Academic Computing Services

Our message to stop using floppy disk has gotten out there, and it seems just about everyone has started using USB drives to save their files.

But USB drives by themselves are not sufficient, because they can be lost, stolen, and in rare cases stop working properly. Without a backup copy of your files, your work is gone.

We urge you not to learn this lesson the hard way. Backup before you need it, because it can happen without warning.

Good backup plans include the following options:

• email yourself the file
• use a second USB drive
• print your paper (you can scan it and create a new file from the text)
• burn a CD or DVD
• use an online file-hosting service, such as .Mac or filesanywhere.com/

Many people choose to use instant messaging (IM) to chat with other people instead of using the phone or email to communicate. The computers in the computer lab do not allow student users to install any programs, such as a chat or IM program, so we have found an alternative in the web-based chat program by Meebo.com.

If you have an IM screen name (or SN as they are also known) for any of the major IM services, Meebo lets you use their web-based chat interface for free. All the web browsers in the computer labs have the site bookmarked so that it is easy for users to find it.

We are now providing support via instant message chat. This means if you are in one of our labs and don’t want to walk to our office to ask us a question you can simply IM us instead. We have accounts for all the major chat networks:

• AOL Instant Messenger: DYC AC
• Yahoo Messenger: ACAC
• MSN Messenger: DYCAC@hotmail.com
• Google Talk: DYCAcademicComputing

If you’re in the labs or do not have a chat client installed you can visit meebo.com to connect to one of the chat networks.

Categories
This web site is constructed with “categories” of pages, and those categories are listed in the menu on the left side of this page. If you’re looking for help in a specific category, click on the link for that category, and the web site will show you several “posts” of information in that category. You can also use the search function to look for posts and pages that aren’t designated in those categories.

Pages
There are several pages listed along the top right of each page that are just general information pages. Those pages do not contain the typical “help desk” type of information–that info is included in the “categories” part of this site.

Other Help
The “Other Help” section of the menu is a list of links to other departments of the college that provide service to students and faculty. We list them here because we have found that many times, a student’s question is not a computer- or technology-related problem, but one more to do with, for example, grades posted by the registrar or research questions that the library can answer.

Comments or Questions?
Please send any comments or questions you may have to Thomas.

Most of your computer and technology problems can be solved with the help of one of several different offices, so the college uses a single email address to take all requests, and then those requests are forwarded to the appropriate person. Please send all requests for help to helpdesk@dyc.edu.

Please see this staff page for the email addresses of the office staff.