Huntington West Virginia Blog

I have noticed a lot of high quality security fencing and wrought iron fence going up around Huntington WV in the last 2 years. I think it has a lot to do with crime increases due to the fact that there are too many crackheads running loose. I recently discovered that there is a wrought iron fence and wrought iron gates factory right here in Huntington WV. I am pleasantly surprised to know that some degree of manufacturing still goes on in Huntington in spite of the long term economic troubles. The business I am speaking of is Mountain State Metal Works at 625 8th. Avenue that is owned by Carrie and Doug Wallace. www.wviron.com . One of the purposes of this blog is to promote local businesses.

According to the Parthenon Student Newspaper at Marshall University, the student body database has been hacked and 901 accounts compromised and the information was used to alter the electronic voting in the student body election. This is why they are re-doing the student election with paper ballots now.

The student body database at Marshall is a system called MyMU. They have kept a lid on this for 2 weeks. Take a look
Rise Above Voter Fraud Is anything on that network secure? The local media needs to look into this because it appears that the holders of those compromised accounts need to be notified so that they can take steps to defend themselves from identity theft. Stephanie Heck

I wish to thank Tony Rutherford for writing an excellent article about the large amount of illegal downloads available from the Marshall Computer Network in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Marshall University has been listed by a national copyright enforcement group as one of the 25 worst in the country when it comes to illegal music downloads. Copyright violations imply theft of intellectual property and this is NOT a reputation that a progressive educational institution such as Marshall University desires to have. It is not good for Marshall and it is not good for West Virginia.

The liberal side of my nature says college kids will be kids, even if they are young adults as defined by law. However the fiscal conservative side of my nature understands that the state of West Virginia has invested millions of dollars for the Marshall University computer network that has all too much of its digital resources abused by students for copyright piracy.

This impacts the credibility of Marshall University. I am displeased by the overt waste of money. I can think of better uses for the misappropriated bandwidth.

This current situation does nothing to advance the reputation of the state of West Virginia or education. It is a negligent waste of state money that this situation has not been previously abated. Tax money should not be used subsidizing unauthorized digital music distributions by students.

If the Marshall University digital network is going to be used for music distribution, then it needs to be to put WMUL online in streaming format. Tony's article states that Steve Hensley, MU dean of student affairs, told The Parthenon that prevention of downloading of illegal music is impossible “to restrict access to data files.” ,even though the federal law (DMCA) requires Marshall University to regulate its own network to abate copyright piracy. Apparently Dr. Hensley does not understand that all MP3 music files can be rapidly removed from the student server in ten minutes by any competent server administrator. This needs to be done for the sake of Marshall University’s reputation.

This situation is not without precedent. A portion of the states computer network at the state capitol was misused and abused about two years ago by state employees who were using state machines to burn pirated DVD's. As I understand it, the Governor of West Virginia promptly fired the administrators of that network at that time, and he was correct to do so. The governor established a precedent to fire those who administer state networks who are abused in violation of law.

Marshall University has absolutely and completely lost control of its student network and there appears to be rampant abuse. I am waiting to see if the governor follows precedent and history repeats itself.

I wish to make a case in point as it relates to historical context.

When Marshall University first started providing digital services to students about 12 years ago, Marshall provided email and computer storage space, and the option of having a small non commercial personal website to students.

12 years ago the Marshall students needed Marshall University to provide ISP services for students because private plans were so expensive, however at this point in history there is no need to continue that extravagant outlay of state money because all services previously provided to students can be easily had for free online.

Why does Marshall University not tell the students to take advantage of this as an austerity measure? Rather than be locked into an outdated 1995 mindset.

At that time in 1995:
(a) It was not possible to get free e-mail from Yahoo at Hotmail like it is today.
(b) It was not possible 12 years ago to get free web page space for personal non commercial web pages like it is today.
(c) 12 years ago the average college student did not have his or her own computer like they do today.
(d.) Marshall University has provided students with 200 MB digital storage space on Marshall University network for the last ten years. Yet a 30 dollar USB portable micro drive provides five times that much storage and it is no bigger than a pack of chewing gum. A portable USB drive fits on your key ring or you can wear it around your neck. Many student and faculty females have one in their purse. Student digital storage is no longer a necessity as the technology and the need is outdated.

Today, Marshall University is still maintaining large expensive "computer labs" and acting like a student ISP just like they did in 1995.

Students are still using it as an ISP as evidenced by all the illegal downloads.

A growing number of academic institutions require students to maintain their own computer and internet access and this frees up enormous University assets for academic programs and salaries for professors who take academics seriously.
Some colleges require students to be a wee bit autonomous. Online behavior is much better when the individual is solely responsible for his or her online account.

If all students had laptops, then a million dollar computer lab could be replaced by a 200 dollar wireless hotspot router. Some colleges use common sense with state money when the opportunity presents itself.

I strongly support the Governors agenda to run the state of West Virginia like a corporation and take austere action to save money due to technology advances.

It seems Marshall University has not quite got the message because those who manage the student network that was badly needed in 1995 are now entrenched in the system. The jobs have outlived the need. Therefore the holders of these jobs preserve the status quo (to preserve their jobs) even if the service model is outdated. This was an acceptable model in 1995 but things have changed and the model of the student network has not evolved.

The majority of West Virginia students today store their personal files on their laptop or a micro USB Drive so a virtual storage drive on Marshall University network is an very obsolete and redundant concept that needs to take today’s digital technology in context. Many West Virginia students refuse to use Marshall University network because they have email elsewhere and they don’t need redundant storage space on the Marshall University network because they store personal files on their own computer.

One purpose of a college education is to encourage self responsibility and a degree of intellectual autonomy. Why should students not get their own computer and their own internet access when Marshall University encourages them to be dependant on the institution for this?

Lots of MODERN colleges now restrict computer services to FACULTY only because they do not desire to spend millions to be a student ISP.

Whatever happened to the days when West Virginia Universities encouraged independence from the state when most students have their own laptops anyway? Huge expenses of maintaining thousands of University owned computer terminals may well be the reason that tuition is so high.

An account on the states network is not a right but rather a privilege that privilege seems to be commonly abused at Marshall University. It is common knowledge that Marshall University has spent millions on outdated "computer labs" because they don’t have the guts to tell students to buy their own computer and provide their own internet access.

Marshall University is an academic institution and not an ISP to be digitally exploited. I have no idea why student accounts still exist at Marshall University with the potential exception of preserving the jobs of those who are holding on to the status quo.

The evidence tends to indicate that a perfectly good academic institution network is turning into America Online (AOL) right before our bloodshot eyes. WWW = Wild Wild Web
This can hurt the University as much as the movie helped it. Not Good. That needs to be fixed and soon.

The last time a state network was rampantly abused, the governor or one of his subordinates fired those who administered the network. I am waiting to see what happens this time.
It is already illegal to abuse a state computer network for unlawful purposes. Some of the students have been abusing the network in violation of DMCA.
The system administrator staff of the Marshall network does share the blame for culpable and negligent failure to enforce the rules. The blame coin has two sides. Both sides need to be dealt with.

I contemplate that the president of the university will discipline a few students and fire a few state employees this coming week for negligently letting things get this far out of hand. If the president of the university takes no action at all, it sends the message to the entire student body that online network abuse is permissible, therefore he needs to do something soon to abate the problem.

University computing service operates like a student ISP as a separate services entity.
Common sense tells me that a University Computer Network should be turned over to the professors in the Computer Science department to restore an academic network model under academic supervision for academic purposes. The legislature gave money to Marshall to fund an academic network and anything else is not right.

The services model needs to reflect a 2007 reality even if some entrenched state employees with a retro 1995 mindset don't like it. In the technology field there is no room for a status quo mentality due to the high rate of technical status evolution.