New Business Architecture Fall 2002 Update

Since last June, IET has been actively involved in the New Business Architecture (NBA) Initiative projects and planning activities. The following are some recent highlights.

High-Speed Networking Committee Formed

Provost Hinshaw has formed a small group of faculty and administrative leadership to advise her on the development, integration and use of high-speed networking in research and educational initiatives.

Development Begins on IT Strategic Plan for UC Davis

John Bruno, Vice Provost for Information and Educational Technology, and John Meyer, Vice Chancellor for Resource Management and Planning, have initiated the development of an IT strategic plan for the UC Davis campus. The document will provide a frame of reference to guide campus decisions regarding information technology policy, planning, prioritization, development, deployment, and funding. A first draft document has been circulated among campus advisory groups. It outlines a vision, priorities, goals, and sample initiatives designed to advance the mission of the university with regard to teaching, research, and outreach. This effort coincides with, and builds upon the development of a strategic plan for the campus.

Aggie Column: The Darkest Night in Davis

This Halloween-themed column describes the worst nightmare of every college student: losing their Internet connection and access to email. The column also talks about student's increasing dependence on computing and technology services.

Campus Explores Methods to Reduce Email Spam

Recently, the amount of incoming spam messages has increased to perhaps unprecedented levels. Information and Educational Technology has taken initial steps to respond to the spam by increasing the number of IP addresses from which we block incoming email messages. This step will help in the short term. The campus will be exploring alternative spam controls. IET plans to initiate a project group to help collaborate on a campus-wide solution to the growing spam problem. We have invited campus unit technology staff to participate in this effort. We will post information from these discussions on the security Web site (security.ucdavis.edu).

Aggie Column: (Care)Free Speech

This column discusses the unique culture that has arisen with the increased use of message boards and other chat media, including the freedom and lack of accountability that comes with the anonymity of these services.

Intel Targets 2006 for Lead-Free Computers

Despite general acceptance that the manufacturing process for computers should be modified to reduce or eliminate the environmentally hazardous materials common in machines today, Intel predicts that it will be 2006 before the "healthy" PC will be a reality. The materials, such as lead and mercury, pose no health risks while the computer is in use, but when put in landfills, these materials can seep into groundwater or be introduced into the air if computers are incinerated. Intel cited the lack of alternatives to these materials as the primary reason the "clean" computer won't arrive soon. Lead solder, for example, is used throughout the circuitry. Although lead-free solders exist, they are considered inferior to lead solders. Many companies, including Intel and Sony, are working on developing environmentally friendly options for the manufacture of computers, but viable alternatives remain a long way off. CNET, 12 September 2002

Internet Use Surpasses Library Use On Campus

A study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project indicates that more U.S. college students use the Internet for academic work than use the campus library. According to Steve Jones, head of the Communications Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago and author of the study, students have come to regard high-speed Internet access as a utility, just like water or phone service. The study showed that students use the Internet for research more often than they used the library, but they also use it for communication, both with peers and with professors. Other results showed that 85 percent of college students own computers, and most of them prefer to access the Internet from home. Washington Post, 16 September 2002