• May 20, 2008

Faculty/staff get continued access to Adobe software savings

by Chris Loehr, K-State Student Union Computer Store
published May 20, 2008

The K-State Student Union Computer Store offers select Adobe titles to K-State faculty, staff, and students at substantial savings over Adobe shrink-wrapped educationally priced boxed products. The Adobe Student Licensing program is only available at schools that have a campus agreement and that sign the Student Licensing addendum (which K-State did).

Originally, only students were allowed to participate, but last summer Adobe allowed faculty/staff to participate until March 15 this year. Shortly afterward, Adobe extended the program to faculty/staff indefinitely.

Some of the most popular and frequently purchased Adobe titles include Design Standard, Design Premium, Acrobat Pro, and Photoshop Extended. A similar program is available for select Microsoft products. An Adobe and Microsoft product list (PDF) contains prices and a complete list of software. A valid K-State ID must be presented at time of purchase.

  • This program is available to K-State Salina faculty, staff, and students as well.
  • Entering students can present a letter of acceptance to K-State, and distance students can present a current fee receipt.
  • Graduating seniors have a limited time to purchase after graduation.

The Student Licensing program is offered at K-State through the joint effort of K-State, Adobe, Microsoft, and the K-State Student Union Computer Store.

Samba network-connection webpage moved; Mac info added

by Betsy Edwards, Information Technology Assistance Center
published May 20, 2008

A how-to webpage on using K-State's Samba network-connection service was updated last week by Computing and Telecommunications Services and moved to www.k-state.edu/infotech/samba. Samba provides an easy way for Window and Mac users (plus Linux and others that use SMB protocol) to access and manage files on the central Unix system as though they were files on a local computer drive on a desktop or laptop. At K-State, Samba is commonly used to access and manage webpages on the central web server, and it can also be used for individual personal webpages.

The www.k-state.edu/infotech/samba page provides instructions for using Samba with Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional, and Mac OS X computers. Questions about the Samba service should be sent to the IT Help Desk, helpdesk@k-state.edu, 785-532-7722.

Media Development Center closed through May 26 for upgrades

by Betsy Edwards and Phyllis Epps, Information Technology Assistance Center
published May 20, 2008

The Media Development Center in 213 Hale Library is closed May 17-26 for upgrades. Sixteen Windows computers in the imaging area are being replaced with new Dell PCs that will provide faster processing and the ability to handle larger image files.

The center will re-open Tuesday, May 27, and begin summer hours — 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 1-4 p.m. Saturday, and closed Sunday. Questions about the MDC can be sent to Phyllis Epps, pepps@k-state.edu, 785-532-4921.

K-State Online 8.0 release scheduled Aug. 5

by Scott Finkeldei, Office of Mediated Education
published May 20, 2008

A new release of K-State Online is scheduled Aug. 5. This version will include many improvements requested by students and faculty. Some of the updates include:

  • Improved interfaces based on user suggestions for two of the most popular tools — Student Groups and Message Board
  • An overhaul of the student-side navigation to make it easier to use
  • Additional integration with iSIS to bring more info to the Roster
  • Updates to the Attendance and Chat Room
  • Adding Wimba Voice tools to the course homepage and Student Groups

A streaming Flash media server is also being added to allow streaming of FLV, SWF, and MP4 files with an inline video player. Watch for upcoming articles in InfoTech Tuesday announcing demo and preview sessions as well as post-release training.

eTips May 28: Configuring Dreamweaver so FTP works after June 1 Unix upgrade

by Cathy Rodriguez, Information Technology Assistance Center
published May 20, 2008

Sarah Silva will present an eTips session on "Configuring Dreamweaver so FTP works after June 1 Unix upgrade" at 11 a.m., Wednesday, May 28, desktop webinar via Wimba. When K-State's central Unix server is upgraded June 1, user-authenticated (plain-text) FTP will no longer be available because of new security enhancements.K-Staters who use (or want to use) FTP to transfer files in Dreamweaver after June 1 will need to enable secure FTP (SFTP). Join us for a demonstration and discussion on setting up Dreamweaver to access your website on K-State's central Unix server using secure FTP.

eTips registration is required at least 24 hours in advance to allow time to add you to the session and ensure your workstation is configured properly for accessing the session.

Security tip of the week

Beware of scams related to Myanmar, China natural disasters

by Harvard Townsend, IT security
published May 20, 2008

Natural disasters often bring out the best in people, but unfortunately they can also bring out the worst. Fraudsters will capitalize on the recent natural disasters in Myanmar and China to try to defraud people into diverting their donations into the pockets of the criminals or revealing their personal financial information through fraudulant e-mails, websites, or phone calls. Scams have already surfaced related to the earthquake in China and the cyclone in Myanmar.

If you want to donate to disaster relief, here are some guidelines to ensure your contribution goes to the victims, not a scam artist.

General scam-prevention guidelines


  • Stick to the established charities with which you have a relationship.
  • Give directly to the charity rather than someone soliciting on their behalf, since the latter may be a fraud or, at the very least, someone who keeps a portion of your donation.
  • Visit the local chapter of a charity in person.
  • Research the charity's legitimacy — their history, purpose, and reputation.
  • Scrutinize how they will use the funds (see Remember to Give Wisely tips).

E-mail and Web scam prevention


  • Never respond to an e-mail requesting disaster-relief donations. Be very leery of any solicitations via e-mail.
  • Beware of donating online. It is easy to make a replica of a legitimate charity website and redirect donations to the criminals.
  • Go directly to a charity website — don't click on a link in an e-mail message or on another website, since those may take you to a fraudulant replica.
  • Don't trust any phone number provided in an e-mail. Do your own research and find the number for the charity on your own.
  • Never provide financial information in an e-mail.

Phone scam prevention


  • Scrutinize any phone solicitation. This is a common technique of fraudsters.
  • Don't trust any phone number provided in an e-mail. Do your own research and find the number for the charity on your own.
  • In many states, phone solicitors are required by law to identify the company or organization for which they are soliciting donations. If you think it is legitimate, have them send you a form in postal mail you can fill out and send in, which gives you time to research its legitimacy.
  • Ask lots of questions, and be suspicious if the solicitor seems evasive.
  • Don't give in to high pressure sales tactics or attempts to get you to make a quick decision.
  • Never provide financial information over the phone in response to an unsolicited phone call.

You can donate safely by taking a little extra time to follow the guidelines above.

K-State Online

Move columns around in Gradebook?

by Scott Finkeldei, Office of Mediated Education
published May 20, 2008

Is it possible to move columns around within the gradebook? I want the total points to be listed right after the student name, so it's easier to go down the list and see the final grades at the end of the semester.

There is no option that allows arbitrary arrangement of the gradebook columns. However, an option in the Gradebook preferences (look for the small icon and the word "preferences" in the upper right-hand corner of the gradebook screen) allows you to put student names on the left, right, or both so you can have the student name next to the Total column on the right.

IT services for retired K-State faculty?

by Aimee Hagedorn, Information Technology Assistance Center
published May 20, 2008

What IT services are retired K-State faculty entitled to after leaving the university?

Retired K-State faculty keep their eID, as well as access to K-State e-mail provided by the university. For answers to other IT-related questions about leaving K-State, see Preparing to leave K-State.

Spotlight

43Folders.com offers improved productivity, less stress

by Betsy Edwards, Information Technology Assistance Center
published May 20, 2008

www.43folders.com is a "family of websites about stuff like personal productivity, life hacks, and simple ways to make your life a little better."

This popular site places emphasis on the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology by David Allen, who authored a book by the same name. Beyond that, 43Folders.com also contains a wealth of practical tips to regain your time, make better decisions, and be reassured that you're not alone in the ever-expanding universe of information propagated by technology.

A sampling of All-time Most Popular Posts includes:

  • Getting started with "Getting Things Done"
  • Introducing the Hipster PDA
  • Scrivener: Powerful OS X app for writers
  • Adventures in $40 eyeglasses

Popular Classics has these and more:

  • Harnessing your interstitial time
  • Patching your personal suck
  • 9 tips for running more productive meetings
  • Five email tics I'd love for you to lose
  • Building a Smarter To-Do List

Merlin Mann, creator of 43Folders.com, notes that the site's approach addresses "in order to find what works for you, it helps to understand why the old stuff doesn't."