SSCC's Spring Training Schedule
Tapestation Working Again
Multiple Copies Feature Disabled on SSCC Public Printers
Firefox: An IE Alternative Worth Considering
SSCC's Spring training schedule is now available on SSCC's training web pages. Several classes are offered within the next two weeks so be sure and check out the schedule right away. Remember that all SSCC training sessions require preregistration. Register early before sessions fill!
Since reporting last month in SSCC News that the tapestation is on its last legs, it has been broken ever since. Fortunately, we were able to get our spare drive working. Hopefully, we can keep this drive operational until October 2005 when we plan to retire the tapestation. If you have data tapes that must be read using the tape station, please plan to transfer them to other media as soon as possible.
Print jobs to SSCC printers in the 2470 and 4318 computer labs specifying multiple copies will be deleted from the queue. It is against SSCC policy to print more than one copy of a document and this measure will help enforce this rule and reduce printing costs. Visit SSCC's printing policy page for suggested alternatives for printing multiple copies.
Firefox is a descendant of the Netscape browser (which is no longer being developed) but it has been thoroughly revised and upgraded on an open-source basis through Mozilla. With some 16 million downloads already, Firefox is becoming a popular alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
Unlike Internet Explorer, Firefox is not an integral part of the Windows operating system. This makes it much less likely to expose your computer to security risks while you browse the Internet. It includes built-in pop-up controls and a variety of privacy settings. You can also add a large number of "extensions" to tailor it to your needs. These range from the silly to the extremely useful--one popular item is Adblock, which allows you to block any form of advertisement on a web page.
There is also a related email program, Thunderbird, which is descended from the Netscape mail program. It is a robust alternative to Eudora and Outlook Express.
Due to recent security problems, some experts are suggesting that Windows users switch to Firefox. Several SSCC staff members have done so and are quite pleased. If you'd like to check it out, it's easily downloaded from http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ or contact the consultant if you have questions or need assistance.
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