NEWS

Spring Training

SSCC's Spring training schedule is available. It includes:

Visit the training schedule for details and to register. Remember, SSCC training is now free to all of campus, which has substantially increased demand. Please let us know if you change your mind about attending a session you registered for, so we can make your seat available to others.

Computer Classroom Updates

SSCC's computer classroom, 3218 Sewell Social Sciences Building, has become a very popular place to teach classes: it's now booked almost solid for the Spring semester. (If you were hoping to teach in 3218 but didn't request to reserve the room we'll probably have to make alternative arrangements—put in a request ASAP).

The geometry of the room is not ideal (too long and narrow) but we've recently made some changes that will help those sitting in the back. First, we've had a microphone and professional sound system installed, which will help those with naturally quiet voices or those trying to avoid vocal strain. You can also use it to play audio from the instructor's computer. Second, we've ordered a large screen on a cart which can be placed near the back of the room and display the same content as the projector at the front of the room. You can request this equipment at the time you request the room, or contact Caitlin Tefft.

We also have all new computers in both 3218 and the drop-in lab in 4218. All of these improvements were paid for by an Instructional Lab Modernization grant from the College of Letters & Sciences, for which we express our appreciation.

Campus Transition to VoIP Phones Underway

Campus is in the process of replacing our current Centrex phone system with a Cisco Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) system. The Sewell Social Sciences Building is currently scheduled to make the switch on September 17th and 18th, 2018. (Not dates we'd choose, but the schedule was set by the VoIP team based on building location.)

There will be lots more information available as the time approaches, but the short version is that you'll get a new phone on that day but keep your old number. You'll choose between a "hard" phone that sits on your desk and plugs into a network jack, and a "soft" phone which is basically a headset that plugs into your computer. The hard phones have a network port built in, so it's okay if you only have one network jack in your office. Staff from the VoIP team will be on hand to help with the transition.

Dialing will change somewhat: you'll need to dial the full seven-digit number for campus lines, not the five-digit shortened version, and you'll press 1 to dial out rather then 9. Instructions will be available. Note that if someone transitions to VoIP before you do you'll need to dial 9 to call them, as they've become an outside call as far as Centrex is concerned.

This transition is being coordinated by the departments, not by SSCC, so if you have any questions please talk to your department's administrators. But if you need a network jack activated to support a VoIP phone, please contact the SSCC Help Desk well before the transition date.

One common trick in malicious emails is to include a URL in the text and make it a link, but make the link point to something other than the URL in the text. For example, the text of the following link is the proper URL for the UW-Madison home page, but it has been linked to something completely different: https://www.wisc.edu (see also https://ssc.wisc.edu). Many programs will show you the actual URL a link will take you to if you put the mouse over the link without clicking on it. We highly recommend using this method to routinely check links in email before clicking on them.

Also keep in mind that the last part of a domain tells you who controls it. Just as ssc.wisc.edu is part of the wisc.edu domain, wisc.edu.hackers.com would be part of the hackers.com domain, despite the appearance of wisc.edu.