4J3 Virtual Symbol

Computer Lab Access

Sociology 4J3: Sociology of Cyberspace

Instructor: Carl Cuneo, KTH-608

Please note that if you plan to do much of your computer course work from the labs rather than from an off-campus connection, the following restrictions exist this year in all C.I.S. labs. The reason for these restrictions is the sharp increase in recent years in student demand for computer lab access, and the inability of McMaster to build new facilities to accommodate that demand in the context of further cuts to the University budget by the Ontario Provincial Government.

  1. You can use MUSS e-mail any time in the special e-mail rooms in Burke Science and KTH anytime the labs are open, and in other labs Mondays to Fridays between 3 p.m. and 8 a.m., and anytime on the weekends, but NOT on Mondays to Fridays between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. when it is turned off.
  2. You can use ftp (file transfer protocol) for transferring files between sites at anytime between two McMaster sites by using the ftp icon you see on the general lab screen. You can use ftp from within your MUSS account only the same times that e-mail is active.
  3. You will be able to browse on-campus World Wide Web sites with Netscape from the labs at anytime. However, there are restrictions in access to off-campus sites. You can access off-campus sites Mondays to Fridays between 4:30 p.m. and 8 a.m., and anytime on the weekends, but NOT on Mondays to Fridays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. when it will be turned off. Please note that on-campus web sites often have off-campus pointers.
  4. When accessing the first off-campus site via Netscape, you will see a window asking for your userid and password. You obtain these by registering on-line via MUGSI (same as laser priniter account). You can of course change your password. Please be sure that when you leave your machine in the labs, always exit Windows, and hit 'bye' so your password will not be used by someone else.
  5. To ensure that you are not loading old documents when using Netscape, it is a good idea to clear the 'cache' at the beginning of your work session. To do this, click on 'Options', then 'Network Preferences', then 'cache', and finally 'clear disk cache now'.