INSIDE
If you have questions or comments about this newsletter,
contact
Dr. David Schmidt at 4487.
Viv Zimmerman and Jane Rajewski, co-editors.
Dialup Modems
We were pleased that the request for additional dialup modems was supported by the Strategic Planning Committee. Use of those modems was increasing, and we are quite aware of the bottlenecks that occur earlier and earlier in the evening. We know it can be very frustrating to be denied access.
Additional hardware has been ordered to provide
48 more modems, and we are buying additional capacity now to handle further
projected increased usage. The equipment will be installed as soon
as it arrives. Dialing in from off-campus remains a popular option
with over 1,700 active accounts. Over 900 of us use the system daily.
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Lotus Notes R5 has (finally) gotten more stable. As we have reported problems to Lotus, they have sent us incremental releases intended to fix those problems. Some of the solutions worked but others required further bug releases. At least for now it appears to work fairly well.
We continue to run R5 on the server, but we have not brought the R5 clients to the desktop for a number of reasons. We are told by Lotus that the R5 clients do not yet work with Lotus LearningSpace, and we have not received a projected date for making them compatible. Also, we wanted to check all computers on campus for potential Y2K problems before adding the new client software.
The R5 PC client requires quite a bit of "horsepower" too (CPU speed
and RAM), so that remains an issue for some users. We will update
you as soon as we can about R5 client plans.
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Increasing
Speed of Notes
Some of us experience slow response times using
Lotus Notes. The last incremental releases (and some networking adjustments)
have improved the response time for many of us. Also, I have found
that response time can be measurably improved by deleting all of my old
calendar entries, cleaning out my folders, and deleting a lot of my old
E-mail. Keeping mailboxes lean and mean helps a lot.
As more and more E-mail accumulates and retention of it in some form is important, a method of archiving it becomes desirable (see Managing Your LN Mail Database and Archiving Your Mail Files by Mark Griffin on page 2).
When we did a site visit to Oklahoma State we noticed that OSU replicates large Notes accounts to a CD-ROM for users and then the Notes administrator deletes old E-mail from the server.
We are not in a position to do that centrally,
but departments which have a CD recorder should experiment with it.
If you have a CD-ROM with old E-mail, you can use all of the tools on the
client to view it and to search it.
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Rosters
with Pictures
Al Leiker, of Budget & Planning,
has been working on a number of databases for the FHSU data warehouse.
He is nearing completion of one project, a project that produces rosters
and advisor lists with pictures. The pictures come from the database
of images for the ID cards, so they are only as complete and as current
as that database. The project is not yet complete, so do not expect
to receive printouts this semester, but the pilot looks good so far.
He is producing files that can be printed on laser or ink jet printers
by departmental printers.
Plans are still being formed for a central, faster
way for printing color images of those pictures if the Action Plan is funded
(which may or may not happen in this lean economic year). We believe
that instructors and advisors will find this useful in remembering names
and in relating to the students.
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On-line
Course Delivery Platforms
Looking at what e-Education has to offer for
on-line courses underscores the need to decide on a campus platform for
on-line course delivery soon.
Faculty need time over the summer to learn how to use the new platform and CTELT needs time to help convert some of the existing courses over to the new platform. LearningSpace is (to me) a nice platform, but off-campus users are frustrated by its slow download times. It works well on campus over the Ethernet, but it takes too much bandwidth to be efficient over the modems. I suspect that we will need to keep it next year while we make a transition to a new platform. Someday, if AOL, Southwestern Bell, and cable companies have their way, we will have good bandwidth to the home, but most of us do not have it now.
CTELT and a sub-committee of ITPAC (Instructional Technology Policy Advisory Committee) have been reviewing many commercial solutions. Each of the leading contenders has features that are quite attractive and other features that will annoy some users.
Many feel that the on-line package should not require any knowledge of HTML, that the package be quite easy to use. The easier a program is to use, the more an instructor can dedicate his or her time to the course content. The package should also have plenty of functionality, ideally supporting ways to monitor threaded discussions, quiz students, link the quizzes to on-line grade books, chat, and have shared whiteboards. A feature that would be nice, but perhaps not essential, is the ability to use a CD-ROM with material recorded for or by the instructor with the on-line course.
There are currently two leading contenders for
the on-line course software platform: WebCT and Blackboard.
Most observers report that WebCT is slightly harder to use initially, but
has more functionality (using a CD-ROM, for example). Blackboard
is quite easy to use, but it has somewhat less functionality (no CD-ROM
use, less analysis of quizzes). If you have an opinion, ITPAC would
be delighted to receive it. Send comments to dschmidt@fhsu.edu
.
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Y2K
We have experienced few Y2K problems. There
have been some minor occurrences, and we expect to discover some Y2K issues
on reports along the way. Overall, however, we believe that the transition
went well. We believe that it was useful to upgrade the systems on
every server, upgrade the microcode on every Ethernet hub, and for the
microcomputer support staff to look at nearly every PC on campus.
While testing and updating the BIOS and applying operating system patches,
they often discovered other problems or potential issues.
Practically everyone at the CTC dealt with Y2K-related
application or system upgrades in some fashion. From security systems
and the campus card event system to many mainframe programs, every major
system was affected.
I hope you will agree that the CTC has done a
good job at upgrading the systems on campus with little down time.
They did a lot of behind-the-scenes work on systems after hours, and I
want to thank everyone involved.
I have touched on a few of the CTC projects.
Other articles in the Newsletter should bring you up-to-date on other projects
and events. We hope that you find this Newsletter useful.
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Managing
Your LN Mail Database
by Mark Griffin, Unix Administrator
It would be appreciated if Notes users would delete any old unnecessary mail messages to prevent a buildup in your mail database.
Delete unwanted messages on a regular basis -- get into the habit of doing this as you read your mail each day -- just tap the Delete key for any unwanted notes. When finished reading all of your mail, press the F9 key to refresh your mail window and all mail marked delete will be gone. Be sure to check your sent folder as well and delete unwanted items from there also.
Note: If you delete a document from one folder, it is also deleted from all other folders in that same mail database.
We have numerous users that are storing more than
40 Megabytes of mail and we have set a mail folder limit of 50 MB for most
users. If you have been experiencing trouble with your mail, it could
mean that you have gone over the 50 MB limit. To check and
see how much space your mail is using:
Note: After you delete documents in
your mail database, you will not see the size of your mail database drop
right away. The size change will actually occur overnight, after
the mail databases are compacted.
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Archiving
Your Mail Files
For those that have a large amount of mail files,
but do not want to delete everything, we have an option for you!
You can archive your mail files. This will actually create a new Notes database on your PC and copy the documents you select to this new database. Then, you can delete your mail files. The following procedure explains how to archive your mail documents.
For assistance with the archival of documents, contact the HelpDesk at 628-5276.
Information
Center News
by Jane Rajewski, Info Center Mgr
New Hours This Semester...
CICS Hours Extended
The CICS Administrative Systems and Student Web Services (SWS) is available from 6am until 10pm Monday through Thursday and from 6am until 5pm on Friday.
CICS is up and running unattended on week-ends after 2am on Saturday.
Dispatch Window Hours
Dispatch window hours are the following:
Mon - Fri 7am - 10pm
Weekends CLOSED
CTC HelpDesk Hours
Monday - Thursday
8am - 10pm
Friday
8am - 5pm
Saturday
CLOSED
Sunday
7pm - 10pm
For more information, visit our web site at http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/. You may also contact the CTC HelpDesk by calling (785) 628-5276 or by sending E-mail to helpdesk@fhsu.edu.
Office hours are subject to change. They are posted outside our office (TH113) and may be viewed from our home page at http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/.
Tomanek Hall Computer Lab Hours
Hours for the CTC Tomanek Hall Computer Labs (TH123, 125, & 127) for the Spring 2000 semester are as follows:
Mon - Thurs
8am - 10pm
Friday
8am - 5pm
Saturday
1pm - 5pm
Sunday
3pm - 10pm
As always, if you have questions or feedback regarding our labs, please let us know. For more information about our services, view our web site http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/labs/ or stop by TH127 (next to the elevator). We hope everyone has a great semester!
Spring Break Week
The CTC Tomanek Hall Computer Labs and the HelpDesk will observe the following hours during Spring Break:
Mar. 18 & 19 (Sat & Sun) CLOSED
Mar. 20-24 (M-F) 8am to 5pm
Mar 25 (Sat) CLOSED
Mar 26 (Sun) 6pm to 10pm
Regular hours resume, Monday, March 27.
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CTC
HelpDesk News
by Nancy Geier, CTC HelpDesk Supervisor
CTC HelpDesk Services Available
The CTC HelpDesk is a focal point for access to FHSU computing and telecommunication systems. Two major functions of the office are handling applications and support for Internet Dial-Up Accounts and providing computing-related services and information to students through Student Office Systems (SOS). In addition, the faculty Media Equipment Checkout service is located in the HelpDesk office.
CTC HelpDesk hours and detailed information about the services provided by the CTC HelpDesk may be viewed at http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/. Specific instructions for accessing Lotus Notes from off campus, a Lotus Notes FAQ page, and other E-mail information is also available from our web site. From our home page, just click on E-MAIL Questions and Instructions. A new page will be loaded with a drop-down list - just page down to select the link you want to see.
We are located in Tomanek Hall, Room 113. For all services other than Media Equipment Checkout, please contact the HelpDesk at (785) 628-5276 or by sending E-mail to helpdesk@fhsu.edu.
The Media Equipment Checkout service can be contacted at (785) 628-5521. At present, equipment checkout is available during regular University office hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday). If necessary, arrangements for pick up and drop off during evening hours can be made; however, all arrangements must be made between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Attention New Faculty and Staff...
Here's how to apply for Internet service through FHSU...
FHSU provides Internet service to faculty, staff, and students through "Internet Dial-Up" accounts. "Dial-up" is a process that enables you to use your computer's modem to connect to the Internet by 'dialing in' to FHSU's remote access server. By using telnet software, the connection also enables you to access the IBM mainframe and UNIX servers. There are some minimum system requirements a computer must meet in order to do dial-up.
If you are interested in applying for an account, just stop by the CTC HelpDesk (Tomanek Hall, Room 113) to complete an application. A photo ID is required. A consultant will provide instructions and assist you in determining whether your system requires software. If you need software, it is provided for a $5 fee. There is no service fee for faculty or staff accounts.
For more information about Internet Dial-Up accounts or other services provided by the CTC HelpDesk, view our web site at http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/ , call us at (785) 628-5276, send E-mail to helpdesk@fhsu.edu, or visit our office in Tomanek Hall, Room 113. Welcome to Fort Hays - we hope you have a great semester!
Where to Find E-MAIL Addresses
Student, faculty, or staff E-mail addresses can be found by using FHSU's E-mail address search page at http://www.fhsu.edu/esearch/.
E-mail & Web Addresses in Mail
We have recently had several questions in regard to "How do I make the E-mail and/or web address appear in notes that I send as a "point-and-click?" option for the recipeint. Depending on the E-mail software someone uses to open your notes, it may sometimes be shown as a link.
If you are sending your note using the Lotus Notes Client software and want to make sure your E-mail address appears as a link :
Contact the CTC HelpDesk at 5276 , if you
would like further assistance.
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More
Lotus Notes Hints
by Viv Zimmerman, User Services
LN FHSU Address Book Information
Each user is responsible for updating his/her information in the Lotus Notes FHSU Address Book on NotesHub under the Work Details and Home Details sections. Faculty and Staff use this information for phone and office location information. The on-line LN requests also use the information contained in the FHSU Address Book for retrieving this information for various Requests for Services (including the Request for Computing Services and Travel Vouchers) and security form routing.
Please check your information to ensure that it is correct. Under the Work Details, fill in your information in the following fields: Title, Company, Department, Location, Manager, Office Phone, FAX Phone, Cell Phone, Pager, and Assistant. Put your Department Number In the Assistant field.
The fields under the Home Details are optional; however, if you'd like, you can fill in your Street address, City, State/province, Zip/postal code, Country, Home phone, FAX phone, and Spouse information.
For assistance in filling out your address book information, contact the CTC HelpDesk at 5276.
CTC Application Icons
You can receive any of the application icons by following these steps:
1. Sign onto LN, click File, choose Database, choose Open, change the server to NotesHub/FHSU, and then scroll down in the Database window and double-click apps (folder towards the bottom of the list).
2. Then select Buy, Sell, and Trade (or another icon of your choice) and click Add Icon. Wait a short time while LN puts this database icon on your LN desktop.
Repeat step one from the above procedure and in step two, select any other database icons from the Database window to put these database icons on your LN desktop. Click on Done when finished.
For example, from your desktop, you may now click on the Buy, Sell, and Trade on NotesHub database icon to view or post entries to the Bulletin Board. Or, you may click on the CTC Request for Services on Notes/Hub database icon to submit a Request for Computing Services. To use either application, click on the appropriate buttons and fill in the necessary fields.
As additional applications are developed in Lotus Notes, we will notify you. New applications may be added using the same procedure listed above. Meanwhile, the other applications that have not been converted from OfficeVision to Lotus Notes can still be accessed from the menu on CMS.
If you need assistance with adding these database icons or any other database icons to your LN desktop or using them, contact the CTC HelpDesk at 5276 .
Creating Other LN Calendar Icons
If you frequently view (or work) with the same user's LN calendars and would like to create a calendar icon for their calendar on your desktop, do the following:
1. Sign onto LN, click File, choose Database, click on Open, change the server to NotesHub/FHSU, and then scroll down in the Database window and double-click mail (folder towards the bottom of the list).
2. Use the scroll bar to find the person, select their name, and click Add Icon. Wait a short time while LN puts their calendar database icon on your LN desktop. Click on Done.
3. Double-click the icon to open the database. If a dialog box comes up with this message, "No Help About document is available for this database", click OK. Click on Calendar (in the Navigation Pane).
The calendar for the person will display. Select the appropriate view from the buttons listed.
If you need assistance with adding these calendar icons to your LN desktop or using them, contact the CTC HelpDesk at 5276.
Change Your LN Password
Don't forget to change your LN password. Remember, that when your LN account was initially set up, the last four numbers of your SSN was used for the password. Please change your password as soon as you begin using LN. If you don't change your password, anyone with access to your SSN could possibly access your mail or other LN files.
Using Subjects in Notes
When sending notes through the Lotus Notes system, please fill in the Subject field with the topic of your note. Many users get a large amount of mail and being able to view the Subject makes it much easier to find notes that need immediate attention or need forwarding to another user. It only takes a few seconds to fill in the Subject field and will make note retrieval less time-consuming.
Using LN Groups
We have created the faculty, staff, and allusers groups in the Lotus Notes FHSU Address Book on NotesHub for your convenience. In order to use any of these groups, all that is necessary is just key in the appropriate list name in the To: field of your memo. For example, if you wish to send a note to all the faculty, just type the group name faculty in the To: field. Make sure there is a comma after each name or group listed because LN requires commas.
LN will automatically suppress the huge lists of recipients at the start of the memo.
IMPORTANT HINT: Please do not copy the faculty, staff, or allusers groups from the FHSU's Address Book on NotesHub to your own LN Personal Address Book. If you do copy these groups to your own LN Personal Address Book, the feature that suppresses the long list of recipients will be disabled. In addition, any groups that you copy to your own LN Personal Address Book will not contain the current updates.
Also, remember to use the appropriate list(s) when sending notes.
Using LN and MIS Simultaneously
Here's a helpful tip for those of you who register students, work with budgets, or work with other applications in CICS. You may toggle between your QWS3270 applications and LN by clicking on the buttons displayed at the bottom of your screen or by pressing ALT TAB.
Please note that CICS applications and access have not changed! You will still have the same CICS ID and password and your CICS security will remain the same.
If you have Windows 95, one of the easiest ways that I have found to use both LN and MIS applications simultaneously from my computer is to access QWS3270 right away in the morning.
Tab to the command line and enter mis. The Multiterm screen appears and sign onto both CMS (some users may not have CMS) and CICS. Then click on Start in the lower left corner. Click on Programs, select Lotus Applications and then select Lotus Notes.
You should now be in Lotus Notes. Enter your LN password and then begin working and toggle between the sessions as necessary.
Changing Browsers in Lotus Notes
Many users find the Lotus Notes browser cumbersome and if you wish to change the browser that LN uses to another browser, such as Netscape Navigator, do the following:
* Go into File.
* Choose Mobile.
* Choose Edit Current Location.
* Click the drop-down menu for Internet
Browser.
* Select Netscape Navigator.
* Click OK.
* Click Save and Close.
Then, the next time you are reading your LN mail and click on an URL listed in a note, you will be able to access the site from Netscape Navigator rather than the LN browser.
Where Do I Get LN Help??
If you encounter a problem when using Lotus Notes and you still need assistance after you have checked your training manual, the Lotus Notes 4.5 for Dummies book, and/or the LN on-line Help, call the CTC HelpDesk at 5276.
One of the staff will help you and if they cannot take care of the problem, your call will be routed to the appropriate CTC staff member.
CTC Lab News
No food, beverages, or tobacco of any kind is allowed in any of the labs. Also, users may not bring and use their own zip drives in any of the CTC labs. Always sign in and out on the front desk log sheet in TH127 with the lab monitor when using the labs.
Many of the attendees are trying to bring food and beverages into the labs. The possibility of spilling a beverage onto the equipment or a power source exists and could severely damage equipment or cause the shutdown of the lab for repairs.
Anyone caught bringing food or beverages into the lab will be asked to remove it immediately. Repeat offenders will not be able to use the labs in the future. Please abide by this policy.
Reserving CTC Labs
Faculty or staff must submit a Request for Computing Services through Lotus Notes (CTC Request for Services on NotesHub) to reserve a lab. Be sure to fill in your department name and number or the request will not be sent. We are unable to schedule the labs without this request.
Anyone who reserves the Tomanek Hall Computer Labs for workshops, classes, or seminars is asked to please keep in mind that the TH125 lab has a seating capacity of 32 workstations and the TH123 Mac Lab has only 24 workstations. There is one workstation at the front desk in both of these labs for the instructor and that no food, drinks, or tobacco of any kind is allowed in any of the labs.
TH125 has an overhead projector connected to the computer directly below it. See the lab monitor for assistance using the overhead.
If instructors encounter any problems when using the labs or need assistance with any of the equipment, please notify the lab monitor on duty in TH127.
Unauthorized Use of Lotus Notes
We have a number of student employees from various offices across campus who are on Lotus Notes. Their LN accounts have been set up for business or office purposes ONLY and NOT student purposes. Each student also has a student account on Scatcat that can be used for non-office related business.
Student employees are asked to please not use their LN work accounts for non-work related mail. This practice only clutters the server and uses up resources. If you have student workers on LN in your area, please advise them about this. If this privilege is abused, the offending IDs may be revoked.
Please notify Viv Zimmerman at vzimmerm@fhsu.edu
when faculty, staff, or student employees terminate employment with your
office so that we can remove their IDs and update our group mailing lists.
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Luci Williams, Judy Channel, and Viv Zimmerman will hold training for on-line registration in March.
These sessions are for faculty ONLY. The
training is mandatory for any advisor who wishes to register advisees.
We will not be able to offer this training again until August.
| Session | Date | Time |
| 1 | 3/14 | 3:00pm to 4:00pm |
| 2 | 3/15 | 10:30am to 11:30am |
| 3 | 3/16 | 1:30pm to 2:30pm |
| 4 | 3/27 | 9:30am to 10:30am |
| 5 | 3/27 | 3:00pm to 4:00pm |
To sign up for registration training, send a note to vzimmerm@fhsu.edu, call Viv at 4031 or leave a voice mail message indicating which SESSION NUMBER you would like. Session size is limited and must exceed two.
If you are interested in registering your advisees,
contact Jane at 5819 or Viv at 4031. We will send you the
security form.
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In this issue of the CTC Newsletter, we'd like to feature Mr. John Kaba, Systems Software Programmer/Analyst III, at the CTC.
John has worked at the CTC for the past 12 years. He began working as a Computer Operator III here in the CTC while completing his BBA degree. In the past, John has worked in the oil field, grain elevator, sale barn, retail clothing, and fast food. Prior to joining the staff at the CTC, he worked for Banker's Own Software Systems in Hays.
After earning his A.S. degree in Data Processing in 1985, John couldn't find employment so he returned to FHSU and earned a BBA in Computer Information Systems at FHSU in 1987.
John is from Plainville, Kansas. He and his wife Kelly, who is water safety/swimming instructor, live in Hays with their family.
His family includes a stepson, Kurt, age 20, who works in Technical Support at Sykes Enterprises, a stepdaughter, Jessie, age 17, who is a junior at Hays High School, and a daughter Courtney, age 5 who attends Wee Friends Pre-School. His hobbies and interests include woodworking and flying -- it gives him a break from computers. He enjoys helping his brother-in-law a few nights a week doing woodworking -- making oak furniture for RV's.
Some of John's favorite web sites are:
http://notes.net/46dom.nsf/ - a site for notes developers
www.cnn.com - news, weather, sports
... and for everything else, he just uses search engines.
John enjoys his job here at FHSU because if offers
flexibility in working with various hardware and software components and
offers a great cast of people.
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Some
1999 CTC Statistics
The CTC continues to process more requests for items and services
each year. We hope you find the following table informative.
| Item or Service | # |
| Requests for Computing Services | 4594 |
| Telecommunications Requests | 978 |
| CMS Accounts | 409 |
| Faculty/Staff CICS Accounts | 750 |
| Internet Dial-up Faculty/Staff Accounts | 440 |
| Internet Dial-up Student Accounts | 1152 |
| Bigcat Accounts | 405 |
| Scatcat Accounts | 6310 |
| Phone Lines | 1905 |
| Voice Mail Boxes | 1684 |
| Lotus Notes Accounts | 2100 |
| Number of TEVAL Sheets Scanned | 30959 |
| Number of Test Sheets Scanned | 33878 |
| Number of Tests Scanned | 1129 |
New Web
Site for Media Checkout
by Jack Jackson, Mediated Classroom Support
You may now access the new web site for the media checkout area by visiting this web site: http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/media_checkout/ . The site includes a listing of equipment available with a description and photo that should help you choose the best equipment available for your needs. There is also a form included that you may use to request equipment.
Listserv Communication
In order to facilitate communication between users
and support staff, listservs have been set up for each of the mediated
classrooms. If you are a user of a mediated classroom, please subscribe
to the appropriate listserv. Instructions were sent out at the beginning
of the semester. However, if need help getting signed on, contact
Jack Jackson at jjackson@fhsu.edu
. For your convenience, we've also included these instructions on
the last page of this newsletter.
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© 2000
Computing and Telecommunication Center
Fort Hays State University