ITS News

Connect-Direct is a publication of NYU's Information Technology Services (ITS), offering computer-related news, security alerts, and other information of interest to people who use IT at NYU. Thank you for reading Connect-Direct!

News & Alerts

• Explore the New Connect: IT at NYU
• Moving from Blackboard to NYU Classes: Project Update
• Mac Owners: Detect and Remove the Flashback Malware
• Congratulations to the 2012 Sadowsky Prize Winner

Extended Service Hours

• IT Service Desk Now Permanently Open: 24x7x365
• Extended Computer Lab Hours

NEWS & ALERTS

Explore the New Connect: IT at NYU
Read about some of the latest advancements in instructional and information technology at NYU in the new issue of Connect—now available in the Publications area of the main NYU website. This issue features a wide range of articles about teaching with technology, and also includes exciting news about improved IT support options, NYUServiceConnect volunteer opportunities, 3D scanning, tips on making the most of your NYU E-mail, technological advances at NYU Accra, and more. We hope you enjoy the redesigned Connect and welcome your feedback and ideas for future articles!

Moving from Blackboard to NYU Classes: Project Update
NYU's transition from Blackboard to the new NYU Classes learning management system (based on Sakai CLE), will be entering its second phase in Fall 2012. For a video overview of this exciting new service, as well as a detailed transition timeline, mailing list, and the latest news, see the NYU Classes Project website. An article about the move to NYU Classes is also available in the latest issue of Connect.

Mac Owners: Detect and Remove the Flashback Malware
The "Flashback" malware targeted at Mac OS X computers is one of the biggest attacks on the platform to date, and it's still circulating. If you own a Mac, ITS recommends that you protect your personal information by running Apple's Flashback malware removal tool, updating your computer with the latest Apple Software Updates, and installing Symantec Endpoint Protection 12 Antivirus for OS X. See C|NET for more information about Flashback and for other computer security news.

Congratulations to the 2012 Sadowsky Prize Winner
Each spring, ITS awards the George Sadowsky Prize of $500 to a student who exhibits exemplary innovation in using the Internet for community service. This year's recipient is Adam Krebs, an outstanding, enterprising undergraduate student in NYU's College of Arts and Science Computer Science program. Adam courageously explores new technologies and tools, and applies his considerable skills and talents in meaningful directions. He has been extremely instrumental in revamping the Office of Sustainability's website, improving the web presence of the Office of Sustainability and making information about sustainability more accessible and readily available to the University community at large. Congratulations Adam!

EXTENDED SERVICE HOURS

IT Service Desk Now Permanently Open: 24x7x365
The IT Service Desk, NYU's first point of contact for general technology support, now provides phone support at 212-998-3333 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Additional support is also available via the soon-to-be-redesigned Ask ITS knowledgebase, and by sending e-mail to AskITS@nyu.edu. Read more about these service improvements in the latest issue of Connect.

Extended Computer Lab Hours
From now through Friday, May 11, the Washington Place Academic Technology Center's hours will be extended until 1:30am, Monday through Friday. See www.nyu.edu/its/labs/ for the location and current schedule of all of the ITS computer labs.

Posted by Kate at 07:01 PM | Permalink

Did you know your NYU Calendar has its own appointment slot sign up page? Save time by setting up a block of appointments, then sending out the link to others so that they can select from the slots you've created. Learn more at the Official Google Blog, and sign up to the NYU Google Apps Updates group to receive periodic news and tips about the various NYU Google Apps (E-mail, Calendar, Docs, Groups, Sites, etc.).

Posted by Kate at 02:15 AM | Permalink

Marilyn McMillan, Vice President for Information Technology & CITO for NYU New York

A large percentage of people who use the Internet have downloaded music or movies. And most of the individuals who download these files—through paid services, file-sharing applications, or peer-to-peer networks—by now are aware of how prominent the issue of illegal downloading has become.

The University's stance on this issue is simple: downloading copyrighted material without permission is illegal, and you should not do it. You should also not use your computer to distribute copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder. Be aware: some applications for downloading music, movies and other files actually turn your computer into a server, allowing it to be used for distributing copyrighted material. If you are doing illegal downloads or distributions now or have done so, you should stop.

The music industry thus far has principally targeted those whose computers distribute illegally downloaded music, rather those who simply download. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is using the legal tools provided by the U. S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998. When a copyright complaint is received, the student responsible for the network address listed in the complaint is notified by email and sent a copy of the complaint. The student is asked to review NYU's policies, and to confirm in writing that s/he will abide by them. If the student does not respond, his/her network connection is blocked. If there are repeated incidents, the matter then is referred to the student judicial process. A range of penalties is available within the judicial process; the specific penalty depends upon the result of that process and may include suspension of account privileges. If the RIAA believes you are involved in illegal downloads or distribution of copyrighted materials and submits a valid subpoena to NYU seeking your identity, the University will comply with the subpoena and furnish your name and contact information to the RIAA's lawyers.

Federal copyright law itself includes a range of penalties, from $750-$130,000 per infringed work, or as much as $150,000 per work, if the infringement is deemed "willful". See Copyright Law of the United States of America (www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html). A claim of "fair use" can be used as a defense against a claim of infringement, see Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use (www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.pdf), NYU's Handbook for Use of Copyrighted Materials (library.nyu.edu/copyright/), and NYU's Copyright and Fair Use resource (www.nyu.edu/footer/copyright-and-fair-use.html). There may also be criminal penalties for willful copying of a work for profit or financial gain, or if the work has a value of more than $1,000. Penalties can include a one-year jail sentence plus fines. If the value is more than $2,500, you may be sentenced to five years in jail plus fines. Criminal penalties generally apply to large-scale commercial piracy.

We know that illegal downloading of music is a widespread practice. It has become an international phenomenon, one that is hardly confined to college campuses. Its allure is clear: why would you pay for something—a song to load on your MP3 player or a movie to load on your laptop—when you can get it for free with a little exploration and few keystrokes? And why would you not share something for free with friends?

In answering those questions, the University appeals to what Abraham Lincoln once called "the better angels" of your nature and to your commitment to the culture of scholarship.

As communities of scholars and learners, research universities—such as NYU—have two primary missions: to educate students and to create knowledge. This latter mission involves the production of original scholarship and research. Accordingly it is accompanied by an enormous respect for proper recognition being given to the creator of those ideas and knowledge. In higher education, it is considered a grave act to take another's work without permission or attribution. At NYU, which also has large and renowned programs in the arts, this respect extends to the creation of new art.

Few in this community would uphold shoplifting CDs from a record store. And few would be content to see their own work—a paper, for instance, or a journal article, or a term project in a course—taken by someone else and used without permission.

Yet, in reality, that is what you do when you download copyrighted files illegally. However you may feel about the music or film industry or about their responses to piracy, when you download copyrighted files without permission, you are stealing the work of a director or a producer or an artist. It is not only wrong; it puts you at legal risk.

The Internet has brought unimaginable access to information and extraordinary flexibility and opportunities for exploration and communication. NYU wants you to take advantage of all that. But, just as you abide by certain standards of behavior for scholarship and for University life, so, too, should you abide by high standards when it comes to the intellectual property of others on the Internet.

Originally posted: March 2007. Updated: February 2012

Editor's Note: For more information about peer-to-peer file sharing, including NYU's policies and procedures regarding the practice, see http://www.nyu.edu/its/p2p/.

Posted by Kate at 12:00 PM | Permalink

ITS annually sponsors two student computing prizes: the Max Goldstein Prize and the George Sadowsky Prize. Nominations — which can be made by any member of the NYU Community — are now open.

The Max Goldstein Prize of $500 is awarded to an NYU undergraduate who has applied computing in a creative and practical way to improve the academic, cultural, or social life of the NYU community. Please send nominations — including the student's full name, school and class year, your relationship to the nominee, and a description of his/her accomplishments — to william.fry@nyu.edu BY NOON ON FRIDAY, MARCH 16.

The George Sadowsky Prize of $500 is awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student who exhibits exemplary innovation in using the Internet for community service. Please send nominations — including the student's full name, school and class year, your relationship to the nominee, and a description of his/her accomplishments (including the website address) — to keith.whiteman@nyu.edu BY NOON ON FRIDAY, MARCH 23.

Posted by Kate at 05:45 PM | Permalink

The NYU Center for Teaching Excellence is pleased to announce Teaching with Technology, a full-day conference on Friday, February 24 from 9:00am to 4:00pm. This event will feature presentations by current NYU faculty on their experiences incorporating technology into their classrooms, as well as information on basic and advanced learning technologies. Speakers will include Kenneth Perlin, Jan Plass, David Schachter, Clay Shirky, Diana Taylor, among others. A Resource Fair showcasing technologies available to the NYU teaching community also will take place. All attendees are eligible to participate in a special raffle with prizes including an iPad, iPods, and gift certificates.

NYU Faculty and Graduate Students are invited to participate in this program, sponsored by the Center for Teaching Excellence. Breakfast and Lunch will be provided. Enrollment limited. For more information, see the Center for Teaching Excellence website.

This conference is co-sponsored by the following: Center for Teaching Excellence, Graduate School of Arts and Science, College of Arts and Science, NYU Libraries, NYU Teaching Technology Committee, Information Technology Services, and Global Technology Services.

Posted by Kate at 06:34 PM | Permalink