ATTENTION everybody who uses facebook in the PACRs

allandanyways

PLEASE READ THIS NOW:

http://computercentre.nuim.ie/policies/code_of_conduct.shtml

Under the Code of Conduct you are not permitted to:

1. engage in activities which waste resources (people, networks, computers);
2. engage in activities which are likely to cause a serious disruption or denial of service to other users;

These are the first two rules in the use of university computers code of conduct. They are the first two for a reason. You agreed to abide by these rules when you registered.

These rules refer specifically to "activities" that waste time and deny other students access to resources that they could desperatley need in the next half hour. BEING ON FACEBOOK ON PACR/LIBRARY PCS IS WASTING TIME.

I am taking this to the computer centre, to the SU and I am personally going to say it to every single person who is on facebook in a PACR/the library the next time I have to QUEUE because they are on facebook.

There were Third Year English essays due today and Philosophy essays aswell, and probably more assignments and study needing to be done for today. Yet at 3pm, when my friend and I went to the arts block PACR (Rye Hall and Callan being full), we had to queue for 45minutes whilst people were on facebook in order to submit our essays. When the Computer Assistant walked around, the facebookers (although I call them something much ruder in my head), switched tabs to moodle/webmail and looked as though they were doing work.

1. While network traffic or information stored on University equipment is not normally monitored, it may be necessary to monitor if there is reason to suspect that this Code of Conduct is being breached, or for purposes of backup or problem-solving. You must therefore be aware that such monitoring may occur.

So yes, they CAN see what you are doing. And I will be reporting people, because this is getting ridiculous. Essays were due, and at one point in the arts block, there were TEN people queueing and 6 people doing the facebook/moodle flicker.

I'm posting this on boards because obviously people lurk here and will hopefully see this and realise that having moodle in the other tab doesn't mean you have the right to take up a whole computer. I know none of the boards.ie heads would do this (:cool:), but obviously some people do.

There is a time and a place for facebook, and by all means, bring your own laptop and sit somewhere else in the arts block and tag everybody/play farmville and cafeworld/comment on everybody's statuses BUT DON'T do it in the PACRs. They are for academic purposes and facebook is NOT an academic purpose.

Apologies for the mega rant but this is really getting ridiculous.

mp3guy

Bring a laptop

mickstupp

Why don't they just ban access to Facebook?
It's a very simple thing to do.

I think there should be a one-strike rule. None of this crap where people get given out to and switch tabs. If you're seen on facebook you should be kicked out straight away. No second chance.

Get caught three times... no more PACR access on your student number.

Hammer Archer

While I agree with you in that it's mega frustrating when you want to do some work on a PC and you have to queue while people are on Facebook, it's nothing new. If you're in third year, you've definately experienced it before so why would you leave printing your essay to the last minute at the busiest time for computers in Maynooth?

Also, in future, why not use some of the PACRs on the South Campus? I've never had trouble getting a PC in the Computer Centre or Long Corridor at any time (apart from when there's a lecture in Long Corridor). It's only a five minute walk from the other PACRs and saves you the 45 minute wait on the North Campus.

We

mp3guy > allandanyways

allandanyways

Hammer Archer wrote: »

While I agree with you in that it's mega frustrating when you want to do some work on a PC and you have to queue while people are on Facebook, it's nothing new. If you're in third year, you've definately experienced it before so why would you leave printing your essay to the last minute at the busiest time for computers in Maynooth?

It wasn't me printing the essay, it was one of my scatterbrained friends, but the point I'm making here is that while in third year, I have obviously come up against this before, this year has seen an unprecedented rise in the amount of people using facebook everyday, and the computer centre has yet to block it from the University computers. If I want to download notes or look up stuff on the internet related to my academic studies, I shouldn't have to queue whilst I wait for someone to finish up their wee session on facebook.

Also, in future, why not use some of the PACRs on the South Campus? I've never had trouble getting a PC in the Computer Centre or Long Corridor at any time (apart from when there's a lecture in Long Corridor). It's only a five minute walk from the other PACRs and saves you the 45 minute wait on the North Campus.

Because I do most of my work on the North Campus, it's where my locker is and I do most of my in-between lectures study there. I'm not trekking over to the South Campus just to use a computer because 4 arseholes in the Arts Block/Rye couldn't give a crap about anyone else except who they're talking to on Facebook.

@mp3guy: I would bring my own laptop if I could, but I still can't connect to the internet on campus and haven't got a chance to get to a wireless clinic so PACR is the only option for me during the day like other students who don't bring in/have laptops.

Hammer Archer

allandanyways wrote: »

It wasn't me printing the essay, it was one of my scatterbrained friends, but the point I'm making here is that while in third year, I have obviously come up against this before, this year has seen an unprecedented rise in the amount of people using facebook everyday, and the computer centre has yet to block it from the University computers. If I want to download notes or look up stuff on the internet related to my academic studies, I shouldn't have to queue whilst I wait for someone to finish up their wee session on facebook.

Fair enough. I was of the impression it was you who was printing it.
I think the simple reason in the increase of these cases is because of the huge increase in students this year. I've noticed the car parks are full at around 10am this year and the library is busy already which usually never happens until before exams.

allandanyways wrote: »

Because I do most of my work on the North Campus, it's where my locker is and I do most of my in-between lectures study there. I'm not trekking over to the South Campus just to use a computer because 4 arseholes in the Arts Block/Rye couldn't give a crap about anyone else except who they're talking to on Facebook.

It's hardly a trek to the Computer Centre on the South Campus is it? It's like 3 minutes from the footbridge. Although if you need to print stuff I see your point. Long Corridor is a bit further. I'm lucky in that I'm on the South campus mostly nowadays.
But I'd applaud you for reporting people on Facebook in PACRs. I remember back when Bebo was still big and the Callan computers stretched the length of the building, it wasn't uncommon to have 2 in 3 of them on Bebo. Twas infuriating when you needed to do some work.

Liber8or

But, but, but, but.... they have to harvest their crops on FarmVille!!!111

Fully agree with you, why do they bother coming to College at all tbh?

Effluo

Simple resolution to the problem.

Ask them to get off the computer as you need to use it for something important.
If they don't oblige get the supervisor to kick them off it or you can just ask someone who isn't so ignorant.

If you just do this then people can use facebook if they choose to and you can print your essay. Rather than someone complaining to the heads and Facebook getting banned.
People ask others to let them on computers all the time, it's no huge bother to anyone concerned either.

banquo

Wanted: Members for potential vigilante group to remove assholes doing **** all while there's a queue in the library.

@Mp3guy: lots of people don't have 370+ quid to fork out for a laptop.

Now, I'm guilty myself of playing around on FB on the library PCs, but I'd always stop and leave as soon as a single person arrived to queue. These folk are just assholes.

I'll bring it up with the SU to ban facebook in the library.

allandanyways

banquo wrote: »

Now, I'm guilty myself of playing around on FB on the library PCs, but I'd always stop and leave as soon as a single person arrived to queue. These folk are just assholes.

Aye that's grand, I mean if you were in the Arts block at 9oc of a Wednesday evening (which I usually am) and there's only 4 or 5 other people there, well then obviously it's grand, same with the library. I would go on boards the odd time if I was staying late, just for a little break from study or whatever. But this business of having 10 people queueing and 6 or 7 people on facebook KNOWING that there's a queue is ridiculous. How about they go queue in Callan or at the pod instead.

banquo wrote: »

I'll bring it up with the SU to ban facebook in the library.

And the arts block, please. Signs in the PACR do s.f.a. Seriously one day ye will walk in and there will be bits of brain all over the computers from my head having exploded because of arseholes with no respect for people who actually want to get a first/generally do well in college and not the blue ribbon in fricking farmville.

banquo

It's crazy hard to get anything done. SU would (I think, I don't fully know) have to wait for the next library meeting, then they're to go ask someone to do it, and then that person has to find time, etc etc. It's exactly what you'd expect from a heaving beaurocracy.

I've emailed Brian Murphy, I'll be dropping in tomorrow probably to see if there's anything I can do to get it done faster - or at least before the Christmas madness starts. It's pretty mental alright.

The worst part is that facebook is so wonderfully useful for a lot of college-related stuff, it's a pity that the privilege gets abused this way and it becomes no longer teneble.

EDIT: What if it was just in the library?

Holsten

Didn't they ban Bebo back in the day, can they not do the same to facebook?

I'm glad I can use the computer labs... muhahaha!

allandanyways

But what's the point having it just blocked in the library? I presume it's something controlled by the computer centre (although I could be wrong here) so why can't they just block facebook in the PACRs and the Library and allow access to it at the Arts pod and in Callan, basically, as Holsten said, do exactly what they did with bebo? The PACRs are for academic purposes and facebook (in the manner in which most people are using it in the PACRs - farmville, chat, commenting on stuff, tagging photos, general arsing about) is not an academic purpose.

banquo

It's true that you can do a lot of stuff on FB that has nothing to do with academic work. But the same could be true of the entire internet. Music students can get important music from youtube shared, etc. It has a lot of uses.

Also, everyone has an account and I think everyone should be allowed to check it when there's nobody around. So maybe there's some algorithm that could be put in place that meant that if <80% of all comps in use then FB gets blocked, otherwise allow.

The queues are worst of all in the library. Really abominable.

princess_calico

In my secondary school, Bebo was the first site to get blocked... Then youtube... Then facebook... Then Google Images... Then NotDoppler... Then a lot of email servers were banned...

Basically, if you ban Facebook, then you have to ban a hell of a lot of sites because if people can't use it, then they'll use something else. Most of the time, the only reason they are there is to waste time before a lecture so they'll do it- Facebook or no Facebook.

I have to agree though that FB is a great resource for college related stuff (not just Farmville!) but it is really unfair to use it when others need it.

The only way to keep people happy would be to have some kind of priority check done as you walk through the door... Which is impossible and will never happen.


If they ban FB, boards will probably be next!

Effluo

I don't think banning is the right solution, where does it stop?
Just be more assertive when you need a pc, ask them if you can use it as you've got something important to do!

princess_calico

Effluo wrote: »

I don't think banning is the right solution, where does it stop?
Just be more assertive when you need a pc, ask them if you can use it as you've got something important to do!

Effluo's got a serious point...

Remember GCS's system of banning? One of the lads used to challenge Enda to see if he could find all of the proxy sites before they were banned. In the end Enda told him that he wasn't mad- just impressed

banquo

You've both got a very good point - that it's some naughty people, not facebook, that are the problem.

Back to the vigilante group idea! Oh please?

allandanyways

banquo wrote: »

You've both got a very good point - that it's some naughty people, not facebook, that are the problem.

Back to the vigilante group idea! Oh please?

Ok, I agree with that. In fact, my first very grumpy post in this thread was directed at the people who qualify arsing about on facebook as academic activity which it's not. So yes, 'tis the people that are the problem. But what can be done about that? People don't give a crap about other people's academic needs, same goes for people who act the muppet in the library. Don't make me post Aretha Franklin again.

banquo

Shall we discuss it over drinks? All of us? Tomorrow night?

allandanyways

banquo wrote: »

Shall we discuss it over drinks? All of us? Tomorrow night?

Robert, I will not devote my Friday night to ranting about facebook. I devote enough time to that on here. Anyway I'm going to Dublin tomorrow night. But next week perhaps.

banquo

Yay!

ps: ''Rob''

/st

Madworld

Im not a big fan of facebook but if your going to ban facebook, should you not ban everything else that isn't academic related?

banquo

If FB does get banned, it'd be because it's very possible to spend hours on it. Though I guess you could say the same for YouTube, etc. The problem would be the middleground sites (eg, youtube) that can be used either for academic stuff or for wasting time.

Maybe we should just stick to booting these people off the PCs instead...

allandanyways

banquo wrote: »

Yay!

ps: ''Rob''

/st

I don't like nicknames/shortened versions of names, although there are exceptions. I just don't. Especially nicknames. (Glares at Nationalist, yes I remember that conversation!)


As an aside, call me "Rach" and you die. That is all.

Back OT, can you give me 5 examples of how facebook has its educational aspects Rob? (;)) Not being smart, but I'm looking at my groups here and only have a few things that could be construed as being educational, and that's if I stretch the truth a tiny bit.

banquo

Oh no, my mistake! I'm all for banning FB, I Just don't want the powers that be going on a banning spree...

/wraps arms around laptop to protect boards.ie

allandanyways

banquo wrote: »

Oh no, my mistake! I'm all for banning FB, I Just don't want the powers that be going on a banning spree...

/wraps arms around laptop to protect boards.ie

Can't see them going on a banning spree, especially when youtube has very obvious educational aspects, whereas facebook has none. I can understand having to wait for a PC while someone is listening to a piece of music for a music class or watching a documentary for History, that's cool. Facebook has no educational aspect to it whatsoever, and it's in complete violation to the Computer Centre's code of conduct because it wastes not only the users time but the queueing people's time aswell as wasting a resource (the computer) which not everybody has access to at home- which means all my giving out is completley justified.

Effluo

Well the Su contact us through facebook, how else are we to know what's going on?

allandanyways

Effluo wrote: »

Well the Su contact us through facebook, how else are we to know what's going on?

Check your facebook when you go home/on your own laptop/in Callan/in the Arts block pod or find out info the old fashioned way and read the posters!

I love facebook, don't get me wrong but I absolutely HATE people using it in PACRs designated for academic purposes.

banquo

Well the Su contact us through facebook

They don't really, they just share something on their profile and hope, haphazardly, everybody sees it. But I see what you mean.

The su deserve their own little spot on nuim.ie. And get proper access to the all studentsey email list. Or, librarians could just learn to recognise FB when they see it and be like 'OI!'

goonyougoodthin

allandanyways wrote: »

Can't see them going on a banning spree, especially when youtube has very obvious educational aspects, whereas facebook has none. I can understand having to wait for a PC while someone is listening to a piece of music for a music class or watching a documentary for History, that's cool. Facebook has no educational aspect to it whatsoever, and it's in complete violation to the Computer Centre's code of conduct because it wastes not only the users time but the queueing people's time aswell as wasting a resource (the computer) which not everybody has access to at home- which means all my giving out is completley justified.

I use facebook a lot with other students and we share resources which are helpful for assignments so to say it has no educational benefit is not correct, its people using it for non educational things that's the violation, just as youtube can be used as an educational tool it can also be used to waste time and resources.

r3nu4l

goonyougoodthin wrote: »

I use facebook a lot with other students and we share resources which are helpful for assignments so to say it has no educational benefit is not correct, its people using it for non educational things that's the violation, just as youtube can be used as an educational tool it can also be used to waste time and resources.

Yeah yeah, you're fooling noone boyo :rolleyes:

When I wanted a commodore 64 as a kid, I wanted it just to play games but like every other little kid I knew I pleaded with my mam to get it for me...'becuz it's edukashinul Ma'

As I said, been there, done that, I know BS when I smell it :pac:

Same thing with these kids in the PACRs. When I was an undergrad in NUIM I probably would have been too shy to say anything but not these days. If I was there now, I'd be making a huge scene and really embarrassing these timewasting little sh*ts

banquo

Ok, a summary:

1. FB (we mostly agree) has no educational value and is worthy of banning in itself.
2. However, there's a bad precedent for banning it - could lead to boards.ie, youtube, etc.
3. FB isn't the problem itself, it's the people using it. Ban FB and they'll start bumming around on something else.

So the question is: do we think that banning FB will make a difference?

goonyougoodthin

r3nu4l wrote: »

Yeah yeah, you're fooling noone boyo :rolleyes:

When I wanted a commodore 64 as a kid, I wanted it just to play games but like every other little kid I knew I pleaded with my mam to get it for me...'becuz it's edukashinul Ma'

As I said, been there, done that, I know BS when I smell it :pac:

Same thing with these kids in the PACRs. When I was an undergrad in NUIM I probably would have been too shy to say anything but not these days. If I was there now, I'd be making a huge scene and really embarrassing these timewasting little sh*ts

Actually boyo I don't play any games on facebook, I never access it in the pacr's either unless its work related, its handy to use in the CS labs or when using my own laptop, and if you had read my post I said its the people using it for non educational things that's the violation, if you need a pc and someone's planting crops tell them to get off or report it.

banquo

*Resists urge for back-seat modding*

Ah, that's better.

terribletim

Facebook is sh1te, t'is true... Question: Are third year english and philosophy essays less of a waste of time?

Question: is bringing up the university's code of conduct possibly the gayest thing that one can do?

cian1500ww

All I can say is, should've done computer science

allandanyways

terribletim wrote: »

Facebook is sh1te, t'is true... Question: Are third year english and philosophy essays less of a waste of time?

I presume you don't mean that in an "Arts-subjects-are-a-waste-of-time" way. :rolleyes:

Question: is bringing up the university's code of conduct possibly the gayest thing that one can do?

Well clearly the students using facebook in the PACRs and Library PCs don't have manners or the common courtesy to allow people who clearly need to do academic work onto the computer they are using to chat to their friends on. So when manners and common courtesy fail, then yes, I do think it's important to remind students that they are breaking the code of conduct and therefore their computing priveledges in NUIM could be withdrawn.

Rozabeez

Girl beside me today was on farmville, very annoying! All those colours distracting me from my important Weberian shiz.

Effluo

r3nu4l wrote: »

I'd be making a huge scene and really embarrassing these timewasting little sh*ts

Oh them horrible people that use facebook in the pacr.
Having to use the pod pc's would be way more embarrassing than being asked to give up your pc for someone who wants to print somethin.(someone might think you're on bebo)


I see it as a bit like an oldish man getting onto a train and your sitting in the designated "i'm too old/fat to stand" seats. There's gonna be that awkward moment when you look at them assessing if they really need the seat or not, how old/pregnant or disabled they are. You know what i mean

They'll look at you with a kind of, "i've got too much dignity to ask" look. Then you have to make the decision, whether to laugh at them as they nearly fall down as the train gets jerky with their knees in motion.
They get more agitated looking at you with increased desperation, they might even crack and ask you for a seat or if they don't someone else is bound to offer theirs instead.
Or you can just ask them if they'd like the seat make a positive move to help them and your conscious.

This happened to me the other day, in the pacr. Guy was on farmville, i was pretty annoyed as i had just got charged for scanning some pages onto a usb stick and i wanted to check if they had all scanned b4 leaving. There were no pc's free, I waited for abou 5 minutes lookin at a guy on facebook.
Then someone else came behind me and after around 30seconds of waiting asked him (politely) if he could use it as he needed to print some stuff out. The guy said, "sure no probs".

Another example this time about going to the SU about facebook and why i think it's a bad idea to do that.
I lived with some girls last year and OMG they were terrible... I know this can be a problem right across the board but my god did they bitch.
They had a problem cause one my housemates never cleaned up after himself, from the first week till the last they just went on about it behind his back. They never confronted him about it and eventually went to the Landlord declaring him an unholy mess.

In a way this is what going to the SU about the Facebook problem is, give the people a chance to redeem themselves before you condemned them.

Just ask

mickstupp

give the people a chance to redeem themselves before you condemned them.

There are rules that they are constantly ignoring. Person in the office comes out to generally announce no non-academic use, and they switch tabs to pretend they're doing something useful. Tough... I'm happy to rat them out as often and as loudly as I can and get them off the computer that way rather than asking politely. Screw them. It's a complete lack of consideration for others. They've had their chance and refuse to follow the rules.

pisslips

It's not used for educational purposes. Anything educational such as sharing material or communicating can be done much more efficiently by other means. So I can't see why it would be used for educational purposes.


The only people who can claim that is a research group I'm aware of that study social networking sites and have written a couple of papers on facebook. So fair enough if I saw one of them on facebook, I wouldn't bother them.


Anyway, it's fine so long as there's no que but you have to be some dickhead to sit there wasting time while there's a que of people who need your computer.

Facebook is a bit of a scapegoat in fairness, I see more people, watching c omedy sketches and music videos. in fact at any one time I'd guess that 30% of computers are actually being productivly used for learning.

princess_calico

pisslips wrote: »

It's not used for educational purposes. Anything educational such as sharing material or communicating can be done much more efficiently by other means. So I can't see why it would be used for educational purposes.


The only people who can claim that is a research group I'm aware of that study social networking sites and have written a couple of papers on facebook. So fair enough if I saw one of them on facebook, I wouldn't bother them.


Anyway, it's fine so long as there's no que but you have to be some dickhead to sit there wasting time while there's a que of people who need your computer.

Facebook is a bit of a scapegoat in fairness, I see more people, watching c omedy sketches and music videos. in fact at any one time I'd guess that 30% of computers are actually being productivly used for learning.

Yet again though you can say the same for boards.ie...? Youtube etc etc again...

allandanyways

princess_calico wrote: »

Yet again though you can say the same for boards.ie...? Youtube etc etc again...

But realistically, when there's a queue of people waiting to use a computer, you cannot deny that the usual cause for the queue is about 4 or 5 inconsiderate arseholes on facebook.

People on youtube could actually be watching something beneficial to their course, and any boardsie in their right mind wouldn't be that inconsiderate to leave people waiting :cool:

Ostrom

terribletim wrote: »

Facebook is sh1te, t'is true... Question: Are third year english and philosophy essays less of a waste of time?

Question: is bringing up the university's code of conduct possibly the gayest thing that one can do?

Of course, all arts subjects pale under the bursting raw sexual energy of the rock hard sciences

Wouldn't want to catch the ghey

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

allandanyways wrote: »

PLEASE READ THIS NOW:

http://computercentre.nuim.ie/policies/code_of_conduct.shtml



These are the first two rules in the use of university computers code of conduct. They are the first two for a reason. You agreed to abide by these rules when you registered.

These rules refer specifically to "activities" that waste time and deny other students access to resources that they could desperatley need in the next half hour. BEING ON FACEBOOK ON PACR/LIBRARY PCS IS WASTING TIME.

I am taking this to the computer centre, to the SU and I am personally going to say it to every single person who is on facebook in a PACR/the library the next time I have to QUEUE because they are on facebook.

There were Third Year English essays due today and Philosophy essays aswell, and probably more assignments and study needing to be done for today. Yet at 3pm, when my friend and I went to the arts block PACR (Rye Hall and Callan being full), we had to queue for 45minutes whilst people were on facebook in order to submit our essays. When the Computer Assistant walked around, the facebookers (although I call them something much ruder in my head), switched tabs to moodle/webmail and looked as though they were doing work.



So yes, they CAN see what you are doing. And I will be reporting people, because this is getting ridiculous. Essays were due, and at one point in the arts block, there were TEN people queueing and 6 people doing the facebook/moodle flicker.

I'm posting this on boards because obviously people lurk here and will hopefully see this and realise that having moodle in the other tab doesn't mean you have the right to take up a whole computer. I know none of the boards.ie heads would do this (:cool:), but obviously some people do.

There is a time and a place for facebook, and by all means, bring your own laptop and sit somewhere else in the arts block and tag everybody/play farmville and cafeworld/comment on everybody's statuses BUT DON'T do it in the PACRs. They are for academic purposes and facebook is NOT an academic purpose.

Apologies for the mega rant but this is really getting ridiculous.

we had the same problem with bebo in 06 when i was in sligo IT. we had our own lab from 6:00pm - 10:00pm every evening with special media software installed for our course, they were really fast pcs at the time. We had to get lecturers down to kick people out of the lab because t one stage up to 75% of the pcs were taken up with people on bebo. The next week bebo was blocked im shocked it was never blocked in NUIM

Ostrom

Guadalupe Shrilling Viking wrote: »

The next week bebo was blocked im shocked it was never blocked in NUIM

It was, until word got around about hidemyass.com

There was a quiet period between the decline of bebo/emergence of facebook, but this round seems to be worse than bebo was when I was an undergrad. Anytime I pass through callan or the library, it seems to be 70-80% facebook/farm game.

A lot of this could be solved by the students though, get nasty with the next arsehole who flicks the tab over to moodle

allandanyways

efla wrote: »

A lot of this could be solved by the students though, get nasty with the next arsehole who flicks the tab over to moodle

That's my plan!

Although slight breakthrough today when the CA on duty actually went around and said to people on facebook to get off the computer, people needed the comps for academic purposes. I didn't even say anything but obviously people are just getting sick of waiting for arseholes to comment on their statuses ten times and are just reporting them!

Woohoo!

Rozabeez

I remember last year when a load of essays were due on the one day.. they had to kick a load of people off, anyone with even a tab open containing youtube/facebook/bebo ended up computerless

banquo

In library now.


Red rum.