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Frequently Asked Questions and Statements
Copyright Issues:
- Everyone is doing it so it must be okay?
- What I do in my room on my computer is my
own business.
- MP3 files are okay to copy as long as I delete
them when I am finished. I don't download the files myself; I
play them off my friend's disk that I've mounted over the network.
- I copy movie clips and since they are
only a part of the movie it is okay. I am a radio major so my
downloading music files is educational.
- What is wrong with MP3 directories?
- What is Napster and why can't I access it?
- I love the Chicago bears. I see a great photo
on Sports Illustrated that I would like to be the wallpaper on
my PC.
Bandwidth:
- Internet bandwidth is free-it is given
to the College…NOT!
- What is the bandwidth policy?
- Is ITS restricting bandwidth because
the technology has reached some sort of plateau, or is it simply
a matter of cost? Are there any plans to increase the physical
capabilities of our network?
- What is 500MB
equal to?
Acceptable Use:
- Is it okay to host my club, business or
church home pages because they are nonprofit?
- Can I sign up for those "pay you to
surf" services?
- I've registered iamthegreatest.org with
my ISP that I use at home and created a DNS host record there
so that iamthegreatest.org brings up my home page on the web server
running on my computer at North Central.
- I can get a free PC camera if I sign up five of
my friends for a new PC. Can I email the advertisement to all
my friends?
- I'm planning a vacation. During my lunch hour I
want to search for travel sites that offer the best deal.
- Your favorite charity is having a fundraiser. You
email all faculty and staff about it.
- I am moving and I have furniture that is in good
condition that I would like to sell. You email all faculty about
it.
Copyright Issues:
Everyone is doing
it so it must be okay?
Illegal possession and distribution of copyrighted materials carry
stiff penalties. It is against the law.
MP3 files are okay to copy
as long as I delete them when I am finished.I don't download
the files myself; I play them off my friend's disk that I've mounted
over the network.
It does not matter how long you keep MP3 files or how they get
to your computer. It is still wrong and you could still be caught
with them on your computer or with logs that showed that you accessed
them.
What I do in my room
on my computer is my own business.
Not if it is illegal or against College policy. Your computer is
connected to a College supplied network, which is in turn connected
to the Internet. When law enforcement agencies confiscate computers
illegally distributing copyrighted material they also go through
the logs. These and other legally obtained file transfer logs can
lead back to your computer.
I copy movie clips
and since they are only a part of the movie it is okay.
I am a radio major so my downloading music files is educational.
The United States' Fair Use policy is poorly defined. There are
movie trailers, which are intended by the studio to be distributed
on the Internet but come with some restrictions. Even a single frame
of a movie, used in the wrong way could result in a copyright violation
and conviction. Where there may be a small set of circumstances
where fair use would apply, you might find yourself in the position
of having to document that your use is in compliance with the law.
If there are specific pieces of multimedia you feel you need to
use for educational purposes, you should check with the library
staff before making the media available on the network in any way.
What is wrong
with MP3 directories?
Services such as MP3.COM serve MP3 music in compliance with copyright
rules. Services such as AIMSTER make no attempt to verify much of
the music listed in its directories-putting you at risk if you download
material through their catalog. Napster.com, cuteftp.com, and Audio
Galaxy provide you with clients that actually turn your computer
into a server. Therefore, the entire world can see MP3 files on
your computer (with some limits on access by some clients). Because
of this, you are engaging in illegal trafficking in copyrighted
materials and the RIAA through NETPD has the capability to look
at these files on your computer and collect evidence against you.
To avoid this problem, make sure that you understand the applications
that are installed on your computer.
What is Napster and
why can't I access it?
Napster is an MP3 file-sharing program-that is they allow you to
download MP3's from other people's machines AND they allow other
people to download your MP3 files. The latter can get you into trouble,
as there is no way to manage the amount of download from your computer.
The program hide in the background if you click the "X"
button, meaning that students often don't know that they are serving
files until they get into trouble for excessive bandwidth. Napster
has been taken to court regarding copyright violations, and that
is why it is banned from this campus.
I love the Chicago bears. I see
a great photo on Sports Illustrated that I would like to be the
wallpaper on my PC.
The photo is probably copyrighted, so it would violate the law
to use that photo unless you get written permission from the owner.
Bandwidth
Internet bandwidth
is free-it is given to the College…NOT!
North Central College arranges for Internet access, high-speed
communication links, equipment and support for the campus. We pay
for those services. Our 3 T-1 lines cost around $33,000 per year.
What is the bandwidth
policy?
North Central College is committed to providing whatever bandwidth
is necessary to carry out the primary functions of the College-which
is instruction, administration and research. In order to carry out
this primary function it requires Information Technology Services
(ITS) to implement bandwidth limitations.
Is ITS restricting
bandwidth because the technology has reached some sort of plateau,
or is it simply a matter of cost? Are there any plans to increase
the physical capabilities of our network?
ITS can make the network as fast as the funding stream allows.
With today's technology, increasing the size by 10 is only a matter
of money-lots and lots of it.
I can get a free PC camera if I
sign up five of my friends for a new PC. Can I email the advertisement
to all my friends?
College resources may not be used for any type of personal gain.
In addition, you would be using College systems for junk e-mail
and spamming which are not allowed.
I'm planning a vacation. During
my lunch hour I want to search for travel sites that offer the best
deal.
This is permissible as it is reasonable personal use of the web
as long as it does not intrude on scheduled work time or overload
the network.
Your favorite charity is having
a fundraiser. You email all faculty and staff about it.
Using NCC's resources for causes, political or activist purposes
is not acceptable.
I am moving and I have furniture
that is in good condition that I would like to sell. You email all
faculty about it.
Using NCC's resources for personal gain is not permitted.
Acceptable Use
Is it okay to host
my club, business or church home pages because they are nonprofit?
College resources may not be used in direct support of non-college
entities, be they business, people, clubs, churches, businesses,
family or neighbors. You may include information about such entities
as they pertain to you along with a URL in your personal web pages.
If you are the primary source of information about any such entity
then that is equivalent to hosting their home page for free using
College resources.
Can I sign up for those
"pay you to surf" services?
You may not if you are using any part of the campus network. These
pay to surf services are a violation of College policy. You would
be using College resources to support private business. With the
right administrative permissions, this activity can be tracked and
processed by appropriate supervisors or disciplinary authorities.
I've registered iamthegreatest.org
with my ISP that I use at home and created a DNS host record there
so that iamthegreatest.org brings up my home page on the web server
running on my computer at North Central.
You may not enter the North Central College address space into
non-college domains without prior permission. Permission which will
only be give for College projects which meet all College policies.
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