during our normal business hours. Our business hours are the only times we are open and/or are able to address issues. Our business hours are here. Or, go to our ticket portal and submit an incident ticket into our ticketing system. Our ticket portal is here.

The Help Desk Blog is here with more information

E-Mail Alert

If you have ever responded to an e-mail with your username and password, please contact the help desk and change your password immediately.

Recently, a small number of e-mails have been received at SJSU requesting the recipient to send their User Name, password or other information, by e-mail. These messages, are scams from outsiders attempting to gain access to your information.

If you suspect a phishing scam, please follow these two steps:

1. Never e-mail your password:
   If a message asks you to send your password via e-mail, it is a scam. You should never need to e-mail your password for a legitimate support matter. If you sent your password, change it immediately.
2. Contact your Support Technician or the University Help Desk to register an e-mail support ticket:
   Contact your IT Support Technician or the University Help Desk if you have questions or concerns about your e-mail account. The University Help desk will create and route a support ticket to the proper team for response.

Actual SJSU e-mail account process:
Your e-mail accounts are created and deleted based on information in CMS/MySJSU and connected to SJSUOne. We use your CMS data to determine if your account should be deactivated.

The Systems department never sends e-mails asking for your password. Any e-mail asking for your SJSU e-mail password is a scam.

Learn more about avoiding Phishing Scams.

IBM Launching an OS to compete with Windows

According to a Network World post by Jon Brodkin, "IBM Tuesday said it is teaming up with Canonical to provide cloud- and Linux-based desktop packages in the United States at half the cost of upgrading to Windows 7. It's called the IBM Client for Smart Work package, which was initially launched last month in Africa, as it was designed for emerging markets."

I suggest they call it Warp Two.

Snow Leopard Bug Deleting Entire User Accounts

Thanks to a tip from Paul Puri.

ITWire is reporting that even accidental logging into the Guest account can cause severe data loss for the user who logs into the Guest account. This is also reported on Life Hacker.

According to multiple topics on the Apple Support discussion boards, the problem can occur when a user logs into their Mac's Guest account — whether by accident or on purpose — and then tries to log back into their regular account.

In some cases, users have reported finding their regular account empty of data, as though it were a brand new account.

Unexpected problems do sometimes prop up on new versions of operating systems. I am sure this will be fixed in the next revision. Dealing with unexpected glitches is the price of early adoption.

Technorati Tags: Apple, ssloansjca

IBM sent letter regarding purchase of SPSS

Dear SPSS Customer:
We are pleased to announce that IBM has completed the acquisition of SPSS Inc. As we mark this milestone, we would like to confirm our continued commitment to your success, and to highlight the benefits resulting from this acquisition.

SPSS will become part of IBM’s Business Analytics and Process Optimization organization. Your current SPSS account and support teams will continue to serve you. SPSS business partners will also continue to serve your needs through consultation, implementation, fulfillment and support, and will be invited to join the IBM Business Partner program.

For decades, IBM has been focused on providing the underlying information infrastructure to support business intelligence and performance management solutions. This includes databases and data warehouses to manage data, information integration and master data management to establish accurate and trusted information, as well as various analytic capabilities. With the addition of SPSS, IBM intends to further help customers solve new business challenges and meet the demand for more sophisticated, real-time uses of information.

SPSS provides a comprehensive predictive analytics portfolio that includes data collection, text and data mining, and advanced statistical analysis and predictive solutions, helping customers predict future events and proactively act upon insight to drive better business outcomes.

IBM intends to support your investments in SPSS by leveraging IBM’s world-class technology resources to deliver innovative solutions and expanded value. Building on a tradition of client success and satisfaction, IBM plans to leverage its extensive global resources to enhance and expand your service and support offerings, both directly and through business partners.

We’re very excited about the future of this important new relationship, and we look forward to continuing to provide innovative products and services for your business. For more information, please visit IBM online.

Sincerely,

Jack Noonan, CEO, SPSS Inc.

Deepak Advani, Vice President, Predictive Analytics, IBM Business Analytics & Process Optimization

I got my flu shot!

Did you?

Windows Seven Review

Network World has posted a good Windows 7 Review by Harry Mccracken, PC World. Mccracken said:

Windows 7 is hardly flawless. Some features feel unfinished; others won't realize their potential without heavy lifting by third parties. And some long-standing annoyances remain intact. But overall, the final shipping version I test-drove appears to be the worthy successor to Windows XP that Vista never was.

Faculty and staff who are on the SJSU wired network and who are interested in trying Microsoft Windows 7 should contact their desktop support team. If you do not know how to do that create a ticket and we will give you information at the San Jose State University Help Desk.

Chronicle of Higher Ed looks at SJSU Budget issue

According to a post by Josh Keller of the Chronicle of Higher Education, "Some 40,000 students will be unable to attend the California State University system in the next year and a half because of enrollment cutbacks." Keller's post goes on to explore the specific situation at San Jose State:

For the first time in memory, the roughly 1,300 community-college students who expected to transfer to San Jose State next spring are having to make other plans.

In my opinion the cutbacks in higher education are the economic equivalent of being a farmer and eating your seed corn in a drought. When the economic weather improves we will have nothing, nobody, to plant in the jobs that would otherwise be created. It is hard to see any good coming from any of this.

My son Jeff at SJSU

Window Washer

Are students hurt by social media?

Is Twitter hurting students? According to a post by Carin Ford of Higher Ed Morning.

Dr. Tracy Alloway of Scotland’s University of Stirling, says her study shows using Facebook stretches our “working memory” (our short-term or recent memory), while Twitter, YouTube and text messages tend to weaken it.

The study Ford cited focused on younger students. Ford went on to say, "prospective college students are increasingly using Facebook for more than just social interaction. According to a new Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions study, more than 70% of college admissions officials have received “friend requests” from students using Facebook and MySpace."

This brings up other questions, what are the ethical considerations of teachers friending students on social media sites, like Facebook? Since these sites may not be as accessible as university provided media outlets; are faculty members putting disabled students at a competitive disadvantage by "friending" non-disabled students on social media sites?

Technorati Tags: twitter, Social Media, ssloansjca

Is Apple poised to redefine print?

There is more discussions on Gizmodo on the often discussed but never delivered Apple Tablet computer. It was once proposed as a MacTablet, but now it looks more and more like a MacKindle. This could be an intriguing tool for paperless newspaper delivery. According to Brian Lam of Gizmodo:

"Apple is in talks with several media companies rooted in print, negotiating content for a "new device." And they're not just going for e-books and mags. They're aiming to redefine print."

I hope if such a product is released, they work will cell carriers like AT&T to bundle data delivery over Edge and 3G networks so if such a device comes out it is able to deliver content without being restricted to often locked down WiFi networks.

They have a huge distribution engine in the iTunes Store. PDF podcasts would be a wonderful way to distribute print content, both paid and free.

Technorati Tags: Apple, ssloansjca