DCU LIBRARY COMPUTERS

premdelap11

Hi all,

I'd like to get the reaction of other students regarding the issue of finding an available computer in the library during 'rush hours'.I have also noticed another problem which is depending on the computer you manage to get,it is likely that the various microsoft office programs might not be able to display the documents from moodle.

My first guess would be that the documents on moodle are somewhat corrupted however I never have this problem at home on my own desktop,which leads me to think that this fault mainly exists with DCU computers and I don't think the ISS are aware of this at all seeing that they are a great bunch and highly efficient.

Moving on to the shortage of computers in the library,one would imagine that since the school is taking in so many students,they would have fixed this problem because a lot of the computer spaces are now 'study areas' but it's quite obvious that they were originally set up for computers although this could be due to a shortage of funding from the government.

Another irritating fact is when one is badly in need of a computer but students already occupying the spaces are busy chatting away on facebook or watching music videos on youtube.

I love the school and the atmosphere and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but we truly need more computers in order to accommodate the ever-growing student population.

I would really appreciate your take on this issue

CHEERS!:D

chris85

premdelap11 wrote: »

Hi all,

I'd like to get the reaction of other students regarding the issue of finding an available computer in the library during 'rush hours'.I have also noticed another problem which is depending on the computer you manage to get,it is likely that the various microsoft office programs might not be able to display the documents from moodle.

My first guess would be that the documents on moodle are somewhat corrupted however I never have this problem at home on my own desktop,which leads me to think that this fault mainly exists with DCU computers and I don't think the ISS are aware of this at all seeing that they are a great bunch and highly efficient.

Moving on to the shortage of computers in the library,one would imagine that since the school is taking in so many students,they would have fixed this problem because a lot of the computer spaces are now 'study areas' but it's quite obvious that they were originally set up for computers although this could be due to a shortage of funding from the government.

Another irritating fact is when one is badly in need of a computer but students already occupying the spaces are busy chatting away on facebook or watching music videos on youtube.

I love the school and the atmosphere and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but we truly need more computers in order to accommodate the ever-growing student population.

I would really appreciate your take on this issue

CHEERS!:D

I dont think there is a shortage of computers there its more that there is too many people on facebook/youtube or another time killing site.

I generally use computers elsewhere or my laptop in the library.

Tree

I bring my laptop to college. The few times i have been forced to use library computers i have been reduced to tears. It's worth carrying a laptop rather than use them tbh.

Meat

I'm reading this thread on a library computer.

premdelap11

Meat wrote: »

I'm reading this thread on a library computer.

I get your point but the campus is almost empty,try finding a computer at 2pm when there are students on campus.

niq

It's so infuriating to see people on Facebook when the library is jammed! >:(
Have you had a look at other computer labs you can use on campus??? (can vary depending on what school you're in)

Aoifums

I brought my laptop in for the first time today. Deady handy But there's no way I can bring it in daily Too bulky/heavy and if I ever come off my bike, it's going to break. I'd like to use it instead of the computers in the library but the internet's very dodgy. I spent half an hour trying to get eduroam to work :rolleyes:

Meat wrote:

I'm reading this thread on a library computer.

*glares at angrily for wasting computer usage*

lavine7

No trouble getting computer today!
Seems the powercut that resulted in the fire alarms going off and some noisy air conditioning managed to free up loads of PCs today!:D

premdelap11

lavine7 wrote: »

No trouble getting computer today!
Seems the powercut that resulted in the fire alarms going off and some noisy air conditioning managed to free up loads of PCs today!:D

I guess that makes two of us:P it would usually be packed at this time on a normal day, the fire alarm might be a good tactic to clear up the library actually:D

premdelap11

niq wrote: »

It's so infuriating to see people on Facebook when the library is jammed! >:(
Have you had a look at other computer labs you can use on campus??? (can vary depending on what school you're in)

I have tried the computers in the computer building but my username doesn't seem to work:(

Kavrocks

premdelap11 wrote: »

I have tried the computers in the computer building but my username doesn't seem to work:(

Are you in the faculty of Computing and Engineering?

Nanaki

the poll reminds me of this

premdelap11

Kavrocks wrote: »

Are you in the faculty of Computing and Engineering?

No,I think I need to be in computing and engineering in order to use the computers in the lab,however my log in worked once in the labs so im a bit confused

Kavrocks

premdelap11 wrote: »

No,I think I need to be in computing and engineering in order to use the computers in the lab,however my log in worked once in the labs so im a bit confused

You do as far as I know which is why I asked before suggesting you go there.

Nanaki

premdelap11 wrote:

No,I think I need to be in computing and engineering in order to use the computers in the lab,however my log in worked once in the labs so im a bit confused

Kavrocks wrote:

You do as far as I know which is why I asked before suggesting you go there

As far as I'm aware, you need to be a student of the Faculty of Engineering and Computing to log in (or be given specific access).
However, if you are able to log in (and aren't in engineering or computing), I would ask you (as a final year student) please don't. In the School of Computing labs, we are already short on space.

The labs are full, which leads to noise, which makes for a very difficult work environment.
The library computers are no help as they haven't any software we might need, and from what I've seen, are just used by people going on facebook.

Who knows, maybe the School of Computing might free up some of that office space for the students</sarcasm>

Tiroskan

In fairness it is a long time complaint. There are extra faculty specific labs in a lot of the buildings as far as I'm aware, but the quality and quantity vary and are both often wanting and I dunno about elsewhere, but the computer room in the physics lab is often full of noisy students being noisy. And annoying. Basically, I think we just need more computers.

Lookit this though, actual discussion on a forum. Sweet.

redout

If you really need a computer and all are taken just save whatever someone has open to the desktop, log people out and take the computer.

Last week I had an essay due in by 3pm - went library 2:30pm to print and no free computers - went to the first empty seat with facebook open and took it.

Too many people on facebook and far too many abuse the 30min rule.

I see that the library monitors are back on patrol as of last week, the chap last year was a nutjob!

I reckon he caused more noise running around like a headless chicken shushing everyone than students did themselves!

plein de force

redout wrote: »

If you really need a computer and all are taken just save whatever someone has open to the desktop, log people out and take the computer.

Last week I had an essay due in by 3pm - went library 2:30pm to print and no free computers - went to the first empty seat with facebook open and took it.

Too many people on facebook and far too many abuse the 30min rule.

I see that the library monitors are back on patrol as of last week, the chap last year was a nutjob!

I reckon he caused more noise running around like a headless chicken shushing everyone than students did themselves!

The guy last week had a lovely shiny badge and everything

plus you should have fraped the person's facebook :P

premdelap11

redout wrote: »

If you really need a computer and all are taken just save whatever someone has open to the desktop, log people out and take the computer.

Last week I had an essay due in by 3pm - went library 2:30pm to print and no free computers - went to the first empty seat with facebook open and took it.

Too many people on facebook and far too many abuse the 30min rule.

I see that the library monitors are back on patrol as of last week, the chap last year was a nutjob!

I reckon he caused more noise running around like a headless chicken shushing everyone than students did themselves!

I just always thought it was a bit rude to log them out,I also noticed the library monitor it was nice to see them again

redout

premdelap11 wrote: »

I just always thought it was a bit rude to log them out,

Fcuk no!

Rude is some plank dossing on the internet and then going off leaving the computer unoccupied for god knows how long or even someone doing work who decides to do the same.

premdelap11

redout wrote: »

Fcuk no!

Rude is some plank dossing on the internet and then going off leaving the computer unoccupied for god knows how long or even someone doing work who decides to do the same.

I noticed a new trend today on about three computers,basically what people are doing now is locking the computer so that no one else can sign in except them,I was quite surprised,its a bit clever and cheeky:cool:

redout

premdelap11 wrote: »

I noticed a new trend today on about three computers,basically what people are doing now is locking the computer so that no one else can sign in except them,I was quite surprised,its a bit clever and cheeky:cool:

If its Windows 7 then you can just click the 'switch user' tab on the lock screen and the power option will then appear in the bottom right allowing you to restart or shutdown

Not sure if that can be done on XP though.

phantom_lord

Library is closed, but are any of the other buildings/labs open?

Kavrocks

phantom_lord wrote: »

Library is closed, but are any of the other buildings/labs open?

The college is supposed to be closed up until the 2nd of Jan so I highly doubt it.

Carri

Theres only swipe access on the 2nd and 3rd..

Campus will be open fully from the 4th.

polkabunny

Regarding the Facebook and such on library computers, a motion was brought to Class Rep Council at the end of semester for the SU to look into blocking social networking sites on the wired computers.
We'll find out next semester what the story is, and if ISS would be willing to do it.

Did you try the Business and Henry Grattan labs? I know they're nowhere near as quiet as the library, but if you absolutely need a computer...

uniqueusername

Id defo be up for having Facebook etc blocked, I had major stress trying to get near a computer before xmas to get an assignment done, as I dont have internet access at home, and people taking the piss on Facebook when they can see a queue of people waiting to use the computers really irks me.

The cat videos can wait til later!!!!

Paradize

I would support the blocking of FaceBook too,,its so annoying when you actually need something to print in a hurry or something like that and 70% of the people are using FaceBook

--LOS--

premdelap11 wrote: »

Hi all,

I'd like to get the reaction of other students regarding the issue of finding an available computer in the library during 'rush hours'.I have also noticed another problem which is depending on the computer you manage to get,it is likely that the various microsoft office programs might not be able to display the documents from moodle.

My first guess would be that the documents on moodle are somewhat corrupted however I never have this problem at home on my own desktop,which leads me to think that this fault mainly exists with DCU computers and I don't think the ISS are aware of this at all seeing that they are a great bunch and highly efficient.

Moving on to the shortage of computers in the library,one would imagine that since the school is taking in so many students,they would have fixed this problem because a lot of the computer spaces are now 'study areas' but it's quite obvious that they were originally set up for computers although this could be due to a shortage of funding from the government.

Another irritating fact is when one is badly in need of a computer but students already occupying the spaces are busy chatting away on facebook or watching music videos on youtube.

I love the school and the atmosphere and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but we truly need more computers in order to accommodate the ever-growing student population.

I would really appreciate your take on this issue

CHEERS!:D

With regards to the issues you were having with microsoft office programs, that is not a moodle issue at all. There are definitely problems with office 2010 and adobe on a lot of the computers in college, not just in the library but I've had the same problem across campus. It is absolutely ridiculous when you have prepared something at home and you need to print it in college. And it is not a case of me saving files in the wrong format before anybody suggests that. Most times it is impossible to open word and pdf files, a problem which can't be fixed locally since it appears there has been some kind of mess up with the registration of the new 2010 programs by admin. It really needs to be sorted, I usually have to resort to spending ages editing in google documents if it's a word file and print straight from there, since word files get shifted about when you view file in google docs.

Laydee

If someone locks the computer for themselves will holding in the power button to power off allow me to log in when I power back on?

As for the rule, is it not an hour? Someone up thread mentioned 30 minutes.

I always use the nursing building computer lab, it's always nice & quiet. The only problem is that the bloody printer NEVER has paper. There's a sign saying to phone ISS when it runs out but there's no phone to ring them! When I did ring before from reception I got told that it was filled that morning...people used it! Also got told to wait an hour or so for more paper. I offered a suggestion to their badly thought out system but they politely declined and said that ISS said no to that when it was brought up. How about you just don't padlock the paper tray then!!!!!!!

zack_k

Laydee wrote: »

If someone locks the computer for themselves will holding in the power button to power off allow me to log in when I power back on?

As for the rule, is it not an hour? Someone up thread mentioned 30 minutes.

It does yeah, but if anyone was working on a word document or something like that and didn't save it before they locked it, and it was restarted then they'd lose everything they were working on.

And no it's always been 30, there used to be signs up around the library saying that you can only leave a workspace for 30 minutes, but no-one really cares.
I know that during exam time it's tough to get space to work, but I thing anyway, it'd be bad form to move someone else's stuff, because they're probably doing exam work too.

jennyq

I don't really mind someone using Facebook for a few minutes if they're actually working on something too but just taking a short break. It's only if someone specifically sits down at a computer to browse the net idly that's annoying. Tbh most of what I saw this month in the library were people sitting at a computer for a few hours at a time working on study or assignments. That said, I wouldn't really mind if Facebook and the like were blocked because they don't NEED to be accessible through library computers and there is potential for people to waste time.

I think it's a bigger issue that some of the computers are extremely slow, particularly to log in. I'd never really noticed it being bad before this year, but any time I needed to log on to a computer this month while studying it would take 5 minutes plus just to get logged on.

Aoifums

Sometimes going on Facebook is handy. We have a first year science page set up on Facebook so if you're stuck on an assignment or a pre/post lab you can get help there. So being able to actually access that information while in the library is pretty handy. If you're completely stuck, there's usually someone online who knows what's going on.

p1akuw47h5r3it

Aoifums wrote: »

Sometimes going on Facebook is handy. We have a first year science page set up on Facebook so if you're stuck on an assignment or a pre/post lab you can get help there. So being able to actually access that information while in the library is pretty handy. If you're completely stuck, there's usually someone online who knows what's going on.

That page is a disaster though haha. Nah I agree though I do be on FB using that sometimes, just to see what needs to be studied etc. it is handy enough. But if people go on FB for more than 5 or 10 minutes that is unacceptable imo.