Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the Instructional Technology Department, as well as answers to the many changes to technology that are implemented.
| Spyware | Data Server(SUN) |
| Outlook Web Access | Spam and Viruses |
Spyware
As more and more PCs are being deployed in the district, Spyware is rapidly becoming a problem for our users. Spyware is the new computer virus.
What is Spyware? Spyware is Internet jargon for Advertising Supported software (Adware). The goal of Spyware is to make money through targeted advertising by collecting personal data from users - usually without their permission or knowledge.
Who is affected by Spyware? In 2004, 9 out of 10 home PCs were infected with Spyware. Spyware almost always targets Windows PCs with Internet Explorer. The vast majority of Spyware infects a user's PC without their knowledge.
How do I get infected with Spyware? Some Web sites automatically install Spyware on visitor computers without their knowledge. Other times Spyware is installed by clicking on advertisements or pop-ups. Some software even comes with Spyware hidden within it.
How do I know if I am infected with Spyware? Typical symptoms include your machine running slowly or an unusual amount of pop-up advertisements being displayed. Some Spyware will take you to Web sites without your permission.
If Spyware is the new computer virus, will our virus scanners prevent it from infecting our computers? Corporate-sized Spyware scanners are few in number and haven't proved effective at preventing infections. We hope in the future to have better options available to us.
How can I remove the Spyware on my computer? Spyware comes in all shapes and sizes. Some Spyware is easy to remove while others can render a computer useless if you try to remove it. There are free and commercial Spyware scanners available online. We've found 3 free ones that are effective:
Spybot Search & Destroy Ad-Aware Microsoft AntiSpyware
These scanners work but they're not perfect. They may remove most Spyware but they do nothing to prevent it from re-infecting a machine.
How can I protect myself from Spyware while in the district? The best way to protect your privacy and computer is to limit the amount of personal Web surfing you do. Another good idea is to avoid installing any programs on your school computer. Clicking on any advertisements and making personal purchases online from a school computer are not recommended.
How can I protect myself from Spyware while at home? Prevention is again the key. Develop safe-surfing habits and avoid advertisements. Don't install software without reading the documentation that came with it. Many people recommend using Internet Explorer as little as possible because most Spyware takes advantage of holes in IE to infect the machine. You may have better results using Firefox to surf the web. It has a built-in pop-up blocker and doesn't have the holes or vulnerabilities that Internet Explorer has.
Data Server(SUN)
We encourage all of our users to save all of their important files to the Data Server, SUN. We restrict the amount of space each user is allowed on our Data Servers to prevent them from overflowing. Staff members are allowed 2.5GB and students are allowed 100MB of disk space.
The SAN(SUN) server houses several sets of shared folders that are used for collaborative projects. The Commons folder is one such example. For access to collaborative project folders inside Commons, please submit a request to our Online Helpdesk.
The SAN(SUN) also has a temporary storage folder called District Shared. All files and folders stored in District Shared are automatically deleted after 14 days! This includes a set of Hand In and Hand Out folders that all teachers are encouraged to use for their students. For more information about District Shared, please read our District Shared Instructions.
Outlook Web Access
Outlook Web Access is our district-wide Webmail application. Now you can check your email from a Mac, PC or any other computer at home or abroad.
To access Outlook Web Access you'll need to use a PC with Windows 2000 or higher with Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher. On a Mac you'll need to use Mac OS 9.1+ with Internet Explorer 5.1 or higher.
Outlook Web Access has some exciting features including a global address book, Spam/Virus filtering, and Secure Login.
All staff members now have 50MB of email storage on our servers.
Please read our help page about email attachments.
Spam and VirusesAccording to recent surveys, Spam (junk email) accounts for about 48% of all email on the Internet. Here are the two most important things to know to protect yourself against Spam:
Never give out your work email address. We recommend getting a
free email address from Yahoo! or
Hotmail to use for non
work-related activities. Even posting your email address on your Web
site can expose you to Spammers! If you would like to list your email
address on your Web site, try listing it as: username @
saline.k12.mi.us (note the "space" between the @
symbol) or username at saline.k12.mi.us
Never attempt to "Unsubscribe" from a Spam email. By clicking "Unsubscribe" or replying to a Spam message you are effectively confirming that your email address is being read by a human! Attempting to "Unsubscribe" from Spam messages will almost certainly result in the reverse happening - your email can/will be sold to other Spammers!
Grades 5-12 are gradually moving from Mac to PC and computer viruses are going to be a large security threat to the district's network. We recommend everyone use HornetMail 3.0 for email access instead of other email programs. Programs such as Outlook 2003 contain code that viruses can take advantage of on PCs or Macs. As a general rule, never open an email attachment if you don't know who sent it and why. If you have questions or think you are infected with a virus, please use our Online Helpdesk.