The general nature of a network is an open access, high-speed connection to the world through the use of technology. Because of the capabilities that result from such a powerful tool users of the Washington College network should be aware of several guidelines. The following is a general outline which Washington College students, staff and faculty observe while using the Internet and e-mail. The purpose of this information is to preserve the integrity and accessibility of our network communications.
Downloading excessively large files or large quantities of files on computers is discouraged. By doing this, a user occupies more bandwidth causing network access difficulties for other users. It is recommended that such downloading be avoided when possible on the campus network. file sharing applications would also fall under this guideline, please refer to the (Help Desk file sharing restrictions Link to help desk file)" for more information.
Signing out of e-mail and communication accounts on computers will prevent others from viewing your private account(s). Furthermore, this will prevent others from accessing your e-mail or instant messaging account to send defamatory or otherwise derogatory messages.
Hacking, deliberately corrupting files, and deliberately spreading viruses, are all forbidden and possibly illegal actions.
Posting irrelevant messages is referred to as spamming. Users should utilize discretion in distributing e-mail messages widely, being careful to gauge the relevance of the message's text to those receiving it.
Business transactions, and other activities intended for the acquisition of profit through the campus network, are not permitted. Violation of this policy would compromise Washington College's status as a tax-exempt organization. Exceptions to this policy, however, include instances related to College courses or College-sponsored community service.
Saving files on a public computer in a campus labs or dorm lounge will not offer a safe environment for the storage of your work. The public computers are automatically "reset" every night deleting any files or programs that have been saved to the machines during that day, restoring the computer to its original operational settings. Save your files on a floppy or Zip disk for use at a later time, this will prevent any loss of files and also ensure plenty of free memory on public computers.
Saving Applications Users of public computers are not permitted to download and install new programs on these computers. For licensing purposes, installations on public computers are monitored by Academic Computing.
Indecent, defamatory or obscene activity is forbidden on the Washington College network; including, but not limited to, the following:
Sound files should not be played on public computers. This can be a source of great distraction to others working nearby and an example of insensitive social conduct.
Public printers should be used for academic purposes only. Non-academic printing should be done on private printers
Respect others in the labs. You need to be aware that the computer labs are academic environments and students are always trying to complete assignments on the public machines. Your behavior should be modeled in such a manor to support the academic environment in the labs.