Den't
      Threw
      the
      €PU
      out
      of
      the
      Window
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Clare
      Henderson
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Problems
      that
      seem
      to
      plague
      the
     
     
      students
      and
      faculty
      at
      UPEI
      are
     
     
      often
      associated
      with
      the
      campus
     
     
      email
      system.
      Everyone
      has
      had
     
     
      a
      moment
      when
      one
      wants
      to
     
     
      climb
      up
      to
      the
      roof
      of
      Duffy
      and
     
     
      throw
      the
      computer
      off
      to
      see
     
     
      how
      high
      it
      can
      bounce.
      If
      you
     
     
      think
      you’ve
      got
      it
      bad,
      imagine
     
     
      the
      people
      who
      have
      to
      deal
      with
     
     
      these
      problems
      on
      a
      daily
      basis.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      dealing
      with
      a
      server
      sys-
     
     
      tem
      as
      large
      as
      that
      of
      UPEI,
      it
      is
     
     
      inevitable
      that
      you
      are
      going
      to
     
     
      run
      into
      a
      few
      problems.
      Viruses
     
     
      and
      spam
      are
      a
      major
      issues
      that
     
     
      must
      be
      contended
      with.
      When
     
     
      talking
      with
      Tom
      Germaine
      from
     
     
      Computer
      Services,
      I
      was
      remind-
     
     
      ed
      of
      just
      how.
      much
      patience
      one
     
     
      has
      to
      have
      when
      dealing
      with
      a
     
     
      computer
      -
      and
      how
      these
      guys
     
     
      must
      have
      it
      in
      spades.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      case
      you
      don’t
      know
      anything
     
     
      about
      the
      computer
      system
      here,
     
     
      let
      me
      break
      it
      down
      for
      you
      -
      and
     
     
      forgive
      me,
      I
      know
      how
      to
      turn
      a
     
     
      computer
      on
      and
      off
      and
      run
     
     
      WordPerfect,
      so
      for
      all
      you
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Garlic
      bread.
     
     
      aT
      4m
      nav
      etsscte
      hae
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Computer
      Science
      students
      out
     
     
      there
      you
      may
      find
      this
      painful.
     
     
      When
      you
      send
      an
      email
      to
      a
      UPEI
     
     
      account,
      it
      goes
      through
      one
      serv-
     
     
      er
      that
      goes
      through
      all
      the
      incom-
     
     
      ing
      mail
      (whether
      it’s
      from
      one
     
     
      UPEI
      account
      to
      another
      or
      not)
     
     
      and
      filters
      it
      for
      spam.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Let’s
      stop
      here
      for
      a
      second.
     
     
      What,
      may
      you
      ask,
      filters
      for
     
     
      spam?
      Here’s
      where
      the
      conversa-
     
     
      tion
      got
      really
      cool.
      A
      program
     
     
      called
      Spam
      Assassin.
      Knowing
     
     
      the
      little
      that
      I
      know
      about
      com-
     
     
      puters,
      I
      assume
      that
      it
      is
      a
      little
     
     
      Tom
      Thumb-sized
      guy
      in
      a
      ninja
     
     
      suit
      that
      goes
      through
      the
      mail
      and
     
     
      labels
      it
      spam.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ok,
      so
      it’s
      just
      a
      program
      that
      goes
     
     
      through
      the
      email
      looking
      for
      key
     
     
      things
      like
      the
      words
      “buy
      now.”
     
     
      When
      you
      get
      give
      of
      those
      key
     
     
      points,
      an
      email
      is
      labeled
      spam.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .Recognize
      this?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fo
      A
      A
      RR
      CDA
      AY
      |
      |
      PRR
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Once
      the
      email
      is
      labeled,
      it’s
      up
     
     
      to
      you
      to
      decide
      what
      to
      do
      with
      it,
     
     
      so
      read
      the
      subject
      to
      see
      if
      it’s
     
     
      something
      that
      might
      not
      actually
     
     
      be
      spam.
      But
      we’re
      not
      done
      yet
     
    
   
   
    
     
      folks.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Once
      it
      goes
      through
      this
     
     
      first
      server,
      it
      goes
      through
      a
      sec-
     
     
      ond
      one
      that
      scans
      for
      viruses.
     
     
      Now,
      here’s
      where
      one
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      problems
      lie.
      These
      definitions
     
     
      have
      to
      be
      updated
      and
      no
      one
      -
     
     
      not
      even
      Bill
      Gates
      -
      can
      create
      a
     
     
      definition
      for
      a
      virus
      before
      it’s
     
     
      created.
      So,
      like
      every
      other
      com-
     
     
      puter
      system
      in
      the
      world,
      there’s
     
     
      going
      to
      be
      a
      delay
      before
      comput-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ers
      are
      protected
      and
      sometimes.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      system
      gets
      a
      few
      bugs.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Needless
      to
      say,
      however,
      there
     
    
   
   
    
     
      are
      often
      more
      problems
      than
      one
     
    
   
   
    
     
      would
      like.
      But
      fear
      not,
      as
      some-
     
     
      thing
      is
      being
      done
      about
      it.
     
     
      Computer
      Services
      is
      currently
      in
     
     
      the
      process
      of
      changing
      their
      mail
     
     
      system.
      Right
      now
      the
      University
     
     
      uses
      the
      Pegasus
      mail
      system
      but
     
     
      here’s
      the
      thing:
      this
      system
      is
      for
     
     
      intra-network
      mail.
      That
      means
     
     
      that
      they
      have
      to
      use
      another
      pro-
     
     
      gram,
      called
      Mercury,
      to
      help
     
     
      Pegasus
      take
      mail
      from
      outside
      the
     
     
      computer
      network.
      And
      Mercury
     
     
      isn’t
      the
      most
      reliable
      of
      programs
     
     
      (plus
      it’s
      name
      isn’t
      half
      as
      cool
      as
     
     
      Spam
      Assassin).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      So,
      they
      are
      planning
      on
      switching
     
     
      to
      a
      program
      called
      WebMail.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      will
      be
      a
      more
      user
      friendly
     
     
      mail
      program
      with
      easier
      filtering
     
     
      options
      available
      to
      students.
     
     
      Blair
      Vessey,
      who
      works
      at
     
     
      Computer
      Services,
      says
      “
      This
     
     
      will
      be
      cost-effective
      because
      the
     
     
      program
      is
      through
      Novell,
      which
     
     
      we
      already
      have
      the
      licensing
      for.”
     
     
      So
      that
      means
      we
      won’t
      be
      forking
     
     
      over
      big
      bucks
      to
      get
      mail.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Right
      now,
      the
      program
      is
      in
      place
     
     
      in
      a
      test
      group
      on
      campus
      in
      order
     
     
      to,
      as
      Vessey
      says
      “kick
      the
      tires
      to
     
     
      see
      if
      it’s
      going
      to
      stand
      up
      for
      us.”
     
     
      He
      believes
      that
      this
      new
      program
     
     
      will
      be
      in
      place
      in
      the
      fall
      -
      hope-
     
     
      fully
      by
      September.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      the
      meantime,
      if
      you
      have
      any
     
     
      problems
      with
      your
      UPEI
      mail,
     
     
      forward
      any
      problem
      emails
      onto
     
     
      helpdesk@upei.ca_and
      remember,
     
     
      the
      more
      detailed
      you
      are,
      the
      bet-
     
     
      ter.
      So
      the
      next
      time
      you
      get
      frus-
     
     
      trated
      with
      your
      email
      account,
     
     
      don’t
      start
      heading
      to
      Duffy
      -
      good
     
     
      things
      come
      to
      those
      who
      wait.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cute
      me
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Text
      messaging
      is
      just
      one
      of
      the
      great
      ways
      to
      stay
      close.
      You
      can
      also
      get
      other
      great
     
    
   
   
    
     
      services
      and
      features
      like
      triple
      minutes',
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Visit
      your
      local
      Aliant
      dealer,
      call
      1-866-434-0344
     
     
      ae
      or
      go
      to
      www.aliant.net
      for
      details.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ef
      cont
     
     
      oH
     
    
   
   
    
     
      picture
      messaging
      and
      a
      $0
      phone’.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TRIPLE
      YOUR
      MINUTES
     
    
   
   
    
     
      FOR
      UP
      TO
      THREE
      MONTHS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      here.
      for
      you.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ees
      anal
      etal
      ceeaete
      a
      tt
      ae
      a
      are
      after
      rebate.
      Offer
      available
      to
      new
      primary
      customers.
     
     
      ns
      to:
      bayer
      igg)
      Jor
      ert
      Or
      to
      change
      without
      notice.
      t
      Triple
      your
      minutes
      for
      three
      months
      available
      to
     
     
      Raseet
      ae
      agi
      Sercnecaetine
      ‘expires
      March
      3%,
      2004,
      Existi
      customers
      who
      sign
      a
      Rate
      Share
      contract
      are
      efigible
      for
      airtime
      promotion.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      March
      9,
      2004
      page
      8