--- Forwarded Message from "Francois Crompton-Roberts" <[log in to unmask]> ---

>From: "Francois Crompton-Roberts" <[log in to unmask]>
>Organization: University of London
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 14:30:00 +0000
>Subject: Re: Email Prevention and Cure?
>Reply-to: Francois C-R <[log in to unmask]>
>Priority: normal
>In-reply-to: <[log in to unmask]>

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> I'm finding that my language-only computer lab is being overrun with
> both language and non-language students sneaking in to look at their
> email throughout the day, not to mention my staff's penchant for
> sitting for hours in front of the computers writing to friends. 
> Since I don't have time to sit at the door and police everybody when
> they come in, I wondered what solution you all may be using to
> prevent the overuse of email in your labs.  I don't want to entirely
> do away with students' ability to use email, as some of the
> instructors want our language students to write to students at
> universities from the target language countries-- however, it's
> driving me crazy to wander into the computer lab and see eight or
> ten people chatting on my expensive computers!  Any suggestions
> would be appreciated.

Aha, yes, the compulsive e-mailers...

We've put up large notices saying that our machines are there for 
academic (research and teaching) purposes. That anybody reading 
e-mail (or surfing the web for that matter) can be asked to vacate 
his/her machine by any other user requiring it for legitimate use. We 
find it works well, the students do most of the policing themselves 
and only occasionally do we have to act on behalf of the less 
assertive...

Or try the ultimate deterrent. Read out very loud the contents of the 
e-mail over the miscreant's shoulder, so that the other computer 
users in the room can partake! It works wonders...

Cheers,




Francois C-R
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