OPINION

Where Am I? I’m on Vacation, I Think.

By Terry Calhoun

OUR COLUMNIST PONDERS THE MEANING OF VACATION IN THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF PERSISTENT CONNECTIVITY.

Where am I? I’m on vacation, I think. Am I? Yes, I am on vacation!

My SCUP colleague, John Ferry, showed up at work one day last month with his head shaved for the summer. That’s not unexpected, we’ve hit the heat wave time of the year in Michigan and he’s heavily involved in outdoor athletic activities. But this was the first time we’d seen him without his hair and also with the Bluetooth-enabled wireless earpiece for his cell phone, a clunky-looking thing that sticks out over his right ear and blinks constantly.

Here it is, only 2005, and I work with someone who looks as much like a cyborg as did Arnold Schwarzenegger in the first Terminator movie. Every once in a while, now, I remember that he’s got that thing stuck on his ear and even though he’s “right there” across my desk, before I speak I have to ask myself: “Where is John right now.” Read more

IT NEWS

University of Buffalo IT Fair Attracting 400 Experts

The university has a strong emphasis on turning its powerful IT resources into functionalities for academics and researchers. This fair included presentations on 3D visual systems, bioinformatics computing support and other topics. (The Buffalo News) Read more

US to Retain Security Control of Internet Core

A Swedish official called the US move "rather confrontational" but then noted that many experts never really expected the US to give up the Internet root servers. Some say this will splinter the Internet. (USA Today) Read more

University of Illinois Classrooms Entering Modern Era

UI is 40 percent of the way through major upgrades to all of its general assignment classrooms and has kicked the program back into high gear after a two-year hiatus. (The News Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, IL) Read more

UNC Updating Directory and Assignment of Email Addresses

Not only will the new directory at the University of North Carolina offer more search and privacy features, the new assignment system will ensure that all faculty, staff, and students are connected to the institution-wide communications system. (The Daily Tar Heel)
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RESOURCES

What Is Plagiarism in the Digital Era?

Sci-Fi author William Gibson pens an essay in which he opines that the word "audience" is as outdated as "record"; and we no longer even give a second thought to "borrowing" or "appropriating" as we cut and paste our way into the techno future. (Wired) Read more

DEALS, CONTRACTS, AWARDS

Dell and Napster Partner to Provide Legal Music Downloading Services for Campuses

In a move that will provide campus IT departments with a legal alternative for music downloading, Dell today announced that it is partnering with Napster. The deal will combine Dell’s PowerEdge 1855 blade servers with Napster’s digital music service to provide college and university IT departments with the network bandwidth to support student demand for music downloading. Coming little more than a week after the Supreme Court ruled that technology providers supporting illegal downloading are liable to copyright law suits by the recording industry, the Dell-Napster partnership provides a legal way to satisfy the campus market for tunes without risking network infrastructure or court actions. (Campus Technology online) Read more

Hampton U Moves from Blocking Downloads to Providing Legal Ones

Hampton University had been one of the most aggressive schools in its region at pursuing students who illegally downloaded music files. Now the school signed with Ruckus which provides legal downloads--all students will pay regardless of whether they use the service or not. (Daily Press, Hampton Roads, VA) Read more