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The idea of a grand unified communication system sounds terrific. If students and faculty had an all singing all dancing communication system everything would just work. Everyone would just be connected. All barriers would just fall. What I see in the groups that I work with at MSU is that much of people's communication needs are with non-MSU people. I believe that most of the grand unified systems would have little impact on communication with people outside MSU. Isn't this the case for many organizations --- they may have a very tightly integrated internal communication system, but it doesn't do much for external communications? BTW, some of the the people I work with who have the greatest majority of their communication with people outside MSU are grad students. Much of MSU's impact on the world is based on external communications (in many forms), and not internal electronic communication. Cheers, Tom Laurence Bates wrote: > > OK. Back to the big picture: > > > > 1) If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. > > 2) If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. > > 3) If you teach a man or a woman to think well, to organize their > time efficiently, and to enjoy being productive, you will feed not > only that person but a whole community for a very long time. > > > > That’s why we need a comprehensive, attractive, motivating and > effective, real-time unified communication system for students at MSU. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > *From:* Laurence Bates [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > *Sent:* Wednesday, September 17, 2008 8:37 AM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Cc:* Laurence Bates > *Subject:* Some thoughts about a new email system for MSU > > > > I was surprised to find this morning that a new email system has been > announced. Yes, I know, it’s only a new web interface but it will be > perceived as a new email system and so we may as well acknowledge > that. A part of my confusion is that I was under the impression that > ATS was investigating the use of Microsoft Exchange for faculty and > staff. If that is the case then college administrators should know > about this plan before deciding what to do about the new web front end > to Mail. > > > > And here comes the difficult part since I don’t want to be either > unkind or to ignore fiscal limitations, but the second part of my > confusion is the quite frankly klunky nature of the proposed web > interface for Mail. I understand the problems in building an add-on > to a home brewed system, and I am not necessarily opposed to local > development of some systems. They have their place, but the bar has > already been raised for email and calendaring systems and expectations > are necessarily high. > > > > For what it is worth, I am moving towards the view that, rather than > concede email and calendar development to Google, which this new > interface effectively does, MSU should be aggressively seeking to > build a full-fledged MSU community with real-time unified > communications – i.e. state of the art point-of-presence, email and > calendar pushing to iPod Touch devices (for example), Pre-filled > calendar class schedules for students, pre-built class email lists, > readily available web conferencing, and multi-point video conferencing > between students and faculty. > > > > These tools are available today, and no, they are not cheap, but then > neither is a less than optimally effective and motivated student body > or a less-than-committed alumni group. If MSU has set its goals on > becoming a world integrating community, then community building, in my > view, had best begin at home. > > > > http://www.wainhouse.com/files/papers/wr-case-sfsu.pdf > > > > http://www.wrplatinum.com/Downloads/8808.aspx > > > > The last URL requires registration but all .msu.edu email addresses > have automatic access to Wainhouse Research Platinum Pro material > until June of 2009. > > > > > > Laurence A. Bates > > College of Education > > Michigan State University > > 217E Erickson Hall > > East Lansing > > MI 48824 > > 517-355-2178 > > [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> > > >