If you are experiencing pop-up problems, decreased computer or network efficiency, or if you tend to download a lot of files onto your computer through peer-to-peer networking sites, etc. you may have spyware on your computer. In fact, spyware can cause so many problems that a Dell representative was recently quoted as saying; "`The fast-growing phenomenon is already responsible for more than 12 percent of all technical support calls in Dell's consumer hardware division, the biggest category of complaints this year"

Spyware is software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes.  

How does spyware get onto a computer? It can be just as simple as playing an online game. Many different online games generate revenue based on the advertising that appears on the site. Their income is then based on the number of times an ad is displayed. Like many websites which offer online games, the idea is to get people to visit the sites that advertise on the site. The online game site then places a program on the computer that will then generate pop-up advertisements; even when Internet Explorer or another web browser is closed. The computer will run slower and numerous pop-ups will proliferate on the computer.

Another way spyware gets onto computers is by downloading programs that may appear useful such as Weather Bug, etc. These programs may claim to optimize the computer's Internet connection to make it go faster. In reality, it is creating even more programs that will run in the background, making the computer run slower. It is not recommended to download programs from the Internet from non-trusted sites.

A clever way spyware programs get on your computer is by showing a pop-up window saying you may have spyware and prompting you to download their program. In fact, their program is itself spyware! Always close a pop-up advertisement window by clicking the X in the upper right-hand corner of the window. Even when you think you are clicking a "no" button, you could be downloading their spyware program.

Be aware that sometimes Spybot Search and Destroy or Ad-aware want to remove updates from Microsoft. Always look to see what company/vendor is listed as the item that is to be removed. If it wants to remove items that Microsoft has uploaded to your computer, do not check those boxes to have the Microsoft items removed.

More information on how to remove spyware or adware can be found on Carlow's Information Technology website at: http://www.it.carlow.edu/SpybotInformation/index.html

Blackboard is used at Carlow as the course management system that provides support for 'cyber classrooms'. Whether a class meets face to face and uses Blackboard to extend the classroom into an any time, any where, experience or replaces some or all face to face meetings with `cyber' meetings, Blackboard provides a robust environment for faculty and student alike. Students access Blackboard from campus, home, or office via the Internet. Students review course materials, send assignments electronically, and communicate through discussion boards and chat sessions. The addition of Blackboard course pages in face to face courses provides significant benefits to student engagement and learning.

Carlow University had 76 Blackboard "courses" and 17 non-course Blackboard entries listed this past spring semester. The uses of Blackboard outside the classroom included sites where academic divisions could share information with one another and cut down on meeting time and provide a single site for information distribution and discussion, sites for student groups to simplify finding convenient meeting times and promote information sharing, as well as tutorial sites for topics like writing, using the e-Portfolio, and the Orientation to Technology @Carlow online course. Continued on Page 6.