ITS Coffee Break for Mon., June 19, 2006

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Learn about email password changes, discover how to take Web page screenshots from within Firefox, and get an overview of technology in the Lafayette Libraries in the June 19 edition of Soapbox. You can also find out about new Microsoft Word documentation available on the ITS web site.

ITS News

  • Scheduled Network Outage
    • The monthly server outage Wed, June 21 from 5-7 am
    • Details about specific services affected will be posted
  • Email Password Changes

Tech News

  • Snapper
  • Library & Tech
    • Audio tour of the library
    • Development of History & Traditions CD
    • New student orientation CD
    • Thinking ahead for next semesters, student projects that require tech & research components

Help News

  • Microsoft Word help documents to be added this week
    • Collaboration tools
    • Styles- change your font permanently
    • Forms
    • Password protect documents
    • Multiple page numbering styles
  • Upcoming workshops

ITS Coffee Break for Tue., June 6

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Updates to the password change utility, the ability to use your network id to login to e-mail, and a new Web-based tech book library service and upcoming workshops top the ITS News segement of this week's Coffee Break podcast. After discussing what's new with ITS, Courtney and Ken take a look at Microsoft and Adobe's fight over PDF creation and talk about the new security flaws found in Mozilla's Firefox Web browser. Finally, the “Help” section reviews the new documentation available on the ITS web site.

ITS News

  • Password Change Utility Updated
    • A new version of Password 2.0 was launched June 1.
    • In addition to allowing you to change your password, the new version allows you to setup a challenge question and response that can be used to recover your password should you forget it.
    • Password Web site: http://password.lafayette.edu
  • Email Password Changes
    • The Network ID password can now be used for email.
    • As part of its continuing effort to reduce the number of passwords required for network-based services, ITS has made changes to the authentication mechanism used for accessing Lafayette email accounts. As of June 1, the password associated with the Network ID is valid for accessing email.
    • More details on the ITS Site: http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~its/node/214
  • Safari Tech Books Online
    • A service that allows you to reference a variety of programming, software and help books online, from publishers such as O’Reilly, Peachpit Press and New Riders.
    • Nearly 200 books are available on the ITS Bookshelf.
    • Books available include references for Perl, PHP, C++, C#, MySQL, Apache, and books for software by Adobe, Apple , Macromedia, and Microsoft.
    •  Accessible via the “Web Services” link on the ITS Web site:: http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~its/webservices
  • Workshops:

Tech News

Help News

ITS Coffee Break for Tue., May 30

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Learn about the early summer ITS workshops, listen to Ken and Courtney discuss their tech/scifi summer reading lists, and learn about new wireless and Webmail documentation in the latest edition of the ITS Coffee Break.

ITS News

Tech News

  • Ken's Summer Reading List
    • The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom?
      • By David Brin
      • http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738201448/
      • David Brin is best known for his "Uplift Saga". In 1999 he wrote this book about privacy in the modern era and how the solution may be to give into public survelliance, but to make sure that the access to the information isn't limited to the police and the powerful (who watches the watchers? We all do).
    • The Ghost Brigades
      • By John Scalzi
      • http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765315025
      • Set in the somewhat distant future where humanity fights an unending war against alien species for control of a handful of habitable worlds. It's a follow up to "Old Man's War", in which you could join the military at age 75 and get a brand new body … but then had to fight in a war that would almost certainly get you killed.
      • In the new book, it looks at the "Ghost Brigades", a military unit staffed by clones who have a lifetime of memories, but the practical experience of 5 year olds.
    • Transmetropolitan, Vol. 1
      • By Warren Ellis & Darrick Robertson
      • http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1563894459/
      • This graphic novel features a dystopian future following journalist Spider Jerusalem. A Amazon.com review says " Spider investigates a controversy involving an emergent subculture of genetically altered humans.
      • It's supposed to be a great read, and it should be a fast once since it's a graphic novel.
  • Courtney's Summer Reading List
    • The Time Traveler’s Wife
      • By Audrey Niffenegger
      • http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/015602943X
      • Although the title suggests that this is science fiction, it’s described as a charming, emotionally charged novel that is much more a love story.
    • Snow Crash
      • By Neal Stephenson
      • http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553380958/
      • Darkly humorous cyberpunk novel that foretells (and in some cases, inspired) many of our present-day cyber conventions (like characters in Warcraft walking into one another and the stylized duels they can fight).
    • Comic series 52
      • http://www.dccomics.com/
      • After the INFINITE CRISIS and before One Year Later. Tells the story of a year without Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman. (52×2.50=$130)

Help News

  • Connecting to the Wireless Network
    • We mentioned it last week, but its worth noting again: Lafayette's wireless network changed on Monday, 5/22. Instructions for connecting to it can be found on the ITS Web Site:
    • http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~its/help/wireless
  • Webmail
    • Have several help guides for using WebMail that are almost complete, and will be posted sometime this week. So if you are interested in learning more about how to make your WebMail experience more productive, keep an eye on the email help topic as new things come available this week.