The Daily Plan-it / Dean of Students Blog, Columbia J-school

Message from LynNell Hancock, Interim Dean of Academic Affairs

Dear Students and Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce three major additions to our new media
efforts at the Journalism School.

The first is the appointment of one our most popular adjuncts, Duy
Linh Tu, to the full-time faculty. Duy (pronounced “Do” - see bio
below) joins us as new media coordinator and an assistant professor of
professional practice. As you know, he has been teaching here for
several years in the new media classrooms. He will intensify his
efforts to “webbify” our fall classes, and to integrate new and
compelling ideas in multimedia storytelling throughout the curriculum
in the years to come. Duy will continue to work with Dean Sree
Sreenivasan, who, as you know, has increased administrative
responsibilities at the school.

In addition, we have created two new post-graduate New Media
Fellowships starting this year. These July-June fellowships will
employ two students who will work closely with the technology staff to
help students and professors alike navigate the world of new media
journalism.

Our inaugural fellows are Kenan Davis and Dave Mayers (see bios
below). Part-teaching assistants, part-technologists, this year’s
fellows are both smart journalists with terrific reporting, writing,
editing and production skills. They will report to Duy.

Please join me in congratulating them. Kenan and Dave officially begin
their duties on July 1, but I am sure you will have other
opportunities to greet them before then.

(more…)

From: Larry Fried, Asst. Dean for Technology

Dear Students,

Please make note of the following technology items as we approach the end of the academic year:

Equipment and Fines:

All checked out equipment should be returned no later than May 15th.

Equipment fines must by paid by May 16th or you may have a hold placed
on your diploma. If you wish to dispute a fine, please email Craig at
ch2314[at]columbia.edu.
(more…)

UPDATE: Form added below.

We are pleased to announce the creation of two new, one-year fellowships for
members of the graduating class of 2008.

We will be hiring two New Media Fellows, who will work closely with both the
faculty and technology staff to continue and expand our intergration of new
media instuction throughout the curriculum. Reporting to Dean Sreenivasan,
in his role as head of the new media program, and other new media faculty,
the fellows will be part of the school’s academic affairs team.

Part-teaching assistants, part-technologists, the ideal candidates will be
smart journalists with terrific reporting, writing, editing and production
skills. They will also need an engaging classroom presence to help students
and professors alike navigate the world of new media journalism. The ability
to teach others to use Fatwire, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Flash, photo, audio
and video equipment, etc., will be key.

Since this is a new program, we are still working out the various duties and
tasks, so it is critical that the candidates be able to adapt to changing
situations.
(more…)

Please use the following e-mail addresses and links to report problems you encounter.

• Building Problems: building@jrn.columbia.edu
• Technical Problems (printers, computers, etc.): http://help.jrn.columbia.edu/helpdesk/WebObjects/Helpdesk
• To reach the AV staff: av-request@jrn.columbia.edu
• To reserve a room (primarily SPJ): room-request@jrn.columbia.edu

TECH JAM SESSIONS: Learn a technology in 20 minutes with Sree Sreenivasan

ALL LEVELS OF EXPERTISE WELCOME, NO RSVP.

Topics to come: Google Docs & other collaborative software; avoiding RSI and other computer-related injuries; your topic here.
(more…)

SMARTER SURFING LINKS: The links page for journalists on deadline that five of your classmates helped build collaboratively during my Aug. 21 lecture are available at http://snurl.com/smartersurfing - feedback, additions welcome. I will be having additional, informal training sessions in the Fall and Spring - watch for them (or approach me about setting up one for smaller groups).

Meanwhile, here’s a question I just received (the two sites mentioned are on that list above):

Dear Dean Sree,
I was using statemaster.com and nationmaster.com tonight. I was wondering - is there a good website you know of that compares info about U.S. cities within one site?

My answer: Try the following…
City-Data.com: Data on 100s of cities across the U.S. Check out the “Top 100 Lists and the stats on NYC.
Main site: http://www.city-data.com/
Top 100 lists: http://www.city-data.com/toplists.html
NYC: http://www.city-data.com/city/New-York-New-York.html
Forums discussing NYC: http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-york-city/

The London Times has an article about using the Internet to learn foreign languages. From Parlez-vous l’internet?
The web, with its interactive capabilities, is becoming one of the best ways to learn a language by Matthew Wall:

…try the superb, well-resourced BBC Languages website (www.bbc.co.uk/languages) instead, with its video clips, audio magazines and grammar tips. There are vocabulary quizzes to assess your standard and some basic phrases to download onto your MP3 player.

Post your thoughts below, please.

I will occasionally post to this blog useful video clips I find across the Internet. One place to find good clips is VideoJug.com, which covers lots of useful aspects of life, including technology & gadgets, where I found this item on shortscuts for Word (the link has additional information).

VideoJug: How To Use Shortcuts For Microsoft Word

Student Andrew Tangel asked us to share with you the following info.

To keep track of Columbia-related news, here are a couple of ideas:

Create an RSS feed of official Columbia University news:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/rsshowto.html

Create a Google Alert - http://www.google.com/alerts - using keywords such
as “Columbia Journalism School”

[ If RSS feeds are new to you, please read this tip on how to use RSS feeds by Sitara Nieves, J2007:
http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/2006/09/08/blogs-rss/ ]

If you want to track crime stats near campus:

Morningside Heights: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/pdf/chfdept/cs026pct.pdf

Harlem: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/pdf/chfdept/cs030pct.pdf

Washington Heights: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/pdf/chfdept/cs033pct.pdf

Upper Manhattan: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/pdf/chfdept/cs034pct.pdf

Here’s where you can find the NYPD precinct boundaries: http://www.n2nov.net/

NYPD crime stats by precinct: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/pct/cspdf.html

The two presentations for broadcast and new media majors by the technology staff are now available online here.

Also see the transcript of the technology-related online chat here.

Transcript of Technology Chat with Dean Larry Fried and Colleagues
Wed., Aug. 1, 2007

[ See full list of transcripts and chats ]

DeanSree(P) Good afternoon, everyone. We are excited to see all of you
soon. The M.S. Broadcast and New Media majors arrive Monday, Aug. 6, the
M.S. Print folks arrive Thursday, Aug. 16 and the M.A. students arrive
Thursday, Aug. 30.

DeanSree(P) Now it’s my pleasure to introduce Larry Fried, asst. dean
for technology. He has been with us for a year now and has helped
upgrade our technology and technology services in many exciting ways. Over to
Dean Fried.

DeanFried(P) Good afternoon, and welcome to the J School Technology
chat. I have with me Alan Elmore, IT Manager, and Craig Hettich, Broadcast
Technology Manager. We’ll be taking your questions.

DeanSree(P) Please be patient as they answer your questions - and
keep sending in new ones.

lam_vo(Q) How much technical equipment (apart from using the lab for
the software) would be probably need for new media projects?
CHettich(A) The Equipment Room has 3 types of equipment NM students
will use.
Audio=Portable Flash recorders
Video=Sony A1U HDV Camcorders
Photo=Canon Still Cameras.

jlm2176(Q) Do print students do most of their interviews on tape
recorder and if so, what do you recommend.
DeanFried(A) There are several recording devices that we recommend
-if you have an iPod, look into the XtremeMac Digital Voice recorder.

Dara(Q) Is a recording device necessary for print folks?
DeanFried(A) It is not required that you purchase a recording device.

Our Equipment room will lend out recorders for assignments requiring
audio.

mathildep(Q) Hi there, I have a non-digital Nikon SLR. I’ve been
thinking of making the switch to digital when I realised prices have
become much more affordable (ish), especially if I just get the camera
box and keep the lenses I already have (AF 28-105 - and yes I know the D-40
isn’t compatible). However, everyone (or almost) says Canon digital SLRs
are better, and that getting a package deal camera+lens isn’t much more
expensive than camera alone. What’s your advice on this?
CHettich(A) You’ll have to weigh the cost of a new camera and lens VS
the value of retaining your lens and finding the camera and/or adapter
that work with the lens. Keep in mind that most 35MM film lenses are not
the same focal length in the Digital World as the sensor is not the same
size as the film plane.

mathildep(Q) Related to this, is it worth it getting a phone with an
integrated camera, just in case we witness something? Or should we just
carry around our real camera at all times for that? If the former,
what’s
the minimum useful megapixels we should aim for?
CHettich(A) Capturing the right composition is more important than
detail of the photo. That said, below about 4 Mega Pixels most images
lose
a lot of detail, especially in low light.

Dara(Q) Do you recommend using a recorder for assignments that do not

require audio? Or just the old pen and notepad system?
DeanFried(A) While a recorder is preferable, we do not have enough
equipment to lend out to cover all assignments. So, pen & paper is
sufficient if you prefer not to buy your own equipment.

Dara(Q) This is for Alan: I have a Dell PC at home, but I’m going to
buy
a MacBook. I’m a print concentrator, so I’m going to be generating a lot

of text documents. what do I need to do to be able to move them from the

Apple to the PC and vice versa, and work on them on both computers? Or
is
this even possible? (I’m a neophyte at this stuff–email, word, and a
little photoshop are the only skills I have!)
AElmore(A) You will find that we are a mixed PC and Mac environment
here
at the Journailsm School. We have Office 2003 for Windows and Microsoft
Office 2004 for Mac on all our student PC’s and Macs. You can easily
work
on text documents and share them between environments. For your own
machine, I would recommend having the appropriate Office product
installed.

Sydney(Q) I accidentally clicked out of the chat room for a moment,
if
you answered my question about laptops, would you please repost it?
DeanFried(A) Sydney, can you please repeat your laptop question?

Sydney(Q) I am a broadcast concentrator with a pretty decent laptop
PC.
Before I consider upgrading to something new, what is your sense of the
amount of computer intense (i.e. requiring fancier computer standards)
activities that a student would do on her own computer, rather than the
university’s?
CHettich(A) Lab computers are not always available because of
classes,
but we have not had complaints from broadcast students about a lack of
computer access. It’s nice to have a laptop for email, web and text
documents.

Dara(Q) Can I take advantage of the Apple Store discount if I don’t
have
a student ID yet?
DeanFried(A) All you need is a UNI to get the Apple Store discounts.
Remember to look at both the University and J School Apple discount
pages
to determine the best deal for you.

mathildep(Q) Craig Hettich, stuff focal length not being the same a
little to technical for me - is this the problem I’ve been told Nikon
has,
more than Canon? How can it be avoided, by buying lenses made for
digital?
CHettich(A) All it means is a 35MM lens (made for a film camera) on a

Digital SLR is different than on film SLR in what you see through the
viewfinder. Just make sure your lens is compatible with the camera you
buy, meaning it will attach itself with or without an adapter.

anupk(Q) Is there a separate url for apple store discounts for us?
DeanFried(A) J School URL: http://web.jrn.columbia.edu/jrnapplestore
Columbia URL: http://www.columbia.edu/AcIS/sales

Sydney(Q) I already have a laptop with 1GB of ram and some other
decent
specs. I’m hoping I don’t have to upgrade and it sounds like I might not

have to. Thanks.
AElmore(A) For basic word processing and image processing, that is
certainly sufficient. However, if you need to run specialty software
then
make sure to read the minimum manufacturer requirements for your
platform.

Sydney(Q) I have a 3.2 megapixel Canon digital camera which I love
(it’s
so compact). The tech memo recommended cameras with more than 4
megapixel.
Do you have any recommendations for similarly compact cameras like the
elph?
CHettich(A) Look at online user feedback. It all depends on your
intended use. Do you want control or do you just want to point and
shoot.

Sydney(Q) Also, what kind of zoom?
CHettich(A) Avoid using a digital zoom.

Sydney(Q) About the laptop, what sort of specialty software would I
be
using?
DeanFried(A) You don’t need to purchase any special software, other
than
MS Office. All other software is accessible in our labs.

Dara(Q) Here’s a laptop question: Do most people take their laptops
out
on their beats? If not, is there a safe place to keep it at the
J-School?
(How big are those lockers, anyway?)
AElmore(A) Dean Sree probably knows better than I if most students
bring
them out. However, if you have a wireless card and wireless account,
wireless access is everywhere. I imagine you could easily do your work
out
in the field - however, unless you are within the Journailsm School and
on one of our computers, you will not have access to your student file
shares.
And yes, the lockers are big enough to store a laptop - however, the
safest place for your laptop is to keep it with you at all times!

mathildep(Q) I haven’t seen my question about email capable phones
answered, should I ask it again or was it not relevant for this chat?
DeanFried(A) A smartphone is nice to have but very pricy - not
necessary
for the J School environment.

Sydney(Q) Thanks. And as a follow up, would I then be installing that

software on my own laptop, or just using it at the labs?
DeanFried(A) You access the software on lab computers.

ldh2113(Q) What laptop do you suggest I buy?
DeanFried(A) For most students any Mac or Windows laptop with
wireless
capability will suffice. For broadcast concentrators, go with a MacBook
Pro.

Sydney(Q) Okay, thanks, so just to clarify, I don’t need for my
personal
laptop to have the specs for the specialty software at the labs?
DeanFried(A) Correct. One other thing that would be very useful is an

external hard drive - we recommend the Lacie rugged triple interface
drives. Special J School discount available on these available at B&H
Photovideo.

Dara(Q) By the way, I checked both the J-school and the Columbia
links
to the Apple store, and the prices on Apple products are the same.
DeanFried(A) Prices for most products are the same, but there are
special promotions that are sometimes available on one site and not the
other, so always check both before you buy.

Dara(Q) Apple experts, can I get Palm software for a MacBook? I’m
rather
Treo-addicted!
CHettich(A) It exists. You can always run Palm in the Windows
environment on the Mac too.

Graciela_Ibanez(Q) how much are the university or school discounts?
DeanFried(A) On certain models, the J School page offers discounts of

approx. $50-$100 lower than the University. I know that the University
had
a promotion going to get a free iPod Nano when you buy a Macbook - don’t

think that’s available on the J School site.

Sydney(Q) One more follow up to the last two questions/answers–if I
have a PC as a broadcast concentrator, will I end up hating life?
DeanFried(A) Definitely not! The MacBook suggestion is for those who
are
looking to purchase a new laptop. All software that you need is
available
in our labs, so you’ll do fine with what you have.

gayle(Q) hi, will broadcast students be ok with a Dell at least
initially
CHettich(A) Yes. I encourage students not to buy their own editing
software until after they graduate. Use what we have and decide what
works
best for you. We have 35 Avids in labs and and edit rooms. There is
usuaully one available.

Dara(Q) Yeah, free nano is available on the J-school site, too.
DeanFried(A) It wasn’t supposed to be available here, so it could get

pulled from our site, if that’s of interest to you.

Dara(Q) Aren’t we all going to hate life just a little?
DeanFried(A) Well maybe, but we’ll do our best to keep it to a
minimum!

ys2363(Q) Hi there, thank you for doing this. Can Columbia students
get
any discount when buying a MacBook? If yes, what is the discount,
approximately, and where do they order the Mac from? Thank you!
DeanFried(A) J School URL: http://web.jrn.columbia.edu/jrnapplestore
(available to J School students only)
Columbia URL: http://www.columbia.edu/AcIS/sales
(available to any Columbia student)
Check both sites - prices & promotions change.

mathildep(Q) For broadcast and new media, why should we get a MacBook

Pro when you say that we’ll using lab computers for work requiring
special
software?
CHettich(A) Many students want to run editing software on their
computers. If you need to buy a laptop and plan on eventually running
Avid
or FCP, then we recommend a Macbook Pro. If you already have a laptop
with
a wireless card, then you’ll be fine using the school systems for video
and audio editing. You can then buy what you like best at the end of the

school year and still get an educational discount.

anupk(Q) Dean Fried, I saw you suggested Lacie rugged triple
interface
drives. I own an Iomega 160 GB. Could you please kindly explain if there

is sth. specific I need or the one I have will work fine?
CHettich(A) We suggest a drive that has both USB and Fire Wire
interfaces. Craig

ys2363(Q) Are the labs to be used by new media and broadcast students

open 24 hrs?
DeanFried(A) Labs are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and are
available any time that a class is not in session in the room.

ecb2124(Q) Will we each be given any dedicated server space to store
our
work?
AElmore(A) All students have one GigaByte of space on our file
server.
Depending on your concentration, you may have other file server space
for
your video or audio work.

ys2363(Q) And one more question: how can international students buy
and
use a cell phone here? I tried a couple of Verizon and T-Mobile stores
here in Manhattan last night and I was told that since i don’t have
credit
history in this country, i am basically not eligible to use the phone
companies’ plans. I have a social security number, but that, they said,
doesn’t quite help since i lack credit history. Thank you!
DeanFried(A) That’s a tough one … have you tried AT&T?

Sydney(Q) Great! Thanks for your help on that line of questioning.
About
the external hard drive, I have a nice big stationary one (Maxtor). Do
students use portable ones a lot, or would a stationary one in my
apartment be sufficient?
CHettich(A) I’m guessing what you mean by stationary is that it
weighs
more than a bottle of water and requires a bulky AC power supply. If you

are comfortable carrying that around the school then, you’ll be fine
with
it. They aren’t usually as durable as the portable AC power-free models.

anupk(Q) For ys2363 - from my experience (I am an int’l student too),
I
put down a small amount as a deposit and I got my phone from T-mobile. I

am pretty sure if you are willing to put down a deposit, they will
qualify
you.
DeanFried(A) Thanks!

Sydney(Q) I hope to just leave it at my apartment. Do students need
them
during the day too?
CHettich(A) If you plan on using it to either transfer work or backup

work done at the school, then yes, you’ll need to bring it to school.

Sydney(Q) I see. Thanks. How do we get the J-School discount from
B&H?
DeanFried(A) You have to use the special codes provided in the
technology letter sent out a few weeks ago. If you no longer have the
codes, email me at lfried@columbia.edu and I’ll send them to you.

DeanSree(P) Ok, folks, i will open this up in a minute… talk
amongst
yourselves…

Dara(Q) Radio question: Is the sound quality from the XtreamMac ipod mic
good enough for radio reports? For both sound bites and ambient sound?
How does it compare to, say, a dictaphone microrecorder?
CHettich(A) Good question. I have never used the XremeMac Mic and
would not for any Broadcast audio recording. We have many HiMD Sony Recorders
just for Radio classes. They come with an RE50 Mic that we feel provides
very good sound quality. For a soundbyte posted on a website, I’m sure an XtremeMac Mic is fine.

DeanFried(P) Ok, thanks to all of you for participating and for your
great questions. We’ll see you at Orientation.

[ends]

Transcript of New Media Program Chat
with Dean Sree Sreenivasan, director of New Media program
Friday, July 27, 2007

[ See full list of transcripts and chats ]

lai2107(Q) Hi all! I have a few questions. One, will the basic new media
skills and the new media newsroom be offered again in the spring? Two, how will
new media be integrated into RW1? And how else can non new media students gain
a new media mindset/skills at the j-school? Thanks!
DeanSree(A) lai2107: Thanks for your questions.

1. NM Skills is offered each Spring and Fall. NM Newsroom is a pilot class
we hope to roll out in larger versions in other semesters. We might
consider it for the Spring.

2. RW1 is being web-ified for everyone. Among the skills you will learn:

* FATWIRE TRAINING: Learning the FatWire CMS can take anywhere between one
and three hours, so it will be interspersed with the teaching of the other
skills below.

* CONTINUOUS NEWS SKILLS

* WRITING FOR THE WEB & HYPERLINKING

* PHOTO

* AUDIO

These will be explained in detail when you get here.

3. Ways for non-NM majors to get NM
skills:
a. RW1.
b. NM Newsroom in the Fall (about half the seats reserved for
non-NM majors.
c. NM Skills in the Fall or Spring.
d. NM Elective offered in
the Spring - only for non-NM majors.

4. Ways to get the mindset, apart from the
classes:
a. Attend as many lectures, discussions as you can.
b. Read Cyberjournalist.net - Jon Dube, J’97 (and head of CBC.ca) - a blog with lots of useful tips and news.
c. Read my list of constantly updated articles about the changing media
landscape at http://www.sreetips.com/landscape.html
d. Hang out with the NM majors!
(more…)

An important tip for anyone using CubMail:
http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/2006/06/14/tech-fixing-your-e-mail-identity/

Fall 2007 Technology Guide

From Larry Fried, Asst. Dean for Technology

Dear Students:

Greetings from the technology staff at the Journalism School. Our department, which has 10 members, will be working closely with you during your time here.

Our mission is to help you use various forms of technology in ways that are integrated with our academic courses and best suited to the curriculum and your assignments. We are not primarily a technology school, so everything we provide is in the service of journalism.

In combination with the Faculty, we teach some technical skills, while expecting you to be fast learners willing to, as they say, practice, practice, practice. Any technical skills (using digital cameras, image editing, web production, etc) that you can acquire before you arrive here will be useful - but not mandatory. Depending on the courses you take, you will learn these and other skills.

The school’s equipment room keeps, for student use, dozens of video and still cameras, radio recording kits, etc. – enough to service many classes and projects simultaneously. However, given the way the news business is changing and how many students and faculty use technologies, we are unable to stock the vast amounts of cameras, audio recorders and portable storage media that would be needed to cover every contingency or more than 300 students’ personal interests. The equipment we have is earmarked for use within each class, which means there may not be gear available for students pursuing their own projects or looking for equipment outside of class sessions.

Therefore, we recommend that you look through the attached equipment guidelines and bring with you the items that fit your budget. While none of these are mandatory, owning your own gear will make your year a lot smoother.

Please note: One thing we do NOT do is serve as a repair shop. You will be responsible for the maintenance and servicing of your own equipment.

We welcome your comments and feedback on this guide at equipment@lists.jrn.columbia.edu and look forward to seeing you in August.

Laptop Computer

The Journalism School is equipped with seven computer labs and various other computer terminals. Having your own computer is by no means required, but we recommend that you bring your own laptop so you can work in the field, at home, in spaces that don’t have computers inside the School, or on the sunny steps of the Journalism building.

Laptop Computers should meet the following minimal specifications:

• Operating System: Mac 10.3 or 10.4 or Windows XP/Vista
• Microsoft Office
• Wi-Fi Connectivity
• 512MB RAM (we recommend 1GB for Print and 2GB for Broadcast and New Media)

For most print students, a laptop (Mac or Windows) with wireless connectivity and Microsoft Office should meet your needs. For students involved in multimedia applications, we recommend using a Mac. Macs come with a variety of basic video, audio and photo editing tools. Intel Macs are also capable of running Windows through either Boot Camp or emulation software like Parallels.

If you plan to purchase a new Mac, the Apple MacBook will be sufficient for most students. The Apple MacBook Pro is recommended for students interested in editing professional video on their laptops. Professional industry editing applications like Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer require an independent video card that is included in the MacBook Pro. Please note that the School has extensive video editing capabilities with a Final Cut Pro lab, 2 Avid labs, and individual Avid edit suites.

Photo

During the school year students will use digital cameras to capture stills for their print and web stories. There are also photo skills classes were students learn advanced photojournalism skills and work with our Canon Digital SLR cameras. These are advanced cameras with full manual controls, and removable lenses. These cameras are available in the Journalism School’s equipment room for students enrolled in photo skills courses.

For most assignments students can get by with a small point-and-shoot camera, if not their cell phone cameras. We recommend using a point-and-shoot with the following features:

• Records in standard formats (.jpg, .tiff, RAW) (no proprietary software required)
• At least 5 mega pixels
• Can connect to a computer via USB
• Offers full manual and auto controls
• Records to removable flash media

There is a long list of cameras that meet the specifications above and many students may already own one. As long as the cameras records in standard formats and can upload via USB to a computer, it should be compatible with the School’s computers and software.

For those who don’t own a digital camera, the School maintains a stock of Canon point-and-shoot cameras. For students wishing to purchase a camera. We recommend the Canon Powershot A460. The A460 offers great functionality and a low cost.

Audio

Audio recorders are used by students for recording sound for Radio broadcast and New Media web stories and as a general reference for interviews.

All students will be required to capture audio in their RW1 class. The School provides a variety of audio recorders, many of which are reserved for Broadcast and New Media students.

Since the School cannot guarantee access to audio recorders to all students at any given point in time, it is recommended that students consider acquiring their own recorder. Recorders should meet the following specifications:

• Records digitally preferably to removable media (flash/Hi-MD)
• Able to transfer audio files to the computer via USB and/or FireWire
• Has external Mic input for plugging in a professional microphone either XLR, 1/4” or 1/8” adaptable to XLR
• Records or converts to standard audio format (.wav) without third-party software (exception for some professional Sony Hi-MD recorders: MZ-M10, MZ-M100, MZ-M200, MZ-RH1)

One solution for students who have an iPod is a microphone accessory. There are models available from Belkin (Tune Talk) and Xtrememac (Micromemo). Before purchasing an iPod accessory, please make sure your iPod is compatible with it. Although we have not had the opportunity to test it, we like the design of XtremeMac Micromemo and recommend it.

For students who do not own an iPod or want a dedicated audio recorder, Samson has announced the Zoom H2 recorder that will be available in early August. It comes with 512MB SD flash card. A more expensive alternative, the Zoom H4, is already available. It features professional XLR mic inputs.

For students in a broadcast concentration, the School’s primary audio recorders are the Marantz PMD 660 recorder and the Sony MZ-M100 Hi-MD recorder.

For broadcast students wishing to purchase their own recorder, we recommend the Sony MZ-M200 Hi-MD recorder, which comes with a mic. The advantages of Sony Hi-MD recorders are the ability to archive your audio on Mini Discs and longer battery life. As the price of flash media goes down, however, the advantages of the Mini Disc will diminish. A professional flash recorder like the Zoom H4 will also meet broadcast specifications.

Hard Drive

Students create many text and media files during their time at the School. While the Journalism School provides network and local storage for student data, students are ultimately responsible for securing their personal data. Because of this, we recommend that all students bring a portable, external hard drive.

The drives should meet the following specifications:

• USB/FireWire ports (drives should have both)
• Minimum of 80GB (100GB or more recommended for video)
• 5400 or 7200 RPM

We recommend the Lacie Rugged Triple Interface drives. They offer a good value for the price, durability and do not require a power supply. The drives come in a variety of sizes and prices. Before you make a purchase you should consider what type of work you plan on doing. Students producing a lot of video may want to purchase a larger drive or one that runs at 7200RPM. For students working on minimal amount of multimedia projects a smaller capacity will be adequate.

Having a portable hard drive is a sound practice. Not only does it allow you to transfer files among computers, it also provides a means of backup.

Video

The School provides video cameras in its equipment room for the students enrolled in courses and projects that require them. The School’s standard format is Sony DVCAM. The video editing systems at the School will also support video shot on consumer and professional Mini-DV tape cameras.

Video cameras that record to hard drives and Mini DVDs are not supported by the School’s computers.

From the Office of the General Counsel

Letter to Graduate and Professional School Students re Copyright Infringement - Illegal File Sharing

As you may know from news accounts, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has launched a new campaign against computer users who are engaged in illegal file sharing of music. This campaign is targeted directly at college and university students. In the past few weeks a number of Columbia students have been identified by the RIAA as copyright violators. The RIAA’s motion picture counterpart, the MPAA, has also significantly increased the number of copyright infringement notices it sends to colleges and universities. The students targeted by the music and motion picture rights organizations may face serious financial penalty as a result of their choice to obtain copyrighted material online without paying for it. In light of these recent events, we want to take the opportunity to better inform you about strategies copyright holders are taking to stop this illegal activity and to remind you of the serious consequences that can result if you persist in breaking the law.

First, as you have been told many times before, trading copyrighted music, movies and games online is both illegal and a violation of University policy. While you may question how any activity so commonplace can be illegal, the fact is that such activity is illegal. It is stealing someone else’s intellectual property. Over 65 Columbia students have already been sued for such activity and, with the recent campaign announced by the RIAA, that number will continue to grow. Both the RIAA and its motion picture counterpart, the MPAA, have sophisticated systems in place that scan the internet to identify infringers at Columbia by their Internet Protocol addresses. With this information, the record and motion picture companies can file a lawsuit against the individuals with these IP addresses and serve a subpoena on Columbia to obtain the identity of the individuals. When served with such a subpoena, the University is required to comply and release the name of the student who is associated with the IP address in question.

In addition to filing lawsuits against users engaged in illegal file sharing, the RIAA and MPAA, as well as other representatives of copyright owners, file notices with the University under the procedures of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (the DMCA). Columbia receives hundreds of such notices each year, and as required by law, Columbia takes action to remove infringing material brought to its attention. Columbia is also required under the law to take escalating action against repeat infringers, which may include cutting off access to the Columbia network.

Finally, as indicated above, the RIAA has notified the University that it is instituting a new “pre-lawsuit settlement process”, whereby it will send to the University “settlement letters”, identifying in each case the IP address of an alleged infringer, and requesting that we forward the letter to the individual associated with that address. We have already received a number of these “settlement letters”, which we have forwarded to the users whose IP addresses are implicated. According to these letters, the individual users are given a period of time in which to come forward and settle the claim at a discounted rate. If the individual does not settle the claim within this time frame, the RIAA states that it will proceed with filing a lawsuit and serving a subpoena on the University to obtain the identity of the user sued.

In addition to the legal consequences mentioned above, it is important for you to remember that violating copyright law is also against University policy and can subject you to disciplinary action, which among other things, will be noted in your record and may cause you difficulties beyond your years as a student at Columbia.

For more information please go to the Columbia University Information Technology website at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/policy/copyright.html.

A very useful tip from Sitara Nieves, Columbia J-school student - sn2242[at]columbia.edu
If you have additions, comments, please send them to dos[at]jrn.columbia.edu or use the comment form below.

There are so many great blogs (DOS blog, The Tabloid, Gawker, etc) and news sites out there, but who can remember to regularly check all of them?

There’s a way to make this whole process easy: use RSS feeds, which show you which of your favorite sites have added new content, and automatically compile that new content into the viewing format of your choice.

There are a few simple ways to set up your RSS feed. Many of these options allow you to do more than simply compile news feeds — for example, some allow you to check stock prices, new emails, the weather, etc., or organize your various sites of interest into labeled folders.

* Web-based:
PubSub.com (free)
Bloglines.com (free)
MyYahoo.com (free)
Google.com/reader (free)
NewsGator.com (free)
LiveJournal.com (free)

* Browser:
Firefox, using Sage (free)

* For Macs:
Newsfire.com (costs money)
NetNewsWire.com (costs money)

* For Windows:
NewzCrawler.com (costs money)
Awasu.com (free or subscription)
FeedDemon (same as NewsGator, costs money)

Since I already use Google as my homepage, this was the easiest option for me. On the regular Google webpage, click on “Personalized Home” in the upper right-hand corner, then click on “Add Content” in the upper left-hand of the screen that follows. You’ll need to sign up for a Google account to save your changes. Then, magically, every time you open your web browser, all the recent posts from every blog or news site you choose will appear. I have feeds on my site ranging from the Gotham Gazette, to Sree’s blog, to BBC headlines.

How do you find these mysterious RSS feeds?
* Usually, there’s an orange button that says “RSS”, or “Syndicate”. Click on this button, copy the web address, and paste it into whatever RSS feeder you’re using.
* For the 2007 j-school blog, there doesn’t seem to be a button like this, but just copying the web address (http://the-tabloid.blogspot.com/) worked for me.

Where should I start?
Any website that you visit frequently is a good place to start. This Poynter Online article, by Jonathan Dube, J1997, also has some good ideas on RSS feeds for journalists.

Last question: What does RSS stand for?
Really Simple Syndication.

Another in our “Notes From…” series - short notes by volunteers summarizing various events around the school, to help those of us who didn’t/couldn’t attend. Watch for several other “Notes From…” throughout the year (if you have one, send it in - or let us know in advance that you’d like to do one).

Below, tips from a technology discussion with Andrew Lih, former J-school professor, visiting from China. Many thanks to volunteer notes-taker Adam Edelman, J2007. Feel free to drop him a note or post a comment below (free, one-time registration required).

Notes From… Tech Jam Session with Andrew Lih
By Adam Edelman, J2007
E-mail: abe2109[at]columbia.edu

ROOM 601B, Aug. 21, 2006–Andrew Lih, a Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism professor from 1995 to 2002, returned to the school Monday afternoon to participate in a technology discussion.

Lih, who currently works out of Beijing, led journalism students through a network (no pun intended) of explanations of different programs and websites including wikis, Skype, Flickr.com and Writely.com. Lih also talked about press and technology freedoms in China. It was all part of a lunch-time Tech Jam Session organized by the Dean of Students Office.

Lih (and his teaching partner during those Columbia years, Dean Sree Sreenivasan) examined the benefits of using a wide range new technologies, while cautioning students to be aware of the dangers of blindly following every new service or gizmo.

Students in attendance learned about Skype, a free internet telephone service. Like many other services, Skype offers free computer-to-computer calling (including video conferencing) anywhere in the world, but with much better sound quality. Skype also offers free computer-to-land/cellphones in the US or Canada till the end of 2006, as well as some of the cheapest international calling rates.

Skype, said Lih, is particularly useful to journalists because it is a free alternative to cell and land phones and can be used for interviews. Skype also offers reasonably priced services such as voicemail and call recording, a function that would serve as a digital call recorder in itself for reporters. Sreenivasan highlighted another useful feature: conference calls, which allow you to connect up to 10 Skype or regular phone calls. One way to use this is when you have to talk to a source who doesn’t speak your language. You can conference in a friend who can translate for you.

Some out-of-town students have been wondering what to do with their out-of-town cellphone numbers. All their friends and family outside Columbia already have their out-of-town numbers, so getting a NYC number is not always practical. With so many people using cellphones and national calling plans, having an out-of-town number isn’t usually a problem. But for some of the kind of people you might encounter on your beat - nonprofits organizations, small-business owners, etc - calling a long-distance number will not be attractive and yet another barrier in getting callbacks. You can, of course, get a landline, and let people call you there. Another alternative is to get what’s called a SkpeIn number. You get a local number (usually 718) and use the free call forwarding feature to have calls go to your out-of-town cell. The cost of a SkypeIn number is about $40 a year. More information about Skype is available at Skype.com.

However, after researching the topic and receiving the same piece of advice from several professors, this reporter did decide to switch his Milwaukee-area cell phone number to a New York City number. It was free and easy and the new number will provide easier telephone
access to sources who refuse to or cannot call long distance. While the Skype alternative is as attractive, switching your cell phone number does not require any computer know-how and some Apple users have reported that the free Skype call-forwarding service has given
them problems. Several service carriers, including Sprint and Nextel, will switch your number for free. Notifying friends, family, and past contacts of your new number can be as easy as
sending out a brief mass email or text message.

Lih also encouraged students to use wikis, websites that allow users to edit subject matter collaboratively (Wikipedia, is essentially, a giant wiki that allows millions of users to collaborate). There are several wiki sites, including Writely.com, a website that allows users to view and edit one other’s documents securely (it requires a free invitation from a current user; Sreenivasan can give you one - just ask) and JotSpot.com.

There are plans for a master document that will provide names and contacts of students across all RWIs covering each of the neighborhoods in the city, ensuring better coordination and sharing of sources. It is likely to be wiki based.

Lih also touched upon the usefulness of Flickr.com as a way to share photographs. Watch for information about a J-school “Flickr pool” (a way for you to send in photos you take with your cameras and cellphones).

Throughout the session, students peppered Lih with questions about press freedoms in China. Lih touched upon the changing state of media censorship in China, explaining that dissent is beginning to increasingly appear online in the form of digital photos and movies. Internet filters, he explained, are effective against text, but are not very effective against these media. Lih predicted that, because of these creative forms of circumvention, censorship of the press in the long run will be less effective in China.

Lih is currently working on a book about Wikipedia. His blog can be
viewed at http://www.andrewlih.com and he can be reached at andrew[at]andrewlih.com. He will be happy to answer questions about any of the topics above and more.

o o o o o

Update:
Feedback to Writely:
- I signed up for Writely after the technology session on Monday (it didn’t require an invitation after all) and have used it every day since. It’s great! Thanks for the tip.

Dear Columbia Community:

CU Public Safety and CUIT have teamed up to offer FREE downloads of PC PhoneHome, software that can help recover a lost or stolen laptop or PC. If your computer is reported lost or stolen, PC PhoneHome secretly sends information to law enforcement officials containing the physical location of your computer whenever a network connection is made.

Don’t be a victim of computer theft. Students, faculty and staff can download the software at http://www.columbia.edu/acis/software/pcphonehome. All you need is your UNI and PASSWORD – it’s free, easy, and smart. To learn more about how to protect your own computer and data and contribute to a safer network at Columbia, click here http://www.columbia.edu/acis/security/users/index.html.

If you have any questions regarding this software or about safer computing in general, please contact the CUIT Help Desk at 212-854-1919.

This program is for both personal & University laptops and PCs

Coming soon…..MAC PhoneHome for FREE as well.

CU Public Safety + CUIT

Ricardo Morales
Crime Prevention Specialist
Columbia University
Department of Public Safety
212-854-8513

Q: What computer discounts can I get through Columbia?
A: Columbia has negotiated discounts for students and faculty with companies such as Dell and Apple and at J&R Computer World, a major NYC retailer. You can learn about all the discounts here:
http://www.columbia.edu/acis/sales/.

You can also read the University’s pre-purchasing advice (written for a campus-wide audience): http://www.columbia.edu/acis/sales/pre-purchase.html.

Dear Incoming Students:

The School bulletin explains that the Faculty expects all students to type at a “reasonable speed,” 35 words per minute or better. While we don’t test our students on their individual typing speeds, students who can’t type at at least that speed, will find it hard to keep up with all the work (at school and home) or be able to do well after graduation as professional journalists.

We strongly suggest you find out how close you are to the 35 wpm threshold and, if you need to speed up your typing, practice, practice, practice.

Feel free to try this test (which the School has no way of monitoring your results!). Remember, accuracy is even more important than raw speed…



free typing test (c) CalculatorCat.com

From p. 85 of the 2006 Bulletin, Admissions section:

In evaluating applicants, the Committee on Admissions looks for the following:

6. Students must be able to type in English
at a reasonable speed (35 wpm).

For more typing resources, scroll down on http://www.calculatorcat.com/typing_test/

-30-

HOW TO FIX YOUR E-MAIL IDENTITY
One of the more frustrating things with our e-mail system is that Cubmail doesn’t automatically put your name in the “from” lines. So faculty and administrators end up getting e-mail from, say,
“srt2879@columbia.edu” and we have no idea who it is (especially when there’s no signature file in the message itself). Worse, some e-mail programs treat such senders as spammers and dump the message automatically into junk-mail folders. There’s a one-time, two-minute solution, and it is explained below. Please take time to do this.

If you try this and it doesn’t work, please e-mail consultant@columbia.edu explaining what you did. Also, while the problem is being fixed, please write your name and affiiliation in the subject lines of messages you send to DOS, faculty, etc. eg, “Marie Jones - M.S. print - with question about housing.”

Lauch CUBMAIL at https://cubmail.cc.columbia.edu

Go to OPTIONS

Go to PERSONAL INFORMATION

Go to EDIT YOUR IDENTITIES

Choose DEFAULT IDENTITY

Add your full name there, and any other details you wish.

[You can have a different “reply-to” address, add auto signatures, etc].

You need to do this only if you plan to use CUBMAIL (which almost all
students do at some point).

And please don’t forget to routinely sign your messages with your full
name in the body of the message - and to include a phone number, too.

Thanks and good luck with your e-mail (or if you prefer, email).

- Dean Sreenivasan

Q: What discounts on digital cameras can I get?

URGENT UPDATE FROM ALEX 5/11/2006:

Unfortunately, the discounts that B&H have been offering to students and
faculty/staff at Columbia, are no longer available. They were built into a
contract arrangement with University Purchasing, and were designed to expire
after a certain time. That time has come. Currently, the only discount
available from them, is free shipping for any purchase up to 70 pounds.
Simply announce that you are a student, or that you work at Columbia
University when you call in an order.

A: An answer from Alex Krengel in the Equipment Room.

We have a contract with B&H, the legendary photo store. Students, faculty and administrators
are are all entitled to an educational discount. The discount varies by the product you purchase (e.g. the discount will be minor for a consumer digital camera, but may be substantial if you want to get a Sony PD 170).

You need to purchase ahead, and send an email for a quote at:
biddept[at]bhphotovideo.com.

Identify your status at Columbia to get the price quote; it may take 1-2 business days to get a response. Include product, model number, quantity, etc. and any relevant details.

You cannot get the discount at the store. You need the quote first.

B&H’s web site is at:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com

Also see: FAQ: What computer discounts can I get through Columbia?

REMINDER: If you are interested in academic discounts for digital cameras and/or computers, please see the earlier postings in the Daily Plan-it’s “discounts” category.

From Dean Elizabeth Fishman.

In the interest of preserving the (very) expensive equipment in the new
Arledge facility, here are some guidelines John Fider and I would like to
enforce with students:

No food - water only - in the Studio and Control Room

No eating or drinking at any Avid editing station. Students may eat at the
conference table in the Friendly Newsroom.

And, some useful telephone numbers:
Studio: x4-6919
Control room: x4-7464
Friendly Newsroom: x4-6823

Dear Students:

In order to have SPJ and extracurricular items get to you in a timely
manner, you will soon start seeing e-mail messages on this, the [j_school]
school list for all students, from SPJ Class President, Rebecca Castillo.
This marks the first time that a student has been given permission to post
to the list (otherwise, only certain administrators were able to do so).
It’s a test run and we will decide about extending it to future presidents
depending on how this goes.

Rebecca is aware of the need for judicious use of the list and will likely
average one message a week or so. I am encouraging her and other students
who have less pressing items to share (including summer housing
requests/shares) to use the Ten Month Beat blog, run by Ed Krayewski
at http://thetenmonthbeat.blogspot.com/ or to send
items to the DOS blog via dos@jrn.columbia.edu

A reminder from an August 2005 DOS blog posting intended for admin folks
about the subject lines you should look for
http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/2005/08/22/memo-e-mail-procedures-subject-lines/
-

SUBJECT LINES:
Here are the subject line headers we should be using.

SPJ: for SPJ items; posted by Prof. June Cross, faculty adviser [and now,
2006 class president, Rebecca Castillo].

ACADEMICS: this covers registration, how to apply for classes, changes in
instructors, change in class meeting times, etc.

LOST/FOUND: sent by Kathy Palagonia only, along with a reminder that we
have a Lost & Found box in the Mailroom; use sparingly.

CAREERS: for all job-related info; posted by Ernest Sotomayor or Julie
Hartenstein.

GRADUATION: this covers all commencement related topics and memos; sent by
Melanie Huff & Barbara Fasciani.

MEMO: for major memos only - eg, Spring Letter from David Klatell or
registration information; use sparingly.

EVENT: this signals a J-School event — anything from lectures to panels
to the holiday party to the First Amendment Breakfasts to special speakers
to Breakfast with the Deans to the duPont events. If it’s a specific
speaker, please list the affiliation in the subject line and the date, if
possible.

CAMPUS EVENT: for events not sponsored by the J-School but that we think
our students might be interested in such as the park clean up, university
blood drive, programs at SIPA, SAJA events, etc.

CAMPUS EVENT: for events outside the school, on campus.

NY EVENT: for events outside the campus; use sparingly.

LIBRARY: for library related items; posted by Deborah Wassertzug.

FIN. AID: for scholarship and financial aid info; posted by Robert
MacDonald and Kathy Palagonia.

LEDE: for issues of The Lede; posted by Barbara

REQUEST: for reqests of various kinds — volunteers, book donations, etc.

OFFER: for offers of tickets, unscheduled classes, media tours, etc.

- Dean Sreenivasan

From Dean Klatell.

Please consult your biographical listing on the web site’s “faculty”
page. If you want an email address associated with your name on this
page, send a message to web-request@jrn.columbia.edu, providing your
Columbia e-mail address, which will be the only one listed and the
only one to which the school will send messages from now on.

The school provides easy-to-follow instructions on how to “bounce”
your messages to a secondary account (i.e., hotmail, yahoo,
roadrunner, gmail or another business address) at
http://www.columbia.edu/acis/email/delivery.

Regards,
DK

Note: Radio lab and 601A schedule updated below.

EQUIPMENT ROOM: The equipment room will be open Monday, December 19-Thursday, December 22, from 10am to 6pm. It will be open on Friday, December 23, from 10am to 1pm. The School (and the equipment room) will be closed December 26-30. However, the building will still have 24/7 swipe access.

EDIT SUITES: As of Monday, December 19th, the 5th floor linear edit rooms will be closed to allow the tech staff to set up the Avid editing suites for the second semester. If you have editing work to do between now and January 17th, there will be two linear editing stations set up for you on the first floor in Fred Friendly suites area.

COMPUTER LABS: In preparation for the second semester, the tech staff will begin reformatting the lab computers as of January 2. Anything stored locally (on the D drive or the temporary storage drive) will be erased. All files stored properly to students’ network drives will remain stored. Room 601A will be closed Dec. 28- Jan. 6.

RADIO LABS: Because of construction in the Radio Annex and the Radio lab (511B), both rooms will be closed during the break. The current Annex (504K) will be closed starting today (12/19) through the entire break and reopen in the spring across the hall in 504H. 504K will become an Avid editing suite. The lab (511B) will be closed from Dec 27th-until January 13th for ceiling construction. These closure dates are subject to change and notices will be sent out if necessary. The radio computers will also be cleaned up and any orphaned files (those left outside of folders and scattered about) will be deleted.

From CU’s VP of technology, Candy Fleming.

To: COLUMBIACOMMUNITY@cuvmc.ais.columbia.edu
Date: Nov 30, 2005 10:26 PM
Subject: Email Issues Resolved

As many of you are aware, the failure of one server caused severe
problems on the University email system this week. We sincerely
apologize for this disruption in service. The server recovered
at approximately 10am today, Wednesday morning. Mailbox problems
that had been caused by this failure and that were reported to us
during the day were fixed very quickly. We are attempting to
systematically identify any remaining such problems and fix them
without requiring calls to the Help Desk. We are also taking
steps to ensure that this server will not fail again.

During this week we are also accelerating the move to the Cyrus
system, which stores the incoming mail on several servers, rather
than relying on one server. As we move people to this much more
reliable and higher capacity email system, those remaining
temporarily on the old system will also notice better
performance. Please see http://www.columbia.edu/acis/email/cyrus/
for ongoing updates related to the Cyrus migration.

Candy Fleming
VP Information Technology
Columbia University

Since Monday, most students and faculty have been offline as part of a campus-wide problem. Please be patient, and if necessary, follow-up with phone calls and in-person visits.

A note I got this morning from CUIT:

From: consultant@columbia.edu Mailed-By: columbia.edu
Reply-To: consultant@columbia.edu
To: Sreenath Sreenivasan
Date: Nov 30, 2005 10:07 AM
Subject: Re: pine problem - no INBOX
Reply | Reply to all | Forward | Print | Add sender to Contacts list | Trash this message | Report phishing | Show original | Message text garbled?

The current email system started experiencing extreme loads Monday,
November 28 and has continued to experience major service problems
through today. Connections to the mail systems were failing and email
folders or email were missing if access was granted. This was all day for
all users on all email clients (even Pine and Cubmail).

Please note, that it is most likely that you have NOT been removed from
the Columbia email system and that your email has NOT been deleted. You
will eventually regain access to your email.

Between 3 and 5am on Tuesday, 11/29, we will move 200 users from the most
overloaded filer to the Cyrus email system. Another 200 will be moved
Wednesday and another 200 on Thursday. While normally we have been giving
people a week’s notice before moving them, we are moving these 600 people
with little notice in an effort to alleviate the extreme performance
problems experienced on the old mail system today, Monday.

If you try to connect to your email and see only a single message
indicating that you’ve been moved to Cyrus, you will need to reconfigure
your email program in order to see your mail. The email message will point
you to online instructions
(http://www.columbia.edu/acis/email/cyrus/config/) for doing this.

All email users will be moved by the end of Spring Semester 2006, so this
cannot be reversed. If you were not moved, you should gradually see
improved performance as less people are sharing the old email system with
you. Also, if you were not moved this time, you will be notified of your
move date in the near future.

Update 11/29 9am: The first 200 people were successfully moved early this
morning.

Please see http://www.columbia.edu/acis/alerts-list.html for the latest
updates.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Demian Vanderputten
Technical Specialist
CUIT Support Center
CU Information Technology
Columbia University

Sending and Receiving Faxes: Students may send and receive faxes from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, in Printing Services, located in 106 Journalism. The charges are as follows:

SENDING
Local: $1.50 for first page; $1 for each additional page
Long Distance: $2 for first page; $1 for each additional page
International: $7 for first page; $2 for each additional page

RECEIVING at 212-222-0193
$1 for first page; $.75 per page for pages 2-5; $.50 per page for pages 6-10; $.25 for each additional page