Email Issues

Cinderella sang "You don't know what you've got till it's gone" - you don't really realize how much you use something until you can't use it! Last week our Exchange server started to do some funny stuff - so I had to call in the "Experts". After several days of work we have finally gotten to a spot where the computer is stable and email is for the most part functional. The plan was to switch to a new email system over the summer, but we may be pressed to do that on a different timeline with this development.

Currently we can access our email through Microsoft Outlook. This allows us to send and receive email messages - while here at school. When at home we were able to access our server through Outlook Web Access, but that is no longer working. I'm not sure what is wrong, but it sounds like it is a combination of hardware and software failure. So for remote access we may be transitioning to Google Apps mail a little sooner than later. Stay tuned for more info!

What were they thinking!?!

As I read about technology and how schools are using/misusing it some things stand out more than others. Take for example the Lower Merion School District. This past week they made headlines, but suspending a student for inappropriate behavior away from school grounds. How were they able to do this you say? By activating the internal web cam on his school provided 24/7 laptop! I had heard that there were security features like this available, thought they were a bit sci-fi, seems though that the technology is out there that makes this possible. Read more about this case at http://tiny.cc/grCa3

Anyone watched "Eagle Eye"? We watched it on Sunday night - it is an entertaining show about the "big brother" idea. In the the Merion case we can see the idea of "big brother" being around the corner isn't too far fetched. We use security measures here at school that allow us to remote in and see a student's desktop when they are in the computer lab, but we cannot see the actual student, just what they are doing on their desktop.

Well, suffice it to say I've filed this away (thanks Ron T. for the heads up) for future reference and clear expectations about when, if, and how this might affect us here in Earlham.