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SEPTEMBER 28, 2006 - Page 8 CENTER SPREAD CENTER SPREAD SEPTEMBER 28, 2006 - Page 9 ~. Search Profile edit My Friends Frustrated- why is the internet so slow? Photos dent as Gettysburg. problem on this campus. MIKE HABEGGER CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF Are students satisfied'Wi'th the j'm~el perfor'i'iP" And wh"1ftabout the professors? How many times My Notes ance? , have you been in a class where the professor uses The last time you moved the mouse, knocked off "Absolutely' she-said. the internet, types in an address and says something Do you know of anyone at McDaniel like Justin, My Groups the screensaver, and flipped through myspace or who basically spends every waking moment hog- like "is the internet always this slow?" And you yes .. you after about five minutes of browsing, answer, facebook, inevitably received a message saying "The connec- ging bandwidth for beth legitimate an4!illegitimate 1£1was a professor here, I would be flabbergast- My Events tton was refused when attempting to contact' purposes? r thought not. It's impossible to use the eel. What, I can't check my email, the news, or mcdanieLfacebook.com." Yeah, it's annoying. internet recrearlonelly. access online databases from my office without hav- When I came to college, I expected to be able to At Susquehanna University, the network has 37 ing to make a pot of coffee to make my use of time My Messages use the internet to the fullest, sirrce T suffered megabits per second of capacity, which means that worthwhile? I'm a PhD. I need to be able to do my through high school with 56k dialup. Whenever I almost anyone can download an entire megabyte in job when I need to do my job. My Account visited Susquehanna University, the internet was about two seconds. Imagine that huge journal arti- According to an accounting professor at blazing fast. Click, click, click, and bam, I found de about Adam Smith in PDF format downloaded Susquehanna, the possibilities for teaching have My Privacy everything I needed for my research p-aper. Movies, and ready to use before you finish telling the com- grown exponentially .since network performance puter where to save it. has increased. Faculty are even beginning to exper- music, and photos, instantaneously at my fingertips. Then I got to McDaniel. Sure, the internet isn't At McDaniel, we have. 9 megabits per second iment with streaming video. Environmental science that slow, but it might as well be turned off. I actu- capacity. faculty videotape fieldwork done in the summer The new facelift: ally use a legal music downloading service, Real book, myspace, and class research," student at and. put nonune so students can watch and learn in "Students use the internet mostly for email, face- education. said Dan Rhapsody, and compared to a 20 second wait at the winter. It's all about supplementing This Access to articles is especially important. home with Verizon DSL, the McDaniel network DiCola, a senior- communications has Facebook downloads a four minute . song in five minutes. Susquehanna. "The loading time of a page is virtu- way, professors in the business school can instantly of Hmm. corporate reports that- are hundreds ally instantaneous." download where I am in the curriculum them pages and and for COl1- use Mr. Skeptic out there already knows Erin Wilson, senior economics major, was gone too far? going with this, and says "but you shouldn't be fronted with the scenario of the internet becoming research projects. When questioned, the professor a 65 volunteered information that he "downloaded using the internet to download music, it's for aca- faster on campus. What would.happen? Would the dernic purposes. If they provided more bandwidth, world fall apart? Would the integrity of the college megabyte PDF the other day in 20 seconds." work through Facebook's privacy con- JEN HARRINGTON trols. McDaniel College would be a pirate's dream." _ be oompromi§.E;d? ~ . In._fields ~u~aWaw, professo~Jog onto STAFF WRITER But that's really not the "Based on behavioral economics, one of two CNN.com Pipeline and watch relevant vrdcos witli- Recently, these changes have Attached to that mouse? Can't pry yourself case. My buddy Justin at things woufd happen-internet users would reduce out delay, Without interrupting the flow of class. We as college students have decided to encouraged Facebook to become what some stu- Gettysburg is able to host the amount of time they spend online because they What's the point of having smart classrooms if become active and take a stand. In the past, protestors dents describe as "stalkerish". "I think it takes away from those tantali2ing away messages? his ow'l FTP' server, can get everything done faster, or they would spend you can't use Ihem? "It's'Tike'havlng an lQ of 150, have chained themselves to trees, gone on strike, or stalking to a whole new level.; It gives you informa- Join the club. The Free Press staff looks into downloads music and the same amount of time online and accomplish getting;) free education at-Yale, and then becoming picketed. Today, with a click of a mouse, we join our tion you may not necessarily want or need to know. movies with ease, and more things." a ditch digger. You can't go halfway. On the past activists against societal burdens as we protest Personally, I think it is a fun way to keep in touch with 'a college student's guiltiest e-pleasure.. runs a computea-busi- And if capacity was quadrupled to the level that McDaniel campus, it seems that appearance is all. the changes that pose the most severe threat to our prj: fri~nds from high school and friends that you would- ness on the side. He's Susquehanna University employs? l-uckily, prospective students assume that the inter- vacy and security: Facebook. n't normally keep in contact with, but as far as the not the only one. Yet -n wouTd bring in people who were not uSing t • net is speedy, because who ever heard of a college As Facebook junkies are well aware, Mark mini-feeds .., they just stir up trouble," comments The RIAA is Taking internet performance is "'internet before because the opportunity cost of their that has a faulty network? Zuckerberg (creator of Pacebook) has spent, the past Senior Amy Ford. not lacking in the time was too high," said Wilson. l?anlon..me, Ihave to check my email. Be back in few months renovating what used to be a social site Junior Alex Neiman agrees, "I think it's kind libraries, or in the rest- Does increased productivity seem like a negative 20, for onJy college students. out before you even walk into the office. It's upsetting Sexy (and your other dence halls. consequence of improved internet performance? I Liz Goshor.lI, Da" Dicola. Esther Iglich, and Jerrell w. of weird how now potential employers can stalk you The first change was an addition of a "status" "[The internef is] fast don't think so, and with more time on their hands, Habegger cantr: to reportillg of tllis artic/e. to each student's profile. Users could update exactly because they might take a wall comment or. a picture everywhere including students could potentiaUy wQrk on special researcli' what they were doing or feeling at any given point you even get to an interview. Facebook was meant to songs) Back ... for good the wireless, and totally projects, engage in community service projects, ana the wrong way, and you could be out of a job before through their status. Soon after that, Facebook was amazing at the library," get out of their rooms and to meetings and. study opened up to high school students, and employees at be a w'ay to keep in touch with your friends, but now said a fourth year stu- sessions-in short, stop being so apathetic, the main select companies or organizations. One of the bjggest it can be used to learn every detail about someone you changes arrived on September 5, 2006 when Facebook don't even know. It just weirds me. out a little." first introduced "News Feed" and then "Mini-feed." While some users feel their privacy has been "The RIAA is taking this more seri- Students from PA & Maryland speak out Facebook's "News Feed" revamped each violated, others feel the recent protest over facebook that found us, it was the RlAA," says weeks in, and this semester boasts an user's home page, compiling the recent activity of all only further reveals that some users take the site too CHRISTINE BOYNTON a McDaniel st.Jdent, one of the stu- all time high. "There seems to be a ously," says GerI. "What I do appreci- STAFF WRITER ate is they're letting the college handle people within their networks. Recent activity inCludes seriously. "People let it affect their lives a little too dents targeted by the RlAA. crackdown," she says. ,"To'be honest, I wish that it was still to limited to just col- any updates to profiles: interests, favorite quotes, even much; it's just a website. They make it a part of their Your internet stops working. Is that The RJAA surfs the programs such in order to have chargeS dropped it. They're holding us responsible." leges because Itho,ught that made it really unique and tiner- relationship status, as well as any new friendS their daily lives ... for some people, cr.ecking facebook is a supposed to shock you? You're on the as "AreS" and "Bittorrent" to find the and re-gain their internet, the students "I think people try to ignore the seting. Iam considering hiding my self from the geog friends had made recently. The addition of the "n\.ini big part of their day, and it's just not that serious" says McDaniel Campus after all. But then rP addresseS of those downloading were required to delete all songs. issue, but you will get caught," says ic networks. Iwouldn't get a myspace account. Iam sati the student. "I never thought it would Ioriginally felt safer with that and now fied with facebook. feed" made profile updates even clearer by highlight- Senior Chris Badeker, who lists his group "Facebook: you notice that your internet icons tunes. A COl1;lputerizedsystem ran- and / or media that had been illegally happen to me - it was a rude awaken- , ing on an individual's profile exactly what has been _it's not that serious" as a "self-help group" on the site. have all disappeared. domly selects :l song and lists the IF acquired, as well as the program used ing, but I'm glad it happened." r hav~it.. $0 I'll maintain ii, butI don't really have a desire to have a facebook." .;.Maria Lathroum '08 changed. rn addition to the news feed, Facebook has - Currently, Facebook creators are debating You don't actually find out why addresses of all those who are current- to store and download the media, and "What students need to do is look also created "notes" where students could comment what could be the biggest change to Facebook yet, as your computer has been resbicted, ly "sharing" that song. write a letter of apology. at the websites they are using and " 'I rl about themselves or their friends. they weigh the pros and cons of opening Facebook to but like a growing list of 14 students Bad, time the RIAA finds an IP "When we see something on the make sure they are legitimate we "The news f\_·<...d on faccbook i$ an update to the wcb.,itc; it is I These changes have the majority of students regional networks. With this change, new members this semester, you get a call from address on the McDaniel campus that web, we have to assume it's copyright what itjs_ U's a~real way lor ~~rs toma(tage their profile r' in an uproar, and not just at McDaniel College. would no longer need a valid school email address to Student Affairs. has been iJleg~ny dmynloading files, protected," says Michaels. "Students sites," advises CerL "[Findl any pro- and community :hetworks more cfficit.-ntly_ I understand ~ grams that you ,may have been using Facebook has over 9.5 million members, and is cur- be<:ome.a facebook member; they will simply join with The culprit behind this internet the student'S Internet is shut down, I've talked to have hundreds - hun- or any web sites that aren't legal, go in that this may be a double edged sword but the people who rently the second largest social networking site, sec- their area or city. However, viewers from different net- restriction may shock you. The stu- and they are COntacted by student dreds of songs that they've down- are conccm~-d ,..lith pen;onai privacy need to n~c ond only to My Space. Luckily, for the laziest among works will still be unable to see each other's profiles dents are told that Green Day. Rob affairs, They will then meet with loaded.; .We try.to educate students so and not just delete it, uninstaU it. 'Why they are a member of the website in the first place. out there that ~ considen.>d pri- information you're putting that [this} doesn't happen again." Make sure that anything you're using us, protesting is only a mouse click away as over 140 without being friends. .. Thomas, and 50 Cent among other Dean Gerl, Dean of Student Affairs, Many of the students were unaware is legitimate." ---",.,. global groups have been created in reaction to the Facebook creators have not announced the artists, have prompted this restriction. and Christine Michaels, of the IT Though it may seem t down- ..1 vale, than maEl0u don't want to eut it out there.d-Dan I)iCOl .. 9iisiiiielWiiia tlniVffll!'Y recent additions on Facebook. These groups range specific plans or dates for this revision because of the Specifically, the use of the music department, to discuss the issue at that the "share feature" on their music loading the new~tJustin TImberlake from student opinion groups, such as "The New reactions of its members. One perturbed high school downloaders such as "Ares" and hand. program was enabled. This "share song isn't really 'all thaI big" a deal, Facebook Slicks!!!" to petitions to Facebook creators, student posted on "A Oay without Facebook" group: "Bittorrent" has red flagged them Thought it may be the first time feature" opens up personal computers '1'm not going to lie, it is creepy. But nowtltat you can reg- such as the group "Students Against Facebook news "I'm encouraging you all to do it as well. And please among an estimated 18 million other you've heard of it, this is not a situa' to the rest of the world, allowing other ~~~::~e:n s~:~~~re~~::ru~~ uI~t ~. as huge. information aboutyuu i.1i being broadcast [d online music downloaders around the tion unique to this semester. music downloaders around the world problem with it a.1 did .. fint 1just .lon" feed" (Official Petition to Fa~book). invite your friends, and have those friends invite their country, randomly selected by the to take songs from these computers. says, "No college student can afford to understand why the facebook people think I really need to Facebook staff has attempted to appease the friends and so on. This is a revolution! Let's show The firSt instance of copyright uproar over news feeds by allowing users to filter them what we're made off" Recording Industry Association of infringement from online download- The RIAA is able to track these shared pay those fines." know what everyone I know is doing at every waking moment of the day." - liz Goshorn, Gettysburg College connections, and find those comput- America. what information is visible to friends within their net- ing actually dates back fa 2001. "It wasn't the McDaniel Network However, as Michaels notes, only four ers that do "share" music.