After suffering through a nightmare of infected computers and viruses this fall, Fairfield students are getting a small reward for their troubles.
This reward comes in the form of a USB storage device. These devices, which are one of the latest storage devices, work like a traditional storage device and are convenient for bringing work between computers.
Five hundred of these storage devices were purchased by the Office of the Dean of Students at the end of August at the suggestion of Computing and Network Services (CNS) at an approximate cost of $12 per device, according to Dean of Students Mark Reed.
“After the virus problem presented itself, I decided to simply give them away to students,” Reed said.
According to an e-mail sent to students on Oct. 2 by CNS and the Office of the Dean of Students, the USB devices are being given out “in appreciation for the patience and understanding that most students have shown as we worked collectively through this [virus] problem.”
For those students who did comply with requests to alleviate their computers of viruses, the 500 USB devices are currently available on a first-come, first-serve basis with a student ID at the Office of the Dean of Students in Dolan Hall.
Although few Fairfield students would pass up the opportunity to receive something for free, students shared mixed feelings on the purchase of these devices.
“If they were bought to prevent the internet problems that we’ve been having since last year I would totally support the decision,” said Larissa Cranston, ’06. “But for now I just think it’s a waste of money.”
Between 10 and 20 students complained to CNS that their computers may have been damaged after they had been worked on by the CNS staff. Don Adams, director of CNS, said that these problems had nothing to do with anything CNS did.
“In many cases there were ‘spyware’ programs that were running in the background of the computers that students weren’t aware of,” said Adams. “They had been installed during downloads.”
Adams also said that CNS was only concerned with the computer’s software, not hardware. Therefore, the computers were not damaged by CNS, and CNS workers will try to assist students if their computer has to be reconfigured, and the student has the original software media to confirm licensing legality. No students will be compensated for any damage done to their computers.
CNS is very proud of their response time and efforts during these problems, and they are “actively discussing further steps to hopefully curtail of prevent future occurrences,” said Adams.
While most students cooperated during the virus problem, many did not. According to Adams, about 1,000 students had to be sent “encouragement” letters to bring their computers for repair. These letters not only encouraged students to bring their computers promptly, but they also threatened judicial action if students did not comply.
For many students these letters provided the motivation needed to bring their computers to be fixed.
“Before I received the threatening letter in the mail, I didn’t realize how serious the computer problem was,” said Adam Klich, ’06. “I wouldn’t have wasted my time bringing my computer down if I wasn’t threatened with judicial action.”
However, CNS no longer repaired any computers after the repair period. Students who did not have computers to repair that week are still in need of the virus updates. Judicial actions taken against those students is under consideration.
As of Oct. 6, between 200 and 225 students still had not brought their computers to Dolan Hall to be looked at by Computing and Network Services. Reed said that these students will soon face judicial action.
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