Adobe reader email function

Question: Is it possible to change Adobe Reader (on the student computers) to automatically allow email?

Response: The Adobe email function requires that the person using the machine have it set up with their *personal* email information so that it can send the message. In a public environment, this is not possible. The machines are set up with a generic profile, with all of the settings locked down so that email cannot be personally configured. If it were otherwise, one person could then send email as another which would lead to chaos and lawsuits.

I fight with this concept continually, as large companies assume correctly that 95% of computers are set up properly for individual use- and they cater to this configuration. They rarely allow these confusing options to be disabled or removed for public use computing.

Running textbook CDROMs or other external software products

Question: A CD-ROM text/product for a Chemistry class (“Bridging to the Lab”) does not work on our PCs. (When you click on the .exe file, it comes up with an error message about the shortcut being moved). I tried but then explained to the 2 students that we don’t support outside software/applications/products, etc. and suggested the computing center. Is this correct? (The one student said that at her home it just opens automatically in flash).


Response: We have had problems with students trying to install software, and we do not allow it in an uncontrolled manner as running rogue EXE files can introduce viruses and cause multiple problems. Let them know that to install the software on our machines would likely be against their software license for their book. Even if it is flash based, likely it has to install support files onto our computers.

The campus computing labs have a relationship with and support the faculty so that software packages that are properly licensed and are properly licensed for installation on the machines. We do not have the staff for this type of effort, nor is it our role. We try to meet about 80% of what users need with general applications, with emphasis on library support applications.

Online submission of PDF files

Poynter computers open all PDF documents with Acrobat (the full version). In order to work with a form that needs to be submitted electronically, the backup computer at reference and the two end computers in the horsehoe have been set to open PDF from within the browser. Students who need to submit this form (FTIC First Time in College) can now do so. Please note that you may have a problem printing from PDF’s to the Ricoh machines. If you do please save them and then reopen then in Acrobat Reader.

Printing Word docs from Blackboard

Some Word documents can not be printed easily while viewing them within Blackboard. If you click on the file name from the list screen (not the open document), then you will have the option to SAVE to Temp D. From Temp D, you can open the file in Word, check the print preview and send the file to the printer.

Financial Aid form (FARSA)

The FAFSA form must be electronically submitted. Financial Aid is not allowed to accept paper copies. However, if a student leaves any field blank, the form can not be submitted. According to Erin, there are two fields in particular that appear to be problematic; the student has to enter a zero or an “NA” if the questions do not apply. They may not leave any field blank. She said that although the students are told this, there are always some who do not pay attention to this detail. Erin said that it is printed in red even but some still goof.

Acrobat forms

If students encounter a problem and suspect that it could be necessary to open the form in a browser, you can change the default preferences for the way PDF's are displayed by opening Acrobat reader, going to Edit and Preferences. Under the Internet section there is a checkbox for "display in browser" that you can check and then any pdf will then open within the browser. If it becomes a popular solution then we may want to indicate a machine that is set this way, since this alteration stays set and even survives a reboot of the machine. Note that using File & Print from the program menu doesn't work properly when pdfs open within the browser- an issue that was discovered by Kaya and Marcy during the copier training.

Clearing temporary internet files in the reference horseshoe

Just had a student that was quite upset because the “delete history” section of the Internet browser on the horseshoe computers was grayed out and wouldn’t allow her access. She had just been doing her online banking and was concerned that someone could get into her information. Other than the fact that people have to be aware that these are publicly accessible computers, do you have a better answer for her and is there a way to delete the history on a horseshoe computer?

Response:
You should restart the computer in front of her, and when it logs back in show her that there is no history or cache. We make sure that the entire profile is deleted upon restart, so there should be no way for the information to persist. Still, it is the best practice to encourage students not to conduct financial business on the computers, since they are public.