Many universities have taken it upon themselves to restrict students’ access to the Internet.
These universities have employed the “SafeConnect Solution Architecture” from Impulse to control what students living on-campus can do with their internet connections. Students are required to install a “Policy Key” which checks for compliance with the school’s network access policies.
The policies range from disallowing peer-to-peer file sharing programs to requiring anti-virus software be installed and running on a student’s computer.
The key also checks to see if a student is using a router, which is also disallowed.
It’s certainly not difficult to see the upside of the policy key for universities. By preventing students from using file sharing applications, they can avoid confrontations with the MPAA and RIAA about movie and music pirating.
It is also fair to say that universities are wise in trying to protect themselves. They are, after all, the ones in charge of the internet connections, meaning they could easily be considered liable for any illegal activities that take place on their networks.
But there is a lot wrong with Impulse’s policy key.
Obviously, there’s an eerie “Big Brother” element to it. The key is aware of what programs students are running, and what students do with their internet connections. If that was being done by a normal internet service provider, it would be considered an invasion of privacy. But since students must agree to using the policy key to simply connect to the internet, they are forced to forfeit their right to privacy.
The policy key also makes online gaming and networking next to impossible.
I’ve had a miserable time trying to play games online while using an on-campus internet connection. My PlayStation 2 will disconnect frequently, if it connects at all, and my Xbox 360 doesn’t fare much better.
Since the use of a router is disallowed, I can’t connect to the internet on a second, older computer which I’d like to use for simple, frequent tasks such as e-mail and chatting (without circumventing the policy key by disabling what it looks for). I have only one Ethernet port, and I’m restricted to only connecting to one device with it.
The policy key forces students to give up their right to privacy, and it prevents basic, legal uses of an internet connection. That’s not fair to students who live on-campus at universities that employ the software.
A 15-year-old boy in Newport Beach, Calif. was arrested for pointing a laser he received for Christmas at a bus, a plane, and a police helicopter.
According to the Associated Press, officers aboard the helicopter were able to trace the laser to the house where the Las Vegas boy was staying with his relatives.
It’s understandable that a laser being pointed at these vehicles could be potentially dangerous, but the decision to arrest the boy is questionable.
Once officers discovered the origin of the laser beam and were sent to the house, all that needed to happen was an explanation to the kid and his relatives of what happened, why it was serious, and an emphatic reminder to not point the laser at any more vehicles.
The California law on laser pointers states “any person who willfully and maliciously discharges a laser at an aircraft, whether in motion or in flight, while occupied, is guilty of a violation.”
How do you prove a 15-year-old boy pointed his laser at these vehicles with malice? Teenagers do stupid things, usually without considering the consequences
What he did was wrong, but it wasn’t worthy of an arrest. A second offense would be a different story.
If misdemeanor charges are filed, the boy faces up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $1,000.
The sight and sound of military jets roaring overhead is a fan favorite at sporting events around the world. But what are these flights called?
Most fans in the U.S. refer to them as ‘flyovers,’ but other fans insist the correct term is ‘flyby.’
Many sites and dictionaries disagree slightly on the meanings of each word, but a closer look clears up the confusion.
Dictionary.com’s first definition of flyover describes the flights perfectly.
A formation of aircraft in flight for observation from the ground, especially a prearranged, low-altitude flight over a public gathering.
Flyover also carries several other meanings, including the primarily British definition of “an overhead crossing, especially a highway overpass,” explaining the reason for contention against the word.
Various dictionaries agree on a couple different definitions for flyby.
1. The flight of a spacecraft close enough to a celestial object, as a planet, to gather scientific data.
2. A a low-altitude flight of an aircraft for the benefit of ground observers.
Flyby is often used to describe military situations, giving merit to the argument for the word when referring to flights being performed by military aircraft.
Nitpicking aside, both words are technically correct for describing the flights, and anyone arguing for one or the other is fighting an unwinnable battle.
Maybe fans in the U.S. should just use ‘flypast,’ the name for these flights in most other countries.
Save money. Live better. Or so they say.
As you walk into a Wal-Mart, you’re bound to notice the inevitable greeter standing there. There seems to be two primary types of greeters. The first type stares, sullenly, at nothing, oblivious to the customers passing by. The second type might as well wear a nametag that lists their job title as ‘least capable employee, on display.’
Inside, most of the employees aren’t any better. During a recent trip to Wal-Mart, I noticed one employee who spent the entire duration of my visit walking around the store, talking on her phone. Another employee, who was placing bikes onto their respective racks, continuously grumbled expletives as he was working.
The customers don’t seem to enjoy themselves, either. They walk around, usually appearing unhappy as they go about their shopping. No one acts as if they want to be there.
It’s hard to blame the employees and customers for being miserable, considering the environment they’re in. Wal-Marts everywhere are disgusting. Even the cleaner Wal-Marts are dirty in comparison to other stores.
The stores aren’t well-organized, either. Often, I find I can’t immediately discern the prices of items. Many times, the tags are misplaced. Other times, they’re inaccurate. In one case, there was a rack at the end of an aisle where the price of the merchandise was listed as “49.” Not $49, nor 49 cents. Just the number 49. Turns out, the item in question was worth $8.49.
Navigating the aisles can be an exceptionally unpleasant experience at Wal-Mart. The aisles are narrow, making it difficult to get to what you need when multiple customers and carts are in the same aisle.
At the end of a visit to Wal-Mart, the number of cashiers working checkout lanes is always abysmally low, and the number of self-checkout lanes is frequently larger.
In theory, self-checkout lanes are great. You don’t have to deal with yet another disgruntled employee, and you get to handle your own merchandise as you please.
Except they never work as they should.
When something goes wrong, it’s up to the lone employee overseeing the machines to fix it. Sometimes, the solution is as simple as the employee entering a code (I noticed one employee entered ‘1234′ as their code). However, during my most recent visit to Wal-Mart, one employee opted for a more physical approach. He pulled parts off and shook other parts, and when that failed, he began kicking the machine. Eventually, he realized all he had to do was hold the ‘zero scale’ button down for a few seconds.
The only part of the Wal-Mart shopping experience that I enjoy comes when I head towards the exit, quickly reading the words overhead.
“Thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart.”
I was in the office late a couple nights ago, working on a few things as a friend of mine was writing a paper. Eventually, one of the janitors, on her late night cleaning rounds, walked in.
As she started to clean the office, emptying trash cans and the like, she began making conversation. Except it was the kind of conversation that you really can’t respond to. It was like listening to the director’s commentary on a really bad movie.
We just smiled and nodded, and kept on with what we were working on, responding here and there to something she was saying. Eventually, she started talking about her age, and asked how old we were.
Once she remarked that she "[has] 38 years on [me]," I knew where she was headed.
"Respect your elders," she began, incorrectly assuming I don’t.
She carried on for what seemed like an eternity, telling me how "one day, [they] will get [us] back for all things [we’ve] done."
I just sat there, bewildered at what was going on. I’m quietly minding my own business, and suddenly, this disgruntled janitor is ranting at me, essentially blaming me for everything anyone between the ages of 18 and 35 has done that displeased her.
I get it. You’ve been around for a lot longer than we have, and I respect that. Plus, it can’t be fun having to be up obscenely early five days a week to clean a college campus.
But that doesn’t mean a younger age group is to blame for your problems. And it certainly doesn’t give you the right to treat someone you don’t even know as if they are less than you.