🚀 go-pugleaf

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
On Mon, 8 Jul 1996, Pam Gades wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Sounds like a user support person's nightmare to me!  Students will bring
> all flavors of processors, all flavors of system software, all flavors of
> word processors, and other software.  How many software packages and
> operating systems will your staff be required to know in order to assist
> these students?  It is much easier if you standardize on equipment and
> software.

Could be, but that doesn't seem to be a reason not to do it.  In our labs,
and in many other readers' labs, we have a procedure that we use to
"restore" a machine back to a known "good" state.  What if some
modification of that was used to "standardize" users machines?  No help to
those that didn't standardize.  And, the software they used could be
standardized by getting it from a server.  If they didn't get the software
from the server...no help.

> If your lab is to have printers that these students can print to using
> their own computers, you will have to make sure that all of their
> computers, running whatever flavor of system software, are properly set up
> to print to your printers.  If you are going to have each computer hook up
> to the network in order to print and/or gain access to the internet, they
> will also need network cards, transceivers, network software, proper
> printer drivers, etc.

Like network cards in dorm rooms, they have to get them from a source on
campus, therefore they are standardized.  Buying in bulk and passing the
savings to students helps with this.

Sure, it'll probably be a nightmare.  The first lab we put together with
pc's instead of 3270 terminals: nightmare.  The first mac lab we put
together: nightmare.  The first windows labs: nightmare.  Currently doing
an nt lab, so far, many nightmares.  We plan to do a moveable lab with
laptops, wireless cards and an ethernet bridge, and serve the software off
our labs' server.  I imagine it will be equally challenging.  Still
haven't figured out how you schedule labops for a moving lab!

Good luck, Chris.  Let us know how it works out. I for one am interested.

> > Hello all:
> > I am currently putting together a proposal for my department for a new
> > computerless lab (i.e., just access, students would have to supply the
> > equipment).  One of the most important aspects of this would be the user
> > assistance (help desk, etc...)  As I have not had alot of experience with
> > customer service type systems I was wondering what other educational
> > institutions had or how they went about designing their own system.  Any
> > information about whats out there would be greatly appreciated
> >
> > --
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > "A wise man is a master of his mind, a fool is its slave"
> > Syrius Polybus.
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > R. Chris Williams
> > ERS Technicican
> > Environmental and Resource Studies
> > Trent University, Peterborough, ON,
> > Canada
> > K9J 7B8
> > pn (705) 748-1570
> > email Cwilliams@trentu.ca
> > _________________________________________________________________
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Pamela Gades                            Internet: pam@caa.mrs.umn.edu
> Sr. User Services Specialist            My web page URL:
> University of Minnesota, Morris         http://www.cda.mrs.umn.edu/~pam
> Computing Services
>                         600 East 4th Street
>                         Behmler Hall, Room 10
>                         Morris, MN  56267
>                         (320)589-6376
>
> "We must not stay as we are, doing always what was done last time, or we
> shall stick in the mud."
>   -- George Bernard Shaw
>

Ken Schriner                            kens@comp.uark.edu