When students were welcomed back to the Hilltop at the beginning of the semester, we were faced with a multitude of changes. Between dorm renovations, demolition projects and a non-navigational Mockingbird Lane, students continue to struggle with the changes made to SMU e-mail.
It used to be that you could save your student ID and password one time. Now, you have to enter your password every time you want to check your e-mail, as well as several times throughout your session to log-in again. What used to be a permanently logged-on process has turned into a troublesome and repetitive task that many students find nothing short of irritating.
The old webmail never kicked students out. Now, after cycling through a 20-minute session, you are prompted to re-enter your ID and password. We understand this measure was put in place for security purposes, but there are many students who in the process of drafting e-mails wander away and return to blank computer screens, only to find their drafts lost in cyber space.
Another issue that sprang up with the introduction of the new e-mail system was the exorbitant amount of spam inundating our inboxes throughout the day. It wouldn’t be so bad if the spam was from campus sources, but no, it’s from false MSNBC and CNN affiliates, fraudulent bank statements, phony eBay offerings, and random advertisements. Some students have even reported receiving e-mails containing nothing more than strings of letters, numbers and symbols.
With the rise of Smartphones, the ever popular e-mail function is becoming a fast annoyance rather than convenience tool for students and faculty alike who are being slammed with junk mail not only during the day, but throughout the night as well.
The university’s ITS department has addressed the issue in many e-mails of their own, and has ensured students the problem is being looked into. That was in late August. While we realize we may not see results immediately, results a month or two later would be greatly appreciated. However, students do report a dramatic decrease in the amount of spam they are receiving, but every once in awhile a new site name weaves its way past security blockers.
With all this spam and other security issues, it’s no wonder students are using the excuse “I forgot to check my e-mail” on a daily basis. Teachers are constantly relying on e-mail to communicate with students, but with the mass confusion and perplexity involved in what used to be a simple task, students are failing to log-in more than once a day.
At the end of the day, we can enjoy the newly remodeled dorm rooms, take the long path to class to avoid the construction and even ignore the crashing noise of buildings being brought to the ground, but having this constant conundrum with e-mail should be a battle we shouldn’t have to fight much longer.
