Some computer info/updates

Okay, here are some things that came up in the last couple days:

1) We've had a few people asking if they can add songs to their iPods or download iTunes at the library. (Now we know what people got for xmas.) The answer is no. iPods require you to download and run iTunes on your computer, and you use iTunes to add songs to the iPod. Like all outside programs, you cannot download and run iTunes on the library computers. You can download and save a file, any file, but if it's an executable program you cannot run it.

2) Youth called to report that two different kids were using two different computers on the same library card. I checked the history on PC Res and sure enough, there were two active sessions on the same card number. Jeff said the immediate fix for any anomaly like this is to reboot the PC Res computer. We should report the problem to him anyway, because it also suggests that the database needs to be "pruned," which he'll do as soon as he can.

3) We think we've found the secret key to bypass PC Res! We've long suspected that the kids are bumping the computers offline intentionally, and Lynne even heard one kid telling another about the secret keystroke that bypasses PC Res. We think we've discovered it now [see your email]. Jeff is testing a fix for it on the computers in the lab, but there's a possibility the fix will introduce some new anomalies. So keep an eye on the computers in the lab and let me or Jeff know if they start acting strange. We'll test it for a week or two and if there are no problems, we'll do the same to the rest of the public computers.

4) The public firewall went down this weekend, and we're using a dinky little temporary replacement. This is causing some funny firewall errors. For instance, people using Hotmail cannot download their attachments, because they can't come through the firewall. (The fix, if the patron has a Yahoo or some other email, is to foward the attachment to their other account. If not, it's up to us if we want to let them log in on a staff computer to retrieve the attachment or foward it to infodesk@chandlerlibrary.org to retrieve it.) Also, people are getting firewall error messages when they try to log into MySpace, although this seems to clear itself up eventually. Getting a replacement firewall is going to be a little tricky and it might not come soon -- long story -- but Jeff will keep us informed.