One of the things that Hurricane Irene was successful in accomplishing was to remind us how much we rely on our technology devices. Our computers, laptops, TVs, cell phones and ready access to the Internet are all things that we take for granted, except for when they don’t work. Fortunately in OIT, service outages are something that, while we try our best to avoid them, we are always prepared for.
One of the most frustrating things that we all deal with when a service outage occurs is the lack of communication. Communication involves many different modes, including one to one (such as a phone call or text message) and one to many (e.g. the radio or an Internet website). When an emergency occurs, it is essential to reestablish as many of these types of communication as possible.
The Office of Information Technology has developed a wide variety of mechanisms to communicate with all campus members in a variety of ways. As a department, we feel that the conventional method of sending the campus an email is very “static” and reactive, especially if there’s a problem with email or the Internet (or Hurricane Irene comes around and four million people lose power, TV and Internet). We do post announcements in eLearning Vista or on the SCSU website, but that method doesn’t seamlessly integrate with your life. Technology isn’t something you pick up and put down. To use technology effectively, you need to streamline it in to your lifestyle. We want you to stay informed about service interruptions before you step on campus for the day without requiring you to check your email or go to our OIT website.
With this, I am pleased to announce that The Office of Information Technology has a Facebook page and Twitter account. These social networking pages will now become the primary method of posting unplanned outages and alerts. Additionally, all new created or recently revised Knowledge Base documents in ‘how-to’ format will be posted on these social networking sites. Some recent KB articles include ‘How to set up your smart phone on OWLs’ for students and ‘Enterprise Vault Frequently Asked Questions’ for faculty and staff.
We understand that Facebook and Twitter is not for everyone. The concept behind it can be intimidating for those who haven’t already joined the “social networking epidemic.” That’s OK because you don’t need to have an account to see our postings. The Office of Information Technology will continue to email the campus when there is a planned outage, and you can always call the Help Desk if you suspect that something is not working properly. Also, the Knowledge Base (kb.southernct.edu) will have the same postings. If Facebook or Twitter is not something that interests you then you can visit the Knowledge Base and subscribe to individual alerts or outages. Subscribing to an alert at the Knowledge Base will provide you with emailed updates.
Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter and I am confident that you will get the most out of the relationship.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scsuhelpdesk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SCSU_OIT
I hope to see you there, friend.
Nick Valsamis
Help Desk Manager
