Connect-Direct Archive

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a security feature that helps protect the privacy of documents transmitted over the Internet, including email messages. If you use an email client other than NYUHome to check your NYU email, do your part to help protect NYU's network and activate SSL today. It's quick, easy and very important! (If you use NYUHome to check your NYU email, SSL has already been activated for you; ITS cannot, however, activate SSL for other email clients--you must take these steps yourself.) See www.nyu.edu/its/email/ssl/ for instructions.

Posted by Kate at 11:01 AM | Permalink

There will be an interruption of ResNet services on Friday, May 11 from noon until 3:00pm, while ITS performs system-wide software upgrades to networking equipment. As a result, current residents will be unable to access the Internet using ResNet, and new and returning residents will be unable to register their computers for ResNet. For more information, call the ITS Client Services Center at 212-998-3333.

Posted by Kate at 03:15 PM | Permalink

ITS recently upgraded NYU's version of Meeting Maker, a collaborative calendar and group scheduling software package provided by ITS to NYU faculty and staff. Meeting Maker makes it easy to schedule meetings, invite attendees, plan activities, keep a prioritized to-do list, and coordinate your calendar with other NYU faculty and staff members who use Meeting Maker. Version 8.6 of Meeting Maker provides a host of new capabilities and improvements, including a web version at http://webcal.nyu.edu (also linked from the Meeting Maker channel in NYUHome if you already have an account).

All NYU faculty and staff members with an activated NYUHome account are eligible for a free Meeting Maker account. To apply, send an email message containing your full name and NYU NetID to meetingmaker.request@nyu.edu, or use the contact form within the Ask ITS section of NYUHome. For more information, see the latest edition of Connect: Information Technology at NYU (www.nyu.edu/its/pubs/connect/spring07/meetingmaker.html), visit www.nyu.edu/its/meetings/, or, if you already have a Meeting Maker account, explore the Meeting Maker channel in the NYUHome Work tab.

Posted by Kate at 03:12 PM | Permalink

To increase the NYU community's knowledge of computer and network security issues, ITS leads a variety of security awareness initiatives during the academic year. Beyond this, ITS' Technology Security Services works throughout the year to provide information about new software products, virus alerts, important updates, and other issues of concern. This information can help protect the security of University data (as discussed in the latest issue of Connect Magazine: www.nyu.edu/its/pubs/connect/spring07/), your hardware, and any personal information you store on your computer.

We recommend that all NYU community members regularly check this ITS News blog (or subscribe to the RSS feed linked at the bottom of the column on the right); this information is also available in the ITS News & Alerts and Computer Security Alerts channels in the Ask ITS area of NYUHome (log in at http://home.nyu.edu and follow the link in the Home tab).

Posted by Kate at 03:10 PM | Permalink

To make the transition for graduating students as convenient as possible, your access to NYU email and certain features within NYUHome will remain active after you complete your studies, provided that your account continues to show activity at least once every six months. Please note that because NYUHome is a role-based resource, you may notice a few differences in the channels that are available to you once you graduate. See www.nyu.edu/its/accounts/students/grad.html for more information.

Posted by Kate at 03:08 PM | Permalink

The Spring 2007 edition of the ITS magazine, Connect: Information Technology at NYU, is now available. If you did not receive this issue by mail, you can pick up a print copy at any of the ITS computer labs or at the ITS Client Services Center (see www.nyu.edu/its/map/ for locations) or you can read the entire issue online at www.nyu.edu/its/pubs/connect/spring07/. We hope you enjoy Connect, and encourage you to send your feedback and ideas for future articles to its.connect@nyu.edu.

Posted by Kate at 02:47 PM | Permalink

NYU's Faculty Digital Archive (http://archive.nyu.edu) is a new repository into which full-time NYU faculty can deposit their work in digital form. The Faculty Digital Archive (FDA) is intended to be a highly visible repository of NYU faculty digital scholarship, though collections can also be set up to restrict access to only selected people. Collections are owned and managed by faculty, who will have responsibility for adding, making available, and removing content. FDA content is backed up regularly and objects are assigned persistent URLs, which makes linking to and citation of individual objects reliable and easy. For more information, see http://www.nyu.edu/its/faculty/fda/.

Posted by Kate at 03:13 PM | Permalink

This year's annual University-wide Computer & Network Security Awareness Month will be moved from April to the fall 2007 semester. Instead, ITS' Technology Security Services will be going on a "security road show" this April, visiting departments across campus, and presenting important and timely security information to faculty and staff members. If your department is interested in participating in our road show, contact Technology Security Services at security@nyu.edu.

Posted by Kate at 03:12 PM | Permalink

In response to numerous faculty and student requests, ITS has enabled indexing by outside search engines of the contents of all the personal websites posted at http://homepages.nyu.edu

If you have an NYU Homepages website, this means that people around the world can now find the contents of that site in searches they may do with Google or other search engines. While this is generally a desirable feature, you should be aware that people may be directed to contents on the site that are out of date or that you'd prefer to keep private. Please review what's on the site and make whatever content adjustments are appropriate.

If you do not want the contents of the site to appear in search engine results, you can block the indexing of the entire site or of a particular directory. Go to http://www.nyu.edu/webguide/faqs/nosearch.html to find out how.

If you do not yet have a website in Homepages, but would like to set one up, see the instructions at http://www.nyu.edu/its/nyuhome/web/.

Posted by Kate at 03:10 PM | Permalink

Full and part-time faculty interested in enhancing their courses through innovative learning technologies are being sought for NYU's ALEX pilot project. ALEX (Advanced Learning Exchange) represents an exploration of a possible alternative to the Blackboard tool in the form of a flexible, "community source" online learning management system.

To volunteer to test ALEX in a summer or fall course, or to ask a question about the system, visit the ITS Instructional Technology Pilot page at http://www.nyu.edu/its/faculty/pilot/ and choose "ALEX" from the "Select Technology" pull down menu. For more information about ALEX, please see http://www.nyu.edu/its/alex/.

Posted by Kate at 03:08 PM | Permalink

Do you use file sharing programs like BitTorrent, KaZaA, Morpheus, or LimeWire to download music or other files? If so, beware: the small amount of money you might save could land you in a serious lawsuit.

"The University's stance on this issue is simple: downloading copyrighted material without permission is illegal, and you should not do it," NYU's Associate Provost and CITO, Marilyn McMillan, writes in a recently released note to the community on this topic. The note continues: "You should also not use your computer to distribute copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder."

"A Note on Illegal Downloading" is available in its entirety at http://www.nyu.edu/its/illegal/ . For more information about these issues, including links to NYU's Peer-to-Peer FAQ, see http://www.nyu.edu/its/illegal/new.html. For an updated list of more than 50 legal sites where you can download music, visit http://www.musicunited.org/6_legalsites.html.

Posted by Kate at 03:05 PM | Permalink

On Tues., April 3, from 7:30pm-9:30pm, NYUHome email will be unavailable while important patches and updates are applied.

During this two-hour service outage, you will be unable to send or receive email whether you check your email by logging directly into NYUHome, or use an email client such as Outlook, Eudora or Thunderbird. All mail sent to you during this service window will be held in a queue and delivered to you when service is resumed.

If you use Microsoft Outlook and have been experiencing problems receiving NYUHome webmail-generated replies, you will be pleased to know that this issue is addressed by the patches we are about to install. Other service enhancements include improved printing from within the webmail interface.

We appreciate your patience while these improvements are being implemented.

Posted by Jill Hochberg at 07:10 PM | Permalink

As a result of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Daylight Saving Time will begin three weeks earlier this year, on Sunday, March 11th, and end one week later, on Sunday, November 4th. Many electronic devices (desktop and laptop computers, handheld devices, clocks, DVD, CD and game players, etc.) are programmed to know when the traditional DST begins and ends, but some may not be prepared for this change. To help ease this transition, take the steps described below.

ON OR BEFORE MARCH 10TH

• ITS strongly recommends that you back up your data on both handheld and computing devices such as laptops and desktops.
• Check to see if your device manufacturers have released DST patches.
  • Microsoft released a DST patch for Windows XP in February (http://support.microsoft.com/gp/dst_topissues). To make sure the patch is installed, run Windows Update before March 11th. To run Windows Update, open the Start menu, select Settings, then Control Panel, then Automatic Updates. Check for updates and turn on Automatic Updates if not already activated.
  • Apple released a DST patch for Macintosh OS X in February (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305056). To make sure the patch is installed, run Software Update before March 11th. To do so, open the Apple menu at the upper left of your screen, select Software Update, and install the updates that appear.
  • Additional patches are listed at the end of this message, but this list is not exhaustive--search your device manufacturers' websites for complete information.

ON OR AFTER MARCH 11TH

• Check all of the electronic devices you use, and if they have not been automatically updated to the correct time, manually set their clocks one hour forward. Please note that some of these devices may automatically reset their clocks on April 1st, 2007 (the old DST date), so you may need to manually correct these devices again at that time. The same may be true for the October 28th/November 4th change.
• As a precaution, consider confirming via email or phone any appointments that occur during the following time periods. (Please note that people who use Meeting Maker to schedule appointments during these time periods with people in countries or regions that do not use DST may notice discrepancies and should manually confirm these meetings.)
  • March 11th through the first week of April 2007 (in future years, the period between the second Sunday of March and the week following the first Sunday of April)
  • October 28th-November 4th, 2007 (in future years, the period between the last Sunday of October and the first Sunday of November).

IMPORTANT NOTES

ITS does NOT anticipate DST-related issues with NYUHome or Blackboard, with NYU's data and voice networks, or with our administrative applications (SIS, Albert, HRIS/PASS, fame, Advance, Data Warehouse, BIA, eReports, Brio, Remedy, etc.).

ITS also does not anticipate DST-related issues with Meeting Maker 7.5-8.5 (aside from the potential international meeting issue described above). If you use Meeting Maker v. 7.5-8.5 and synchronize with a handheld device, please do NOT update your handheld device with any DST-related patches. If you have already patched your handheld, be sure to confirm any meetings scheduled during the spring transition period described above (see below for instructions). A new version of Meeting Maker is expected to be available soon. This upgrade, along with new synchronization software, will address long-term DST issues (including the upcoming fall change).

ADDITIONAL UPDATES

Please note that this list is not exhaustive--search your device manufacturers' websites for complete information.

• Outlook
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx
  This is a separate update released on 2/19/07 that is not currently part of the Windows DST update.
• Palm OS Devices (Do NOT install if you use Meeting Maker)
  http://www.palm.com/us/support/downloads/dst_palmos.html
  Run this patch after your have updated your computer (as described at the beginning of this message). If your Palm device ever needs to be hard reset you will need to run this update again.
• Windows Mobile Devices (Do NOT install if you use Meeting Maker)
  http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/daylightsaving/default.mspx
  Run this patch after you have updated you computer (as described at the beginning of this message).
• Blackberry Devices (Do NOT install if you use Meeting Maker)
  Using the Blackberry's web browser, go to http://www.blackberry.com/dst2007 and click the button to download the patch.

For Handheld Owners Who Have Already Applied the DST Patch

As noted above, people who use a handheld to synchronize with Meeting Maker should not install any DST-related patches. If you have already applied the DST patch to your handheld, follow these steps ON OR AFTER MARCH 11th to determine whether the update will cause any problems when synching with Meeting Maker. Note that ITS has based this assessment on Treo handhelds, but the same procedure should work on other brands as well.

1. Create a test meeting in Meeting Maker that is scheduled between March 11th and April 1st.
2. Sync your handheld with Meeting Maker.
3. Check the time of this meeting on your handheld and make sure that it matches the time in Meeting Maker.
4. Now create a meeting on your handheld that is scheduled between March 11th and April 1st.
5. Sync your handheld so that the meeting appears on Meeting Maker.
6. Check the time of this meeting on Meeting Maker and make sure that it matches the time on your handheld.
7. If all the times match, then you should not have any issues.
8. If there are discrepancies, then you will need to manually correct any mistakes that are made by the synchronization. (Alternatively, Treo owners can perform a hard reset to remove the DST patch--this will not work on other brands of handhelds).

In the event that your handheld does not update its clock properly when DST begins on March 11th, you can manually update the time (see below).

How to Manually Change the Time on your Handheld Device

Blackberry

1. From the home screen on the Blackberry, go to the Options icon. (Note: On newer Blackberries, the Options icon is located in a folder called Settings.)
2. In the Options menu, go to Date/Time.
3. Scroll until the cursor is on the hour of the displayed time.
4. Click the wheel and select Change Options.
5. Scroll to change the hour, then click the wheel again.
6. Click the Back button and select Save.

Palm OS (Treo)

1. From the home screen on the Treo, go to the Pref icon. (Note: At the top right corner of the screen, make sure All is selected.)
2. In the Pref menu, go to Date & Time.
3. For Treo users, make sure to uncheck the checkbox next to "Get date & time from mobile network" before manually setting the time.
4. Click Done when finished.

Windows Mobile

1. Click the Start menu at the top left corner of the screen and go to Settings.
2. Click the Settings tab on the bottom of the screen and go to Clocks & Alarms.
3. Manually set the time and click OK at the top right when done.
4. Click Yes to save the changes.

Posted by Kate at 06:58 PM | Permalink

On February 28, 2007, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced that it is initiating hundreds of legal actions against people at thirteen colleges and universities "who engage in illegal file-trafficking of copyrighted content on peer-to-peer (P2P) systems." A press release on February 28, 2007 states that the RIAA will send "pre-litigation settlement letters" to universities on behalf of major record companies and will offer affected students the chance to settle before litigation is initiated and to thereby avoid a formal lawsuit. For this purpose, the RIAA has a new website (www.p2plawsuits.com) that provides a guide to settling a lawsuit prior to litigation.

NYU is not on the list of institutions that the RIAA calls "the initial wave of this new initiative." It's conceivable, though, that NYU will receive a "pre-litigation settlement" letter from the RIAA in a subsequent wave, since the RIAA has sued NYU students in the past. Should that occur, NYU will follow long-established procedures to alert affected individuals. It will be the responsibility of those individuals to determine whether to settle prior to litigation. NYU is not in a position to advise affected individuals on such matters.

NYU does, as a higher educational institution, encourage broad academic freedom, while also striving to ensure privacy, to protect intellectual property rights, and to abide by laws that cover the fair use of copyrighted materials. In numerous efforts throughout the year, NYU reminds all members of its community, and especially students, to recognize the legitimate concerns of the recording industry. In particular, be aware that most music files are copyright protected, which means that they can be distributed only with the permission of the people who own that copyright. For more information, check NYU's Peer-to-Peer File Sharing website: www.nyu.edu/its/p2p/.

Posted by Kate at 11:03 AM | Permalink

Faculty with ideas for using technology to achieve a pedagogical impact should consider applying for the Spring 2007 Instructional Technology Fellowship. The fellowship is a chance for faculty members to work one-on-one with a team of experts from ITS Faculty Technology Services on the meaningful integration of technology into their courses. Faculty who are selected will also be able to improve overall technology skills and awareness through the fellowship process. No prior technical skills are required. Faculty need only have an interest and willingness to learn and apply new technologies in a real instructional situation and be teaching during the Summer 2007 or Fall 2008 semesters. Interested candidates should visit http://www.nyu.edu/its/faculty/fellowship/ for details.

Posted by Kate at 01:09 PM | Permalink

The east wing of the ITS student computing center in the Third Avenue North Residence Hall has recently been renovated. The improved lab now features approximately 100 Apple and Dell computers, as well as a 16-computer video production studio and several flatbed scanners. A lounge and three new meeting rooms have been added to the area around the lab, featuring new audioconferencing equipment, whiteboards, and NYURoam wireless access. New loaner laptops are now available for students to use in the lounge.

In addition to the new technology, the interior design of the east wing lab has been updated with an attractive Art Deco look. The renovation, which will be extended to the lab's west wing this summer, is part of an ongoing effort to keep the four ITS computer labs up-to-date with evolving student computing requirements. ITS encourages students to stop by to see the changes; the lab is located at 75 Third Avenue on level C-3, and is open 24/7 during the regular semester.

Posted by Kate at 12:06 PM | Permalink

NYUHome 6.0 was released on Friday, February 2nd. This exciting new version of NYU's web portal (http://home.nyu.edu) features the following enhancements:

• Deluxe, customizable style themes, featuring bold colors, beautiful photos, and useful icons (available under Preferences > Your Style Theme)
• The Library channel under the Research tab now offers a vastly improved interface for searching references, databases and e-journals, a Library Info quick reference, and the Liblink blog
• Email storage size (quota) raised from 100MB to 250MB
• A handy vacation message start- and end-date option under 'Preferences > Vacation message
• New Stern tab (for Stern undergraduates only)
• A Student Health & Wellness channel, which provides quick access to the Student Health Center, Student Health Insurance, the NYU Wellness Exchange, and much more
• Expanded content in the Computer Security Alerts and ITS News & Alerts channels

Posted by Kate at 11:56 AM | Permalink

In November 2006, Microsoft released Internet Explorer 7 (IE7), which includes several important security features and updates. The browser is designed to protect against unauthorized ActiveX scripting and phishing scams, and provides a new menu bar to manage add-on web browser applications.

ITS initially recommended that the NYU community continue to use IE6 while we evaluated the browser's compatibility with NYU services. Our tests have not yet shown significant incompatibility with our major administrative systems or the NYU network, so you may now install IE7 and take advantage of the security features and updates it offers. As is always the case, please proceed with care prior to upgrading software on your computer by backing up important data. We will continue to monitor our systems and test IE7 for potential impact, and welcome your feedback with any problems you might encounter: 212-998-3333. For more information about IE7, visit the Microsoft website at http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ .

Posted by Kate at 11:12 AM | Permalink

In an effort to ensure the privacy of your passwords and personal information, ITS encourages you and everyone at NYU to comply with current email security standards. An important step for you to take is to use SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption, a security feature that is already built into most email programs, and requires just a few clicks on your part to activate.

If you have not already done so, please assist us in our efforts to protect your private information and the University's network by activating SSL in *every* email program you use. If you check your email through NYUHome, SSL has already been activated for you, but if you use other email programs (such as Eudora or Outlook Express), ITS cannot activate SSL for you in those programs.

TO ACTIVATE SSL:

1. Go to http://www.nyu.edu/its/email/ssl/
2. Follow the instructions for email programs you use to check your NYU email. Do this for each computer or device you use (e.g., your office computer, home computer, laptop, and handheld devices).
3. If you have a question or need assistance, contact the ITS Client Services Center at 212-998-3333 or its.clientservices@nyu.edu, or your department's system administrator.

Posted by Kate at 10:24 AM | Permalink

DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 2:
ITS will follow a modified schedule of coverage from end-of-business on Friday, December 22 through Tuesday, January 2. ITS computer labs will be closed, but the ITS Client Services helpline staff and operator services staff will be available on a reduced schedule.

Visit the ITS website (www.nyu.edu/its/coverage/) for the complete Winter Break schedule, contact information you can use over the recess, links to various NYU academic calendars, information on making a gift to the University, and detailed instructions on preparing your voice mail and email for the Break. Note: If you use NYU voice mail, ITS recommends that you retrieve your messages during the Break to reduce the volume of calls received by our voice mail systems immediately following the Break.

JANUARY 3-15:
The ITS Client Services Center and all ITS offices will reopen on Wednesday, January 3 and follow their normal hours for the remainder of the University's Winter Break (also known as the Intersession). ITS computer labs will follow a modified schedule during the Intersession; details are available at www.nyu.edu/its/labs/.

Posted by Kate at 12:11 PM | Permalink

ITS Student Technology Services can help with your end-of-semester crunch! New early morning hours are available at the ITS Tisch Hall Computer Lab, room LC-7. The lab now opens daily at 6am, Monday through Saturday. During early morning hours the lab will be self-service; lab access requires swiping a valid NYUCard. Also, the ITS Third Avenue Center is open round the clock, seven days a week. And remember the Sunday hours, noon-11:30pm, at the ITS Multimedia Center, 35 W. 4th Street, 2nd floor.

Check www.nyu.edu/its/labs/ for locations & hours of all ITS labs. ITS computer labs are available to NYU faculty and staff, and all students in degree or diploma programs. Be sure to bring your NYUCard when you visit.

Posted by Kate at 12:09 PM | Permalink

**** Students ****
A new Podcasting Production Studio for students has been created at the ITS Multimedia Lab. The Multimedia Lab is located in the Education Building at 35 West 4th Street, on the second floor. The Macintosh-based system provides a variety of software and hardware to meet the needs of both experienced and novice podcasters. Staff will be on-hand to guide students through the process, and electronic guides and tutorials are also available. For more information about podcasting resources on campus, visit www.nyu.edu/podcast/.

**** Faculty ****
Want to make a podcast of your classes? Campus Media maintains several carts equipped with Macintosh computers and microphones, as well as a portable solution (an MP3 recorder and a lavaliere microphone) so that you can record your class and have it posted on to the Internet for your students. Want to learn more? Call Campus Media at 8-2655, visit www.nyu.edu/podcast/, or, to book your next class or event for podcasting, visit www.nyu.edu/campusmedia/reservation/form/podcast.htm. Updates and additional recording capabilities will be available soon.

Posted by Kate at 12:06 PM | Permalink

Twice a year, the NYU Tisch School of the Arts' Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) hosts a student show of interactive sight, sound, and physical objects. This year's Winter Show will be held on the 4th floor of 721 Broadway on Sunday, Dec. 17th from 2-6pm, and Monday, Dec. 18th from 5-9pm. The event is free and open to the public, and there is no need to RSVP. For more information, visit http://itp.nyu.edu/show/ or contact itp.inquiries@nyu.edu or 212-998-1880.

Posted by Kate at 12:05 PM | Permalink

During the Spring 2007 semester, ITS will be testing a number of exciting new technologies to enhance the teaching and learning environment, and is currently looking for faculty volunteers. Good candidates are those faculty who are planning to use online instructional technologies (such as NYU Blackboard) in their courses and who are willing to pilot the new tools. Faculty with all levels of technical ability are welcome. Visit www.nyu.edu/its/faculty/pilot/ to volunteer or submit a question.

Posted by Kate at 12:02 PM | Permalink

Each academic year, the University obtains licenses for SPSS and SAS statistical software for use by NYU faculty, administrators, and staff (and, for SAS, matriculated graduate students, as well). SPSS and SAS licenses for the current academic year are now available for purchase from ITS via a streamlined licensing process. In addition, ITS is pleased to announce the availability of Amos, a powerful, easy-to-use structural equation modeling (SEM) software program. For details, please visit www.nyu.edu/its/statistics/sas_spss.html.

Posted by Kate at 11:59 AM | Permalink

Over the course of its 20-year history, NYU-NET, the campus data network, has supported a variety of communications protocols for the various computers on the network, including DECNet (Digital Equipment Corporation), XNS (Xerox and Ungermann-Bass systems), AppleTalk (pre-Mac OS 9 Macintosh computers), and IPX (Netware's unsupported v5.0 and earlier Novell servers). Each of these computer manufacturers has dropped support for its proprietary communications systems in favor of IP (the Internet Protocol). Similarly, vendors of networking equipment are also eliminating "multiprotocol support" in their network switches and routers. Though ITS has phased out the use of DECNet and XNS, AppleTalk and IPX continue to operate on NYU-NET, and as long as we require infrastructure which supports those two protocols, that requirement limits our choices for new equipment to those which have reduced IP capabilities. There is also typically a premium cost for equipment that supports these legacy communications technologies. As a result, multiprotocol use on NYU-NET is impacting our ability to develop the campus network and support the high-performance computing and networking needs of University research.

This is an advance announcement that ITS plans to retire the AppleTalk and IPX protocols on the backbone of the University network on June 1, 2008. To our knowledge, the only devices remaining on NYU-NET that would be adversely affected by the discontinuation of those services are rather old devices no longer supported by their vendors:

• Apple LaserWriter printers which only support AppleTalk
• File sharing and printing from Macintosh computers running System 8 or earlier
• Novell servers running Netware v5.0 or earlier. (Netware v5.1 is IP capable.)

ITS is happy to work with departments that have any concerns regarding the above plan or need assistance in identifying any such equipment in their environments. Please contact the ITS Client Services Center at 212-998-3333 with any questions or comments.

Posted by Kate at 11:56 AM | Permalink

The USENET News service has been active on NYU-NET since the inception of the campus network. Over that period of time, USENET activity on campus grew from a modest service to one of the most active USENET services on the planet. In recent years, however, technologies such as weblogs, private web services, and instant messaging have contributed to record-low activity on the NYU-NET USENET service. Even though campus use of the USENET service is very low, maintaining this service makes very intensive use of both network bandwidth and server resources. This is an advance announcement that ITS plans to retire the campus network news service on June 1, 2007.

Several alternatives exist for access to USENET services:

• Home access: Local Internet Service Providers (including dialup, cable modem and DSL providers) typically offer USENET services.
• Free global access: Services such as "Google Groups" (http://groups.google.com) provide free access to the text-based newsgroups.
• Pay-for access: Giganews (http://www.giganews.com) and Supernews (http://www.supernews.com) offer access to all newsgroups, including the "binaries" newsgroups, for a monthly fee.

ITS welcomes your feedback on this plan. Please contact the ITS Client Services Center at 212-998-3333 with any questions or comments.

Posted by Kate at 11:50 AM | Permalink

In preparation for the holidays, ITS' Technology Security Services would like to remind you to turn off your computer while you are away from the University. Turning off your computer is an important step for these and other reasons:

• If a new security patch comes out and you've forgotten to activate your automatic security updates features, your computer will not be compromised while you are away.
• If there is an existing security vulnerability that your computer is already susceptible to, it will not get infected or broken into over the break. Keep in mind, however, that it is important to update your computer's security features as soon as you return from the break!
• It will help save energy and help make you a good University citizen!

Posted by Kate at 11:46 AM | Permalink

ITS and the NYU Libraries offer a variety of free classes that can help you take advantage of the technology and library resources available to you in support of your research and coursework. ITS classes include NYU Blackboard training, NYURoam Wireless Workshops, and Advanced Media Studio Workshops. ITS also offers classes and, upon faculty request, special in-class tutorials in statistics and mapping software.

For more information, including the fall schedule and registration details, visit www.nyu.edu/its/classes/ for ITS classes and workshops or, for Libraries classes, http://library.nyu.edu/research/classes.html.

Posted by Kate at 02:03 PM | Permalink

Peer-to-peer (P2P) applications such as KaZaA, limewire and Gnutella, which allow you to connect your computer directly to other users' computers to transfer files back and forth, can get you into serious trouble if they are used to share copyrighted material. If you are using any P2P software, you should ensure that your computer is configured to NOT make copyrighted files available for download by others. If you have questions about this, consult the ITS P2P web page: www.nyu.edu/its/p2p/.

Sharing such material can be a violation of federal copyright laws and has drawn the attention of entertainment industry groups. These groups contact ITS with notifications or subpoenas regarding copyright infringements they detect on the NYU network. ITS notifies the person who controls the computer that is identified in the complaint. That individual is then responsible for bringing their computer into compliance, and could face legal action by the copyright owners.

REMINDER to all NYU community members: It is a basic policy for computer use at NYU to respect the rights of copyright owners; see www.nyu.edu/its/policies/respon.html .

REMINDER to all NYU students living in NYU residence halls: Running a server, other than a web server, is a violation of ResNet policy. This includes using P2P software to share out files. See www.nyu.edu/its/policies/resnet/ .

Posted by Kate at 01:50 PM | Permalink

-- Ask ITS & NYUHome--
The new Ask ITS area in NYUHome (available via the Home tab) provides one convenient location where you can request help from ITS, read important security and technology news updates, and link to helpful software and instructions. While in NYUHome, check out the NYU Life tab and its new Campus Cash and Off-Campus Housing channels. Also, with NYUHome's expanded Search box capability, you can now search NYU Directory listings and ITS and NYUHome help from any NYUHome tab.

-- Information Technology Services Website --
At the beginning of this academic year, ITS, in collaboration with NYU's Web Communications, released a redesigned version of the ITS website at http://www.nyu.edu/its/ . New features include a News blog, expanded content, enhanced NYU Blackboard support, and an improved navigation structure. We encourage you to visit our new site and let us know what you think!

-- Podcasting at NYU --
NYU recently released a new Podcasting website, featuring links to existing podcasts produced by the NYU community, and information about University resources available to assist in the creation of new podcasts by NYU students, faculty, and staff. See http://www.nyu.edu/podcast/ for details.

Posted by Kate at 12:58 PM | Permalink

Email is one of the official means by which the University communicates with faculty, administrators, staff, and students. It's your responsibility to activate the NYU email service for which you are eligible, if you haven't already done so, and to check your email regularly. For instructions on activating and using your NYU email, visit www.nyu.edu/its/email/. NYU's Student Email Policy and The Guidelines for Student Email Use can be found on the ITS Policies website at www.nyu.edu/its/policies/.

Please note: Everyone who uses an email client other than NYUHome to check their NYU email should verify that they are using the correct settings and activate the SSL security feature to help protect the privacy of their messages; for quick configuration instructions for Eudora, Outlook Express, Thunderbird, and more, see www.nyu.edu/its/email/ssl/. If you use the NYUHome email client, SSL has been automatically activated for you.

Posted by Kate at 12:54 PM | Permalink

ITS urges you to help keep your computer safe and your identity protected by keeping your computer system patched and your anti-virus and anti-spyware software up-to-date. And, when using email or on the web, be wary of providing personal information or passwords.

See www.nyu.edu/its/security/getsecure/ for ITS' list of recommendations for safer computing, including instructions on how to download your copies of Symantec AntiVirus and Lavasoft Ad-Aware, and be sure to familiarize yourself with NYU's Policy on Responsible Use of NYU Computers and Data: www.nyu.edu/its/policies/responsibleuse.html. If you have questions, please contact the ITS Client Services Center.

Posted by Kate at 12:53 PM | Permalink

Each academic year, the University obtains a license for SPSS and SAS statistical software for use by NYU faculty, administrators, and staff (and, for SAS, matriculated graduate students, as well). SPSS and SAS licenses for the current academic year are now available for purchase from ITS via a streamlined licensing process. See www.nyu.edu/its/statistics/sas_spss.html for details. Please note that NYU students can purchase a copy of SPSS at the NYU Computer Store at 242 Greene Street (www.bookstores.nyu.edu/computer.store/).

Posted by Kate at 12:50 PM | Permalink

Using strong passwords and changing them regularly helps safeguard your privacy and identity. You are now required to change the password used with your NYU NetID at least once every year. Otherwise, it will expire, cutting off your access to NYUHome, your NYU email (whether via a browser or email software like Eudora or Thunderbird), NYU dial-up, NYURoam wireless, restricted-access web services, and other applications. See www.nyu.edu/its/security/passwordchange/ for details about this password change initiative; for helpful information about passwords, see www.nyu.edu/its/faq/passwords/ .

Posted by Kate at 12:46 PM | Permalink

The Connect-Direct newsletter will be on hiatus during the summer months, barring any urgent announcements. Please check back at the beginning of September for new announcements and tips.

Posted by Kate at 12:25 PM | Permalink

The ITS Third Avenue North computer lab at 75 Third Avenue is now open on a 24x7 basis, and beginning Friday, April 7, the ITS 14 Washington Place computer lab will be open on Fridays from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm in addition to its normal hours. See http://www.nyu.edu/its/labs/ for the location and current schedule of each of the ITS computer labs.

Posted by Kate at 04:24 PM | Permalink

You may be invited as part of a random sample of NYU faculty, staff and students to participate in LibQUAL+, an online survey designed to help the NYU Libraries measure and improve library service quality. Invited participants will be notified by email on Monday, April 10, and the survey runs from April 17 to May 1. For more information on LibQUAL+, see http://library.nyu.edu/libqual/faq.html. (Ed: This information is no longer available on the Library website.)

Posted by Kate at 12:23 PM | Permalink

NYU Information Technology Services and the Office for University Development and Alumni Relations are pleased to announce that recent alumni and future NYU graduates will continue to have access to their NYUHome and web-based NYU e-mail service indefinitely.

As part of this new benefit, your NYUHome service will remain active after you complete your studies or leave the University, provided that your account continues to show activity at least once every six months. So, no matter where life takes you, you can retain your connection to NYU through your email address and access to NYUHome. Additional information is available on the ITS website at: http://www.nyu.edu/its/accounts/gradfaq.html

Posted by Kate at 12:22 PM | Permalink

This month is the sixth annual Computer & Network Security Awareness Month, brought to you by ITS Technology Security Services (http://www.nyu.edu/its/security/) and Computer Advocacy @ NYU (http://www.nyu.edu/pages/advocacy/). The goal of this series of free events is to raise the NYU community's awareness of computer and network security issues, and to teach participants what they can do to protect their computers and their personal information.

For full descriptions of the events listed below, along with instructions on how to RSVP, computer security tips, helpful links, and security publications, please visit http://www.nyu.edu/its/securityawareness/ .
Free refreshments will be served at each event!
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Schedule of Events
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Strategies for Creating Strong Passwords
Wednesday, April 5 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square S., room 405
Philip Rodrigues

Money Matters and Identity Theft
Monday, April 10 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square S., room 405
Curtis Wright and Tracey Losco

Protecting and Using Sensitive Data at NYU
Thursday, April 20 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square S., room 907
Jane DelFavero, Ken Fauerbach and Chuck Kuhlman

Practicing Safe Surf
Wednesday, April 26 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square S., room 405
Brian Smith-Sweeney

Posted by Kate at 12:21 PM | Permalink

Have you ever wished that your NYU email address was easier to remember? Once you have activated your NYUHome service, you can create another email address that people can use as an alternative to your official NYU email address (YourNetID@nyu.edu). Messages sent to either address will be delivered to your NYUHome email inbox. For details, see www.nyu.edu/its/email/address/. Please note that NYU faculty, staff, and administrators are encouraged to use a "business card" format for their personal address (yourfirstname.yourlastname@nyu.edu).

Posted by Kate at 04:19 PM | Permalink

ITS urges you to help keep your computer safe and your identity protected. Remember, it's your responsibility to keep your computer system patched and your anti-virus and anti-spyware software up-to-date. And when on the Web or using email, do not open unexpected attachments, download suspicious files, or provide your Social Security number or other identifying information in response to an email message (as these are almost always phishing scams, aimed at obtaining your personal information for criminal purposes).

See http://www.nyu.edu/its/security/guidelines.html for ITS' list of recommendations for safer computing, including instructions on how to download your copies of Symantec AntiVirus and LavaSoft Ad-Aware from NYUHome, information about good security habits, and details on how to keep your computer's security features up to date. Also, keep an eye out around campus for information about our Security Awareness Month events in April.

Posted by Kate at 04:18 PM | Permalink

Each spring, ITS awards the Max Goldstein Prize to an NYU undergraduate student who has applied computing in a creative and practical way to improve the academic, cultural or social life of the NYU community. The prize consists of a cash award of $500; nominations will be accepted from any member of the NYU community.

PLEASE NOTE: The deadline for nominations is MARCH 1st, 2006!

Please send nominations to Vincent Doogan, ITS Director of Student Technology Services, at doogan@nyu.edu. Include the student's full name, school and class year, your relationship to the nominee, and a description or example of the accomplishment(s) that qualify him or her for the prize.

Posted by Kate at 04:18 PM | Permalink

The ITS computer labs will be closed for President's Day on Monday, February 20th. Normal hours at the computer labs will resume at 12:01am on Tuesday, February 21st; see http://www.nyu.edu/its/labs/ for schedule information.

The ITS Client Services Center (CSC) will be open for telephone and email help (1-212-998-3333; its.clientservices@nyu.edu) from noon- 6:00pm on Monday, February 20th, but will not be open for walk-in assistance. Normal hours at the CSC will resume at 8:00am on Tuesday, February 21st; see http://www.nyu.edu/its/csc.html for details.

Posted by Kate at 04:15 PM | Permalink

The US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) recently released an alert regarding vulnerabilities in the Mozilla family of products, including the popular Firefox browser. Updates have been released for Firefox, so if you use this browser, please download and install the latest version from the Mozilla website (http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/). If you use the Thunderbird mail client, disable Javascript and upgrade when a new version becomes available. For more information, see the CERT website: http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA06-038A.html. Thanks for your help in keeping NYU secure!

Posted by Kate at 04:12 PM | Permalink

Connect-Direct is a monthly electronic publication of NYU's Information Technology Services (ITS) offering computer-related news, security alerts, our schedule of free classes, and other information of interest to people who use IT at NYU. As a supplement to Connect: Information Technology at NYU, the ITS magazine, Connect-Direct is a great way to stay informed about current events and information.

Subscription Information
Due to the importance of the news provided by this online newsletter, Connect-Direct is published in the ITS News blog AND e-mailed to the entire NYU community; we hope you will find it useful and informative. By default, each community memmber is also subscribed to receive the additional monthly issues which are distributed during the remainder of each semester. If you would like to continue receiving Connect-Direct each month, you do not need to take any action. If you would prefer not to receive the regular-semester mailings, you may unsubscribe at any time in the following way:

1) Log into NYUHome.
2) Go to the Forums channel, which you will find under the "Home" tab.
3) Find and click on the link for 'connect-direct'. (If you don't see the connect-direct forum listed, click on the link to "Update Subscription List" to refresh your forum listings.)
4) The forum window will open. Click the bottom button, "Leave (unsubscribe)". You will be asked "Are you sure you want to permanently leave?". Click the top "Leave" button to remove yourself from the forum.
5) To return to your NYUHome screen, click on the "Home" tab. Go to your Forums channel, click the "Update Subscription List" link to refresh your forums listings. The forum should no longer appear.

Please note that even if you choose to unsubscribe, you will still receive the one University-wide issue we distribute at the start of each semester. This does not mean that you will need to unsubscribe again.

If you prefer, you can also unsubscribe from the e-mail version of the newsletter, then subscribe to the ITS News blog's RSS feed (which automatically delivers ITS News items, including Connect-Direct, to your aggregator software as they are published. See http://www.nyu.edu/its/about/news/ for RSS subscription instructions.

Past Issues
If you would like to view past issues of the Connect-Direct newsletter, visit the ITS News blog and click the "Connect-Direct" link on the right.

Contribute to Connect-Direct
If you are an NYU faculty or staff member and you think you may have a news item of interest to the Connect-Direct readership, please send submissions to the list administrator at connect.direct@nyu.edu.

Tell Us What You Think
Please send your feedback or questions about Connect-Direct to the list administrator at connect.direct@nyu.edu. We welcome your input!

Posted by Kate at 10:00 AM | Permalink