Don’t Forget to Logoff and Shutdown
Before you leave at night, don’t forget to logoff and shutdown your computer. This will preserve the security of your NetWare login account, enable good nightly data backups, and save electricity.
Unblocking Sites
The MMNET EdZone Internet connection includes a filter to block bad sites. Some educationally valuable sites are mistakenly blocked. Any teacher who finds a site that is blocked which they would like to use for classroom use can send Mike Conway an e-mail request who will make the request to MMNET.
Logging out of SASI properly
It is very important to log out of SASIxp or CLASSxp by clicking File in the top left of the window and then click Quit rather than closing the window by clicking the X in the top right. This will make sure all files running “behind the scenes” are closed properly.
Your Network Space
All O-E staff and students with a NetWare account have space to store data files on the O-E network. This is your G drive. You can see this drive by opening My Computer in Windows and looking for a drive with your name. You can also see it inside any Windows program by clicking File, Open, Look in pull down arrow, and look for your “name on ‘Ovid_elsie\Data\… . Please make sure to observe the O-E electronic use policy about files and information you download. (A link to this policy is on the O-E website’s homepage.)
O-E agreements
All users of Ovid-Elsie Area Schools computers must review the Ovid-Elsie Area Schools electronic use policy and complete electronic use agreement. Currently, 7-12 staff & students and some elementary staff are then given a NetWare account to logon to computers. Procedures are currently being reviewed for K-6 staff and students. An EdZone application for e-mail must be completed by any student or staff member to obtain a school e-mail account. (An O-E electronic use agreement must be on file or completed prior to the EdZone application). All forms are available from any building office or the Information Center. EdZone applications for dial-in at home are available from the Information Center. All completed forms except the EdZone applications for dial-in at home should be sent to Mike Conway.
Usernames and passwords
Usernames and password are each user’s responsibility. They should be treated like a credit card and be kept in a secure place. Users are responsible for maintaining the privacy of passwords by not publishing or discussing passwords.
EdZone and GroupWise spam filters
Just so you know, the spam filter is rejecting more than half of the messages, which come to edzone.net (or oe.k12.mi.us). Currently, one days worth of EdZone spam is 133,000 messages out of 155,000 total messages. Messages that get through the EdZone spam filter then goes through the GroupWise spam filter (for staff that have GroupWise accounts) that blocks more spam. The bad part about spam filtering is that you only see the stuff, which gets through the filters. You may not know how bad it would be without the filter. You may get some spam, which sneaks by the filter, too. When you look at these messages, you usually have to admit that you wouldn't have been able to identify them as spam yourself. If you send yourself a message that Staples has a great price on CD burners, how is that different than spam?
E-mail tips and ways to minimize spam
-don't reply to e-mails from someone you don't know.
-unsubscribe from e-mail distribution lists that you previously joined and no longer wish to receive e-mail from. Reputable lists send you instructions when you join about how to unsubscribe and/or contain a link at the end of e-mail distributed by the list that you can click on for unsubscribe.
-don't try to unsubscribe or reply to e-mails from lists you did not join. These types of e-mails are sometimes probing mechanisms which use replys to put you on a spam list.
For more Q and A, see: http://www.edzone.net/help/spam/faq.htm
Phishing
Phishing scams are online crimes that use unsolicited commercial, or "spam," e-mail to direct Internet users to fraudulent Web sites controlled by thieves, but are designed to look like legitimate e-commerce sites. Users are asked to provide sensitive information such as a password, Social Security number, bank account, or credit card number, often under the guise of updating account information which can then be used for financial theft or identity theft.
The number of new phishing attacks reported has risen by an average of 50 percent per month in the first six months of 2004, according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), which monitors such attacks. Phishers launched 1422 new attacks in June, up 19 percent on the 1197 recorded in May and more than 12 times as high as the 116 attacks reported in December 2003, APWG reported on its Web site. The count broke 1000 in April.
Most phishing attacks are aimed at customers of banks in the United States, England, and Australia, although online e-commerce companies such as eBay and PayPal are often also targeted. Citibank is the current favorite of phishing criminals.
For more information, see http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1595710,00.asp
Email spoofing
The spammer trick of choice these days, email spoofing, uses a faked email header that makes an email message look like the message came from someone or somewhere other than the spammer. It's fairly easy to make an email appear that it's sent from your own address or a seemingly credible source. Spammers use spoofing to get you to open and respond to their mail. Remember, you should never respond to unsolicited email.
Technology Service Requests
All computer repair and troubleshooting must be requested on the OEAS, EEK, or Leonard Technology Service Request Form. These forms are on the O-E website at http://www.oe.k12.mi.us/tech/tech_forms.htm. Complete the top portion of this form and mail to the Technology Director via district mail OR fax to 989-862-4463 or give to your elementary technology technician. Your request will be researched, discussed with you, prioritized, and completed as quickly, effectively, and efficiently as possible.
Firefox browser (a safer and better alternative to Internet Explorer)
Any O-E district computer running Windows 98 or 2000 and Firefox can be set up for popup ad blocking. Please send a tech. request to have Firefox installed and configured.
USB Flash drive, wireless trackball, and Margi available
As part of the CPS system through a CCRESA/CMU Building Capacity in Science grant, Ovid-Elsie received 2 USB flash drives and 2 wireless trackballs. The USB flash drive can be plugged into a USB port to store files that won’t fit on a floppy disk. This is especially nice for large PowerPoint presentations. The wireless trackball is used in place of a mouse. It is great for running a computer presentation while walking around the classroom. Several teachers received Palm Tungsten E handheld computers as part of the CCRESA/CMU grant. During the Palm training, a device called a Margi was used to display the Palm on a screen through a video data projector (VDP). A Margi has been purchased by O-E to use with Palms in the district. Note: Any Palm model with a flash card slot will work. Contact Mike Conway to borrow a USB flash drive, wireless trackball, or the Margi, conway@edzone.net.
Windows security updates
Ovid-Elsie tech staff periodically check the following website for critical and security updates to Windows: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com We recommend you check this on your home Windows computer on a weekly basis to keep your computer up-to-date and protected on the Internet.
Virus scan software updates
All O-E networked computers have McAfee VirusScan software installed in order to protection from software viruses. ViruScan or something similar is also installed on all O-E servers. VirusScan updates itself once per week in order to check for new viruses. We recommend you have virus scanning installed and updated regularly on your home computer on a weekly basis to keep your computer up-to-date and protected on the Internet. The two most popular virus scanning programs are McAfee VirusScan (http://www.mcafee.com) or Norton AntiVirus
(http://www.symantec.com/product/).
Anti-Virus Hoaxes
There are a lot of viruses out there. But some aren't really out there at all. Virus hoaxes are more than mere annoyances, as they may lead some users to routinely ignore all virus warning messages, leaving them vulnerable to a genuine, destructive virus. Next time you receive an urgent virus warning message, be sure to check the list of known virus hoaxes below. Remember: Never open an email attachment unless you know what it is—even if it's from someone you know and trust. Remember that virus writers can use known hoaxes to their advantage. For example, AOL4FREE began as a hoax virus warning. Then somebody distributed a destructive trojan attached to the original hoax virus warning! The lessons are clear: Always remain vigilant and never open a suspicious attachment. For more information, see http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=hoaxes .
Portrait of an Identity Thief
[0]Ant writes to tell us that the New York Times has a closer look and an interview with an [1]identity theft addict. From the article: "As far back as 2002, Mr. Sharma began picking the locks on consumer credit lines using a computer, the Internet and a deep understanding of online commerce, Internet security and simple human nature, obtained through years of trading insights with like-minded thieves in online forums. And he deployed the now-common rods and reels of data theft -- e-mail solicitations and phony Web sites -- that fleece the unwitting."
Tech Replaces Diamonds As Girl's Best Friend
[0]Ant writes to tell us that '[1]diamonds are no longer a girls best friend', at least according to a recent study commissioned by the Oxygen Network. From the article: "The survey, commissioned by U.S. cable television's Oxygen Network that is owned and operated by women, found the technology gender gap has virtually closed with the majority of women snapping up new technology and using it easily. Women were found on average to own 6.6 technology devices while men own 6.9, and four out of every five women felt comfortable using technology with 46 percent doing their own computer trouble-shooting."
Internet Usage Boosts Post Office Revenue
[0]setirw writes "Contrary to popular belief, the New York Times reports that Internet usage has actually [1]boosted the USPS's revenue, instead of decreasing it. It is commonly believed that the rise of the Internet has negatively affected the Postal Service's revenue, since e-mail usage is rapidly superseding snail-mail usage. 'Six years ago, people were pointing at the Internet as the doom and gloom of the Postal Service,' said James Cochrane, manager of USPS package services. However, the widespread usage of e-commerce sites has boosted USPS revenue, since millions of packages are shipped from such sites daily."
Hoarders vs. Deleters- What Your Inbox Says
[0]BlueCup writes "You are your inbox. Take a clear-eyed look at how you answer or file each email. Notice what you choose to keep or delete. Consider your anxiety when your inbox is jammed with unanswered messages. The makeup and tidiness of your inbox is a reflection of your habits, your mental health and, yes, [1]even the way Mom and Dad raised you." I always knew my obsessive packratting said something important about me as a human being.
Teens Don't Think CD Copying is a Crime
An anonymous reader writes "An article in the Orlando Sentinel reports on a poll done by the LA Times and Bloomberg. The informal study looked at [0]teenager attitudes towards copying media. Only 31 percent said they thought it was illegal to copy a CD borrowed from a friend who had purchased it. Attitudes about ill-gotten media were less clear, and the article admits than even the legal system is slightly fuzzy on this issue." From the article: "Among teens aged 12 to 17 who were polled, 69 percent said they thought it was legal to copy a CD from a friend who purchased the original. By comparison, only 21 percent said it was legal to copy a CD if a friend got the music for free. Similarly, 58 percent thought it was legal to copy a friend's purchased DVD or videotape, but only 19 percent thought copying was legal if the movie wasn't purchased. Those figures are a big problem for the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America, both of which have spent millions of dollars to deter copying of any kind. The music industry now considers so-called 'schoolyard' piracy -- copies of physical discs given to friends and classmates -- a greater threat than illegal peer-to-peer downloading, according to the RIAA."
NEW FREE RESOURCE: Parent's Guide to Computers in Education http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~moursund/Books/Parents/Parents-Guide.html
The book is intended for parents of K-12 students, preservice teachers, and inservice teachers. It consists of 19 short chapters, each ending with some specific advice to parents. The first chapter
is the longest. It is 7 pages covering Threats and Opportunities. Most chapters are 4 pages in length, each covering a single topic. This is the eighth in my current series of free books. See http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~moursund/dave/Free.html for more information.
Automatically Assign GroupWise Categories
From folders to filtering, GroupWise 7 gives you several options to organize your messages and appointments. Assigning your items to categories is one more way to sift through a mountain of messages, but manually assigning each message to a category can get a little tedious.
One of the ways you may want to categorize your items is by assigning messages that come from people outside your GroupWise system to a certain category. Here's how to create a rule to do it for you:
Select Tools | Rules.
Click New.
Name the rule appropriately.
Next to the New Item button, check Received.
Click the types of items you'd like to automatically categorize.
Click Define Conditions.
From the first drop-down menu, select All Fields.
Select View Name.
Leave the middle menu set at contains ([]).
In the second box, type "Internet".
Click OK.
Click Add Action.
Select Category.
In the New Category box, type a description of your category.
Click Add.
Click Edit Color.
Assign a color to your new category.
Click OK.
Click Save.
Click Close.
Now, each time you receive new items from outside your system, they will automatically fall in your new category.
