I’m not a social media addict (I really am a private person in spite of being a loud person sometimes), but I thought I would totally steal a Throwback Thursday-esque idea for this month’s newsletter. And I’m writing this on a Thursday so it seemed to fit! So, I checked out the IT@Sam newsletter archives, and found some articles that are so far out of date that they may even be Greek to some…but a lot that is actually still pertinent! So, join me and Mr. Peabody in the Wayback Machine…
From January 2005, an article on the IT labs included this advice: “There are floppy drives available for checkout, but we recommend flash pen drives as a backup for student work on the S: drive. You may also have your students use the Dropboxes in Blackboard as a substitute for handing in a floppy disk.” Maybe not for current consumption, but fun! For those of you who don’t remember, here’s a pic of a floppy disk.
Also from January 2005, the short piece “What’d they say?” offered: “Do you ever feel that "computer people" are speaking a different language? Bone up on this short Glossary so that it's not all Greek to you!” The link for that glossary was not active, and I think we can all assume after ten years, most likely out of date, so here’s a more current version. They even give you a ‘term of the day’ to stay current one byte at a time. Ha!
From August 1999 (yes, there were computers back then), and STILL GOOD ADVICE: “Opening attachments that run a program can cause you heartache. If you do not know the sender, do not open the attachment.” It addresses a couple of other items that may not be as pertinent, but does direct clients with problems to contact the Service Desk (then Help Desk) at x4-1950 or servicedesk@shsu.edu.
More currently-germane content from August 1999: “Take time before the new fiscal year and new academic year to clean up your e-mail. Empty your trash and cull your Sent items.” What else can we say?
Hope your new academic year gets off to a great start, amidst the changes on campus in academe, in administration, and especially with parking! The one thing we can all count on, as Heraclitus put it so succinctly, is that “Change is the only constant in life.”
Stephanie